The Sampler, Islington 2

Another trip to London and another unwilling companion forced through the doors of the Sampler in Islington. This time the victim is my wife, who I have forced to walk from St Paul's for added hatred points. Actually the missus is not that unwilling, particularly after experiencing the joys of good white burgundy last night in the form of Jean Louis Chavy's Puligny Montrachet Les Forestieres 2007. Unfortunately our first sample, a Chassagne Montrachet Vielles Vignes, Domaine Jouard 2007 couldn't live with this level of competition and was dismissed by as ' nice but not really special.' I couldn't really argue with this.

Next up was a banker, Clos Ste Hune 2004. This was initially muted on the nose but opened up in the glass and was full of white peach, petrol and minerals- in a good way. The finish was incredibly long, this will be outrageous in a decade or so.

With the exception of these two above the dry white selection wasn't overly top end. Lots of nice wines if you were sampling to buy, but seeing as I was busy accumulating further millionaire's memoirs we went on to the reds.

First up was Dujac's Gevrey Chambertin 2006, which was obviously too young, lots of cherries and earthiness but I thought lacked the sort of class you'd expect from even entry level wine from this level of producer. Still Jancis gave it 16.5, so perhaps I am a plum fool. Having said that though anything scoring below 16 from JR tends to have negative comments attached. Next up Chapelle Chambertin 1998 from Pierre Damoy, another respected producer and also disappointing for a Grand Cru. My scribble says 'developing, a little short'- a description more apt for a teenage Gary Coleman than a 12 year old Grand Cru Burgundy. There was some nice undergrowth-y stuff going on, but my scabby hand will stay in my scabby pocket.
Next up was a Volnay Santenots 1979 from Clerget ( their website says 1978, but I think it was '79). This was okay, with a tawny colour, very smooth with sweet fruit, but again for what it was... So all in all pretty disappointing red Burgundy but then again the joy of the Sampler is being able to taste wines like this without having to will them into being good just because you have cellared the wine yourself for years or spent a fortune on it.

Things perked up considerably with the Syrahs- for me, not so much for the wife who now sat at a table in the back of the shop sniffing and dismissing each sample with her new catch phrase- 'I hate red wine'.

First up was a Washington State Syrah, L'Ecole No 1 2006. Sixty Four Wines are selling their Cabernet Sauvignon. I am definitely going to check it out because this was lovely. Ripe, round and elegant despite hefty alcohol. I would buy this.

At this point I should declare my love of Northern Rhone Syrah and was fully aroused by the sight of two 1978's from Jaboulet, a Cote Rotie Les Jumelles ( 130 stg a bottle), and a Cornas ( 80 stg) . Weirdly a pub in Leeson Street has two bottles of 1978 Jaboulet Cornas in their diddly aye display, alongside old sewing machines, jugs and faded biscuit boxes. I have never worked out how the hell that happened. Enough nonsense, suffice to say that both wines were superb. It was fascinating to see the difference between the two areas with fully mature wines, from a top vintage. The Cornas still had that road kill, shaved dried coconut thing going on but in a very toned down and elegant way, the Cote Rotie did not but the fruit was similarly sweet and smooth- bloody lovely. I had never tasted a 1978 before and have to say these were fabulous.
Incidentally Michael Broadbent gave this wine five stars in his 'Vintage Wine' tasting note book describing a magnum in 1998 as ' Rich, full and lovely'.

This was going to be a hard act to follow, but I persevered bravely with an Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonello 1998. This had far more developed character than I had expected and was, it seemed, quite similar in profile to the Jaboulet's. I am sure this is heresy, or at least treason, but that is what happened. I wasn't wildly impressed by this, although it had a lot to live up to.

The last red was the best of the lot, a 1983 Penfold's Grange ( 255 stg). I have a traditional aversion to Australian reds which I have, only occasionally managed to overcome. Any hint of eucalyptus and I'll run a mile though. The nose was fabulous, think secondary aromas and a sprinkle of black fruit pastilles. On the palate the wine was full and sweet with a beautiful caramel aspect, and everything in perfect balance. 13% alcohol too. This was so good that even the missus liked it.

Finally, poorer yet wiser I couldn't resist a Clos du Bourg 1989 from Huet. The sweetest honey combined with searing acidity to produce a Vouvray with a long, long finish which I was still tasting walking down the street afterwards. Superb.

Another bloody good trip to the Sampler, highly recommended.