A fun evening at Rôtisserie Jules
13 May 2009
This was an evening arranged by Chris Mullineux, the talented young winemaker now making his own wines in South Africa, Mullineux Family Wines, at Rôtisserie Jules in London's South Kensington.
Rôtisserie Jules serves little more than roast
chicken and chips in a café setting. I've been
several times over the years, and in my experience the food is not as
good as it used to be, not that it was every anything more than very
simple. But the simplicity of the food meant we could focus
all our attention on the wines, which was required, as Chris had asked
that we conceal the identity of all the wines (which were, hence,
"served blind"). Blind tasting is a fun game for wine
professionals and enthusiasts: on the one hand, it allows judgement to
be made without being influenced by the label; on the other, it is a
great way to make fools of ourselves and our so-called knowledge.
On this occasion we were all pretty useless at spotting what
the wines were, though in our defence, several of them did not display
the usual typicity, even once the wine had been revealed, and we knew
what it was.
I recorded the scores below before the wines' identities were revealed.
2003 Wroxeter Roman Vineyard, Brut,
Shropshire English Quality Sparkling Wine, 12%
Rather
slight, slow bubbles. Fairly aromatic nose. Possibly charmat rather
than champagne method? Decent palate, with some citrus and aromatics.
Could be chenin, or maybe pinot gris/riesling? Well, well, apparently,
it's reichensteiner. Champagne method (or traditional method
as we now have to say), not charmat, so I was wrong there too.
86/100
2007 Grüner Veltliner Renner, Schloss Gobelsburg
A
lemon straw appearance. Lots of fresh, lemony, grassy notes. Presumably
sauvignon blanc. Quite a rich palate, though it's served a bit too
warm, which is accentuating that. Thought there's still a nice
refreshing acidity. The acidity really lingers on the palate and on the
lips. My guess would that this would be a warmish climate sauvignon
blanc. Australia? South Africa? Added acidity?
88/100
Oh come on! Even when it's revealed, it just doesn't seem to be at all
GrüV like.
2005 Riesling, François Lipp, 13%
A subtle, aromatic nose. Rich, full, spicy palate. Seems like Alsace,
most likely pinot gris. 2005?
85/100
2003 Le Ciste, Côtes du Roussillon, Domaine Laguerre,
13%
A
subtle nose with some lemon, minerality and a hint of oxidation. A big
mouthful, with quite a sweetish, nutty character. Seems
Rhôney. There's
no great depth, but there is very good length. 90/100
2007 Redoma Branco, Niepoort, 13%
A
rich, powerful scented nose. And then on the palate, it's rich and
fairly sweetish again. There's a bit of an odd, soapy feel on the
finish. Seems fairly young. Some aromatic variety/ies in there?
Viognier and some other stuff? 87/100
Oremus Tokaji Dry Mandolás, 13%
Sweet
and a bit nutty on the nose - almost a syrupy feel. Lovely palate,
though a bit doughnutty, it that it's very flat in the middle: lovely,
full attack, thenit comes back with power on the finish. Nice wine,
though I don't know what it is. 91/100
2003 Le Ciste, Côtes du Roussillon, Domaine Laguerre,
13%
Initially
the nose doesn't give much away, then it reveals itself to be slightly
floral, slightly scented honey and lemon. Savagnin? Chenin? Or it could
be north Italian, or that region - malvasia? Quite rich, and builds in
the mouth. Very mouthfilling, but nicely balanced. Very good length.
90/100
2002 Arbois Melon-Queue-rouge, Jacques Puffeney,
12.5%
A
lovely nose - rich, creamy, sweet, slightly nutty, with a good
minerality. Very interesting palate. Slightly oxidised. High acidity.
There's a bit of a raisined feel to it. Savagnin? Jura? If it is, then
it could be any age. I rather like it. 91/100
2007 Morgon vieilles vignes, Michel Guignier
There's
strawberry and cherry fruit on the nose, with a subtle black pepper
note. The first thing you notice is a good structure. It's light, but
with a lovely body and a fresh red fruity character. Classy Morgon.
91/100
1999 Hermitage Vin de Paille, M. Chapoutier, 14.5%,
375ml
Sweet
nose. Very elegant indeed. Slightly raisined, slightly savoury. there's
a hint of tobacco too. Sweet, yet savoury on the palate, with great
elegance. There's lots of dry fruit and candied orange character, along
with some coffee and mocha notes. Very concentrated and savoury,
especially in comparison to the Mullineux. Inordinate length. 95/100
2008 Straw Wine, Mullineux Family Wines
A
much fresher nose than the Chapoutier, but definitely a winning nose.
Quite orangey. Glorious. Much sweeter than the Chapoutier, but very,
very fresh. 93/100
2008 Mullineux White, Mullineux Family Wines, 13.5%
A
very attractive crisp nose with lemon and grapefruit, and a slight
lanolin feel. Very good palate. Very nice weight and balance. There's a
rich, rounded, slightly tropical fruit feel, but then the acidity comes
along. Crisp, fresh finish. Very good length. 91/100
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Last updated: 14 Jan 2010