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The rather good idea that one could buy decent claret at quaffing prices appeals. Indeed, I help buy the "House" claret for a club in St. James's, and it is the most sold wine on the list by far (some 1500 cases a year for a membership of around 800 seems respectable levels of consumption given that 75% of members visit quite infrequently). It is offered on the wine list at £12 a bottle, which after all costs tax and VAT means we have to buy it at around £5.
On Monday night I was at a sublime concert of Chamber Music at the Wigmore Hall, the Razamovski Ensemble, absolutely the tops. Brilliant musicians charmed and excited us through a program of Mozart (the g minor string quintet), Devienne, (Bassoon and string quartet, completely new to me, very virtuosic for the Bassoonist, running up and down scales, a sort of mini Bassoon concerto, and gripping to see the mouth and breath control of a pretty young female bassoonist, most unflattering to this brilliant performers looks,- you can picture fast runs with puffed out cheeks and heaving breast!) {mosgoogle}
The second half was the beautiful Brahms String Sextet in B flat, rich with the musicians making their instruments "sing" with great beauty and warmth. After this we had dinner with some of the supporters and performers, in the rather good restaurant at the Wigmore Hall. The wines were given free, and were the white Bordeaux Sauvignon Sec from Berry Bros and Rudd, which I see they retail for £5.50. This was a most pleasant surprise, fresh vibrant fruit, good clean acidity and clearly very good value. Then we were treated to Berry Bros "Good Ordinary Claret". Now I remember this being launched by them in the mid 1970s, and it was really quite good and just what it said it was. As a result I understand it became B,B&R's best selling wine by far. Well, what we had to drink on Monday was filthy, the worst advertisement for Red Bordeaux and, dare I say it, the much esteemed Royal Warranted Merchant. This is why so many people veer away from France in search of better value, the wine was thin, acidic, lacking balance and character, and if I had to guess, it was originally not bad with probably some fruit but made in a modernish style that after a few months in a distribution pipe-line to the restaurant, had lost its youthful fruit, and what was left was like a bassoonist with no wind, or a string player with no strings- a sour carcass of scratchy squawking. I see that said merchant has just launched ”Extra Ordinary Claret". Knowing the expertise of the people at BB&R, they have clearly recognised the shortcomings of their formerly most successful wine, and rather than being brave enough to improve it and probably increasing its price, they have tried to leave their less discerning clients in oblivion. The trouble is these people will give this filth to more knowledgeable friends, with the consequences that may follow. I traveled back on the train with our Noble Lord co- blogger and Chairman, and relayed my evening’s experiences. He was perturbed that his friends at Berry Bros should be criticised, but agreed wholeheartedly that "Claret should be Claret" not some fruity non descript wine, or a thin insipid diluted version of the real thing. We also recalled the days when White Bordeaux was filthy, and how it has improved its quality value of late. But I am sure he can speak for himself! With better wine making and an over supply of wine in the Bordeaux appellation, its time to take the "Ordinary" out of Claret and make something delicious.
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