Posted by Discover West Norfolk
Lord Nelson, Burnham Thorpe
Simon Alper, who looks after the wine list at the Lord Nelson at Burnham Thorpe is no ordinary advisor! As an English wine grower and producer in another life, he certainly knows more than most about how to stock a cellar, and he keeps one of the best and most unique in the county.
As well as providing customers with the famous and unique ‘Nelson’s Blood’ ®™ and ‘Lady Hamilton’s Nip’ ®TM spiced rums and locally-brewed ‘Nelson’s Blood Bitter’ and Wherry and Abbot ales, Simon also provides a mean selection of wines to accompany the delicious food – created by Peter De Groeve, possibly the only Belgian chef in Norfolk!
Visiting the pub’s website, http://www.nelsonslocal.co.uk/, a quick click on the menu soon reveals the latest ‘Landlord’s Rant’ – currently on the virtues of the blended wine over the single grape, and the improvements to any wine of restricting the yield. Or, to put it another way, ‘More grapes = less flavour’.
‘I adore wines,’ says Simon, ‘and I also enjoy exploding some of the myths that surround this subject, and making good wine easily accessible to all. ‘
And it’s clear from his humorous yet knowledgeable writing (scroll down below to read “The Landlords Rant”) that this is a man knows a lot about wine! Any visitor to the Lord Nelson who want to enjoy a
bottle of something really special – and not overpriced – to accompany their meal need do no more than check the wine list, and they are sure to be in for a treat.
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THE LANDLORD’S RANT …. by Simon Alper of the Lord Nelson, Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk
There are two greatly over-rated things in the wine world. The first is purity of grape variety, and as you see from our list we have more blends than most! A single varietal wine is like a piece of music played by a single instrument, it can be wonderful, but extra tones and sounds can enhance the experience. So with wine, mixing varieties can soften a little here, firm up there, add weight, voluptuousness, or take them away. Many of the world’s greatest wines are blended and the skill of the blenders is to make them greater that the sum of the parts.
The second is cheapniss (thank you Frank Zappa). Cheapness is not often a virtue, yet to hear many people talk about wines they have purchased you might well think so. Really good, as opposed to palatable, wines are not cheap. Why? The answer is fairly simple and you can quite often hear me banging on about how mundane or old fashioned or just rubbish table wine varieties can be transformed by restricting the yield. So, the vine, however managed, can produce x amount of flavour in any given year. Divide x into the amount of grapes and you have the flavour factor – more grapes = less flavour. On that basis, ask yourself this question: the half-price wine in your supermarket may have been sold at the full price, but was it ever worth that price? Now I enjoy some of those wines as much as anyone, many may even be good value, but I don’t kid myself about how much of a bargain I really got.
For whites we have a delicious New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from ARA, a wine style not featured on this list for some time as I have not found the value I was looking for. This one has grapefruit and gooseberry with enough weight and roundness to stop you feeling the bones. A fine fit with the Tortellini and the Norfolk Chicken.
From Spain we have our favourite Albarino, from Galicia (above Portugal). This is a variety that goes so well with everything. I’ve yet to have even an indifferent one. My notes say luscious & bouncy! Aromas are green lemon – not lime – grassy, with green grapes. Flavours are spicy, peachy with apricot stone on sweet fruit. Texture is soft, quite smooth. The long finish leaves the palate fresh. For the Crab or Tortilla and the Sea Bass.
New additions are Mas Oller’s Picapoll/Malvasia blend – not dissimilar to Picpoul de Pinet which has featured on this list, this is just across the border from Banyuls in France, Mediterranean side. Melon, gooseberry and ripe apricot with a touch of minerality, fresh and a big hit with Scampi. Will also work with the Sea Bass. Oh! The blurb on the back is in Catalan.
For those wanting a little more weight we have a White Rioja ‘Erre Punto’ from Remirez de Ganuza, is made from barrel-fermented Viura and Malvasia. It is also unfiltered, so all the boxes are ticked! A properly developed wine, oaky, mineral, toasty, smokey all balanced with weight and fruit. A cracking wine for Salmon – smoked or otherwise and the Lasagne, but you non-red wine drinkers could also try it with the Lamb shank. Oh, and it’s a complete bargain!
Sherry in Spain is for the young and hip, so if you are an old f**t like myself, then you can bask in some reflected youth halo, ‘cos granny never drank anything like these babies. The I THINK Manzanilla en Rama is a racy wine from Sanlucar and made for summer. The Navajos team, who are to sherry what the Malt Whisky Society boys are to whisky, have put this Bota (barrel) into half bottles just for you to enjoy with our Tapas starter (this may be an exaggeration, but Paul Shinnie, good friend and the UK agent, instigated this bottling for the sadly-departed Oddbins). Almonds, hazelnuts, spice with a touch of saltiness and rich depth. With Cheese as well. It’s a dream you owe it to yourself to try.
La Bota 24 is a Fino Amontillado about 20 years old and showing both characteristics; and La Bota 27 Fino Macharnudo Alto is unfiltered, rich and complex. Both these wines will knock everything else you have ever tasted in sherry into a Spanish cocked hat. More importantly, they will accompany a whole meal. More info at www.equiponavazos.com. If you don’t like them, I’ll refund you and drink it myself.
For reds I have finally got hold of some 2008 Mas Collet Barrica, a wine from Monsant which is just next to Priorato in North-eastern Spain an hour or so from Barcelona. This is made by the Capçanes Co-op there from Grenache, Carignan, Tempranillo and Cab. Sauv. Now I have said before that I avoid most cooperative-made wines like the plague, because many take any grower as a member and then take whatever fruit he/she produces. Not a recipe for high-quality wines. There are exceptions, the co-op at Gigondas springs to mind, as does this one at Capçanes which has to be one of the best equipped I have seen. How did this happen? They got a contract to supply kosher wine to the Jewish community in Barcelona! This brought money and allowed investment in equipment and, more importantly, a mindset of quality not quantity. So this is their mid-range brew, and it is just a treat. Initially berries and cherries with hints of meatiness and game. The fruit is balanced with a slatey mineral element that gives an almost Burgundian character. Duck or Lamb Shank.
I am an advocate of blending as you will have understood from above. So you may be surprised to read that my passion is Burgundy in particular, and Pinot Noir in general. So please cast your attention to M. Denois’ Pinot Noir from Pays d’Oc. The cherries, spice and particularly the depth of flavour make it great for the Duck.
For great results from lesser varieties, look no further than the great Gamay that is Jean Foillard’s Morgon – a wonderfully intense wine with Morello cherries, on top of intense meaty, minerally foundation. Actually good with steaks!
Finally, it’s summer, it’s rosé. I have never found a better balance between ease of drinking and quality flavours than the St. André. Many others try too hard.
Christmas Theatre adds a bit of sparkle to that excitingly festive time of year. Holkham Hall is delighted to offer a unique adaptation of The Snow Queen on Saturday, 17th December (matinee performance 2pm and evening performance 6.30pm).
