BEST WESTERN FOLEY ARMS HOTEL WINE LIST

Our wine list at the Foley has been a collaboration between the management of the hotel and old friends Mike Maguire and Nigel Logan of Wine in Cornwall Ltd. When we sat down to put this list together our aim was to produce a modern, global wine list embracing the classics but also exploring the New World to find a selection of wines that are on great form and that represent an exciting choice while still being good value. A list that makes you want to explore further. Much is made in “wine speak” of the benefits of bottle ageing and in some cases this is very important. Equally important in our opinion is serving wines (especially many of today’s dry whites) while they are still fresh. By keeping our list fairly short and affordable we aim to strike the right balance between the two. The Vintage Issue. We have discussed this issue with Wine in Cornwall Ltd., and decided, in the interests of accuracy, that unless the vintage of a wine is crucial it will not be shown on this list. If you are concerned about the vintage of the wine we are serving, please ask the staff to check when you order. We urge you to be adventurous and try new wines, we have written the tasting notes with this in mind – we trust they will help. Michael Cavilla - General Manager

 
White Wines
1. Chateau Peyruchet, Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc, France £15.50
Sauvignon Blanc has its origins in Bordeaux – lightly grassy, dry and refreshing wines like this were being produced here long before New Zealand and Sancerre had even planted a single vine.
 
2. Siegel Mosel Riesling, Germany £16.75
This authentic medium Riesling is low in alcohol and refreshing. Take a fresh look at wines like these when you want something a touch lighter.
 
3. Torrontes, Las Olas, Argentina £16.50
Torrontes is an aromatic variety with a distinctively “ grapey” flavour. This succulent medium dry white has haunting aromas of lychee and rose petals and makes a great accompaniment to spicier food.
 
4. Caresse Marine, Wildekrans, South Africa £14.80
From the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape and if you try really, really hard you may just detect a salty bite on the edge of this classic dry white. Made from Chenin Blanc with just a smidgen of Semillon – racy stuff!
 
5. Anakena Single Vineyard Viognier, Chile £18.60
Anakena’s exotic Viognier has a lovely (and typical) brushing of ripe apricot that is balanced by a dash of citrus. That extra ripeness that Chile seems to eke from its grapes works really well here.
 
6. Pinot Grigio, La Di Motte Estate, Veneto, Italy £19.25
Luca Botter bottles millions of cases of bulk wines for the supermarkets and with some of the proceeds of this enterprise he has created his own wine estate, La di Motte, where he hand makes wines like this crisp Pinot Grigio, with dedi-cation, individuality and style.
 
7. Wakefield Estate Chardonnay, Clare Valley, South Australia £21.00
This beautifully weighted Chardonnay just proves that when it is done right, oaked Chardonnay is still a very desirable commodity. Balanced, with a rich, succulent “mouthfeel” the oak adds complexity rather than dominates.
 
8. Tamar Ridge Pinot Gris, Tasmania £23.95
The cool climate vineyards of Tasmania are proving to be Australia’s answer to Marlborough in New Zealand (they are on a very similar longitude). This creamy Pinot Gris is beautifully weighted with haunting aromas of white peach.
 
9. Albarino, Dous, Galicia, Spain £22.25
Spain’s most sought after dry white wines are made in Galicia from the Albarino grape on the country’s western Atlantic seaboard. Albarino produces wines with lovely notes of apricots and almonds balanced by fresh citrus – a great flag bearer for the “New Spain”.
 
10. Chablis, Denis Race, France £23.80 Half £15.00
The vineyards of Chablis lie well to North of the rest of Burgundy and it this cooler climate and the limestone hills that define the unique style of these wines. Stainless steel fermented this is lime- fresh, village Chablis at its best.
 
11. Cable Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, NZ £22.95
New Zealand have achieved the wine world’s equivalent of re-inventing the wheel with its handling of sauvignon Blanc. This is a benchmark Marlborough wine, exotic and thrilling to the bone.
 
12. Sancerre, Francois Crochet, Loire Valley, France £27.90 Half £16.00
“ Crochet’s whites (and reds) have concentration and wonderful balance. The whites age on their lees and are mineral rather than exuberantly aromatic. ….Crochet will be one of the stars of the future.” Decanter Magazine” September 2006
 
Pink Wine
13. Domaine Pique Roque, Cotes de Provence Rosé, France £16.00
Heathery, pale salmon pink Rosé from the tinder dry Garrigue vineyards of inland Provence. Incidentally, it is made by a Cornishman, Anthony Trembath, native of Falmouth.
 
Red Wines
14. Cabernet Franc Les Yeuses, Languedoc, France £14.85
A remarkable wine. Cabernet Franc is usually associated with the Loire valley where its wines can be a bit lean and green (it’s a bit far north for red wine some years!) Here the hot Languedoc sun adds richness and succulence white retaining that distinctive Cabernet Franc twist in the tail
 
15. Tempranillo, Finca La Estacada, La Mancha, Spain £15.75 Half £9.75
Another top form red, this time from Central Spain. The ultra modern winery of Felipe Canterero produces wines with a blanket fruit-cake rich fruit wrapped around those familiar Spanish flavours, outstanding.
 
16. Primitivo di Manduria Faunus, Puglia, Italy £16.00
Primitivo (a.k.a. Zinfandel in California) is an early ripening grape variety which produces full, rich wines. This splendid example from the heel of Italy has real power but is, at the same time, rounded and smooth.
 
17. Thorntree Merlot, South Africa £15.70
Familiar, brambly Merlot flavours are complemented by a fine balance and elegance. Lighter than many new world Merlots and therein, perhaps, lies its attraction.
 
18. Cotes du Rhone, Domaine Corne Loup, France £16.50 Half £10.50
A traditional blend of Syrah and Grenache grapes in the classic Southern Rhone style. Jacques Lafond makes authentically solid, peppery reds with supple tannins.
 
19. Azamor, Alentejo, Portugal £17.95
Alentejo is the vast area of land between the Algarve and Lisbon (roughly). This is Portugal’s new frontier wine territory and exciting things are happening. Azamor is a damson-rich, silky blend of Syrah, Touriga and Merlot.
 
20. Anakena Single Vineyard Carmenere, Chile £18.45
Anakena are Chile’s most celebrated producers of Carmenere – this wine won the Carmenere Trophy at this year’s Wines from Chile awards. Similar to Merlot but with a dash more blackberry, Carmenere is a new experience to savour.
 
21. Rioja Excelsus, Vina Herminia, Spain £21.50
Made by Aussie, David Morrison, Excelsus has all the wood smoke, vanilla and oak characteristics one would expect from a Reserva style Rioja with perhaps a whole lot more of the fresh black fruit that one would associate with a New World wine maker.
 
22. Langmeil Earthworks Barossa Shiraz, South Australia £19.00
Langmeil own some of the oldest vines in the Barossa; remarkably, three and a half acres of Shiraz date back to 1840! As with all good Barossa wine the emphasis here is on power and complexity, with less of the slightly confected sweet fruit found in everyday Aussie Shiraz. Robust and peppery with lashings of dark black fruit, the Earthworks Shiraz is a truly modern Australian.
 
23. Tamar Ridge Devils Corner Pinot Noir, Tasmania £22.70
This light, elegantly feminine Pinot Noir hails from some of Australia’s most exciting cool climate vineyards and their answer to New Zealand’s prowess in this sector. With aromas of freshly crushed raspberries and violets this is just how middle ranking red Burgundy should be (but rarely is!)
 
24. Chateau Grand Peys Lescours, St Emilion Grand Cru £29.75 Half £15.85
Grand Peys Lescours is situated on the plain just a little distance from the hilltop town of St. Emilion itself. These flat, deep soiled vineyards seem especially suited to the Merlot grape that is predominant in this area lending the wine a broad, velvety feel.
 
25. Chateauneuf du Pape, Domaine des Senechaux, France £32.75
Perhaps France’s most hedonistic red wine, Chateauneuf epitomises the relaxed, easy to drink image that Rhone wines try to engender. Often perceived as powerful, this can be misleading as subtlety and complexity are really what you are paying for.
 
Champagne and Sparkling Wines
26. Prosecco Spago, Cipriano, Italy £15.80
Italy’s fun dry fizz from the Veneto region, just north of Venice. The word Spago in the name refers to the unusually proud cork which is held in place by string. The wine itself is gently bubbly with a hint of almonds.
 
27. Tanners Cava £17.30
A recently voted second best sparkling wine in a Which? Wine tasting, only beaten by a champagne at twice that price. Rich, biscuity with great length of flavour.
 
28. Champagne Renard Barnier Brut NV £31.75 Half £18.50
A family Domaine, Renard Barnier rigorously age their Champagne for three years in bottle before release. This adds a toasty complexity and ensures the mousse (i.e. the bubbles!) is fine and gentle.
 
29. Mumm Cordon Rosé NV £56.50
Of all the Grand Marque Champagne houses none have seen such a resurgence of quality in recent years as Mumm. Their pink just oozes class and confidence with its ripe strawberry freshness and biscuity aromas.
 
30. Bollinger Special Cuvée £62.50 Half £33.50
Indulgent and just slightly decadent, “Bolli” fashion their image with a combination of clever marketing and jolly fine Champagne.
 
Dessert Wines
31. Muscat de Mireval, Chateau d’Exindre, France £20.65
This dessert wine from the Midi is intensely sweet but has a nice “cut” of fresh grapefruit and hints of toasted nuts and orange peel.
 
32. De Bortoli Vat 5 Botrytis Semillon, Australia, Half £12.75
De Bortoli make Australia's greatest sweet wine, the Nobel One – this is its baby brother and displays all the wonderful barley sugar, honey and citrus flavours of its sibling without quite the intensity.