Top picks from Davy's summer tasting

Central Otago pinot noir one of the standouts

There are three words that conjure up feelings of dread and loathing among Londoners, and they are ‘bus’, ‘replacement’ and ‘service’. Put them together and you have a scenario where a journey expected to take 15 minutes can take around three times as long.

I was faced with this awful situation on Saturday as I attempted to head to Greenwich for Davy’s Wine Merchants’ Summer Tasting, although luckily I was able to join forces with a fellow traveller and avoid the hellishness of a bus replacement along the top half of the Jubilee line by ordering an Uber. During the journey I learned that Barefoot produce a Californian malbec and that it was definitely worth checking out. One for later, perhaps.

Fortunately, Barefoot wasn’t represented at the Davy’s tasting, which featured close to 100 wines and some port cocktails at the final table, in case you hadn’t already managed to get drunk by then.

You have a choice at these tastings: either to swallow all of the wine and then end up wasted by 3pm, taste the stuff you like and spit out the rest, or spit out all of it. I took the middle option which meant, I would like to think, my tasting skills were still intact by the time I got to the final table of wine.

Founded by Francis Edwin Davy in 1870, Davy’s started out purely as wine merchants before the company expanded into on-trade retail, opening the Boot and Flogger wine bar in Southwark ( which still exists) in the 1960s. Today, there are a number of Davy’s wine bars and restaurants dotted around London, including the Wine Vaults on Greenwich High Road, the venue for Saturday’s tasting.

It was well organised and you weren’t queuing to get samples. Here is a rundown of what I particularly enjoyed (and some that I didn’t):

Sparkling

Standouts The Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2016 (£48) spent five years on its lees and the resulting texture is fantastic. This has a savoury edge as well with tertiary characteristics coming through. It is also hard to fault the Louis Roederer Collection 243 Brut (£60), which consists of 59 per cent of grapes from the 2018 harvest, 31 per cent from six vintages pre-2018 and ten per cent of wine matured in oak. It is extremely clean, with the finish palate-cleansing after quite a broad texture, which is kept in balance by the high acidity.

Good value The 2018 Court Garden Classic Cuvee (£31.50) is a great example of a good-quality sparkling wine with brioche notes in harmony with a mineral streak. I actually preferred this to Nyetimber’s Classic Cuvee, which was £10 more expensive. I also enjoyed the 2017 Court Garden Sparkling Rose (£35), which is quite toasty but with well-defined red berry fruit.

Whites

Standouts The 2022 G de Guiraud Blanc Sec (£20.95) is made by a producer located in Sauternes, a Bordeaux region famed for its sweet wine, but this is dry and a blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc. Barrel fermented and aged on lees for seven months, this is quite broad with savoury notes complementing gooseberry and lemon.

The 2022 Adegas Pombal a Lanzada Arcan Albarino from Rias Baixas (£22.95), has a salty, saline streak that many albarinos lack, and this is a definite step up on the stuff you tend to find in supermarkets. I also enjoyed the 2020 Domaine Roy Chablis Coteaux de Fontenay (£26.95) from a hot vintage, so the fruit is quite ripe and this has buttery features as well, so perfect for those who prefer a more broad-shouldered style of chablis.

Reds

Standouts I loved the three pinot noirs from the Central Otago-based Te Kano. The quality of the wines is further evidence that this region, in the South Island of New Zealand, makes some of the best-value pinot in the world. The 2020 Te Kano Kin (£26.95) is smoky with a savoury finish and ripe red fruit, while the 2020 Te Kano Bannockburn (£46) has beautifully precise red berry and red cherry fruit and has a great future ahead of it when some tertiary characteristics start to emerge (or drink it now if you prefer a more fruit-forward pinot). The 2018 Te Kano pinot (£37) has a fair bit of savoury characteristics but is far from over the hill.

I also enjoyed the 2019 Fleur de Fonplegade (£32), a Grand Cru wine from St Emilion and the second wine of Cheateau Fonplegade. The predominantly merlot blend (with cabernet franc), is aged for 20 months in barrel (50 per cent new), and I loved the resulting ripe, spicy feel to the wine.

Good value The 2021 Blai Ferre Just Billo Priorat (£23.95) is a good example of a priorat with ripe red and black fruit, a touch of vanilla with high, fine-grained tannins. I find it hard to get decent priorat (I find the supermarket ones quite dull) at an affordable price and this hits the spot. I also liked the 2022 Chateau de Durette ‘Colline des Mouilles’ from the Julienas cru in Beaujolais. At £17.95, this is a quality example of everything that is great about good beaujolais – fresh, zappy red fruit with great structure.

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Flight 26

Hamilton Russell Vineyards pinot noir 2021 (reduced to £30, Jeroboams)
Hamilton Russell is one of the pioneers of the Hemel-en-aarde region in South Africa and this pinot delivers. Very primary at present, with strawberry, red cherry, perfume and spices with also some dark berries on the palate. Ripe, red fruit characterises the finish with some spice. Drinking beautifully now but will also age.

The Society’s Exhibition Xinomavro 2020 (£14.95, Wine Society)
Made by Thymiopolous in Naoussa, this is tremendous value, with herbal notes characteristic of the xinomavro variety combining with bright, red fruit and a smoky, savoury aspect. A good starting point if you want to check out one of Greece’s signature red grape varieties.

Domaine Bernard Gripa ‘Les Figuiers’, Saint-Peray 2020 (£30 en primeur, Wine Society)
Saint-Peray is one of the lesser-known AOCs in the Northern Rhone and is located just to the south of the more famous Cornas. This is a blend of 60 per cent roussanne with 40 per cent marsanne and is heavily oak-influenced, with vanilla, smoke and toastiness all evident. However, the finish is partly defined by a citrusy, fresh note, so it’s not too unctuous. Full-bodied and moreish. Will go well with chicken dishes and is a good alternative to chardonnay.