Sticky Mango (Waterloo) – excellent first meal

 Sticky Mango at 33 Coin Street, London SE1 9NR 

Peter Lloyd

Nuno Rosa, head waiter at Sticky Mango 

(above and below)

The long established RSJ Restaurant has an offspring – Sticky Mango, serving Asian street food. Sticky Mango has colonised and transformed the RSJ's Yellow Room and the basement, while the RSJ Restaurant continues as before upstairs. Sticky Mango is a partnership between Nigel Wilkinson and Chef Peter Lloyd. Sticky Mango opened in October. 

On Wednesday evening we ate there for the first time and were very impressed. Knowing Peter I expected the meal to be very good but we were really impressed by the quality and inventiveness of the food – just delicious.     

Sticky Mango, 33 Coin Street, London, SE1 9NR. Tel: 020-7803 9733 info@stickymango.co.uk Entrance on Stamford Street.

 The RSJ's basement area transformed

(above and below)

Spicy banana blossom salad, bean sprouts, 

Asian pear, crispy shallots, mint 

 G's black shrimp, sun-dried pineapple, Jicama and pea shoots

Tempura soft shell crab

Singapore chilli sauce, fried steam buns

Jasmine rice

 

Ox cheek beef Rendang

apple blossom, chilli and coconut salad

The ox cheek is cooked for three hours.

2015 Saumur Rouge, Domaine des Hauts de Sanziers
which worked very well with the spicy flavours
softening the tannins, which were evident 

when tasted before the food arrived 

Update from Sancerre (Karine Crochet – Domaine François Crochet) and Chinon (Jérôme Billard – Domaine de la Noblaie)

Jérôme Billard @RSJ in very smart shirt 

– a birthday present

I phoned Karine Crochet (Domaine François Crochet in Bué) last week and she updated me on how the vines are doing at the beginning of July.  

"We are getting towards the end of the flowering. The weather hasn't been ideal and François says there is quite a lot coulure – flowers not setting properly. Mildew is a big threat this year and being in the middle of converting to organic viticulture this is challenging. 

In Sancerre we weren't affected seriously by the late April frosts. Unfortunately our friends Jean Teiller in Menetou-Salon were badly affected by the frost and they expect to only make between 5-10 hectolitres per hectare in 2016."

••  

Last Monday (4th July) I had dinner with Jérôme Billard (Domaine de la Noblaie) and Tom King at the RSJ Restaurant. Jérôme underlined how difficult 2016 is proving to be with mildew a real threat now – the latest is mildew on the grapes rather than just the leaves. "Flowering has now finished – it ended around 27th June. With the first flowers appearing on 11th June but really starting full on 15th June. Flowering is about a week later than the average. Flowering has been over a quite extended period so there will be some variable ripening."

         

Stupendous 1995 Coteaux du Loir, Eric Nicolas

1995 Coteaux du Loir, Cuvée de l'Effraie, Eric Nicolas

Enjoyed a fabulous bottle of 1995 Coteaux du Loir, Cuvée de l'Effraie from Eric Nicolas at the RSJ Restaurant tonight in the company of Nigel Wilkinson, the owner, and Jérôme Billard of Domaine de la Noblaie (Chinon). 100% Chenin from a small appellation in the Valley of Le Loir, which is an eventual tributary of much larger La Loire to the south.

Brilliantly fresh tasted blind I would be amazed if someone was able to pick out that this wine is nearly 20 years old now. Beautifully precise, wonderfully balanced and long, it had touches of honey and citric notes. All in all an unexpected treat! Had we not pulled the cork this evening it would doubtless have lasted at least another 20 years.   

RSJ Restaurant: group photo to celebrate restaurant's 25 years (Summer 2005)

Noël Pinguet (Domaine Huet, Vouvray), Thomas Meunier (Frédéric Mabileau, Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil), Tom King (RSJ), Frédéric Mabileau, Nigel Wilkinson (RSJ), Christine and Eric Nicolas (Domaine de Bellivière, Jasnières) 

More scouring of the photo archives: two group photos taken at the RSJ Restaurant to celebrate its 25th anniversary in the summer of 2005. A group of Loire producers showed their wines before a celebration dinner.

Same line-up except Tom King replaced by some bloke in a beach shirt 

Jérôme Billard (Domaine de la Nobalie)@RSJ - 11.11.2013

Jérôme Billard@RSJ Restaurant on Monday 11.11.13

Making a flying visit (by train) to London Jérôme Billard (Domaine de la Noblaie) came over specially to give a tasting at the RSJ Restaurant on Monday 11th. Although the picking has now finished, the vats in the estate's new winery are in full fermentation, so it was great that Jérôme made it over at a very stressful time.  

He showed the following wines from the domaine:

2010 Mon Ange Touraime Mousseux Rosé 

(served as the apéro) 

2010 Chinon Blanc – La Part des Anges

One of the favourite wines of the evening – limited production Jérôme now moving onto 2011 

2012 Chinon Blanc

Worked well with the first course: 

hot smoked salmon, cucumber, Keta caviar and hollandaise

Reds: 

2010 Les Chiens Chiens 

From vines planted on clay

2010 Les Blancs Manteaux

 From vines planted on clay/limestone.

Although vinified and matured in the same way, these two reds are quite different. Les Chiens Chiens is the lighter cuvée and unlikley to last as long as Les Blancs Manteaux, which is a more structured, powerful wine

2000 Chinon, Domaine de la Noblaie

Made by François Billard, Jérôme's father 

Now retired François taught oenology at the wine school in Montreuil-Bellay 
and made Noblaie's wine in his spare time.
Although the vintage here was less favourable than in Bordeaux, 
the 2000 showed well with attractive, evolved brambly fruit   

 

2012 Domaine de la Noblaie

The straight domaine red with attractive juicy, red fruits.

Not a wine to analyse but rather one to enjoy with friends.

Has sufficient acidity to keep the palate fresh.

Was served with slow cooked duck, mashed potato, 

Heritage carrots, autumn greens and game jus 

Touraine – east and west: RSJ tasting 21st November

2009 Les Pichiaux, Touraine Sauvignon, Noëlla Morantin 

Monday’s tasting and dinner at the RSJ Restaurant presented a ‘natural wine’ challenge in the shape of Noëlla Morantin’s 2009 Touraine Sauvignon ‘Les Pichaux’ (£12.95)

Overall the theme was Touraine East and West, although the balance of wines was rather more east (6) than west (3).

2010 Le Clos, Touraine Sauvignon, Domaine du Clos Roussely

The aperitif was Vincent Roussely’s 2010 ‘le Clos’ Sauvignon Blanc (£8.75). This is a modern Touraine Sauvignon with attractive grapefruit and other citric flavours, some palate weight and the quite marked acidity in the finish, which is characteristic of the 2010 vintage. Vincent’s wines continue to be consistently good and offer very fair value.  

Noëlla’s 2009 Sauvignon caused the assembled tasters to lose their bearings with little or none of the stereotypical characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc. Instead ‘Les Pichaux’ has some oxidative and leesy characters from its long fermentation and maturation.  For me Noëlla’s wines fall well within the acceptable side of my continuum of drinkability. However, the vast majority present weren’t convinced.

I kept some of Les Pichaux for a good hour and it certainly changed in the glass with the oxidative character lessening. Instead developing an aroma of bread pudding. I fancy that this may well need to be decanted. Clearly some experimentation is required.

2010 3 Coteaux Chinon Blanc, Baudry-Dutour

Then we moved onto a trio of Chenins. The 2010 screwcapped 3 Coteaux Chinon Blanc (£11.95) from Baudry-Dutour is light and lemony with an austere finish. Probably good with shellfish, it is expensive for what it is.

2010 Les Dix Arpents, Domaine de la Taille aux Loups

Jacky and Joëlle Blot’s long and minerally 2010 Les Dix Arpents Montlouis, Domaine de la Taille aux Loups was many people’s favourite white. Although this is the Blots' entry level Montlouis it still underlined the quality of the wines they are making.  

2009 Vouvray Champalou

The 2009 Vouvray Sec from Domaine Champalou (£11.95) was the richest of the whites tasted showing the fuller character of the 2009 vintage and also doubtless having a little more residual sugar than the other whites. It attracted some followers, although Les Dix Arpents was judged to be the complex wine.

2009 Racines, Bourgueil, Frédéric Mabileau

Frédéric Mabileau’s 2009 Racines Bourgueil (£13.75) comes from a one hectare plot on clay and gravel at Chouzé-sur-Loire, a commune by the Loire and to the south of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. Frédéric’s grandfather planted the vines here over 45 years ago. It has attractive spicy, youthful fruit with some opulence. Best drunk I think over the next three or four years rather than for long aging, where Frédéric’s L’Eclipse Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil from the limestone coteaux is a much better bet if looking for a wine to lay down. 

2008 KO, Thierry Puzelat

Thierry Puzelat’s 2008 KO Vin de table Français (£13.75) proved to be popular with its sous bois and farmyard character. I suspect that a number of Australian winemakers, looking for squeaky clean wines would dismiss this as technically faulty. However, I think it works and is drinking well now. The wines sold under the Thierry Puzelat name are négociant wines made from grapes bought from producers who have a similar approach to organic viticulture as Thierry. The Domaine du Tué-Bouef is the family estate in Les Montils, where Thierry and his elder brother, Jean-Marie, work together.  

1997 Cuvée Prestige, Domaine du Bourg, Jean-Paul Mabileau

The 1997 Cuvée Prestige, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil from Domaine du Bourg, Jean-Paul Mabileau, Frédéric’s father, had aged well with its sweet evolved fruit – an elegant, complex and delicate wine. Often when tasting Jean-Paul’s wines when they were young, particularly when tasted alongside Frédéric’s they seemed rather thin and weak. But they have a deceptive power with the ability to take on more weight with a few years in bottle and to age well. This 1997 is showing well now and, although I don’t think it will get better, it will still last a few more years.

2008 Anthologie du Clos, Vincent Roussely

We finished with the 2008 Anthologie du Clos from Vincent Roussely (£9.95), which is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Côt. Like several 2008s it is quite edgy at the moment needing more time for the acidity and tannins to soften down. It also needs food and showed well with the tasty game casserole served as main course.     

 

  

    

RSJ Restaurant (London) tasting and dinner: cellar raid – 10th October

Pierre Luneau in his winery drawing a sample of 2011 Muscadet

Brief report on the event:

Aperitif:

1] 2010 Rose d’Anjou, Château de la Roulerie, Philippe Germain      

                                               

White:

2] 2003 Muscadet sur lie  Le L’d’Or, Pierre Luneau £12.25

           

3] 1997 Vouvray Sec, Domaine Champalou, Didier Champalou

4] 1989 Montlouis Sec Dominique Moyer

Cauliflower risotto with pan-seared scallops

Red:

5] 2000 Saumur Champigny, Domaine des Roches Neuves, Thierry Germain

6] 2000 Saumur Champigny, Terres Chaudes, Thierry Germain

7] 1996 Anjou Villages, Domaine des Rochelles, Jean-Yves Lebreton

8] 1989 Chinon, Domaine de la Perrière, Christophe Baudry

           

Featherblade of beef, carrots, green beans, mashed potato

Sweet:

9] 1995 Vouvray Cuvée Moelleuse, Didier Champalou                                   

A selection of cheeses

**

Tom King’s comments following the tasting:

L' d'Or 2003  was nicely balanced and still remarkably fresh

1997 Vouvray Champalou was quite dark colour and ageing fairly quickly [a touch of maderisation]  - a '97 lacking the acidity of some other vintages.

(Jim: acidity was quite low in many 1997s.)

1989 Montlouis Moyer - 2nd bottle much better than first - still had a remarkable freshness and nice fruit

2000 S/C Roches Neuves Domaine - remarkable! drinking really well with lovely balance and good fruit. The surprise of the evening.

2000 Terres Chaudes - very good - obviously more weight than above with good structure - a number of years ahead still.

1995 Anjou Villages Rochelles - wonderful sweet fruit - really delicious 

1989 Chinon Domaine de la Perrière - good but rather surprisingly overshadowed by other reds - showing signs of ageing and seemed to be just past its peak.

(Jim: perhaps not surprising given that this is the easy drinking early bottled cuvée. A bottle of the 89 Vieilles Vignes drunk in August was magnificent.)

1995 Vouvray Moelleuse - lovely balance - nice rich pure Chenin - showing very well with the blue cheeses.

 

Tasting of 2010s@the RSJ

2010 harvest@Domaine de la Butte, Bourgueil

This is a rather belated report on a tasting at the RSJ Restaurant on Monday 4th July featuring a range from the 2010 vintage. 2010 is an interesting contrast to 2009. Overall the wines, although they have good fruit, have crisper acidity and a more marked mineral character than the richer 2009. 

Growing season of 2010 the Loire divided climatically into two parts: west and east of Tours. To the west it was very dry with some parts of Anjou having virtually no rain in April and May then again in July and August. Over the the whole year Angers had 595mm of rain compared to the average of 647mm. The 2010 total was boosted by high rainfall in November and December. The Pays Nantais had a similarly dry summer. Average temperatures here in 2010 were 16.2˚C exactly in line with the norm average of 16.2˚C. In contrast the average for 2009 was considerably higher at 17.1˚C.

Further east in Bourges the rainfall total in 2010 was 691mm against a norm of 732mm. Although slightly below average, it was well above that of 2009 – 622mm. Average max temperatures in 2010 were 15.6˚C compared to the norm of 15.8˚C. 2010 was much cooler than 16.9˚C.

Aperitif:

2010 Sauvignon, Vin de Pays de la Loire, Domaine de Bablut

This Sauvignon Blanc from Christophe Daviau was for many among their favourite wines of the tasting. It immediately pointed up the difference between the 2009 and 2010 vintages. The 2009 SB Bablut was a fatter, richer wine with more exotic fruit flavours. In contrast, although the 2010 has some weight, it is more mineral and has more marked acidity.

Whites:

2010 AC Touraine Sauvignon, Clos Roussely, Vincent Roussely

Attractive crisp lemony fruit well balanced with mineral acidity. As is often the case the acidity is more marked on the Touraine Sauvignon than those from Anjou. Whites from the clay limestone soils of Saumur and Touraine tend to have higher levels of acidity than those from the impervious rocks and soils of Anjou.

2010 Quincy, Domaine des Ballandors, Jean Tatin and Chantal Wilk
The Ballandors' Quincy is quite lean and citric at present. It may take on more weight over the next few months.

2010 Chenin Blanc, Anjou Blanc, Ch de la Roulerie, Philippe Germain

A change of grape variety here moving from the trio Sauvignon Blancs to Chenin Blanc. Again la Roulerie is quite crisp and lemony at present and may gain weight with a little more time in bottle. I found this showed better with the  

2010 3 Coteaux, Chinon Blanc, Baudry-Dutour

An ideal bracing aperitif – very clean citric flavours with light floral. Closed with a screwcap. Tasted without food this was the clear preference amongst the tasters. With the salmon the verdict was less clear cut.

Reds:

2010 Clos de la Bienboire, Château de Villeneuve, Jean-Pierre Chevallier  
This was probably the first time this new no sulphur cuvée from Jean-Pierre has been shown at a tasting in the UK. Its attractively soft, bright reds fruits are to be enjoyed now. A wine to drink with friends rather than on to analyse.   


2010 Les Rouillères, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Frédéric Mabileau
Showing more concentration than the Bienboire with juicy black fruits to the fore. Can be kept two or three years but very good to drink now and enjoy the youthful fruit. 

2010 Anjou Rouge Château de la Roulerie, Philippe Germain

Again black fruits to the fore being from Anjou the tannins are a little more present.

2010 Saumur Champigny, Domaine de Roches Neuves, Thierry GermainBright youthful, vibrant fruit – both red and black fruits. The 2010s from Thierry are a real success.  

1996 Chinon Vieilles Vignes, Domaine de la Perrière, Jean & Christophe Baudry
We chose a 1996 to finish as it was our guess as a vintage that may give a clue as to how the 2010 may age. The mid-weight Vieilles Vignes has aged attractively with mature soft, round fruit. Ready to drink now it can be kept a while longer although I doubt if it will improve further.

Starter:

Ballotine of Salmon with cucumber dressing

Main:

Confit Duck leg

Saute potatoes, spinach, braised celery, carrots

Dessert
Griottine cherry and Greek yogurt jelly with whipped cream and shortbread

The Wine Detective (aka Sarah Ahmed) involved in sticky case@RSJ

Sarah kneading the pasta

Sarah Ahmed (Portuguese Wine Writer of the Year 2009) and friends headed to the RSJ Restaurant early this morning to help prepare today's Sunday lunch with Ursula Ferrigno.

  This is pasta joke...

Seem to have lost the thread here...

Ursula's amused

Two halves@the RSJ

2009 Saumur Blanc, Domaine de Nerleux

Last night three of us had a quick bite to eat at the RSJ Restaurant before heading off to the National Theatre to see a gritty Glaswegian play called Men weeping buckets (Men should weep – ed). Naturally short of time we chose a half bottle of Régis and Babette Neau's 2009 Saumur Blanc from Domaine de Nerleux. 100% Chenin Blanc this is showing very well at the moment with rich peach and quince fruit but with enough acidity in the finish to carry it off.   

2009 Anjou Rouge (Cabernet Franc), Château de la Roulerie

We following this with a half of Anjou Rouge from Philippe Germain. Delicious at the moment with soft, quite opulent sooty fruit – very 2009.

RSJ Restaurant: 30th anniversary dinner: 11th October

Cheers with a glass of Régis Neau's Crémant de Loire

RSJ's 30^th Anniversary Dinner
Monday 11^th October 2010

RSJ's upstairs restaurant was packed last night for this celebratory dinner. The kitchen marshalled by veteran chef, Ian Stabler, were on top form. Also all the wines showed well with some particular stars.

Ian Stabler keeping a customary low profile but certainly producing the goods

Aperitif:

Crémant de Loire, Domaine de Nerleux, Régis Neau
Régis is one of the producers we have worked with for many years. His softly delicious Crémant is 70% Chenin and 30% Chardonnay and spends two years on its lees.


White:

1993 Montlouis Sec, Dominique Moyer
This was the big surprise of the night. Still very youthful, clean floral, buttery flavours with long, precise finish. Developed well in the glass. Was a fine match with the crab. 

1998 Saumur Blanc, ‘Les Cormiers’ Jean-Pierre Chevallier
From one of our favourite Loire producers, this was more golden than the 1993 Montlouis and richer, fine but not the best match with the crab. 

2004 Pouilly Fume ‘Pur Sang’ [Magnum] Didier Dagueneau
A sad reminder of how good a producer the late Didier Dagueneau was, this had lovely clean, precision and minerally length. A very good match with the crab.

Interesting that all three whites come from what are often termed difficult vintages. This is a reminder that the best dry white Loires often come from the cooler summers.

           

Tian of Cornish crab

watercress, crostini

Red:

1999 Chinon, Vieilles Vignes, Domaine de la Perrière, Christophe Baudry
Another star of the evening – soft and wonderfully delicate red fruits, 1999 was initially an unheralded vintage that is now showing very well. A really classic Chinon that showed really well with the duck.

1989 Anjou Villages, Vincent Ogereau
In contrast to 1999, this was a very hot year – a glorious summer and autumn to celebrate the bicentennary of the French Revolution. This had richer fruit – leather, spice and fig. 

Sancerre ‘La Perpétuelle’, Claude & Laurent Champault
This was a fascinating treat and probably the first time that La Perpétuelle has been drunk in the UK. This is made by the solera system, better known for its use in sherry. Claude and Laurent have just one 600 litre barrel of this wine, which they started in 1995 – filling it with 1995 red Sancerre (Pinot Noir). In 1996 they took a third out and bottled it, topping the barrel up with 1996 Sancerre red. Unlike in sherry they keep the barrel topped up to prevent oxidation. Just 280 bottles of this wine are produced a year. Our thanks to Claude and Laurent for their generous gift.

Gressingham duck breast & confit leg,

Hisby cabbage, carrots, boulangere potatoes

Red wine jus

Sweet wine:

9] 2005 Coteaux de l’Aubance ‘Grandpierre’, Domaine de Bablut, Christophe Daviau            

Christophe is another producer we have worked with for many years. This sweet wine is richly citric,  with some luscious concentration and the mineral character that marks the single-vineyard, Grandpierre. Although it held its own reasonably well with the dessert, this is still probably best drunk on its own.            

Apple & hazelnut torte

30 years in The Good Food Guide

RSJ Restaurant, 33 Coin Street, London SE1 9NR. Tel: 020-7928 4554.