Farewell Alastair Mackenzie: teacher and wine writer

I am very sorry to learn that wine writer and long-time member of the Circle of Wine Writers, Alastair Mackenzie, died last night. He had been suffering from Parkinson’s Disease for some time.

  

He was a teacher by profession and taught English and Latin for many years at St Paul’s, an independent school beside the Thames in Barnes (London). Alastair wrote his first article on wine in 1970 and passed the Wine and Spirit Education Trust's Diploma Examination, with honours, in 1974.

Although until he retired wine writing was a part-time activity, Alastair nevertheless produced an impressive body of work. With fellow Circle member, Jeffrey Benson, he wrote two books: Sauternes: A study of the great sweet wines of Bordeaux (1984) and The Wines of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol (1979). Alastair’s Daumas Gassac: The Birth of a Grand Cru appeared in 1995.

A CWW Honorary Life Member, Alastair was a very keen supporter of the Circle. He served on the Committee and was a frequent attender at our AGMs, tastings and dinners. Alastair had a great and scholarly interest in wine without in anyway being stuffy.  

My sincere condolences to Alastair’s wife and family. 

Alastair with Freddy Price (2006)

Auberge des Vignes, Sauternes

A half bottle of 2011 Petit Guiraud (Château Guiraud) to get us acclimatised 

Nicely balanced sweetness – fine as an apéro with the foie gras 

and then with the Fourme d'Ambert 

We are spending a couple of nights in the Sauternes area on our way from Touraine to Logroño for the Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) and staying at Peyraguey Maison Rouge in Bommes. These are very comfortable chambres d'hôtes run by Annick and Claude Belanger. Last night we had a very enjoyable meal at the Auberge des Vignes in Sauternes, which has a very good wine list – naturally largely concentrating on Bordeaux – with a big range of prices rising up to around 3500 euros but with many much more affordable wines. Would certainly go back if in the area.

Foie gras with fig and a glass of the Guiraud 

Steaks cooked over sarments des vignes

 

 

 Very tasty entrecôte definitely flavoured 

by the sarments and the smoke

 Fine half bottle of 2005 Château Baret, Pessac-Léognan 

Not on the list but kindly suggested by the owner (18€)

An excellent crème brûlée

Chocolate dessert – interesting but a little sweet

Local colour!

St John Hotel: lunch with Trevor Gulliver and Fergus Henderson

St John Restaurant and Hotel with new railings and outside sitting area

Trevor Gulliver and Fergus Henderson outside within their new enclosed terrace seating area 

The lunch had long been arranged but serendipitously it fell on the very day that the railings were finally up after waiting a year and St John at 1 Leicester Street, London WC2 7BL could finally have an outside sitting area. Trevor Gulliver and Fergus Henderson are the co-owners and partners of the St John Hotel and restaurants. 

I had arrived a few minutes before Trevor and had chosen to sit inside as it was quite hot and steamy outside with the now customary 2012 threat of rain. "It's taken a year to get this sorted! The railings are just up today, so if you don't mind we'll sit outside." So the three of us sat outside and celebrated the arrival of the railings and the terrace with a crisp and lemony glass of the St John Champagne from Avize. 

The back label   

Although lunch started around about one and continued until well after four, the threatened rain mainly held off – never more than a few spots at a time and it was warm enough not to matter. 

Conversation ranged widely – the importance of building long-term relationships with a relatively small number of producers who you can properly represent, the new winery project at La Lavinière and the new 2011 Grenache Gris and other wines – blends or single varietals. The recession and opening the St John Hotel on the old Manzi's site, which still comes up on Google maps rather than the new hotel. "The terrace will be a very welcome addition to our capacity," said Fergus, "for as you can see the inside restaurant is quite small."  Trevor added: "The terrace will be open for breakfast – a meal we take seriously here with the cooking done by our chefs not short order personnel." 

We agreed about some natural wines being both expensive and undrinkable. Trevor stressed the importance of resisting the idea of rolling out the St John concept more widely to avoid the danger of dilution. 

Conversation was interrupted from time to time as passing friends hailed Trevor and Fergus.    

 Fergus Henderson 

Trevor Gulliver 

Following the glass of Champagne we looked at Hervé Bizuel's rich and concentrated 2010 Les Sorcieres, a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan, from his Clos des Fées in the Roussillon. Then a very fine 2009 Givry 1er Cru Les Grands Prétans from Domaine Besson. 

     

Trevor thinks: "I can't believe it. Another bloody journalist asking about our glasses!"

Well into the Givry I thought it was time to ask about the choice of glassware at St John. Trevor patiently explained the practicalities – the dishwasher, etc. It is also clear that the simple glassware is a part of the unfussy nature of St John. I understand all this but given the obvious commitment and passion that both Fergus and Trevor show in their wine selection it does seem surprising that they don't elect to have a glass that shows shows off their wines' aromas to better effect. But I'm certainly not advocating a phalanx of fragile Riedels!      

2001 Château La Tour Blanche, Sauternes  

We finished our lunch with the 2001 la Tour Blanche – as elegant as the label not a heavyweight but with fine balance and a good match with my excellent Queen of Puddings.  

In time it will be good to learn more about the Minervois venture.  

Chris Kissack: Pocket Guide to the Wines of Bordeaux

Chris Kissack: Pocket Guide to the Wines of Bordeaux 

This morning's post brought a review copy of Chris Kissack's Pocket Guide to the Wines of Bordeaux, which is published by MAGBOOK and will be available for £6.99 from 24th May. It will be available through WH Smith, www.magbooks.com, Neilson Digital, Zinio and Apple iBook Store. The print version is priced at £6.99 for 146 pages and the digital at £4.99.

It has only taken two weeks from the time that Chris finished writing and proof reading to copies of the printed version being available, so it can be bang up to date and include his assessment of the 2011 vintage. The tale is told here on The Wine Doctor. 

The Pocket Guide (well it would fit into a poacher's pocket) covers vintages from 2010 to 2003, recent news including Latour's intended withdrawal from the en primeur system starting from 2013, profiles of the Firsts including the top in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion, his Top 20 properties mainly from the Médoc and Graves, profiles of his Top 5 Sauternes, Top 10 for value and Top 10 to try. Then there are sections on understanding Bordeaux, communes and classifications, enjoying Bordeaux and ending with money matters – buying, storing, tracking prices and investment. 

With the exception of the cover photography, I think all the images are by the author with some presumably taken with his new SLR, although no photo credits are included.             

Chris Kissack proof reading during the lunch break@2012 Decanter World Wine Awards

Monday 23rd April 2012

Chris has a pop at other annual guides criticising them for their long lead times and for employing 'ghost' writers. As a contributor to the Hugh Johnson Pocket Wine Book, I agree it would be good to be able to write copy later particularly with respect to an assessment of the latest vintage but presumably this may well still be logistically difficult. Neither Hugh Johnson nor Oz Clarke have ever claimed that their guides do not rely on help from a number of specialists and the contributors names have always been included and thanked. Also given that the scope of these guides is all the world's wine regions and not just one, albeit a large and very significant one, it is hardly surprising that neither Oz nor Hugh attempts to write their Pocket guides in their entirety. 

Dr Kissack's Bordeaux guide is attractively produced and well written with his customary trenchant views.  

The author enjoying a well deserved rest after all his hard work

Severe hail damage in Sauternes

Hail damage in Monthou, Cher Valley 2009

'Un violent orage de grêle détruit le Sauternes

Un violent orage de grêle a fortement touché le vignoble de Sauternes, qui produit des vins liquoreux d'excellence, touchant "au moins 40% de l'appellation", a-t-on appris mercredi auprès des responsables de châteaux classés grands crus qui évoquent des "ravages".'

Read the rest here. 

A violent hailstorm hit Sauternes early evening on Monday. The communes of Bommes and Sauternes were particularly affected. Hail can be very destructive. Parts of the Cher Valley, Sancerre and Menetou-Salon were very badly affected by hail in 2009. Fortunately hail is usually quite localised but those affected can lose virtually their whole crop.


See video of damage here on Bill Blatch's Bordeaux Gold.

Now at the end of April the threat of frost is lessening in the Loire, while the danger of hail increases especially as the vines are so in advance of normal this year. We had a little bit of hail last Sunday in Epeigné but as far as I know not enough to do any real damage.

Sauntering in Sauternes

Pretty hilltop château with perhaps a potential for making sweet wine?

We left Langon yesterday and headed to Pauillac to spend the weekend with friends before heading back up to the Loire early next week. It was a lovely morning and on the way there we had a quick saunter through some of Sauternes. Quite a contrast to Saint-Emilion which was packed with visitors, this charming wine region had very few yesterday morning.  

Avenue of trees leading to Château Guiraud

Château Guiraud

Château Filhot (above and below)

A famous entrance

 

Château d'Yquem (CRM)

Future d'Yquem 2010

Maison du Sauternes

We dropped into the well organised and helpful Maison du Sauternes and bought a small selection.