Texture
Address:
34 Portman Square, London, W1H 7BY
Phone:
020 7224 0028
Website:
Rating:
Good For:
Great Value, Champagne, Old World, New World
List Summary
This is a confident but not showy list, modern (in terms of lack of vintage depth in white Burgundy a little too modern) which gives the impression you can order just about anything off it safe in the knowledge it has been selected to work well with Texture's healthy, Icelandic-inspired cuisine.Limited selection by the glass and mean measures at 125ml, which are not cheap either, this is an expensive list if you stay on the mainstream, but the value comes off the beaten track: - Austria and Germany impress at least as much than Burgundy and Bordeaux, and there is a good choice from Spain, regional Italy and Australia. An extensive Champagne and sparkling wine selection, with some real gems for conoissuers, is a reward for wading through the equally lengthy explanation of their history and production methods which precede it.
In fact throughout the list there are notes on the total area under vine of each region and amount of wine produced (snore) and info on the production methods of different styles of sweet wine and Madeira, the selection of both, the latter by the glass, being particularly impressive. Whilst at VinGuard we are all for educating your clientele about the wines you serve - if you find yourself reading about Belemnite Limestone and Secondary Fermentation at dinner, you should change your date. A compact, quirky but judiciously chosen list of artisan producers, elegantly tailored to indicate not only the personality of the sommelier but to emphasise the synergy between the kitchen and the cellar. Whites tend towards youthful zestiness and crisp vitality, reds - spicy complexity, earthy individuality.
List Review Wine Key:
Sparkling
White
Rose
Red
Sweet
Fortified
| By The Glass { Most interesting available by the glass } |
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| Côte du Rhône Viogner 2008, Les Gendrines, P. Gaillard | £7.25 |
| Barbera d’Alba 2009, Germano Ettore, Piedmont, Italy | £6.50 |
| By The Half { Most interesting available by the half bottle } |
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 See above | |
| Value Option { Best under £35/$50/bottom 20% of list PLUS any particularly rare bargains at ANY price point } |
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| Cuvee des Conti, Tour des Gendres 2009 Bergerac | £29 |
| Les Terrasses 2007, Château Pesquié, Côtes de Ventoux, Rhone | £28 |
| Pineau d’Aunis, François Chidaine, 2006 Touraine, Loire | £29 |
| 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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| Nyetimber, Blanc de Blancs 1996, England | £79 |
| UK's top producer and a particularly good showing in this vintage - make your date blind taste it as Champagne - NB if you are unattractive then them being blindfolded will enhance their appreciation of the meal, and augur well in your favour |
| Noel de Montbenault, Richard Leroy 2006 Anjou Loire | £55 |
| Old World Chenin - sometimes a little wild and wooly but this is wonderfully ripe and rich with a gorgeous tropical nose of pina colada and pineapple. Exotic and apple fruit flavours continue on the palate; there is a slightly sweet edge, but beautifully balanced with clean minerality. |
| Hunter Valley, Semillon, Tyrrell's, 1998, Australia | £65 |
| An exceptional wine showing intensity and richness of flavour ? still fresh with light citric nuances, now nicely balanced by some toastiness (but zero oak). You could go for the '02, also an exceptional wine, but will be better when it's a tad more mature. |
| Torbreck, ‘The Steading’, Grenache/Shiraz/Mouvedre 2006, Barossa Valley, Australia | £55 |
| Yes, this is young – which may explain the surprisingly generous pricing – but Torbreck is one of the new –style cult boutique wineries in Barossa; its founder, Dave Powell’s, philosophy was to make hand-crafted old-vine wines. The result? Exceptional quality, highly desirable wines; sadly the low yields and high demand has led to inflated prices, but if you don’t mind them on the youthful side,then this is a great opportunity to try an iconic Aussie red. |
| Off the Beaten Track |
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| Bereche & Fils, Reflet d'Antan NV | £110 |
| Made using the solera system (Just a third of each barrel is removed for bottling, this is then topped up with new wine - thus each bottle contains a blend of numerous vintages and is never a single ?Vintage? Champagne) |
| Muskat Ottonel Feiler-Artinger Neusidelersee Austria 2006 | £27.50 |
| Vinho Regional Minho, Auratus 2006 Minho Portugal | £29.50 |
| Ice Cider, Leduc-Piedimonte 2006 Canada | £49 |
| Licor de Tannat 2005, Familia Deicas, Estate Juanico, Uruguay (50 cl) | £42 |
| One of the first wines to be produced in Uruguay from the tannat grape using the same techniques as port. The result is rich and sweet, showing prune, dried cherries, ginger, cinnamon and chocolate flavours; superb if you have a bit of a sweet tooth! |
| 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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| Jacquesson, Avize , Dizy 1997, Champagne | £99 |
| Gevrey-Chambertin “Mes 5 Terroirs”, Denis Mortet 2005 | £99 |
| Pure and concentrated, the rich full palate is dominated by black forest fruits with understated earthy notes and touches of tobacco. |
| Château Haut-Bailly 1998, Pessac Leognan, Bordeaux | £125 |
| 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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| Henri Giraud, fût de chêne 1998 | £225 |
| A magnificent Champagne from a respectable and forward drinking vintage |
| Riesling, Clos Ste. Hune, F.E.Trimbach 2002, Alsace | £129 |
| Still youthful, this superlative Riesling is beautifully aromatic; currently the fruits are somewhat muted and this vintage shows a great deal of saline minerality, but it is still a treat to taste even at this early juncture. |
| Hermitage, ‘Blanche’2005, Sėlection Jean-Louis Chave | £79 |
| Chateau Margaux, 1er cru Classe 1989, Margaux | £500 |
| Perhaps not so remarkable as the 1990 vintage, this is still a wine of exceptional quality. Notes of leather on the nose, the palate is more rounded and velvety. |
| Domaine de la Grange des Pères 2004, Vin de Pays de l'Hérault, Languedoc | £145 |
| Ably demonstrating that France doesn’t begin and end with Bordeaux, this stunner from the Languedoc shows an almost Burgundian, gamey quality as well as red fruit characters, pepper and spice. |
| Château d’Yquem 2005, 1er Cru Classé Supérieur | £450 |
| Unsurprisingly this is still somewhat muted, in fact it would be almost criminal to even consider this for at least another 5 years (better still a couple of decades), but some do like them young – a fabulous wine, d’Yquem rarely disappoints. |
| Crowd pleaser { Well known, trusted producer, region or varietal. No surprises, no disappointments } |
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| Pascal & Nicolas Reverdy 2008, Sancerre, Loire | £42 |
| Bright, with aromas of nettles and lemon citrus. |
| Primitivo IGT, Botromagno 2007, Puglia, Italy | £32 |
| Not tremendously complex, but earthy and full-bodied with cherry fruit flavours. |
| 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 |
