Spectator sports: A wine tasting at Harrods

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Last night (9 February) I was invited to taste some wines at Harrods’ revamped wine shop – The Wine Shop, I should say –  courtesy of my subscription to The Spectator.

I don’t visit Harrods very often – to me it represents the height of vulgarity – but I have bought a few things from the wine shop.

There were 29 wines to try, ranging from Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon at £9.95 to Philipponnat Clos des Goisses at £135.

First up was Bisol Prosecco, where I met for the first time in several years its UK PR Dakota – an American lady whose surname I forget. Dakota is enthusiastic about Bisol. I liked the Jeio NV and Crede NV – good clean fun. The Crede was corked, though most of the bottle had gone by the time I tasted it and told Dakota that it was faulty. I’m very sensitive to TCA but other wine faults often completely pass me by.

The Rupert & Rothschild wines from South Africa were – well, very South African! The red Classique 2009 had the “burnt rubber” stink that mars so many South African wines. The Baron Edmond 2005 was better, more cedary and earthy than rubbery, with a supple texture. Good wine.

Nine Popes 2007 by Charles Melton is an old favourite. I’ve visited Charlie in the Barossa Valley several times and I did the entry for Nine Popes in 1001 Wines You Must Try Before You Die. It was minty and leathery and had a big. glowing finish. My Barosa mate Bob McLean reckons that Charlie is “the best there is”.  It’s hard to disagree.

I’m not a great fan of Champagne but the Philipponnat Clos des Goisses 2000 was very good – elegant and rich. I have a bottle of 1997 that was given to me by a friend. I think I might have a look at it soon.

The young lady with the nice smile is my friend Maristela Trindade de Oliveira, with whom I worked at last year’s International Wine Challenge. Stella now works in The Wine Shop and showed me around the glass cellar where they keep the really serious stuff like Lafite 1982. I didn’t dare ask how much these things are but some of them are into five figures.

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