A Fine Pairing
The perfect accompaniment
Overlooking the Great Hall, you’ll find the intimate and sophisticatedly romantic Àclèaf; a space to gather around the table and taste exquisite menus created by Head Chef Scott Paton.
A showcase of inventive British fare, using only the finest locally sourced ingredients, Àclèaf is a unique dining experience exclusive to Boringdon Hall where Scott Paton’s seasonally led signature four-course menu takes centre stage.
Encompassing the elegance of Àclèaf, Food and Vlad has worked alongside Scott to curate a body of fine wines, perfect to accompany your journey through food. Dating back from 1996 Tuscany Italy along the coast, through to the more recent years of 2017 in the traditionally produced vineyards of Burgundy, France, the selection is one to explore and truly oneself immerse in.
Petrus 2006 – Bordeaux, France
One of the world’s rarest wines, Petrus has truly become an icon of its time under Christian Moueix. The vineyard of just 11½hectares is located on a plateau in the highest part of Pomerol, the Merlot vines flourishing in the famous blue clay soils. The vines are planted for no less than 70 years, giving extraordinary concentration within the fruit. The grapes are harvested by hand, only in the afternoons when all dew has evaporated in order not to risk any dilution to this intense concentration. The wines are considered approachable after 10 years in bottle: the 2006 vintage is now drinking exceptionally well.
£4,500
Hermitage La Chapelle 2009, Paul Jaboulet Aîné – Rhône, France
Returning from the crusades in the 13thcentury, the knight Gaspard de Sterimberg sought a new life of peace and solitude. He built a chapel overlooking the Rhône valley and lived the remainder of his days as a hermit. Thus, the Hermitage appellation can trace its roots.
Today, the greatest proponent of Hermitage wine for the past 50 years, Paul Jaboulet Aîné, is still producing small quantities of this famous wine, practising at the highest end of his art. Small quantities of Syrah grapes are harvested by hand before being brought down the steep slopes of the valley, carried by sledge to the winery. Using only traditional methods, spending up to 18 months on new French oak, these wines are very deep in colour, magnificently and hauntingly savoury. The quintessential Syrah.
£390
Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru 2017, Joseph Drouhin – Burgundy, France
One of the jewels in the crown of the Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux was awarded its own status as an AOC in 1937. The vines were originally planted by Joseph Drouhin, the estate now being run by his four grandchildren. Their traditional approach, including planting their own nursery, ploughing by horse, and exercising minute attention to details in the production, has produced some truly classic wines. This is a wonderfully scented, aromatic pinot noir with flavours of sweet ripe cherry, blackcurrant and gamebird. The palate is deep and full, with stunning length and a complex finish. A remarkable marriage of elegance and power from one of the leading Burgundian houses.
£720
Sassicaia 1996, Tenuta San Guido – Tuscany, Italy
Sassicaia is today one of the world’s most sought-after wines. Mario Incisa della Rocchetta began planting the Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast, an area of land that had previously been thought to be unsuitable for growing vines. Within the deeply conservative 1960’s Tuscan wine-making world this was a radical, even inflammatory, move.
So was born the first Super Tuscan.
The name Sassicaia means “place of many stones” and the gravel soils have been compared to those of Medoc. Regarded now as one of the world’s greatest Cabernet Sauvignon wines, Sassicaia recently made history by being the first single wine to be granted its own DOC. The wines of Sassicaia combine intense notes of cassis and cedar, with extraordinary power and length.
£800
Opus One 2007, Robert Mondavi – Napa Valley, USA
Opus One began as a collaboration between the great Californian winemaker Robert Mondavi and Baron Phillipe de Rothschild, the first vintage 0f 1979 being released in 1983. The vines are to be found in dense proliferation around the state-of-the-art winery in Oakville. A Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend on a 95:5 split; the wine is stored on new French oak for 18 months before spending another 18 months in bottle prior to release. Opus One is one of California’s most high-profile wines. It is also one if its best.
The 2007 is regarded by commentators and critics as being one of the greatest wines ever made at Opus One. The flavours of blackcurrant and liquorice shine through, but there is also an undercurrent of subtle smokiness. Running alongside, an opulent texture and dazzling purity mark this out as one of Mondavi’s great vintages.
£990
Dominus, 2005 – Napa Valley, USA
The reputation of Christian Moueix as one of the world’s leading winemakers is based as much on the wines of Dominus as Petrus. His longstanding relationship with the West Coast began in the 1960s as a student studying abroad. Despite returning home to run the family vineyards in Bordeaux, his affection for Napa was undimmed, returning to take full control over the famous Napanook vineyard in the mid-Nineties.
The 2005 is a classic Bordeaux blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. This is the blessed union of French savoie faire and Napa fruit purity. Powerful flavours of earth, blackcurrant, sweet black cherry and incense, with the oak firmly pushed into the background, are the rewards of this great “Terroir” wine which is now hitting its prime.
£750