wines

Burnham Thorpe
www.nelsonslocal.co.uk

Wine Cellar

LANDLORD'S RANT
What struck me about this pub was that nothing was usual.
The Nelson Bar would be called a snug in most places, the garden is three times the size of the building, the cask ale is not subjected to pipes and pumps and most importantly, ‘His Lordship’ is not a theme.

What on earth does this have to do with the wine list?
It serves as an explanation. I could have assembled a ‘usual’ wine list, full of Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Grigios
(Grigii?), Petit Chateaux, Merlots and Cabs. You, dear reader, would have contemplated the list, given a little sigh and plumbed for something that would have held no surprise, that would not have held your attention after the first sip. It would have been a good wine, just rather too familiar.

So this list is an affirmation and a challenge. The affirmation is of the diversity of wine and those who make it. It is a list to give you a small glimpse of some who try to maintain traditions, or who try to break traditions in the face a flow to homogeneity and internationalisation. The challenge is to drink enough of these wines to keep their makers bucking trends, be it championing disappearing varieties in corners of the ‘old world’ or making unusual planting choices in the ‘new world’, or using unusual techniques anywhere.

My goal is to help meet the challenge. To do this I must describe the wines adequately so that you can choose one, sure that what you have read has built expectations that will be fulfilled. I must reassure you that whatever you pick, it will be a good choice even though you may never have heard of the variety, or realised that anyone grew grapes in such a place, or made wine that way.

There is not an easy way out on this list, but I hope that by enthusing you, and by you taking enthusiasm forward the diversity of flavours, vision, vine varieties will not diminish, making us all the richer for it.

As with all lists, it is a work in progress and as such, will change and evolve. I hope some of the background information and comments are informative.

Wine Selection By The Glass

VINTAGE HOUSE FIZZ	Bottle	Flute
100. Cava Aliguer 2003, Penedes, Agusti Torelli	£15.95	£4.95
Fresh, dry, melon fruit, biscuity, delicate and refined from the top Cava producer. A great wine. * Best Value House Fizz in Norfolk *

HOUSE WHITE WINE	Bottle	175ml	250ml
No.1. House White - El Muro, Macabeo from Cariñena, Spain	£12.75	£3.45	£4.55
Clean apple & peach flavours, crisp, refreshing & easy to drink.
2. Viognier 2009, Las Manitos, Mendoza, Argentina	£13.95	£3.85	£4.95
Soft pear drop & bubblegum flavours. Stone fruit flavours with fresh dry finish.
3. Sauvignon Blanc 2007, ‘Sunrise’, Concha Y Toro, Chile	£14.95	£3.95	£5.25
Vibrant Sauvignon, grassy, fresh, fruity and clean. Flavours linger.
4. Pinot Grigio from somewhere in Northern Italy. 12%	£8.95	£2.95	£3.95
Fresh green crisp apples on nose & palate. It’s hardly P.G. but it’s cheap & cheerful.

HOUSE RED WINE	Bottle	175ml	250ml
No.51 House Red – El Muro, Tempranillo & Grenache, Spain	£12.75	£3.45	£4.55
Spicy young red, soft raspberry & blackberry fruit, pepper & cherry notes. Yum!
52. Malbec/Shiraz 2009, Las Manitos, Mendoza, Argentina.	£13.95	£3.85	£4.95
Berries & currants on nose. Chewy palate with toffee apples & raspberries.
53. Pinot Noir 2006, Vin de Pays d’Oc, Ropiteau, France	£14.95	£3.95	£5.25
Subtle and spicy with morello cherry and blackcurrant. Worth a try, really.
54. Merlot from somewhere in Southern Italy. 12%	£8.95	£2.95	£3.95
You get what you pay for. It’s clean, light & fruity, like Beaujolais Nouveau.

ROSE, SPARKLING WINE & CHAMPAGNE	Bottle	175ml	250ml
45. Pinot Grigio Rosé 2008, Casa Defra, Venezie, Italy.	£13.95	£3.75	£4.95
Juusst off-dry, salmon pink, raspberries & red cherries. Lively & good value.
46.Le Saint Andre Rose 2009, VdPays du Var, France.	£18.45	£4.45	£6.45
Pale Porvence-like pink, rose petal & wild strawberries, raspberry fresh.
105. Sparkling Zinfandel Rosé, Beringer, California	£19.95	Flute: £5.95
Sweet fruit, light & refreshing.
107. Champagne Regine Baron, Cuvée Saphir, Brut NV, France	£29.95	Flute: £7.50
Mineral nose, red berry & toast notes, citrus tang for freshness. Full finish.

White Wines

FRESH & ZESTY
7. Inzolia 2008, Vini del Sole, Sicily (13%)	£15.50
This wine is from some large unidentifiable concern. In wine circles this is held to be a ‘bad thing’. It’s funny because there are moments when you find a wine that is nice enough, whether in itself or in simple value terms, where you don’t give a monkey’s. So it is with this: don’t worry, don’t think too hard, it’s fine. Fresh, fruity with buzz, characterful, clean, some herb & slight citrus flavours.
10. Picpoul de Pinet 2009, Domaine de Guillemarine	£18.45
Picpoul is one of the delightful varietal names you find in the south of France that indicates another wine world out there waiting to be discovered. Its alternative names, Folle Blanche and Gros Plant, sound rather more mundane. Once lobbed into white blends with things like white Grenache and Bourboulenc (another great sounding name), Picpoul has now been brought out by modern winemaking techniques as a stand-alone variety that shows at its best from Pinet appellation. This one adds a herby edge to the classic white flower and stone fruit characteristics. The palate has a fresh acidity with pear, lemon and pineapple along with the flowers. The finish has an earthy element that is attractive.
12. Pinot Blanc 2009 ‘Piropo’ Mendoza, Argento Wines, Argentina 12.5%	£19.45
NosePinot Blanc, forgotten relative of Grigio/Gris and Noir. Given some examples I have tasted over the years I’m not surprised. Shame, ‘cos when it’s good it carries a depth missing from some of the ‘aromatic’ varieties. This is Argentina getting something different right again, or at least the prolific Nick Catena who is rightly a big cheese down there and the man behind Argento. Almost too full to be in the fresh & zesty section, I got lemon, peach and some pears which ties in with what it says on the bottle. These Argentineans even do back label ‘Bull’ well!
9. Garganega 2007 ‘Alpha Zeta’, Verona Province, Italy 12.5%	£16.25
I have tried hard not to bang on about how mundane or old fashioned or just rubbish table wine varieties can be transformed by restricting the yield, but believe it, less gives more. It’s quite easy. The vine, however managed can produce x amount of flavour in any given year. Divide x into the amount of grapes and you have the flavour factor – more grapes = less flavour. This is made by a Kiwi who flies in, tells growers to slash their yields, makes a great brew from one of the varieties that produce Soave, and flies out again. Must be rocket science! Easy drinking, peachy with stone fruits. Peachy & crisp palate with a lime citrus streak. Grapey & fresh for summer drinking.
SOFT & ROUNDED
8. Grüner Veltliner 2008, ‘Kies’, Kurt Angerer, Kamptal, Austria	£21.50
There used to be three Grüner Veltliner on this list, which was over indulgence on my part. I am sad, because this variety reflects so much of the vineyard – soil and climate – and of the maker that I could make a list with nothing else from about £19 upward. Herr Angerer names his wines after the soil structures of his vineyards. Kies means gravel. Funny how that doesn’t appear anywhere in my notes! Full style, rich & buttery, fruity, round in the mouth with some exotic fruit & some spice, almost meaty. A really safe place to start your exploration of this versatile variety.
20. Torrontes 2009, Salta, Finca La Linda, Argentina	£17.40
Torrontes is Argentina’s white grape. Whatever European origins there were have been lost to the new habitat in the cold, dry, high-altitude (5500ft) vineyards of Cafayate Valley in the north-western Salta province. This area has a reputation for the best quality the grape has to offer. La Linda is part of the Luigi Bosca stable. . Fresh, floral nose, with rosehip and a touch of lavender. Balanced acidity on the palate with white peaches and an orange spice citrus finish. Gets the mouth watering nicely.
21. Chardonnay 2005, Marenga San Floriano del Collio, Friuli	£26.95
The oak invasion of the wine world is curious in its ubiquity. Yes, oak works for many wines, is relatively easy to make into barrels, but it has always struck me as strange that no other wood has even appeared, let alone challenged. The romans used pine barrels, we can guess the effect, some Italian wineries still have large chestnut barrels, though usually they are very old. If you taste this marvellous wine made in Acacia Barrels, you have to wonder why this is the only winery I’ve found using the stuff. The result gives a perfumed nose that seems to have a touch of sweetness, but does not cloy. Palate has tangy fruit yet a soft feel that edges toward richness without becoming overbearing. Long finish. Lovely wine, star buy.
17. Pinot Grigio 2008, Norfolk Rise Vineyard, Limestone Coast, South Australia	£19.95
Mount Benson is the home of this vineyard in South Australia that boasts a new winery in the midst of its 440 acres, all within 5km of the sea. This has an enormous cooling benefit which slows ripening allowing more flavour to accumulate. I haven’t tasted the reds but it works for this wine. New World P.G. Full, weighty, spicy rather than fruity and a mineral element that’s good with food. So much better than most washy Italian versions.
18. Chardonnay 2009, Pitchfork, Margaret River, Western Australia	£22.00
This joins the ‘no-oak’ section of the list, not that there is much oak elsewhere! This might be in the soft & rounded section, but being from W. Aus., it is not a big fat overblown beastie that caused the ABC (anything but chardonnay) fashion from which we are now thankfully emerging, as the cooler climate allows the fruit to achieve flavour ripeness without losing acidity. This is made at Hay Shed Hill who impress mightily with their care. The soft exotic fruit and melon character is balanced with a lemon zest bite and some steel which keep the whole tight and clean.
15. 2008 Navazos-Niepoort 12.5%	£36.50
The first wine to be actually produced by Equipos Navazos (see ‘other wines’) rather than just selected from others’ production has been created with the help of Dirk Niepoort of Douro fame. A recreation of a traditional style made from Palomino Fino grapes sourced from an old and treasured Albariza vineyard. The Navazos-Niepoort 2008 has been fermented in butt, using only naturally occurring wild yeasts, and aged under a veil of flor for five months, without fortification. Like all of the preceding bottlings by Equipos Navazos, this is a limited release of 4,000 bottles. The tasting note below is far better than anything I can write to describe this extraordinary, daring and beautiful wine. Nose is a complex yet delicate mix of citrus, apples, spice and even very slightly floral and grapey at first. Jesus Barquin, a principle member of the Navazos team, likened it to some oxidative styles of Savennieres but with minerality. Dry and a little peppery. There’s a merest hint of salt but more on the palate than on the nose. Tangy finish. Long and intense, especially given the lowish alcohol. A very unusual wine because it starts with that delicate floral note and then builds into something far more intense and persistent. Julia Harding MW. She only missed the ozone then!
22. Pernand Vergelesses 1er Cru‘Ile des Vergelesses’ 2006, Chandon De Briailles	£39.75
No good if you don’t like Chardonnay! But this isn’t really just Chardonnay because the real flavours are from the vineyard, that patch of soil that is the ‘Ile des Vergelesses’. The Domaine is high- maintenance, having given up herbicides, insecticides and chemical fertiliser without pushing ‘organic’ and ‘biodynamic’ credentials themselves. This is classic white Burgundy with some freshness not found in Meursault and Puligny. Depth of flavour and length of finish are what mark this out, showing as much mineral as fruitiness.
14. Albariño 2006, Pazo Señorans, Rias Baixas, Galicia 12.5%	£22.75
I have long enjoyed Albariño as a safe choice to accompany the range of dishes chosen by ourselves and our friends. Because these wines are not trying to supply a mass market the consistency of quality is reassuring. The moderating influence of the Atlantic on this north-westerly region of Spain makes these hugely satisfying whites. This one is at the fuller end of the styles available, my notes say luscious & bouncy. Aromas are green lemon – not lime – grassy, with green grapes. Flavours are spicy, peachy with apricot stone on sweet fruit. Texture is soft, quite smooth. The long finish leaves the palate fresh.
'THIS IS NOT SHERRY !!' 'IT IS JIM, BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT.' 16. La Bota de Manzanilla “Navazos”, Andalusia, Spain 15%	£42.00
The Navazos Team (Navazos are wetlands used for farming) started in 2005 as a group of sherry enthusiasts who found some very fine, 20 year old, Amontillado, unsold in a cellar in Sanlucar. They bought it, bottled it and sold it to friends. They now bottle 4000-bottle ‘butts’ (La Bota) and a few bottles come to England through Paul Shinnie. For this one, they have selected a small quantity of wine from Sanchez Ayala, the source of whose wine is two vineyards they own in the Pago Balbaína: Las Cañas and Viña Soledad. The finesse of these musts, together with the warm and moist climate resulting from the proximity of the sea and the freatic layer, (a sedimentary layer indicating the historical existence of salt water), produce delicate wines of great freshness and bestow its classic ‘salty’ character. With an average age estimated to be around six years, this wine is bottled after only a very light filtration in order to preserve its authenticity and its beautiful golden colour. This is a wine of saline complexity and power, which drinks nonetheless with incredible ease. Its personality and freshness make it the perfect partner on the dinner table, matching a wide range of foods, from the appetizers to the richest dishes (where it helps refresh the palate)

Red Wines

LIGHTER & BRIGHTER
60. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2008 ‘Gran Sasso’, Italy 13.5%	£19.45
Unusual in that this does not come from a co-op or a big shipper cutting down on quality to get to this price. ‘Made by Marco Flacco, under the direction of Valentino Sciotti, who has a flexible attitude allowing him to adapt to weather and cellar conditions’- that’s lucky then! There is no oak aging, just 5 months in stainless steel. Dense, ripe cherry with plum & hints of dark chocolate. Bright, vibrant, packed with cherry & red berry fruit. Ripe tannins & a lovely clean, crunchy style.
67. Savigny Les Beaune 1997, ‘Les Bourgeots’, Dne. Simon Bize, Burgundy	£24.80
I have know the wines for a long time as the Domaine is one of the top 5 or 6 in Savigny, but I only met Patrick Bize this year. What a straight, sensible guy. Working to organic standards where possible, but not going to lose his crop to mildew for want of a fungicide. 1997 conditions left fruity wines with lower acidity than usual, so more plums than cherries, but still holding tight together though friendlier than some Savignys from leaner years.
63. Ch. Grand Terrier des Eyriaux 2006, Bordeaux Superieura.	£19.20
The name is a mouthful before you start on the flavours. I hate less expensive Bordeaux wines that are sharp and thin and most unappealing. This shows my prejudices as wrong. It’s made in a farmyard by a fanatic! Need I say more? Oak, but not too much, ripe tannins; fruit, some cherry and bilberry, but not too ‘berried’, think sloes; for food- any darned food.
65. Chianti 2007 ‘Leonardo’, Tuscany, Italy 12.5%	£21.95
Recent award winner in the wine trade rag Imbibe for quality and value. I can’t quite believe it myself that I can do this at this price. It’s made by a 160 member co-operative founded in 1961 near Vinci – hence the name. Ripe berry & cherry fruits, with some meaty notes. A touch of spice & fennel too. Mid-weight & juicy yet also soft & cuddly. Sweet berry fruits, with spice & a lovely savoury meatiness.
61. Pinot Noir 2007 ‘Tradition’ Vin de Pays d’Oc, J-L Denois, France	£25.20
Originally from Champagne, with many projects in the ‘new world’ under his belt, M. Denois has settled in the foothills of the Pyrenees and started another revolution producing a full range of wines amongst which is this. A finer neater wine than the usual run from ‘the south’, with depth of flavour behind the cherries and spice.

FULL WEIGHT OF THE LAW
57. Côtes Du Rhône Villages 2008, Ropiteau, France	£16.25
Value here. Ropiteau are part of a huge Burgundian outfit who source wines from many regions in France. Good solid dependable stuff. This is not a subtle wine. Intense, in its fullness with enough spiciness to give some class. Built for comfort - & value.
66. Gevrey Chambertin 1998, 1er Cru ‘Poissenot’, Dne. Humbert Freres	£43.00
Don’t know much about these brothers, they have a good sized domaine and produce dependable wines and are represented by my friend and Burgundy resident Mike Stephens. This may sound like damning with faint praise, but the wines are good rather than stunning, however stunning costs a lot more, so don’t deny yourself a glimpse of the big time! Deepish ruby, gamey, earthy nose with some leather and liquorice. More on palate plus plums, kirsch and black cherry.
58. Negroamaro del Salentola 2008, La Casada, Puglia	£15.95
Another wine from Jerome at Bijou Bottles – I don’t know where he thinks of his company names – whose list is nearly as eclectic as this. Salento is the ‘heel’ of Italy and home of this variety which makes the best reds of the region. This is perhaps more middle weight than heavy, but the concentrated black fruits with a touch of bramble give a richness that the hint of tar just stops from being overblown.
69. Malbec 2007, Trivento, Mendoza, Argentina	£16.45
Argentina plus Malbec still equals good value. Indeed without Argentina, Malbec may never have entered most peoples’ vocabulary. Trivento belong to Chilean outfit Concha y Toro who make quality brews. Dark-berry fruits, ripe & rich. Full-flavoured.
71. Primitivo 2008, Villa dei Fiori, Puglia, Italy	£18.95
Nick Askew of suppliers Bibendum writes: ‘Primitivo is a clone of the Zinfandel grape of California and both are offspring of Croatia's Crljenak Kastelanski. Most commonly planted in Italy's Puglia region, Primitivo produces a richly fruited wine that has flavors of blackberry, cherry and raspberry with a hint of spice and an earthy core. True to the primitivo grape, this wine is of a deep ink colour with welcoming notes of ripe red berry fruit, liquorice and a hint of tar. It is full bodied but with a deliciously fruit finish, warm spices and powerful but somehow tamed tannins.’ I quite agree, but he talks this much too! My notes say: Smooth , rich, with forest fruits & balanced spice, so what more do you need?
72. Chateau Hautes Graves Beaulieu 2004, Pomerol, Bordeaux	£38.00
From the La Rose Figeac stable, this is one for all you merlot lovers with just 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cab. Sauvignon. This is a bit of a steal. Black plum and black cherry front up the flavours with some raspberry and red cherry behind and some forest floor notes to add depth. Very long elegant finish
70. Morgon ‘Cote de Puy’ 2006, Jean Foillard, Beaujolais, France	£28.25
This gent. is a benign nutter! You get them in winemaking. This is made from Gamay, derided by Burgundians as good only for light wines to drink young. I have tasted too many 30+ year-old wines from Beaujolais villages to believe a word of it. This wine is not filtered or fined already quite unusual for Beaujolais, but uses little sulphur either. Is this the ultimate Gamay? The Morello cherries give it away as Beaujolais, but it is so intense, so long and complex that you would be forgiven for being mistaken. Just so yummy.
68. Shiraz 2008, Pitchfork, Margaret River, Western Australia.	£22.00
I have had so many fewer disappointments in wines from W. Australia than in all the rest of the country. I don’t know if it is because they are away from the Aussie mainstream, or if the climate is better for grapes, but I think this is good value and well made by the Hay Shed Hill people with Michael Kerrigan of Madfish fame at the helm. Lots of sweet blackcurrant on the nose with cherry and plum joining on the palate. Could be a bit of chocolate in there with some spice.

Sparkling Wines, Rosé & Half Bottles

SPARKLING WINES
*100. VINTAGE HOUSE FIZZ Cava Gran Reserva 2003, Penedes, Agusti Torello**	£15.95
Agusti Torello is one of the three top cava producers in Spain. They are near the main cava town San Sadurni d’Anoia and produce from their own vineyards using the three varieties associated with cava: Macabeo, Xarello and Parellada. Fresh, dry, melon fruit, biscuity, delicate & refined from the top Cava producer. Great wine. The best value house fizz in Norfolk!
102. Reserva Barrica 2002, Brut Nature, Penedes, Agusti TorelloTorello	£18.95
Made only from old-vine Macabeo planted in three different vineyards in the coastal region, then aged in oak. How do I do it at this price? Back of a lorry Guv’. The oak certainly shows on the palate, along with fine toastiness and mushrooms. Lemony undertones. Very dry.
*107. Champagne Regine Baron, Cuvée Saphir, Brut NV, France**	£29.95
Mainly Pinot Meunier, the third champagne variety by the Baron family, parents and three daughters, from 10 hectares (25 acres)in the Marne Valley. Mineral nose, red berry & toast notes, citrus tang for freshness. Full finish.
108. Champagne Billecart Salmon, Brut NV, France	£39.95
Of all the big-name champagne houses, why have we chosen this one? It’s a bit smaller, the wines seem to have an edge of quality and consistency, and they bought the vineyards and winery of Leon Launois in Le Mesnil sur Oger, whose wines my parents and I drank for 40 years. Elegance & depth. Fresh fruit and pears with floral notes. Long finish, some biscuit and a touch of cream.
ROSE WINE
*46. Le St. Andre Rosé 2009, Vin de Pays du Var, S. France**	£18.45
Top company producing cracking rosés at serious prices from their own domaine and this from local fruit to make the Vin de Pays. We had this as our main pouring rose in 07 and 08, but the pound sank and it got too expensive, but I am delighted to have it back for the summer and maybe longer. Pale Porvence-like pink, rose petal & wild strawberries, raspberry fresh.
*Also available by the glass

HALF BOTTL ES
107h Champagne Moutard, Grand Cuvée, Brut NV, France	£17.95
Smooth, creamy with biscuity notes & zesty finish
11h. Mercurey Blanc 2005, M. Juillot, Cote Chalonnais, Burgundy, France	£16.35
The most careful domaine in Mercurey. I visited once with a group of Rhone producers, looking at the effect of oak in white winemaking. Always trying new techniques within the limits of the appellation framework. This has a mineral richness on the nose. Fresh citrus fruit aromas combined with a discreet floral touch. Ripe but bright in the mouth with beautifully balanced acidity. Long lasting with mineral notes.
21h . Chardonnay 2007, Valle Central, Concha y Toro, Chile	£9.95
Fresh exotic fruit & papaya flavours. Smooth & well-bodied. Usual fish & white meat recommendation.
59h. Mercurey Rouge 2004, M. Juillot, Cote Chalonnais, Burgundy, France	£16.35
Consistently the best wines from this village, despite the claims of people I used to work for. Distrustful of French Coopers, Laurent buys his own oak trees and ages the wood himself before supervising the barrel making. 2004 is a fine year for fruit and this has some delicacy often missing in Pinot in Mercurey. Strawberrirs & raspberries with some spice with cherry & plum & a touch of deciduous forest smells. Smooth with ripe tannins.
65h. Chianti 2006 ‘Leonardo’, Tuscany, Italy 13%	£12.45
See Red listing. Red cherries and a hint of black pepper. Modern style, intense, rounded, velvety, unmistakeable.