Had a lovely evening on Thursday. It was a last-minute invitation from Roberson’s Mark Andrew, who was holding a small dinner for new agency Hirsch: Jasmine Hirsch, daughter of founder David Hirsch was…
Lunch at Arbutus with Marimar Torres
Had lunch today with Marimar Torres and her daughter Cristina at Arbutus, in Soho. It was my first visit to Arbutus, and I loved the food, although the dining room…
The new California: dinner with Kutch and Sandhi
On Monday night I had dinner with two very interesting Californian producers: Rajat Parr of Sandhi Wines, and Jamie Kutch of Kutch wines. It was hosted by Roberson Wine (www.robersonwine.com)…
Sine Qua Non Shot in the Dark – 100 points or 86?
I have just written up Thursday night’s tasting of cult Californian wines. It was an eye-opener. One wine in particular polarized option. For me it was the worst wine of…
A brilliant, natural California Grenache
Now this is a superb wine. Before opening it, I admit I was expecting something very sweet and ripe, in the new world mould. But what I got was something…
Two Californian Chardonnays
Californian wines are somewhat under-represented in the UK. Here are a couple of impressive Sonoma Chardonnays that I liked quite a bit, and which show restraint, balance and complexity. Marimar…
Two Cabernets from Napa Valley: Silverado and Grgich Hills
I’ve only visited California’s most famous wine region – Napa Valley – once. But I was quite taken by the place. It’s actually a really good place to grow wine…
Another serious Napa wine
So, after my good experience with Cain’s Five, here’s another serious Napa wine – this time, a varietal Cabernet Sauvignon. Again, this was drunk, not tasted. It also passed the…
Cain Five 2004: a serious Napa Bordeaux blend
I have a soft spot for Cain. It was the first winery I visited in Napa Valley (fairly recently, actually) and I was impressed by the thoughtful approach of Chris…