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30th
April London.
In
London via an O’Learyair cheapie for two tastings. First M&S,
at their anonymous Baker St headquarters, which looks like it should be
crammed with civil servants. Have to queue, snake fashion at reception as
per a post office or cash desk in an M & S store. Reception is
crawling with suits talking into mobiles and carrying briefcases.
Thankfully help is at hand to lead me through the labyrinth to the 7th
floor tasting room.
About
80 wines on show, themes either new wines or new vintages. Standards
generally very high. Whole buying team is hugely qualified and passionate
about what they’re doing. Doing more than just commissioning me-too
copies of big brands, rather influencing and creating new styles. Star of
show is £3.99 Portuguese red that tastes like it costs twice as much.
Buyer Sam Harrop only needs to submit a dissertation to complete his MW
exam. He brings out the nerdy anorak in me as we discuss Brettanomyces
(his pet research project) in reds and methoxypyrazine levels in NZ
sauvignon blancs. Surprisingly head of wine department Jane Masters, who
has just added an MBA to her MW, is moving to buy flowers and plants, as
she fancies a change. Aside from wines, discover Superplonk’s Malcolm
Gluck, like me, is a long suffering Spurs fan.
Second
tasting is of Burgundies, featuring five major houses – Bouchard
Pere, Drouhin, Jadot, Latour and Faiveley. It’s on Holborn and
thoughtfully the two PR companies have a luxury shuttle service running
between the two tastings! Dublin PRs please note. Seems a poor turn out
for a range of some quite smart wines. It’s a warm day and frankly it
makes some of the reds a bit soupy and the whites anything but refreshing.
Drouhin seems best of the bunch with most defined whites. Latour and
Bouchard are up to standard, Jadot seems oddly bland and Faiveley’s
wines whites seem clumsy and butch, while their reds are very extracted.
It’s not a day though for definitive opinions. Best thing about tasting
was gossip about Oddbins with another ex employee who tells me that many
in head office have been made redundant and buyer Steve Daniels has just
left! Allegedly it’s not a happy ship under new owners Castel, although
Irish operation appears to be performing well.
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