Just before Christmas I had one of the most enjoyable dinners of the year. Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew of Noble Rot invited Neal Martin and I for dinner at their relatively newly opened gaff. We had some lovely food and some super wines, as you might expect. Noble Rot is such a good addition to the London wine scene. It’s just got so much character. And the food is lovely too (see the menu here ).

I really liked the Rock Oysters Raveneau, which are designed to go with said Chablis. Seaweed powder, brown butter and apple granita add the flavour, and they’re delicious. I also really enjoyed the slipsole and smoked butter. Just beautifully done, with amazing flavour.

The wines were pretty cool.

Coche Dury Bourgogne Aligoté 2011 Burgundy, France
Lovely matchstick mineral edge to the nose. Flavours of lemons, minerals and spices: zippy and taut with real precision. This is a brilliant Aligoté. 93/100

Domaine Roulot Meusault Les Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir 2007 Burgundy, France
Subtle creaminess here with lovely pear and white peach fruit, as well as a mineral character. Textural, fine and detailed with a hint of ripe apple. Quite lovely. 94/100

Domaine Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 1996 Burgundy, France
Rich, supple, meaty black cherry and blackberry nose with hints of pepper and tar. Lovely freshness and a hint of green, with some olive too. Structured and quite powerful but also pretty floral black cherry notes. Still has a lovely density of fruit, even at 19 years of age. Proper red Burgundy., 96/100

Jacques-Frederic Mugnier Clos de la Marechale 1er Cru 2007 Burgundy, France
Quite rich with lovely black cherries, plums and spices. Concentrated sweet black fruits. Bold and textured with lovely richness. A powerful red Burgundy. 95/100

Quintarelli Alzero 2005 Veneto, Italy
Made from Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), Cabernet Franc (40%) and Merlot (20%) grapes that have been dried on racks for 60-100 days. It’s then aged in barrique followed by further ageing in larger Slavonian oak. This is a cult wine, and we were served it blind. We didn’t like it very much, but we may have liked it more if we tasted it sighted first. Very rich and intense with coffee, spice, cocoa and chocolate notes. It’s quite sweet and porty, but there’s nice grip and a fine, grainy structure. Too rich and ripe for me. 87/100

Quintarelli Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2007 Veneto, Italy
This is a much cheaper wine than the Alzero, but it’s pretty nice. 6 years in large oak, no drying of grapes, 15% alcohol. Sweet and fresh with lush black cherry and blackberry fruit. Smooth and has some brightness. 92/100

Clos Rougeard Les Poyeaux Saumur Champigny 2001 Loire, France
Fine cherries and spices with nice supple raspberry and cherry fruit. Supple and fine with real finesse. So fine. 94/100

Clos Rougeard Les Poyeaux Saumur Champigny 2002 Loire, France
Supple and a bit sappy with nice cherries and plums. Elegant and precise with lovely focus and warm spiciness. 93/100

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