Bin Ends Annual Dinner: 17th January 2009
Opus Restaurant, Birmingham

The Wines
Aperitif: Champagne Marc Hebrart 1er Cru (Wine Society £21)
I’ve been banging on about Growers’ Champagne for years, and how much better value it is than Grandes Marques. This was full, rich, but with a mineral bite, reflecting a composition of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. A snip when I bought it last April, at around £14, the price, alas, has shot up to £21, although there are discounts for purchases of 6 bottles.

Starters: Olivier Leflaive “Les Setilles” 2005 Bourgogne Blanc (Wine Society Opening Offer, c£8 per bottle)
Served with Leek and Haddock fishcake, poached egg and chive butter. This was an elegant White Burgundy, made with 100% Chardonnay, part tank and part barrel-aged. Still a little tight, the wine proved a perfect foil, bringing out both the butter in the wine and the dish.

Mains: Chateau Villerambert-Julien 2002 Minervois (£11.50 Tanners)
Clos d’Escandil 2003 Minervois-la-Livinière (c£18 purchased directly)
With Braised Kleftiko of lamb, celeriac mash and winter vegetables.
Two big hearty Syrah-based reds were chosen to go with a slow-cooked lamb shank. The V-J was a 70/30 Syrah/Grenache blend, which although oaked, was from a “lighter” vintage and more fruit-focussed. The Clos l’Escandil is from the premium La Liviniere Cru, the best part of Minervois. The word “clos” generally means a walled vineyard and here yields can be exceedingly low. The blend is 40% Syrah, 40% Mourvedre and 20% Grenache, spending between 20-22 months in oak. From a hotter vintage, this had more animal and gamey characters.

Dessert: Muscat de St. Jean de Minervois “Vendanges d’Automne”
Vin Doux Naturel (Val d’Orbieu Co-operative) (from UK Co-op £5.99)
A lightly fortified Muscat, using the superior “Petit Grains” clone, this was a perfect match for our creamy chocolate and mandarin dessert, as it mimicked the sweet citrus perfectly.

Graham’s Malvedos 1996 Single Quinta Port
Still young and vibrant, this had delicious flavours of liquorice blended with blackberry and spice.

Coming Up:
Tuesday, 24th February 2009
Affordable Bordeaux
Presented by Wine Educator Laura Clay

Tuesday, 31st March 2008
Rioja: Understanding the Label,
Looking at the different terms and styles,
From “High Expression” to “Gran Reserva”
(£10 per head - subject to attendance)

Tuesday, 28th April 2009
Pinot-philia - a Celebration of Pinot Noir
From around the world
(£10 per head - subject to attendance)

PS: Unfortunately, attendances have dropped significantly over the last 3-4 months, so to keep the group viable and the tastings at £10 per head, we need at least 14 or 15 people per tasting. If you know of anyone who might be interested in joining the group, please don’t hesitate to bring them along to any of the tastings.

Please note my website link:
www.clives-wines.com