Newsletter No. 26: 30^th October 2006

Change of Staff at Bowes Wine

Alas! Gillian has had to leave us. Her husband, Ted, a brigadier in the Signals Regiment, has been posted to Dorset and the commute is just too far to be contemplated.

Gillian has been a huge help to the company at a time when distractions have been great and many (Joseph’s frequent need to be entertained making it difficult, especially for Victoria, to get one’s head down for some solid keyboard pounding). She will be missed, not only for her bright disposition and willingness to approach the coalface with determination, but also her substantial curry-making skills and advice thereon.

We also have Gillian to thank for the seamless way in which we have been able to replace her. To find another employee of her calibre was beginning to seem extremely unlikely…right up to the moment when Gillian mentioned that their neighbour might fit the bill.

We welcomed Jean to the Bowes Wine office on Monday of this week. Jean has considerable office experience and is learning the ropes with alacrity. She is also an Australian, which may well give rise to debates on the relative merits of antipodean over European wine, or vice versa.

On a related note, may I make a request that Bowes Wine clients do their utmost to stick to the payment terms outlined in our terms and conditions? We are well aware that our clients are a busy bunch and that paying one’s wine merchant comes pretty low on the list of one’s priorities. However, when the company is owed several thousand pounds for months on end, cash flow forecasting becomes tricky to say the least. We would much appreciate your understanding in this matter!

The Latest Bordeaux Vintage to be Bottled

My annual schlep to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden was undertaken the other day, the aim being to taste as many of the newly bottled 2004 clarets as possible.

I arrived shortly after the tasting opened its doors. It was hot within, the air thick with the wine-y breath of hundreds of merchants and journalists, all either slurping-and-spitting or chatting away to people not seen since the last Opera House outing.

The trick is to avoid, as far as possible, familiar faces. Familiar faces lead to catch-up chit-chat and the waste of valuable tasting time.

In short, I did the lot. There were one or two exceptions (why is it always the most senior wines that run out? Do tasters go back again and again? Do they pour themselves half pints to take in to lunch?? Does a sizeable proportion of the tasters simply cherry pick the best samples and leave the rest??? Who knows, but it is irksome).

I am endeavouring to put all my tasting notes to the website before departing for the Far East on Monday, but if you would like to request specific notes, do let me know and I will copy them across. In any event, here are the plums, appellation by appellation:

St Estèphe – Château Lafon-Rochet

Pauillac – Châteaux Haut-Bages-Libéral, Batailley

St Julien – Châteaux Beychevelle, Talbot

Haut-Médoc – Châteaux La Tour Carnet, La Lagune

Margaux – Châteaux Giscours, Malescot-St-Exupéry, Rauzan-Ségla

Pessac-Léognan (White) – Domaine de Chevalier

Pessac-Léognan (Red) – Châteaux Haut-Bailly, Pape-Clément, Carmes-Haut-Brion

Sauternes – Suduiraut

St Emilion – Châteaux Canon, Figeac, Troplong-Mondot

Pomerol – Château Clinet

I stress that this wasn’t a comprehensive tasting. The First Growths were absent, as were many of the more senior properties. But the breadth of quality evident at the level of those wines on display certainly bodes extremely well!

Reminder of my Imminent Trip to the Far East

I am leaving today for Singapore and will be staying at the Intercontinental until the afternoon of 4^th November.

Thereafter, I will be flying to Hong Kong for 10 days (Excelsior Hotel), then on to Shanghai for a further 3 (Portman Ritz Carlton). Do get in touch and arrange a meeting if so inclined and do let me know if you have friends/relatives/colleagues in any of these destinations you think might welcome an invitation to have a glass of wine with a UK-based wine merchant.

To motivate you to think in more depth about possible recommendations for Bowes Wine, I have just secured further stocks of magnums of incentive wines. These will be given out to those responsible for introducing new clients who a) contribute to their Bowes Wine account via a monthly payment, or b) start spending giant wads of cash on wine.

Here’s the list:

2003 Château Rol-Valentin, St Emilion

“Mid purplish crimson, meaty nose with more layers than the rest. There is a depth that is lacking in the other St Emilions. Serious stuff.” Jancis Robinson

2003 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Vieux Donjon, Louis Michel

“Its dark ruby/plum/purple color is followed by sweet aromas of resiny pine forest interwoven with creme de cassis, black cherries, melted licorice, and smoky herbs. In the mouth, gamy, meaty flavors emerge along with black currants, cherries, and a hint of the sushi wrapper called nori. Full, rich, and moderately tannic, this 2003 requires another 1-3 years of bottle age, and should keep for 12-15 years. 94/100.” Robert Parker

AN Other – to be confirmed but hopefully a top-class Italian

And a Date for Your Diary if you are UK-based

TUESDAY 5^th DECEMBER for our winter London tasting.

The venue is the same as last year, The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers.

Full details will be emailed out in due course but do put the date in your diary.