When Terroirs Wine Bar & Restaurant first opened, about a year ago, it created a huge buzz within the wine industry. This was mostly due to its association with Les Caves de Pyrene, the very popular and ever eclectic wine agent.
Les Caves sources and supplies a huge range of natural wines. If you think of biodynamic wines as extreme organic, natural wines are an extreme hyper-biodynamic — max…the natural kind.
There is no governing body for natural wines, but the idea is that they are…well…natural. Nothing added to them at any point during the winemaking process and sourced most likely from biodynamic vineyards. The lack of filtering and SO2 leaves the wine cloudy due the combination of left over yeast bits as well as oxidation. The wines are very delicate too, in a chemical sense, if they are not already completely oxidised once the cork is pulled, you better drink it quick…because it soon will be.
The wines are very difficult to make and keep. They are by no means a recipe wine and when they are perfect can be some of the most sublime tasting wine you will ever try. There is very little made, and of that very little is palatable. I would like to cherish my first memory of tasting a natural up there with other great wine moments – sadly however it will only be remembered as the first time my gag reflex when into overdrive.
So after all the hype about Terroirs, I thought I should pay the place a visit…and to cut a long story short, it sucked. Snails were rubbery and the bone marrow slimy. …the wine wasn’t nice and the only saving grace was the lemon posset. I didn’t like the place and for good reason. This first experience was over a year ago and despite my lack of pleasure in the place, everyone else seemed to be having GREAT meals there. In chronological order there was Jancis Robinson…top wine writer giving the place thumbs up in November ‘08. Next was the Independent, 4 out of 5, followed by Matthew Norman with a whopping 9.5 outta 10.
The Telegraph gave the place 5 out of 5…
AA Gill…gave it 3 out of 5
Then in August, my most trusted food journo…Jay Rayner, the guy who I’ve agreed with most loves the place!
Honestly WTF!
I vowed to not go there again…but two Saturday’s ago was a very very cold 1.0 °C night…couldn’t bear the walk from Whitehall to Bar Italia, so I decided to give the place another go…
Perched in the newly-opened, retro fitted basement bar we quickly tucked in to Fine de Claire oysters at £1.50 each. A fair price and amazingly fresh, as if the had only just been pinched from Neptune’s palm himself. This was paired with a wonderful sparkling Tribbiano made by Camillo Donati in the region of Emilia Romagna…it was unfiltered and was cloudy…but despite the look the wine was amazing! It had light baked apple aromas and flavours, with some citrus fruits as well.
Fine de Claire Oysters, at Terroirs London
Camillo Donati - 2007 Trebbiano Bianco Secco
Next was the plate of charcuterie…with the triad of Saucisson “Noir de Bigorre”, Duck Rillettes and Pork & Pistachio Terrine, all as rustic as the wooden board they were served on. A generous helping but at £12, one would expect it.
The Tuscan chopped raw steak for £8 was coarsely cut up and melted in the mouth and came close to being my favourite dish (Note-As many of the dishes were in French I was surprised to see this dish listed as raw steak rather than tartar).
Charcuterie and Tuscan Chopped Raw Steak (why not say tartar?)
But the star of the meal was by far the Partridge and Choucroute, individually the bird was gamey and the sauerkraut…well tasted like sauerkraut (with juniper berries). But together they made a beautiful flavour combination that deserves its own post – titled Partridge and Choucroute: You didn’t know?! It kicks ass!
Partridge and Choucroute (the chef kindly cut it in half for us)
As for desserts there was three of us and each of our desserts were splendid —>>>> Pain Perdu (French Toast) & Caramelised Banana, Bitter Chocolate Pot and Crème Caramel (this one was prob the best).
Bitter Chocolate Pot and Pain Perdu (don't worry it found its way...into our bellies)
Marco de Bartoli - Vecchio Samperi Ventennale
Besides the sparkler I also enjoyed a wine that can only be described as a digestif. Marco de Bartoli’s wine (incidently he is considered one of the best producers in Sicily) – Vecchio Samperi Ventennale is auburn in colour and has a splendid aroma of herbs and nuts, dried fruits and graceful palate with enough acidity to not make it cloying. It is made with the Grillo grape and probably considered a Masala wine in most circles, but de Bartoli ranks it as a table wine.
I can happily say this time around Terroirs stood up to the accolade and I shall frequent it again.
Fin!
Hi, as a maker of natural wines, just to say that they are not all THAT difficult to make and keep – difficult (and more expensive) yes, but by no means impossible.
Also, I don’t see why the wine should be oxidized when you open the bottle – if it’s been made and stored (and transported) properly it should be OK for up to about a year, say.
The most important things (IMHO) are the quality of the grapes, the cleanliness of your machines
and equipment and your storage conditions.
Will definitely pop into Terroirs if I’m ever in London
@Fabius – thanks for reading and commenting
I was under the impression that due to the lack of antioxidants (SO2, et al) during the wine making process it was harder to keep the wine in a stable state – ie not turning to vinegar.
Since my first experience with natural wines (that was about 6 years ago and WAS vinegar) I found that a lot are oxidised, even when bottled – undrinkable in some cases.
BUT – when they are made properly and when the winemaker gets it right they are amazing!
You are absolutely correct about grape quality and cleanliness and I am sure most others will agree with you too.
I went around the last caves de pyrene tasting with a sommelier a while back…watch the video here…these guys were stunners – especially the pinot grigio —
part 1
http://www.youtube.com/user/ImbibeMag#p/u/11/Hz3IRyisTJU
part 2
http://www.youtube.com/user/ImbibeMag#p/u/10/WuLq41ZhCs0
Hey there – went to Terroirs last week and was similarly impressed, snails with bacon on pain de campagne with lots of garlicky herb sauce, then really good bavette, not fancy but damn good.
Oddly enough I was having a longish chat about natural wines with a guy called Pascal Marchand in Montpellier last Friday, and I was commenting on the way that many of them have a very characteristic volatile nose, especially the reds, lots of ethyl acetate and similar compounds (particularly with reds). A trait I increasingly find offputting, regardless of how pure the winemakers might find the rest of the wine.
Also on a similar note, I had an odd little chat with a guest in the restaurant who commented that he hated biodynamic wines, it transpired he’d tasted some natural wine at terroirs, which was (unsuprisingly) also biodynamic and made the assumtion that it was the biodynamics that gave the odd unpleasant and unusual taste.
@Donald funny how the assumption is made but not surprising.
I kind of like a bit of volatility in my wines btw…but too much, as you say, is off putting.
What a feast! I have to say I had mixed views of Terroirs over the past year – one time I went it was a bit blah, the next time it was amazing, the time after that a bit blah, etc. When it’s good it’s REALLY good, and I’m glad you revisited it and had such a scrumptious meal
@scandi…all I ask for is consistency!
THATS IT —- !!!! IM DITCHING WORK & GONNA GO EATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT