March – Food and Wine by Giles MacDonogh in London
London ,18 April,2025
March was a month between Provence and Rome, framed by the tastes and aromas of the Med. I got back from France on the 6 th and left for Rome on 2 April, and
as a result of teaching, I was only able to attend a small number of tastings. I did, however go to the opening of a new cocktail bar called The Knox on Sloane Square, and
ate at the local cynosure, the Parakeet, for the first time.
The Knox https://theknoxbar.co.uk was supposed to announce a return to the 70s and 80s. They have gimlets, and I used to drink a lot of gimlets in the 70s, when I spent much of my time in Sloane Square, or the King’s Road. Nostalgia will oblige me to return.
I am not so sure about the Parakeet https://theparakeetpub.com/the-dining-room , however. I have been lusting to go ever since someone told me the chef had worked at the magnificent Steiereck in Vienna; but I have become a sort of bumpkin in my way, who quails (sic – or ‘poussins’) at the prices of London restaurants. At the Parakeet, for example, a single Gordal
olive costs a pound! I wasn’t paying, but I didn’t want to bankrupt my very kind hostess.
The enchanting waitress, who looked crestfallen when we reacted peevishly to her constant iteration of ‘hi/you guys!’ (I was with two ‘dolls’), told us the plates were for sharing, but they weren’t really big enough for that. There were some leeks with pecorino and smoked mushrooms, and I had some excellent Iberico pork lardo with white polenta and a Roscoff onion (£15) before tackling a de-boned poussin stuffed with rice (£40) which our waitress maintained was too big for one.
My hostesses’ sea bream with piperade cost £58, and my wife had a mixture of rice and pumpkin with a hunk of morcilla negra, that was really just a starter, for £22. The poussin failed to defeat me, and I liked it very much, it looked swollen and pillow- like without its bones. I must stop being rude about poussins: they used to be cheap and the children liked them a lot. I too stuffed them with rice with a bit of lemon zest – although I have to say, I drew the line at de- boning them.
A smallish flute of Charles Heidsieck champagne (£15) was the nearest thing to a bargain on the wine list. The wines at the bottom were marked up to four to five times cost but those at the top were only multiplied by two to three. We enjoyed a lovely bottle of Le Serre nuove dell’Ornellaia for just under a ton.
The Australian wine people put on another one of their online tastings. This time the subject was Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir. Dr Goode told us about high ground and low ground and the role of coastal breezes west of Melbourne and red volcanic soils. As a style it was light, and not particularly Burgundian, if that is what you are looking for: that it is what it is,… does not amount to a criticism.
My favourite was the 2023 Ocean Eight, which was richer in fruit than the others and perhaps the most typically Pinot Noir. At number two was Crittenden’s 2022 Cri de Coeur, which was very individual, with its redcurrant and caramel, slightly medicinal taste. Third was the 2023 Kooyong, which wasraisiny and ever-so-slightly soapy. It was aromatic, but
light. Ex aequo fourth were the 2022 Handpicked wines Capella Single Vineyard which was a bit astringent and the 2021 Ten Minutes by Tractor ‘Up the Hill’ which was also redcurranty, but a bit faint. The 2022 Paringa Estate ‘Estate’ was also astringent.
At the big Thorman Hunt portfolio tasting at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall I made a huge discovery that had nothing whatsoever to do with wine. For a long time now, I have been looking for the mediaeval bits of the livery hall which survived the Great Fire and the Blitz. A lady chef caught me snooping around and when I mentioned the reason she told me to follow her: four
perpendicular arches led into the magnificent kitchen (surely one of the grandest in London), with its great chimney complete with working spit.
I tasted mostly Italian wines, besides the Clos la Coutalein Cahors, Alain Brumont’s famous Madirans and Le Soula in the Roussillon. Coutale did not disappoint. The ‘Clos’ has 20% Merlot, ‘Grand Coutale’ is pure Malbec with more ‘nerf’ and acidity. Alain Brumont is one of the great personalities of wine and what he makes seems to mirror his multifaceted character. He told me once (and I have never forgotten) that raw ham needed to be 25 degrees Celsius to bring out the flavour, and when I think of it, I know he’s right. His two domaines are Châteaux Bouscassé and Montus, the white Bouscassé is pure Petit Courbu, and Montus a mixture of Petit Courbu and Petit Manseng. The reds need bottle-age. 2019 Bouscassé redis Tannat plus Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc, and the 2016 Vieilles Vignes pure Tannat and much more cherry like. 2019 Montus is the same blend. When I went to the estate we drank it with duck. The 2016 ‘XL’ was ripe and ready, lots of black fruits and masses of power.
With its vines 650 metres up in the Fenouillèdes, Le Soula is the creation of Gérard Gauby, and the former wine-merchants Mark Walford and Roy Richards. Trigone Blanc Lot 23 is nicely sappy. The 2019 Le Soula Blanc, with its Roussanne, is the Roussillon’s answer to great white Burgundy. Its 2021 red stablemate, made of Syrah and Carignan is pleasantly earthy. Lot 23 Trigone Rouge is a combination of two vintages: a flavoury, cherry-scented summer wine.
I am increasingly struck by how terribly good Barbera can be, and how reasonably priced: Roberto Sarotto, 2023 Barbera d’Asti (although his Dolcetto might be even better), Augustino Pavia, 2023 Barbera d’Asti Casareggio, 2020 Barbera d’Asti Blina (really good), 2021 Barbera d’Asti Moliss and best of all 2019 Barbera d’Asti Superiore La Marescialla; finally, Michele
Reverdito’s 2020 Barbera d’Alba Delia and 2021 Barbera d’Alba Butti. Adriano Marco e Vittorio had two super 2020 Barbarescos, and Michele Reverdito led with his 2019 Barolos: Castagni La Morra and Ascheri La Morra, of which the latter had the edge.
From Tuscany I was taken by the 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva from Monte Bernardi, and a sensational, spicy 2023 Rosso di Montalcino from Cortesoni. Argiano’s 2023 Rosso was also top stuff. From the south, Fattoria La Rivolta in Taburno had a super 2023 Vigneti di Bruma Falanghina Beneventano, and its 2022 red Aglianico stablemate, as well as an
Aglianico del Taburno that topped the lot.
Italian wines are also the mainstay of Zonin1821’ portfolio. With Damilano we were in Piedmont: a good Nebbiolo Marghe Langhe, a nervy Barolo Lecinquevigne, a 2016 Barolo Liste that needs more time and a 2010 Barolo Cannubi with fantastic length. Good Gavis came from Cossetti and in 2020 a Pinot-like Barolo Cinquantacinque and a more feminine Barbaresco Cinquantotto.
There were good Ca’Bolani wines from the north-west.From Aquilea there was a striking Sauvignon Blanc and a very lovely Traminer. Of the reds I was most impressed by the Refosco. Decent 2019 Pinot Noir came from the Tenuta il Bosco in Oltrepo Pavese and a really enchanting peachy Moscato d’Asti from Poggio le Coste in Piedmont.
From the Castello di Albola in Tuscany came Le Fagge Toscana Bianco, a good food wine, and the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Santa Caterina was an excellent chianti. They also have a luscious, raisiny Vin Santo. From the south, Altemura in Puglia was best for red: the meaty Primitivo di Mandurla and the more serious Petravia Aglianico. The best of all was the Apulo Primitivo Salento. The Tenuta del Meriggio had a lovely Greco di Tufa but the reds also shone: the morello-cherry-like Irpinia Aglianico and the Taurasi, which was
earthier.
In Sicily, the Principi di Butera had good whites: the Surya Insolia, the Chardonnay, and best of all the Serò Insolia. The top reds were the Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2016 Bordeaux blend Symposio Terre Siciliane. Siddùra is in Sardinia and makes a good 2022 Spèra Vermentino di Gallura up in the north of the island. Best of all is the 2022 Erema Cannonau. It sees no oak – juststeel – and smells of tar and strawberries. Cannonau is one of my very favourite Mediterranean wines.
