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Lay & Wheeler 2008 Tasting, Part 1

Lay & Wheeler really needs no introduction. With over 150 years of trading history, a foothold in London with its city wine bar and restaurant, impressive storage facilities at Burton upon Trent and an active tasting program Lay & Wheeler must be one of the UK's best known independent merchants.

One of many dates in their tasting calendar is the annual Christmas tasting in Edinburgh, an event which afforded me the opportunity to take a look at nearly 40 wines from the current Lay & Wheeler range. All 40 wines were plucked from the current Top 100 Wines for Drinking list, a Lay & Wheeler selection of wines that are good to go. In most cases these wines are indeed ready, although one or two of the wines - the 2006 Billaud-Simon Chablis Premier Cru Mont de Milieu, for instance - plainly needed more time.

The notes below are organised according to region or country of origin, and not in the order the wines were tasted (sometimes my notes reflect this when I refer to the wine just tasted). I began with a selection of whites all of which were impressive; these included the 2005 Semillon from Moss Wood, the 2005 Pinot Gris Pfleck from Barmes-Buecher and the 2007 Naia from Bodegas Naia. Equally enticing were two wines made using varieties with which I am wholly unfamiliar, namely the 2007 Voerzio Roero Arneis Bricco Capellania and the 2007 Classico Godello from Viña Somoza (the varieties here, in case you have trouble picking them out, are Roero Arneis and Godello - I hadn't even heard of latter). There wasn't a single disappointment among them; it was quite a way to begin the evening.

I start my notes with the sparkling and white wines, including sweet wines. Prices given are from the Lay & Wheeler 2008 wine list, and I have also included wine-searcher links for transparency. In part 2 are my notes on the red wines. (2/12/08)

Tasting Notes - Sparkling & White Wines

Tasted in November 2008. Click for stockists.

Michel Guilleminot Champagne Brut NV: This has an attractive nose, although it is very much in the lean, minerally, chalky arena. Coming in at the edges are little notes of honey, yeast, toffee and polished wood, but these elements are all very subtle and fleeting at present; with a few more months in bottle I suspect they will be more prominent. The palate has a gentle mousse, soft and appropriate acidity and overall this makes nice drinking. 15/20 (£18.25)

Henriot Souverain Champagne Brut NV: Very recently arrived in the UK, this cuvée has a chalky and restrained nose, with a plentiful, youthful and exuberant mousse. It has a rather soft and broad presence on the palate, but behind it there is a lot of sharp structure from the acidity. Ideally this needs to be left to rest in bottle a while I think. Good. 16+/20 (£25.00)

Domaine Barmes-Buecher Pinot Gris Pfleck 2005: This seems immediately rather fat and aromatic on the nose, which posses perfumed aromas of bacon, roast meats and spice. The palate is richly textured, due to some residual sugar, but there is also some firm acidity and a little bitter grip. Nice, complex, crispy, spicy bacon notes. A good wine if in a rather opulent style. 17+/20 (£15.75)

Château Villa Bel-Air Graves Blanc 2005: The nose here has aromas of fennel and aniseed, from the oak I assume, and little else. The palate has a decent grip, fresh lemony acidity, but with a slightly fat substance. And the oak dominates here just as much as it does on the nose. Flashy and a little overdone to my palate. 14/20 (£14.50)

Billaud-Simon Chablis Premier Cru Mont de Milieu 2006: This has fairly dense, reserved, mineral fruit on the nose. There is plenty of zip and structure at the start, fading a little in the midpalate. There is nicely defined texture, minerally-chalky fruit and a good weight. This is nicely held together, through to a soft finish. Young, but good potential here. 17+/20 (£21.50)

Domaine Vieilles Pierres St-Véran Les Pommards 2006: The nose here suggests a little oxidation, with a dried fruit character, especially baked apples, but this doesn't come through on the palate at all, which is very fresh. It has a fleshy, mouth-filling substance, with dried fruit flavour and a good acid backbone. Little touches of spice and grip, perhaps oak-derived. Good wine. 16.5+/20 (£12.00)

Domaine Jacqueson Rully Premier Cru La Pucelle 2006: This is clearly a very young wine, with aromas of honeyed oak and cashew nut on the nose. Bright and fresh on the palate, with good acidity, and a gentle, well-judged application of oak. Nutty fruit, a good lemony substance, and overall very appealing. Would be good for the cellar. 17+/20 (£16.00)

Louis Carillon Puligny-Montrachet 2004: Nicely defined on the nose, with an appropriate level of attractive, honeyed oak. The palate has a good flesh, but it is well composed, elegant, firm and nicely delineated. Good grip too. Little nuances of apricot fruit now, but really this needs time to show its best. Good potential. 17+/20 (£27.50)

André Dezat Sancerre 2007: This starts off very light and papery on the nose, then it shows a gentle, feminine perfume, with a gentle chalky character. The palate is rather fleshy for the appellation, with light green, minerally fruit character. Gentle acidity, rather plump and flattering, but with nice grip at the finish. 15/20 (£13.00)

Domaine l'Oratoire St-Martin Réserve des Seigneurs Cairanne Blanc 2007: This has rather reserved, stony and lemony fruit on the nose, complicated with notes of cashew nut and honeyed oak. The palate has a slightly blowsy, open texture, with a soft and round character. The acidity is rather gentle, and the fruit a little confected with sweet banana notes. It doesn't have great harmony, or balance, to my palate, and that fruit profile doesn't appeal. 14/20 (£9.00)

Gianni Voerzio Roero Arneis Bricco Capellina 2007: This has lovely, fresh, creamy white fruit on the nose, with hints of boudoir perfume. The palate seems a touch fat at the start, rather soapy, feminine and perfumed, but there is also a good, tingling backbone of acidity. Mineral and chalky elements balance it all out - just - and overall this is appealing, and certainly distinctive. Very good. 17+/20 (£14.50)

Viña Somoza Clasico Godello (Valdeorras) 2007: Godello is the grape variety - not one I have encountered before. This is less exuberant than the Roero Arneis which it followed, having a tight nose with subtle smoke and bitter honey characteristics. On the palate there is good flesh and a soft, rather flashy texture, but a bright and fresh acidity, with sherbet lemon fruit. Overall rather appealing. 17+/20 (£10.50)

Bodegas Naia 'Naia' (Rueda) 2007: This has buttery lemon fruit, and a little perfume of candle wax, oak and even a little bacon. There is a little fatness to the texture, with rather waxy and soapy nuances, and a subdued acid backbone, but it is definitely there in the midpalate. It lacks a little harmony here but overall this is good. 16.5/20 (£12.75)

Greenhough Sauvignon Blanc (Nelson) 2007: A very typical nose, all greengage and very grassy, with a little smoke. It certainly has character. On the palate, bright and vibrant acidity, flavours of yellow peppers, gooseberries, plump but green fruits galore. But there is fatness too. Overall, pretty good. 16/20 (£10.75)

Moss Wood Semillon (Margaret River) 2005: Finely grained oak on the nose here, which is quite deep and concentrated. It has an attractive, rather cedary-toasty, fennel and Provençal herb character, but there is good fruit behind it too. It has a good substantial style with plenty of wood-spice underpinned by good grip. It even has a little tannin. An appealing, fresh, but very oak-dominated style. 16.5+/20 (£14.50)

Les Carmes de Rieussec Sauternes 2005: The second wine of Rieussec. The nose here is very true to the appellation, showing honey, marmalade and botrytis character. The palate starts off sweet and plump, but there is a bitter note in the midpalate, and not a lot of flesh. It has a leaner and more diffuse character than I expected, and it lacks direction in the finish. Peppery, too. Although there is a big difference in price, I would spend up for the grand vin without a doubt. 14/20 (£16.50)

• Part 2: The red wines from the Lay & Wheeler 2008 Tasting.