Somewhereness

In food circles there has been an increasing focus in recent years on traceability, low intensity farming, and the idea that where a crop is grown or an animal is raised has an effect on its flavour and quality. The same is happening in the world of wine, which is rediscovering the French concept of 'terroir' - that a wine's flavour is a summation of its vineyard, climate, grower and grape. There is no literal English translation of the term, but a Californian convert got pretty close to the mark with 'somewhereness'.

I have worked with a specialist wine merchant to produce this list of wines from smaller producers that are beautiful examples of their kind, and fulfil the two roles of good restaurant wine; that they be delicious in themselves, and offer sympathetic support for the food on the plate.

I hope you enjoy them
Nick Kleiner

White Wines

£21.50

Chablis Domaine Jean Durup 2004
A perfect example of its type from Durup, a Chablis native and one of its best producers thanks to his major vineyard holdings. Using no wood, this is bone dry with the flinty feel of ground oyster shell balanced by a subtle nutty roundness - perfect for fruits de mer

Lillian Estate Marsanne 2003
John Brocksopp is a legendary figure on the Australian wine scene thanks to his pioneering work at
Leeuwin. Now retired, this is a labour of love from his own vineyards in Pemberton, Western Australia. Containing some Roussanne and Viognier, and barrel aged, this is fairly rich with delicious, musky, apricot fruit, some perfumed honeysuckle notes, and a subtle twist of oaky spice.

Montagny 1'er cru Jean-Marc Boillot 2003 - halves £15.75
Boillot, having established his reputation with the stellar wines he made at Leflaive, is now doing great things on his own estate. This lavish, silken, white Burgundy shows why his wines are so highly sought after by France's best restaurants

£29.50

Leeuwin Estate Prelude Chardonnay 2003
Quite simply the greatest name in Australian Chardonnay. Typically forthright in flavour, the rich melon and peach fruit showing the unmistakable signs of a spell in expensive French oak barrels, but this wine's structure and class give a respectful nod to Burgundy

Puligny Montrachet 1'er cru Truffière Bernard Morey 2001
One of the greatest producers of white Burgundy working in one of its best vineyards. Endlessly
nuanced, it shows the interplay of peachy fruit, lees, oak and taut minerality that have made the best Côte de Beaune whites the template for winemakers the world over.

Red Wines

Beaujolais Villages Jean Pivot 2003 - halves £9.25
From an old Beaujolais hand, sourced from just 2 vineyards owned by Pivot, this has lovely cherry fruit but remains light and easy to drink. A reminder of how charming 'proper' Beaujolais can be

Condado das Vinhas Alentejo Tinto 2003
Portugal is one of the most exciting European sources of wine at the moment, combining some really interesting indigenous grape varieties (in this case Trincadeira Aragonis and Alfrochero) with modern winemaking practice to make examples like this: rich and spicy, but full of juicy fruit flavour and none of the toughness of old

Explorer Langhorne Creek Cabernet Shiraz 2002
Not as famous as some Australian wine regions, but insiders know that Langhome Creek is a top
source of full-blooded reds grown around the flood plain of the eponymous river. Smaller producers rule the roost, as in this 150th anniversary release, which is generous and mouth filling but has a food-friendly burr of earthy spice

Lea Roques Vin de Pays d'Oc Jean-Marc Boillot 2000
The Languedoc region of France is home to some of the most adventurous winemaking in the country, as evinced by this wine from ace Burgundian producer Boillot. A real Chateauneuf-slayer, it combines a quarter each Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Cabernet Sauvignon to make a dense wine, suffused with hints of pepper and Mediterranean herbs, but one that never tips over into clumsiness

Fleurie 'Lea Moriers' Domaine Henry Fessy 2003 - halves £12.75
A delicious example of cru Beaujolais, this wine packs in an amazing amount of flavour for something that is only medium in body and so light in tannin. Quite delicious, and very versatile - try it with anything from rich fish dishes to lighter game

Hautes Côtes de Beaune Rouge Naudin-Ferrand 1998
One of the most talented and innovative winemakers working in the Hautes Côes, Claire Naudin here offers a medium-weight Burgundy with hedgerow fruit flavours that is starting to show some mature gamey character. Great with duck and game birds

Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon 2000
Stellenbosch winemaker Etienne Le Riche is pretty single-minded: he wants to be one of the Cape's best Cabernet producers, and that's all he makes. This sumptuous wine, full but not overpowering, with some convincing Bordeaux-like backbone and displaying mature complexity, shows he isn't kidding

Garlands 'Saros' Cabernet Franc 2002
Rated by James Halliday as his highest-ever scoring Cabernet Franc (93 points), this vivid red from a tiny 1 -hectare vineyard in Mount Barker Western Australia has an amazing perfume, violets and black fruits, but is sleek and velvety in the mouth. Medium-bodied, full of soft fruit flavour and with gentle, ripe tannin, it's much less of a bludgeon than many Oz reds

Chateau Lestage Simon Medoc Cru Bourgeois 1999
A classic claret, starting to drink beautifully, with subtle gravel and cedar notes around the core of cassis and plum fruit. Few things go better with lamb or beef

Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Domaine Beaumont 2000
To quote Hilaire Belloc, dreamily recalling his youth, "I forget the name of the place; I forget the name of the girl; but the wine ... was Chambertin". Thierry Beaumont has created a glorious wine from his family's vines in one of France's greatest vineyards, a combination of force and subtlety that will surely live in the memory

Vintages are accurate as I write, but we may have to offer a follow-on as stock ash through. Please ask if you went to be sure.