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• LOVING CUP FOR CHAMPAGNE
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EVER wondered how that silly saucer-shaped champagne glass became popular? Given that it is quite wrong for the sparkling wine, even without the ludicrous addition of a swizzle stick to destroy those expensive bubbles, its adoption and presentation until quite recently in films and by those who knew no better was a puzzle.
No longer. At a splendid luncheon recently with the London director of Bollinger, Simon Leschallas, the origin of this glass was explained and I pass it on here for others who may also have wondered.
It represents the breast of Marie Antoinette. Louis XVl of France had a mould made of his queen's intimate part, which was then used by the glassmakers to create a loving cup from which the king could sup champagne. Not a lot of people know that.
Such gems of information are appreciated at any time but accompanied by a tasting of the new Bollinger rosé all the more to be enjoyed. Bollinger only produce rosé versions of its splendid champagne in years when the harvest has been suitable. Just such a year arose in 1999 and the resulting delicious La Grande Annee Rosé is now available. Only a very few bottles of the stuff have been produced for the world market, so if you are a fan of rosé and Bollinger, you will need to move fast. It is available from selected wine merchants at around £90.
Over lunch, in the gourmet setting of the chef's table at the Petrus restaurant within the Berkeley Hotel, we started with "ordinary" Bollinger, the Special Cuvée, went on to vintage Bollinger, La Grande Année '97, then the La Grande Année Rosé - and round again. It is a testament to the superb menu and the excellence of the wines that despite this round again, my head was not going round again as I left some hours later.
I took with me a delightful and informative book on champagne that charts the rise of the House of Bollinger - one of the few remaining independent champagne houses and still run by the Bollinger family. Interestingly, the English are credited with early influence in the creation of "sparkling champaign" in the 1660s, when the English court bought wines from the Champagne district which displayed a natural effervescence, and prompted English winemakers to become masters in the art of making certain wines bubbly. The Champagne vintners went on to cultivate their wines' natural aptitude to
effervescence
– and the rest, as they say, is history.
M Scott
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THE renaissance of a malt whisky distillery after years of lying fallow is an event to be celebrated. Tullibardine is the name and it was revived,
after seven years of lying unused and unloved, by a consortium of malt whisky appreciators. Now a new Tullibardine Vintage 1993 Sherry Wood Finish has been launched at the Whisky Live event in London this Spring which brings the distinctive flavour of Tullibardine to connoisseurs once more. In just a limited edition of 300 bottles, it is to retail at £38.
More novel is the first ever whisky ale to be produced by a distillery, launched by Tullibardine under the '1488 Whisky Ale' label. It is made from unfermented wash from the distillery, fermented with their unique strain of yeast and then matured for some weeks in oak casks that had previously contained Tullibardine whisky. The result is a beer with a malt whisky colour, a Tullibardine aroma and a whisky aftertaste. Certainly sounds interesting. See their site for further details – www.tullibardine.com
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::
Yo Ho Ho Comes to London :: |
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RUM, so far as we were concerned, was the tot of naval fame and a mixer base for unsophisticated young people. Its history and esoterics had quite passed us by until the recent launch in London of the English Harbour brand from Antigua.
Here, we learnt that this brand is named after the English Harbour base established by Admiral Nelson for the Royal Navy in Antigua back in the 18 th century, when rum distilling began on the island. Available as a 5 year old, an Extra Old made from rums up to 25 years old, and English Harbour 1981 Vintage, this is one of the world's premier rums, twice winner of the Double Gold Medal in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Its maker, Antigua Distillery, is now the only producer on the island and therefore an important contributor to the island's economy as well as its fun.
Made by traditional methods in copper stills, these rums are bottled at source after ageing in oak barrels. Now, they are being introduced to British drinkers, starting at the specialist rum bar Trailer Happiness in London's Notting Hill, others following.
The first sip of the 5 year old version has a slightly sweet coconut and spice flavour, followed by a rich, warm burst reminiscent of fine cognac. It can be drunk straight, on the rocks or with water as well as in a variety of Caribbean cocktails. Available in selected off licences, price around £17.50, the XO at £26.50
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