Arbutus
Address:
63-64 Frith Street, London W1D 3JW
Phone:
020 7734 4545
Website:
Rating:
Good For:
Great Value
List Summary
Straightforward, organised by price ascending, with refreshingly reasonable mark-ups on a judiciously-chosen selection covering (if thinly) all bases, including the better value and most exciting regions of both the Old and New Worlds. Nothing by the glass per se but the majority of the list is available by 250ml carafe (i.e. one huge pour or two modest ones) with some 375ml options at the higher end. Unusally, alcohol content is listed, so drinking by the carafe offers no excuse for ignorance. Hard to fault, the more unusual wines might require careful food pairing, but this list is very much in the vanguard of the current London restaurant scene.List Review Wine Key:
Sparkling
White
Rose
Red
Sweet
Fortified
| By The Glass { Most interesting available by the glass } |
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 N/A but plenty of very reasonable 250ml carafes eg: | |
| Value Option { Best under £35/$50/bottom 20% of list PLUS any particularly rare bargains at ANY price point } |
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| Just about everything - NB bottom half of the list runs at approx. 200% mark-up, the higher up you go the more that becomes closer to 100% or even less. Draw your own conclusions as to value... | |
| Torrontes 2009, Chakana, Mendoza, Argentina | £19.50 |
| Syrah/Grenache 2007, Saint-Cirice, Vin de Pays du Gard, France | £18.50 |
| 1st Date { Impressive but not too showy: circa £50 – but a wine that shows one’s connoisseurship rather than just size of wallet/expense account } |
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| Chardonnay Acero 2007, Marimar Estate, Russian River | £42.50 |
| Unoaked Californian Chardonnay 'mistakenly Burgundian' whilst nosing your glass... Torres is the leading Spanish brand in the UK and Marimar Torres, sister to Miguel, represents the Californian face of the Torres wine empire, creating a more European style wine with Californian influences. |
| Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) 2008, Meyer-Näkel, Ahr | £46 |
| German Pinot Noir!? Surely not... Well actually yes - Estate were winners of the Pinot Trophy at 2008's Decanter World Wine Awards, so stick that in your shnitzel and smoke it. |
| Off the Beaten Track |
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| Post Scriptum de Chryseia 2007, Prats & Symington, Douro | £37.50 |
| Portuguese reds - hot to trot right now |
| 'Le Chateau' 2005, Chateau Belle-Vue, Bhamdoun, Lebanon | £150 |
| A top-end Lebanese red? Spicy and concentrated, dominated by Shiraz and Cabernet Franc, this is an intriguing, but expensive choice. |
| Old School Classic { Classic (usually French or Italian – depending on dominant cuisine), from the middle of the list – a good wine, with age to stick on expenses and impress crusty wine bores/board members } |
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| Condrieu, Christophe Pichon, Rhone 2007, France | £80 |
| With dexterous and subtle use of oak, this is a wonderfully aromatic white with pure, rich apricot and pear flavours. While Condrieu can occasionally seem almost excessively rich, this is backed up by a refreshing acidity, one bottle may not be enough... |
| Brunello Di Montalcino, il Paradiso di Frassina, Tuscany 2004, Italy | £85 |
| This will need to be opened at least an hour before drinking. |
| Treat Yourself { Remember when you used to get a bonus? not necessarily most expensive – but a real treat, rare, particularly good vintage etc } |
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| La Grand Année, Bollinger, Ay 1999 | £150 |
| Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 2005, J M Pillot, Burgundy, France | £195 |
| Columella 2005, Sadie Family, Swartland, S. Africa | £125 |
| A blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Mourvèdre this is bursting with blackberry, blueberry and boysenberry fruit, with hints of liquorice and sweet spice. An elegant and exceptional South African red. |
| Infanticide { Wines being sold too young, and a prime indicator of sommelier’s integrity. Usually found towards the expensive end of a list with big names thrown in for several or more hundred pounds despite being years off drinking to that price. } |
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| Seems even this WineChap stalwart is not immune to some cheeky 05/06 Grand Cru white Burgundy infiltration... | |
| Crowd pleaser { Well known, trusted producer, region or varietal. No surprises, no disappointments } |
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| Gavi di Gavi 2009, Morgassi Superiore, Piedmont, Italy | £30 |
| Refreshing minerality with delicate notes of citrus, apples and wild herbs. |
| 'The Ladybird'2008, Laibach, Stellenbosch, S. Africa | £32.50 |
| Smooth and velvety; a superb, organic, South African blend |
| House Wine Index
{ Number of House wines available by the glass & the mean price } |
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| N/A |
| Bollinger Index
{ Price of a bottle Bollinger } |
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| N/A |
