Jason Yapp

I am surprised at the chutzpah of some UK merchants trying to ‘talk up’ the 2008 Rhône as a ’superior’ vintage that merits buying en primeur. The cold facts are that the 2007s (many of which are still available) are better across the board and the keenly anticipated 2009s should (on the basis of our early tastings) also be far superior.

If one takes a look at the prognostications of leading pundits they seem to concur with our sentiments:

Jancis Robinson ‘Rhône 2008 - The Overview’   jancisrobinson.com   November 2009

‘You must come back and taste the 2009s’, was the common refrain when I visited the Rhône Valley last month. I was there to taste the 2008s, which was a strange exercise as, the more I tasted them, the more I realised that most sensible wine buyers will want to stock up on the exceptional 2007s while they wait for the eagerly anticipated 2009s. Overall the general characteristic of the 2008s in both northern and southern Rhône is that they are decidedly muted - especially after the super-concentrated 2007s.’

John Livingstone-Learmonth   Decanter Magazine ‘Rhône 2008: Buy With Care’   April 2010

‘The 2008 vintage in the Rhône came as a jolt to many growers…It was a marked departure from the free-wheeling seasons that nature delivered for most of the 2000’s. There are no blanket rules for buyers except caveat emptor: try the wine before buying it.’

Robert Parker    The Wine Advocate   eRobertParker.com

‘The 2008 southern Rhône vintage is reminiscent of 1999. While challenging in many cases, the good estates and serious vignerons who performed a heavy triage because of mildew in late summer, have produced good to very good wines. As in every challenging vintage, there are some outstanding efforts. To reiterate, the good news is that 2009 is looking like a potentially superb vintage. Even if you miss out on the 2007 vintage, 2009 may come close to rivaling that stupendous year, but the quality cannot be ascertained until the wines have finished their malolactic fermentation in late spring, 2010.’

 I can see very little incentive in laying out cash for buying these wines in advance although many of the top growers have produced wines of great delineation and charm. The 2008s will not have the aging or the investment potential of the 2007s and 2009s - so why fork out for them before they are bottled? Or to put it another way. Why make such song and dance about a journeyman vintage?

Jason Yapp                                                                                                               

Alan Limmer

There is a common misconception that all Syrah grown in the New World is known as Shiraz but in reality this is far from true. New Zealand wine-makers universally refer to this noble grape as ‘Syrah’, a policy for which one individual can claim the credit. Alan Limmer of Stonecroft vineyard in Hawke’s Bay was the first Kiwi wine-maker to plant Syrah in the post-war era when, in 1988, he propagated some cuttings from the national archive at the Te Kauwhata research station on the South Island. Alan was keen to differentiate his temperate climate offering from more blockbuster Australian wines, hence his decision to bottle his inaugural vintage as Syrah. Friends, neighbours and countless New Zealand wine-makers have since followed suit. Thus, in this part of the New World, at least you will find plenty of Syrah but very little Shiraz.

Former chemist Alan is still bottling some fine Syrahs over 2 decades since. The Stonecroft Syrahs exhibit classic black fruit tastes and supple tannins with a fresh finish - they’re a wonderful tribute to an outstanding pioneer.

Cotes du Thongue Tradition 2009

Before my time in the wine trade and before my time with small children in the house a favourite cousin (Simon) and me would spend a fair few weekends over the summer camping and surfing on the northern shores of Devon and Cornwall.

Simon is a few years younger than me but is still of the age where he was exposed to the music of the 1980s first hand. So, we both spent the decade sorting the wheat from the chaff finding out the obscure gems of the time (Hüsker Dü any one?)

Simon did and still does for that matter live in Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, where oddly rhyming slang remains as popular as it once did in the real East End of London. Or maybe that’s just Simon, I’ve never been that sure as a lot of it I suspect has been created by him personally. On the summer weekends away I’d spend time simply deciphering – “Holly Ghost” <toast> and  “Adam Ants” <pants> still spring to mind..but as always, I digress.

Now, as far as obscure gems go, putting Hüsker Dü to one side for a moment there’s a wine that has been flying out of the doors from Yapp HQ for literally months now. The Côtes De Thongue Tradition 2008 from the Languedoc (I quote “A mid-weight, forward-drinking, crowd-pleasing southern red with a palate of juicy garrigue fruit over subtle tannins”) was literally huge all last year with both our customers and the press relishing the wine.

Last night I tried the new vintage of “the Thongue” – the 2009 that was certainly as good as, if not better then the 2008 – and at £7.95 a bottle I suspect we’ll ship lots more in 2010. So with all my cousins word play still in the back of my mind I was hoping to avoid thinking “the 2009 vintage – it’s all gone Côtes De Thongue” but thankfully this couldn’t be further from the truth!

Despite the impact of the GFC* on the CBD** (Australians love abbreviations) Melbourne boasts a vibrant and innovative restaurant scene that can rival anything to be found in Europe or America. Melbourne also hosts a magnificent food and wine festival each March which attracts an international roll call of chefs, critics, wine-makers and sommeliers.

A brief visit on a trip to see some of Victoria’s vineyards, in February, meant that dining opportunities were limited but we were determined to sample some of the city’s gastronomic highlights. Here are details of four restaurants with which we were really impressed.

Blue Chillies

Located on super chic Brunswick Street in Fitzroy this no nonsense Malaysian diner enjoys a diverse urbane, urban clientele and is deservingly popular. This was recommended to us by local resident Dan Buckle, the gifted young wine-maker at the celebrated Mount Langi Ghiran estate.

Attentive but relaxed black-clad waiters brought us the short, confident menu and wine list. Two of the day’s special starters featured whitebait – fried in fritters with a spicy dipping sauce and marinated with vegetables in a dark unctuous amalgamation. Both were delicious with a steely Clare Valley Riesling 2008 from Neagles Rock (which we import to the UK so were pleased to see on the list) but the light and crispy, piscine fritters won the day. Main courses were equally successful. Slow cooked pork belly with bak choi and a ragout of spicy shredded beef were deeply satisfying and perfect comfort food for weary travellers. Service is efficient if a little detached and pricing restrained for this part of town. 3+/5

Jacques Reymond

Secluded in the smart suburb of Windsor (which looks and feels like Hampstead) this is the address for refined Gallic gastronomy in Melbourne. The sprightly, silver-haired, eponymous patron is something of a celebrity chef Down Under but that doesn’t detract from the day job of serving up cutting edge contemporary cuisine based on a firm classical French foundation.

Thick white linen and (arguably over) attentive uniformed waiters set a deliberately opulent tone in a tastefully designed dining room. At eight courses the Menu Dégustation is not for the time poor (or cash poor for that matter) but this is high end cooking from a talented chef at the top of his game. Small portions of exquisitely presented food dazzle the taste buds. Highlights included Hiramasa Kingfish and Ponzu with Hervey Bay Scallop and a fantastic Crispy Quail Breast with Tajine Flavours and Black Rice but everything here is meticulously crafted and very well thought out.

Jacques daughter Nathalie, who is head sommelier, has compiled a list featuring lots of iconic Aussie wines as well as a fair smattering of fine French bottles. Brian Crozer’s clean, dry, Petaluma fizz saved us from the enthusiastically suggested Dom Perignon comme aperitif but a Grosset Springvale 2006 Riesling and a stonking Curly Flat 2005 Pinot Noir both showed Australian wine in a very pure light. 4/5

Cutler & Co.

Cutler and Co., on Gertrude Street, which opened to a fanfare of favourable criticism last year, is widely acknowledged to be the hottest dining address in town. This former metal works artfully blends old (unpainted plaster walls) with new (a space-age black bar and Blade Runner-esque neon sign). The customers are a similarly mixed bag of middle-aged gastronomes and bright young things.

The food is knowingly accomplished but stays the right side of poncy. The service is equally astute – Adam at front of house and head sommelier Sally both manage to be on the ball but quite discrete which is typical of Cutler and Co.’s understated élan. Everything we sampled here was delicious: flaky anchovy pastries and feisty peppers de Padron to start with, followed by Heirloom tomato salad with marinated vegetables then a delicate pressed quail terrine with a foie gras ‘cigar’. A tuna sashimi with cucumber and cuttlefish was also faultless. Indeed, the only slight oddity was the cheese offering of our local Montgomery Cheddar which is excellent but seemed unnecessary food mileage.

The wine list here is noteworthy and Sally’s selection of a Springvale 2007 Pinot Noir, from Tasmania, was a treat as was a Mount Langi Ghiran 2006 Shiraz that was generously gifted to us by thoughtful Mr Buckle.

The patrons also own Cumulus Inc. An ‘informal all day eating house in the CBD, which we very much look forward to visiting. 4+/5

St. Jude’s Cellars

To prove the point that Cutler and Co. isn’t a one-off gem Fitzroy also boasts St Jude’s Cellars (on Brunswick Street) that exudes a similar minimalist perfectionism and quiet self confidence. The Victorian dining room is light, airy and welcoming with a central bay of floor to ceiling shelving that doubles as a wine shop. Bottles can be bought here to ‘drink in’ for a modest $15 corkage fee. If anything the service here is even more astute that at Cutler and Co. The savvy staff sensed that we weren’t au fait with the menu and offered to bring us a selection of dishes until we’d ‘had enough’. This took quite a while because the cooking here is exemplary. A nervy Shobrook Riesling was delicious with a dozen Fine Claire oysters followed by whitebait and terrific little balls of smoked haddock ‘Kromesky’ wih garlic mayonnaise. Main courses of poached veal loin with corned hash browns and Western Plains pork bell with confit fennel, apricot and burnt honey were also impeccable. A bottle of 2007 Emily’s Paddock Shiraz from our friends the Laughton family at Jasper Hill was necessarily costly but helped round off an exquisite dinner and a wonderful trip. 5/5

Clearly one could linger far longer in Melbourne and sample other great restaurants but our brief snapshot was more than enough to start us planning a return visit.

Jason & Tom

With thanks to the Laughton family at Jasper Hill for their terrific hospitality.

*Global Financial Crisis

**Central Business District

I’ve just spent an enjoyable sojourn in Hastings, Hawke’s Bay attending the New Zealand Syrah Symposium where I had been invited to talk about Northern Rhône wines and present a tasting of some personal favourites. This well-organised gathering of wine geeks was preceded by a Cabernet Merlot Conference all of which added up to a great deal of wine tasting and a potential overload of information. Some of the lectures on the likes of ‘Leaf Plucking and Canopy Management’ or ‘Colour Dynamics and Co-Ferments’ were not for those suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder but there was a wealth of more readily digestible material to enjoy.

Happily the British wine press were out in force with the likes of Neal Martin (the Wine Advocate), Matthew Jukes (Daily Mail & MoneyWeek), Oz Clarke (of TV fame) and Jamie Goode (www.wineanorak.com) all making contributions from the floor. Tim Atkin (of the Observer and www.thewinegang.com) rounded off a long day with an excellent trans-global tasting of 10 Syrahs, from as far afield as Israel and San Antonio, providing superb commentary and plenty of food for thought. Tim began his presentation by saying that ‘no-one should talk in public for longer than they can make love’ which gave him some concerns about his 2 hour time allocation!

Unsurprisingly, New World winemakers featured heavily and Dan Buckle of Mount Langi Ghiran in Victoria tutored delegates through a fine range of Australian Shiraz culminating in a vertical of 3 vintages of his own wine (2004, 2006, 2008) which amply illustrated that you can have concentration and finesse in equal measure. Local luminary Rod Easthope, of the celebrated Craggy Range estate, gave an insightful talk on his winemaking philosophy which centres on painstaking vineyard management and a minimalist intervention policy during vinification. Rod eschews the addition of enzymes, tannins, acids and natural supplements as he wants to ‘make wine, not a beverage’.

Australian journalist and winemaking legend James Halliday gave a headline talk on Australian Shiraz, which accounts for 36% of their domestic market. James was clearly disgruntled by a fellow Aussie journalist who had overslept and caused his late arrival but he rapidly regained his composure and shared a fund of detailed information, on climate, geography and wine styles, with the audience.

Hawke’s Bay winemakers John Hancock of Trinity Hill and Peter Cowley of Te Mata Estate sampling Syrah.

The most high octane delivery of the day was from American Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein who shone the spotlight on the U.S. on-trade market. Evan’s break-neck speech highlighted the need to re-enthuse American tastes for Syrah and he beseeched producers to visit the States in person and champion their wares. The gist of his argument was that the market wouldn’t evolve of its own accord but that American sommeliers were receptive to new tastes and ideas.

For my own part I was pretty intimidated addressing such august and well-informed company. Fortunately, my wine selections which included Alain Graillot’s 2007 Crozes Hermitage, Pierre Clape’s 2004 Cornas and Jean-Louis Chave’s 2001 Hermitage were well received and my slick Powerpoint slides (artfully assembled by my colleague Hamish) pretty much offset my failings as an orator.

After a day discussing, tasting and mentally immersing ourselves in Syrah we retired to the bar of Hastings’ wonderfully restored Opera House - where we slaked our thirst with - beer - of course!

With thanks to Peter Cowley and all at Te Mata Estate for their magnificent hospitality during my visit and Nicola Pentelow at Game Plan Events for her impeccable organisational skills.

An invitation to speak at the New Zealand Syrah Symposium in Hawke’s Bay at the tail end of January was too tempting to resist. It was with a keen sense of anticipation that I packed summer clothes and headed off for the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’. I also packed 25 bottles of iconic Rhone wines to accompany my presentation which furnished me with inordinately heavy bags that I was relieved to check in at Heathrow. The principal sponsor of this cork-sniffers convention is Air New Zealand, the fringe benefits of which were a business class return ticket to Auckland & a double baggage allowance.

The flight from Heathrow to Auckland lasts a gruelling 26 hours (including a 2 hour pit stop in LA) which is a daunting prospect, only mitigated by Air New Zealand’s terrific service and high-end food and wine offerings. The in-flight menus are devised by celebrated Kiwi chefs Peter Gordon, Geoff Scott and Rex Morgan and include dishes such as spicy coconut and coriander prawn curry with jasmine rice, chicken thigh stuffed with pumpkin, pumpkin seeds and chipotle chillies with maple glazed squash, and a trio of 42 Below vodka and honey cured salmon with poached prawn, sesame wasabi seared tuna and karengo (seaweed - neither had I) potato salad. This is the most ambitious and by far the best airline catering I have ever sampled with lovely clean flavours and simple presentation. Air New Zealand have clearly decided that the way to passengers’ hearts is through their stomachs - it works for me!

As their informative literature tells you “Air New Zealand is the country’s largest single server of New Zealand wine, proudly serving 6.5 million glasses to passengers every year.” If you don’t fancy a glass of several premium Sauvignons there are some great Chardonnays and ‘aromatics’ too. I plumped for the complex, citrus-edged Coopers Creek Swamp Reserve Chardonnay 2007 in an effort to gain some insight into the Hawke’s Bay wine scene. Eschewing a comprehensive range of Pinot Noirs, I then opted for a glass of Villa Maria’s Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. This cruiser-weight, Bordeaux blend wasn’t subtle but was well received by this weary traveller. Having dined superbly I even snatched a few precious hours sleep. If you do have to do the long haul, I couldn’t recommend Air New Zealand more highly. It’s a Kiwi thing!

In this day and age, I’m conscious that I am showing my age by the fact that I still use a wrist watch as my main means of telling the time. Younger generations are choosing iphones and such like to keep a track on the hours of the day and I’m sure that when my young children learn to tell the time there may well be a new bit of technology that will help them out. My 5-year-old daughter recently laughed out loud when I showed her a photograph of a record player but  she’ll never know the excitement of buying a 45rpm single, or remember the Jam getting five successive vinyl 45s straight to the converted number one slot.  I digress…

Now, working in the wine trade, I’ve come to realise that I’m marking the passing of time in a different way. Last summer, I’d take a favourite wine almost for granted - my first Yapp favourite being the Lirac 2005: La  Famille Maby. A modest collection at home was soon dispatched and replacements sought - easy. Then, just before Christmas, I went to replenish my supplies only to hear the shocking words from our shop manager “we’ve moved on to the 2007 vintage now”.  Don’t get me wrong, the Lirac 2007 is still a great vintage (as it was for the Rhône generally) but it wasn’t my beloved 2005.

I moved house last week and in all the boxing and packing that goes on I could hear bottles being clinked and wrapped back in the old kitchen and, as well as worrying about my guitars being damaged, I was equally concerned about my last bottles of Lirac 2005, Châteauneuf du Pape: Père Caboche 2004 and Saint Joseph 2007: Domaine Georges Vernay.

So, if there is a moral here, it must be to make sure you appreciate your favourite vintages while you can and have a few put aside for another and not necessarily rainy day - you may want to mark the passing of time with an old friend!

The Museum Inn, Farnham, Dorset

It felt like we were in the land of the lost as we weaved our way up Zig Zag Hill in thick fog last Friday evening. Our goal; The Museum Inn, Dorset, the reason; The legendary Yapp Christmas party, our immediate aim; to get there in one piece and ahead of Charlie, our fear; he would empty their barrels of 6X before we got there. Thankfully, thanks to my Stig-like driving prowess and Paul’s Ordnance Survey standard navigation (the Sat Nav’s nagging drone had long been confined to the boot), we arrived intact, in deepest, darkest Dorset (Farnham to be precise) and Charlie had barely managed to get to grips with his first pint.

The Museum Inn is a free house with fine dining and Bed & Breakfast, the perfect venue for a Yapp night out. It may seem strange having a Christmas bash in January, but this is the nature of the beast for all of us who serve in the wine trade. December is not a time for relaxation and frivolity; we leave that to you dear customers. Our blood, sweat and tears shed in that festive month are dedicated to ensuring that you all have a wonderful time. Our loved ones are now used to our haggard looks, twitchy behaviour and gentle rocking on Christmas Day a culmination of two months worth of frantic business (for which we are truly grateful). Now it is January, now it is our time…

Two bottles of house Chablis and several rounds of 6X helped freshen the palate and relax the muscles ahead of our meal. The bar was packed, which I took as a good indication for the quality of the menu ahead. We were then seated in our own room, under the watchful eyes of a wall of hunting trophies. I am still not sure whether our hosts had given us our own space for our benefit or the other patrons. Nevertheless, there was no time to consider this as the food started to arrive.

To start, I had opted for pan-fried, diver-caught Lyme Bay scallops and I was delighted with this selection. The scallops were delicious, so tender as to melt in the mouth. With my taste buds well and truly activated, I had to force myself to slowly chew my roast loin of local estate venison with a braised venison pie so to appreciate all the rich flavours.  Again, the cooking skills were self evident with the perfectly cooked meat and the miniature pie was a great addition. I can also venture to comment that the slow-roasted Gloucester Old Spot pork belly was another excellent main course (thanks to Bianca’s kind donation of left overs). The succulent pork was accompanied by some braised red cabbage, which was as good as I have tasted anywhere (sorry Mum)! To finish I had opted for an Assiette of Rhubarb: Rhubarb Crumble, Stem ginger ice cream and Rhubarb Shot, the perfect finish to a fantastic meal.

As we always appreciate, Tom and Jason had once again done us proud with a raid on the Yapp cellars and we were well fuelled with a Magnum tour of the Rhône - J.L Chave Hermitage Rouge 1993, Provence - Domaine de Trévallon Rouge 2005 and Australia - Jasper Hill Georgia’s Paddock Shiraz 2003. All of which were perfect partners to the Museum Inn’s superb cuisine.

Our stay at this most hospitable of venues was all too soon drawing to a close as our carriages arrived to collect us. The friendliness of the staff, the quality of the food and a not inconsiderable bar bill (as it spilled from Tom’s shaking hands and down to the floor one could not help but a liken it to an Andrex ad.) had all contributed to a great evening. It certainly helped to make the stresses and strains of Christmas trading well worth it.

This is where my reportage ends, with us all departing into the darkness with two reliable and brave cabbies. However, in that darkness glowed the neon lights of Legends night club, shining across the counties, like a beacon to weary travellers. However, that, dear readers, is another story……

Over the past few months, a new currency has been adopted in the sleepy village of Broughton Gifford and its surrounding hamlets. This came as a result of all the juggling that goes on in getting small children to and from where they should be.  Those of you who do this on a regular basis will know that, from time to time, it requires the calling-in of favours from other parents - this originally loose arrangement is now negotiated and supported by Yapp wine.

So, how does it work? The base currency and exchange rate is roughly 2 hours of childcare for one bottle of Lirac: La Fermade 2005 from La Famille Maby which, at £9.95 a bottle, is excellent value both in childcare and wine terms. Extra half hours of childminding can be arranged with different wines and vintages - it appears the Côtes du Rhône: Cuvée Personelle 2000 gets an extra hour when compared to Côtes du Rhône: Saint Gayan 2007. I’ve yet to broach how long we’d get for some Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau: Saint Gayan 2006 - one of my personal favourites.

The upshot of all this activity is that now, outside the school gates and the village hall, you’ll overhear parents discussing the merits of the Catalan Carignan 2007 and its 130 year old vines and how the Lirac 2005 is a little smoother than the 2007.

The big question next time we get to venture out will be - shall I “cash in” my very small number of Brézème: Eugène de Monicault 2004 bottles for a babysitter or stay in and drink in style - I suspect I already know the answer to that one.

As a relatively new member of Team Yapp I’d set about trying as many of the wines as I possibly could as not only is it good for the soul but also helps in appreciating what the company is all about.

There’s always on-going discussions about which wines are showing well any many a recommendation to take on-board but I took a more systematic approach after been identified as a “Southern Man” by our Shop Manger - which I think this means that I have a preference for Southern Wines and nothing to do with anything else specifically unless of course you are of an age when Neil Young’s “After the Goldrush” rings any bells..

So, my plan was to start at the beginning of the Yapp list, starting on page 7 and have a vinery tour down the Rhone - naturally heading south. I’ve tried and returned to many of the mid-pagers (mainly the Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau: Saint Gayan 2006, Côtes du Rhône: Cuvée Personelle 2000 and Côtes du Ventoux: Château Valcombe 2005) but soon headed off further down the page - I got to Bin 09 - Vin des Amis (literally “Wine of the Friends”) produced by Auguste, Pierre & Olivier Clape.

When I asked about it at Yapp HQ not that many of the staff had tried it recently - so I was literally heading off into uncharted water. The tasting notes say “A tasty, vibrant Syrah that is a terrific, low-priced introduction to the Clape range”- it was a gem of a find, 100% Syrah and as warming and satisfying as any Autumnal fireside red should be. This thought came to mind again when I was talking with a customer at our Vintners Hall tasting in November who was sharing her “secret find” with me of a fantastic red called Vin des Amis and had I tried it? Now I’m sure that we’re not the only ones to have enjoyed this particular wine - but it is worth a try if you are ever heading off towards the Rhone or browsing the first few pages of the Yapp list.

On a personal note, watch out at the end of the bottle as not only will you need to keep an eye out for the fine sediment (the wine is not filtered to give greater character) but you’ll want to order more - and we have finite stock and I’m hoping to hang on to a modest proportion of that myself.