11 minute read
DRINK IT IN
TAITTINGER COMTES DE CHAMPAGNE ROSÉ 2007
You can never go wrong when it comes to Taittinger and their 2007 Comtes de Champagne Rosé continues to showcase why they have the reputation they do. A must-discover for pink sparkling lovers. Strawberries, lime, roast coffee and cacao hit your nose with a soothing red and black berry palate. This rosé sits aging for 10 years before it even sees light, a testament to the complexity that winds up in each Grand Cru-driven bottle. £142 from The Finest Bubble
HAMBLEDON PREMIÈRE CUVÉE
An emblem of English skill when it comes to wine. If you’re a fan of champagne then this is going to blow your mind like you never knew possible. Turns out our soil and climate is very similar to champagne and this aged English sparkling (most of the grapes coming from the 2014 harvest) packs a punch of delight. The blend of Chardonnay (67%), Pinot Meunier (22%) and Pinot Noir gives orange blossom, ripe nectarine and baked apple on the nose. Upon sipping, tarte Tatin, croissant and a creamy peach complexity. One of my favourites. £43 from The Wine Society
The Spirit Of An English Summer
Words: Aidy Smith
It’s been a funny old month hasn’t it - the rain doesn’t know whether its coming or going and we can’t decide whether we should keep the windows open or closed. Alas, do not fear, my Editor’s Picks this month contain a little something for all occasions. From sparkles to spirits and everything in between, here’s what should be on your tipple radar.
CASA DRAGONES BLANCO
These guys create another one of the ultimate sipping tequilas and arguably one of the ‘purest’ looking bottles I’ve seen too. I love to use these as water bottles once I’ve finished the nectar inside. Small batch, 100% blue agave which has been seven to nine years ripened to perfection in the rich lands of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The water is pretty neat too, beneath the earth’s surface in hundreds of 70-metre natural aquifers straight from the Volcano of Tequila! Perhaps that’s what gives it such a pure and distinct taste. Certainly one of the best tequilas I’ve ever tasted.
CHÂTEAU DE POMMARD CLOS MAREY-MONGE TRIO 2019
This trio of exceptional Burgundy Pinot Noirs stem from vines aged between 20 and 80 years old. Vines which have stood the test of time and, as a result, become the source of some of Burgundy’s finest and most expressive wines. Each wine derives from smaller parcels of vines and aged for 18 months in 20 to 25% new oak barrels. If you are looking to set down some Burgundy for the future, this is where you should be looking. Having tasted these in their youth, there is a colossal opportunity for them to grow and showcase everything we love about Burgundy and more with a fruit-forward palate that hits all the right spots. Ranging from £73 to £137 from chateaudepommard.com
(FOOD & DRINK PAIRING BOX) ROYAL BELUGA CAVIAR & LOUIS ROEDERER BRUT
Food and wine are a match made in heaven and there’s nothing quite like caviar and Champagne. This week I give you the ultimate pairing, Royal Beluga Caviar (50g) is considered one of the finest caviar in the world. Sustainably sourced with so much elegance, it works wonders alongside the dry sparkling beauty that is Louis Roderer Brut. This is the ultimate gourmet fix: once you try it, there’s no going back! £275 from dukeshillham.co.uk
THE BROLLACH CRAFT IRISH WHISKEY
The third release of one of Ireland’s most exciting and innovative whiskey companies is already sweeping up awards. Securing a ‘Master Medal’ from Spirits Business, this gem emits a nose of mocha and marmalade with a creamy honey palate, apricot jam and sticky ginger brioche. This double distilled gem is part of an ongoing series of quality-driven timeless releases that showcase the very best of Irish history and prestige. Craft Irish Whiskey is producing some of the best whiskey in the world and people are beginning to notice. One to watch out for and to add to your collection before it’s gone! Only 661 bottles have been released. £4,700 from craftirishwhiskey.com
CRYSTAL HEAD VODKA PRIDE EDITION
This rainbow wonder is a special edition raising funds for a variety of LGBTQIA+- focused charities. The bottle itself contains the original blend crystal head has become famous for. Locally- sourced Canadian corn is distilled four times before being filtered through Herkimer diamonds. Even the water used derives from the pristine natural sources of Newfoundland. The result is one of the purest vodkas you’ll sip, silky smooth with a hint of sweetness and vanilla. Drink well, do good!
£100 from thewhiskyexchange.com One of the purest vodkas you’ll ever sip, silky smooth with a hint of vanilla
THE GLENALLACHIE 30-YEAR-OLD BATCH 1
Only 2,000 bottles of this Scotch gem exist in the world. Batch 1 is a meticulous marriage between 1989 and 1990 vintage Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso hogsheads and puncheons with a small quantity of Chinquapin virgin oak casks intertwined for good measure. At 48.9% it’s cask strength, all natural colour and non-chill filtered ensuring only the best quality goes into each bottle. Rich mahogany in colour you’ll be introduced to a fruit cake, raisin and honey-mocha nose. The palate offers layers of dark chocolate apricot cake, figs, treacle and orange zest. I’m drooling just writing this. £475 from theglenallachie.com
For most of us city dwellers, the environment is important as a concept, even if we’re not exactly getting hands-on with the soil under our feet. Yet there is one thing we can all appreciate that has an unbreakable connection to the environment: Champagne.
Every time you enjoy a glass of fine fizz, you’re tasting the environment in which it was produced, the distinctive terroir that lends its character to that particular bottle. The two are inseparable, with the landscape, soil quality and climate all contributing to a unique flavour profile.
Needless to say, that makes the environment – and sustainability, the theme of this issue – of critical importance to any champagne house. None however are doing as much to ensure the longevity of the land as Champagne Telmont.
Eco-Friendly Fizz
Words: Sam Kessler
CHAMPAGNE TELMONT IS DOING THEIR BEST TO PRESERVE THE TERROIRS THAT KEEP THEIR WINES UNIQUE
Telmont as a house was founded in 1912, so they’re no novices. Since 2017 however, the Épernay-adjacent maison has been almost single-mindedly pursuing their ambitions to become a fully-organic, eco-friendly Champagne – and they’re well on their way.
Currently, 72% of the Telmont estate’s nearly 25 hectares of land is certified organic, with the rest midway through conversion. Telmont’s partner vineyards too are pursuing organic status, encouraging biodiversity across the landscapes of the region,
Chateau Telmont are on a mission to become a fully-organic, eco-friendly Champagne but without sacrificing any of the features that have made their name as a house offering a unique range of products
preserving species and taking the terroirs back to their natural beauty. It’s a massive campaign and one that Champagne as a whole, so often over-agriculturalised, can really use.
That said, organic alone does not a sustainable operation make. To complement their preservation of the landscape, Telmont will be doing away with all outer packaging (the stuff that nobody really needs and that every Champagne house insists on plying us with) and bottles made from 85% recycled glass.
Backed by a commitment to 100% renewable energy sources (including an on-site solar power plant), a fully- electric fleet of vehicles and an overhauled logistic chain with due consideration to its carbon footprint, Telmont are stepping up and doing their part to preserve the delicate balance of their terroir.
So, what does this all mean for the champagne itself? Other than knowing that what’s in your glass was made with love both for the wine and the environment that produced it, nothing. The Réserve Brut is as rich and beautifully balanced as ever and will continue to be, a masterful blend of seven different vintages brought together in one bottle.
Telmont is living, breathing proof that a change in the way a Champagne is made, a more considered, thoughtful and sustainable production, can be achieved while preserving the distinctive character that made their wine so renowned.
For now, they’re the only Champagne house on this self-imposed mission on behalf of the environment and, for that alone, deserve a toast. Let’s hope that soon they won’t be alone.
Champagne Telmont will be available to buy exclusively from Selfridges from September, selfridges.com
↓ PARK ROW
77 Brewer Street, W1F 9ZN
Marvel vs DC is comicbook fans’ favourite debate and now Park Row are tipping the scale in DC’s favour by bringing cuisine into the mix. The Soho-based establishment features five DC-themed restaurants and bars including The Iceberg Lounge and Pennyworth’s bar. The centrepiece of this immersive dining experience is The Monarch Theatre, an 11-course set menu and show that has dishes such as a ‘poisonous’ mushroom, scallops and edible jewellery.
The Monarch Theatre experience, £195, for more information visit parkrowlondon.co.uk
It hasn’t been long since the hospitality industry was finally able to reopen fully after restrictions were lifted and many bars and restaurants are finding their feet once more. So whether you’re keen to support your local spots or are visiting London for the first time in over a year there are plenty of new and exciting dining places ready for you to explore. Here’s a look at some recent and future openings that we’re keen to try out, including a few hidden gems tucked away in unexpected locations.
EDITED BY MICHAEL SONSINO
RESTAURANT &BAR NEWS
© Thomas Alexander Photography
← BENJAMIN’S BAR AT HARVEY NICHOLS
109–125 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7RJ
For a refined drinking and shopping experience, you can visit the recently opened Benjamin’s inside Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge. The whisky and cocktail bar has over 100 whiskies available by the dram or bottle, with highlights being a particularly rare 50-year Glengoyne and a Tamdhu 50 Year Old. The bar is named after the founder of Harvey Nichols, Benjamin Harvey, and aims to promote the elegance of the brand’s menswear products in a casual manner.
For more information visit harveynichols.com
↓ HAUGEN
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Due to open later this month, Haugen is set to be one of the largest restaurants in Stratford with a capacity in the region of 544 customers across multiple floors and terraces. The German Alpine-inspired restaurant is being run by D&D, the same group behind many other high-end eateries like Coq D’Argent and Skylon in Royal Festival Hall (which I mention because it was really nice when I ate there pre-lockdown). While a menu has yet to be announced as I write, it’s sure to be modern and refreshing.
For more information visit danddlondon.com
↑ EKSTEDT AT THE YARD
3-5 Great Scotland Yard, SW1A 2HN
Niklas Ekstedt is one of the most famous Swedish chefs of modern times, appearing alongside the likes of Heston Blumenthal as a judge on the TV cooking competition Crazy Delicious. He is best known for his bold Scandinavian flavours and it is this cooking that he aims to bring to London with his first restaurant outside of Stockholm. The restaurant will be situated in the Great Scotland Yard Hotel
Book now at ekstedtattheyard.com
↓ MADHU’S AT THE DILLY
21 Piccadilly, W1J 0BH
Madhu’s of Mayfair is a well-established name in luxury Punjabi and Kenyan-inspired food, founded by Sanjay Anand MBE over 40 years ago. However, they have recently unveiled their newest restaurant tucked inside 5-star The Dilly Hotel, which promises to be their most luxurious eatery yet. The menu is full of classic favourites including nyama choma and Madhu’s machi, which are flavourful lamb and seabass dishes.
Book at table at thedillylondon.com
→ SKYLIGHT PECKHAM
120 Peckham Hill Street, SE15 5JT
Rooftop bars and restaurants are some of the most relaxed and lively venues in London. There’s just something about eating really high up with superlative views that makes for a good time. Peckham already has its fair share of such dining spots and now it’s got a new one: Skylight Peckham, operated by the same team as the successful Skylight Tobacco Deck. The Peckham location offers small, sharing dishes including staples like roast beef on sourdough. It’s the kind of place you want to hang out at after work.
Find out more at skylightbars.com
