 The Worsley Arms Hotel: Our wine list
You'll undoubtedly meet Tony, who is not only the owner and general manager of the hotel, but is also a Master Sommelier. While he won't crow about it, he's very talented at helping guests to choose wine that will not only suit them, but the type of meal they're planning to have.
Our wine list follows, but if you're interested, ask Tony about his secret stash of special wines that he keeps under lock and key!
CHAMPAGNE 1. Baron de Beaupre Brut N.V. £33.50 Our house champagne is refined in style, light refreshing and an ideal match for food or simply the best aperitif. Highly Commended at last year’s International Wine Challenge. 2. Laurent Perrier Brut N.V. £49.50 This is an outstanding non vintage wine from one of the largest of the Grand Marque Houses. Established in 1812 3. Laurent Perrier Brut Reserve Rose N.V £60.00 This Rose is outstanding – made in the maceration or ‘Seignee’ method where the wine lies on the skins for three days giving it its lovely deep salmon pink colour. Made from 100% Pinot Noir Grand Cru Cuvees, the palate is redolent of fresh summer fruits, delicate, crisp acidity and masses of pin prick bubbles – delicious! 4. Bollinger Special Cuvee N.V £62.50 “Bolly” is well known for its masculine black cepage (70% Pinot, 30% Chardonnay is the norm). A high percentage of mature wines in the blend gives this famous Grande Marque immense flavour. 5. Pol Roger 1998 £63.50 An outstanding wine from an excellent vintage. Sourced from their own 70 hectare estate, this cuvee has extraordinary depth of flavours and great length.
SPARKLING 6. Castillo de Montblanc, NV, Cava, Spain £19.50 This superb bone dry, delicate wine is delightfully refreshing and a perfect aperitif.
DRY WHITE WINES 7. Le Charme Colombard, Cotes de Gascogne, France £13.75 Simply delicious, refreshing style of wine, a successful marriage of traditional methods and new technology, maintains the crisp dry flavours and tangy acidity. 8. Sauvignon Blanc, Le Charme £14.95 A wonderful example of the fruit driven wines now being produced in the South of France. Rich in gooseberry flavours that wash over the palate with a delightful crisp acidity that lives long in the mouth. 10. Chardonnay 2007 Domaine de Martinolles £16.95 A super wine – rich concentrated fruit, steely freshness with a touch of lemon, one of the best value Chardonnays available. 13. Pinot Grigio 2006, Duetirri, Trentino. Italy £22.50 Trentino is located in the far north west of Italy and the high altitude vineyards benefit from long ripening periods that produce well balanced wines with deep flavours. The hallmarks of Pinot Grigio are well rounded fruit with a suggestion of almond kernel and spice on the finish. 16. Sauvignon Blanc 2007, Avondale, Paarl, South Africa £20.50 Hand picked from selected, cool vineyards, the grapes received extended skin contact and minimum intervention. Full of ripe tropical fruits, cut grass and green peppers with a crisp quenching finish. An excellent rival to Kiwi Sauvignons offering great value.
DRY WHITE WINES 18. Unoaked Chardonnay 2006 Hugo Wines, McLaren Vale, £23.75 Neil Paulett was a senior director of a major wine company in Australia before buying an estate in the Clare Valley, This unoaked Chardonnay is elegant with wonderful subtle aromas and delicate fruit flavours, undertones of lemons finishing with lovely tangy acidity. 19. Chardonnay 2003/4, Dramana Estate £29.50 Garry Crittenden has been nominated for Australian Winemaker of the Year and this wine is a testament to his skill – a rich, soft exotic fruit bouquet is followed by a very concentrated palate with excellent use of oak. 20. St Veran 2006 Vers Le Mont, Domaine Roger Luquet, France £24.75 First planted in 1928, Roger Luquet’s vineyard produces a small, yet very concentrated yield. There is no oak ageing at this domaine which enables Roger to produce wines that express both fruit and terroir with no interfering dimensions.
21. Kuki Sauvignon Blanc, Waipara Hills £24.95 This is one of Marlborough’s finest wineries, not bad for a company formed as recently as 2001.Typical new world mix of gooseberry and passion-fruit on the palate with redcurrant, crushed nettle aromas. Watch out for the explosive tropical finish.
22. Sancerre Le Pierrier 2006/2007, Domaine Thomas, £27.50 This small 12 ha estate in the village of Verdigny, is now run by the 9th generation, whose state-of–the–art winery produces wines that are clean flavoured with ripe gooseberries on the palate and fresh–cut grass on the bouquet.
DRY WHITE WINES 23. Chablis 2006, Domaine Phillip Testut, France £26.50 Domaine Testut is considered to be one of the truly great winemaking domaines of the region, and their wines are de rigeur in all French Michelin Star restaurants. “Pure Chardonnay fruit balanced by mineral acidity – a classic wine.”
24. Albarino Fefinanes 2006 Rias Baixas Spain £27.50 Albarino is one of the crown jewels of Spanish wine making and the perfect alternative to Chardonnay. Aromatic on the nose but dry on the palate, Albarino is the perfect accompaniment to fish and seafood.
25. Pouilly Fume 2005 Chateau de Tracy, Loire, France £33.50 This excellent estate consistently produces wines of great finesse with the Sauvignon character deliciously understated. The 2004 vintage was excellent, with grapes achieving perfect ripeness.
26. Rully 1er Cru ‘Les Margotes’ 2005 £29.50 Domaine Jean-Claude Breliere, Burgundy, France This is Cote Chalonnaise’s most northerly appellation and a Premier Cru wine. It has lovely floral bouquets, zingy acidity with bags of fruit. The quality of this wine is enhanced by the non-use of filtration which gives the wine an extra dimension.
27. Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume 2005 £35.00 Jean Marc Durup, Burgundy France Powerful yet elegant, Fourchaume benefits from similar conditions to the Grand Crus located on the hillside just to the south. An exceptional 1er Cru.
28. Pouilly Fuisse ‘Le Clos’ 2005 Chateau de Fuisse £48.00 Burgundy, France Exquisitely crafted wine – exuberantly rich and deeply flavoured. Low yields and well sited vineyards ensure great complexity and a proper structure, the best address in the village.
29. Meursault Ballot-Millot & Fils 1998 Burgundy France £45.00 The wines from the village of Meursault age gracefully, the colour takes on a deeper hue and the fruit develops a drier almond kernel character.
MEDIUM DRY / DESSERT WINES 37 Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett 2005 £17.95 Moselland, Germany Produced on the steep, slatey south facing slopes overlooking a bend in the Mosel River. The “little drop of gold” refers to the vineyard name, but could equally describe this seductively scented and spicy wine.
Alternative House Wine Finca El Picador – Sauvignon Blanc 2007 £13.75
ROSÉ WINE
39. Sancerre Rosé 2007, Domaine Croix St Ursin, Loire, France £27.50 This highly rated estate produces a lovely clean-cut wine with freshly scented aromas and richly fruity flavours. This is a super food wine.
RED WINES 40. Le Charme Merlot Vin de Pays d’Oc, France £13.75 Cherry and raspberry flavours evolve to complement the velvety Merlot character. Oak ageing gives the wine an extra complexity. 42. Tempranillo 2006/2007, Bodegas Pilar, Aranda, Spain £15.25 A delicious fruity wine, great balance with subtle, delicate oaky notes on the finish. 41. Cabernet Merlot VAT 4A 2006, Eagles Point, Australia £15.50 Juicy and ripe with hints of jam – a great gluggable Aussie red. Medal winner at this years International Wine Challenge.
RED WINES
43. Shiraz Cabernet 2006 Sandford estate £15.85 Victoria, Australia A great combination, the Shiraz gives the power and body and the cabernet adds real style and finesse to the blend. This is easy drinking for most meat dishes.
44. Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2006, Taverna Nova, Italy £16.95 The Roxan winery is situated in the province of Pescara, on hills sloping down to the sea and overlooking a beautiful view of the Adriatic and Mounts Gran Sasso and Majella. A beautiful violet bouquet is followed by a delicious and gulpable palate packed with juicy concentrated fruits and almond overtones – great value!
45. Le Pigeoulet des Brunier 2005, Vin de Pays de Vaucluse, £17.50 Produced from 20 year old vines, by the Brunier brothers, owners of the world famous estate de Vieux Telegraphe in Chateaunneuf du Pape. A fermentation of six to eight days is followed by five months in oak foudres. Full and rich with a touch of pepper and spice – superb.
46. Primitivo di Puglia 2006, A. Mano, Italy £17.95 It was believed until recently that the Zinfandel grape was indigenous to America. DNA fingerprinting has however traced it to a Southern Italian variety called Primitivo. American Mark Shannon produces this wine in Puglia and it is stunning – a ripe brambly palate with an almost Shiraz like finish. Gold medal winner and voted “best value Italian Wine” at the London International Wine Challenge.
42A. Saurus Malbec 2003 Patagonia Select £21.50 A wine packed with lots of brambly spice. The Patagonian nights are long and cold which has a slowing down effect on the ripening of the grapes, as well as retaining good levels of acidity. This is a great wine to enjoy with red meats, particularly steak.
RED WINES 47. Malbec 2005, Gouguenheim, £18.50 Located in the Tupungato region of Mendoza at an altitude of around 1000 metres. The cool mountain air envelopes the vineyards at night to mediate the day time sunshine, producing wines of great balance and intense rich fruit. This malbec has enticing aromas of ripe plum and wild berries with spicy blackcurrant flavours on the palate.
48. Chateaux Gasquerie 2005, Cotes de Castillon £17.95 This is our ‘house Claret’ A 17 ha vineyard on clay and chalk plateau with deep rocky sub-soil near Puisseguin, 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc aged for 12 months in 20% new oak. Deep purple colour with a bouquet of black fruits and toasted coffee. Ripe and rounded cassis flavours with a warm finish. 49. Merlot 2002 Peter Haywood, Sonoma, California, USA £19.25 50. Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 £19.75 Rich blackcurrant aromas are complimented by a smooth well balanced palate of black fruits and soft oak. 51. Rioja Vega Crianza 2005, Bodegas Muerza, Spain £19.75 Although traditionally aged in oak, much of the maturing is carried out in the bottle - thereby fruit and not oak dominates the taste. A medal winner at the international Wine Challenge. RED WINES 52. Pinot Noir 2005 £22.25 In terms of Aussie Pinot that this represents great value. Sweet Strawberry and cherry flavours fill the glass, and the palate follows through with long lasting subtle ripe fruit flavours. Until recently Killara sold all their Pinot Noir to Coldstream Hills.
53. Julia 2004, Avondale, Paarl, South Africa £23.50 This is a brilliant wine – double Gold Medal Winner at the Veritas Awards. The usual blend of three Cabernets Sauvignon, Franc and Ruby has been supplemented by the addition of 15% Merlot to add an extra richness to this mouthful of a wine.
54. Moulin a Vent 2003, Domaine Les Fines Graves £23.75 Moulin a Vent is the sturdiest of all the famous Beaujolais villages. The structure is more solid, making it more of a food wine than its dainty neighbours. This 7ha estate in Romaneche Thorins ages its wines in large foudres and cement tanks for 6-12 months prior to bottling. This is serious wine making.
55. Shiraz 2004 Hugo Wines, South Australia £25.75
56. Telegramme 2004, Chateauneuf du Pape £33.50 The 2003 vintage was small due to the hot weather throughout the growing season. Happily the 2004 vintage is sublime – rich dense spicy fruit flavour lingers long in the memory.
RED WINES 57. Chateau la Tour de By Medoc, £27.50 Owned by the Pagés family this highly successfully chateau is a constantly reliable source of good Médoc and offers a rare glimpse of value for money in this region. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. 20% of the blend is aged in new barrels.
58. Cabernet Merlot 2004, Neil Paulett, Clare Valley £27.50 Bordeaux eat your heart out! Soft and plummy, redolent of berries and plums with delicious ripe tannins. 15 months ageing in French oak hogsheads. 59. Nebbiolo 2001 – I Range, Garry Critenden £24.50 This is one of a range of wines that have taken the wine trade by storm. Garry Crittenden sources the grapes from Italian émigrés who settled in the King Valley after World War II. This wine has an incredible depth of rich fruit and yet shows surprising delicacy with floral notes on the nose and rich, lush fruit on the palate. 63. Marques de Vargas Reserva 1999, Rioja, Spain £56.50 Astonishing wine! Probably one of the best Reservas we have ever tasted, Subtle, yet powerful – the additional ageing has added further complexity complementing the voluptuous flavours and creamy texture. 64. Caronne Ste Gemme 1996 £43.50 This estate is a superb island of vines on the gravel plateau south of St Laurent. The wine is full-bodied, rich in flavour with creamy oak undertones, supple tannin structure and great finesse. 65. Chateau Paran – Justice 2003 Grand Cru St Emilion £35.95 Another excellent, good value wine from the 2001 vintage. This wine has delightful, plummy fruit with warm, soft tannins – very forward and drinking beautifully. 66. Nuits St Georges 2000/2001 Domaine de L’Arlot £47.50 This is one of the outstanding estates of the Cote de Nuits and is highly regarded by the wine writers of France. The wine has lovely delicate fruit with a soft violet character – ripe, clean Pinot Noir with a long finish. Alternative House Wine Finca El Picador – Merlot 2007 £13.75 Half Bottle
71. Best’s Late Harvest Muscat, Australia £15.50 Winemaker Viv Thomson is the fifth generation of his family to make wine at their estate in Concongella. This Late Harvest Muscat is a luscious, full berry flavoured, fruity wine with an attractive sweetness on the palate and a clean finish.
72. Essencia Orange Muscat, Quady, California £18.00 A combination of rich exotic Marmalade and fruit salad flavours, yet with a clean almost dry finish.
73. Black Noble de Bortoli, Australia £28.50 This is one of the finest and most unusual dessert wines we have ever tried. A small parcel of Botrytis Semillon is set aside each vintage, fortified and matured in oak casks then topped up each year like a solero system. The wine is then blended with a cask of very sweet Pedro Ximenez from the 1972 vintage. A truly unique wine that we can only describe as ‘liquid Christmas Pudding’ with brandy sauce.
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