The Butchers Arms, Woolhope, Herefordshire HR1 4RF. Tel 01432 860281
Good Eating and Drinking Email: food@butchersarmswoolhope.co.uk
Good Eating and Drinking Email: food@butchersarmswoolhope.co.uk
‘Stephen Bull is a genuine food hero’
Fork Magazine, Autumn 2009
Fork Magazine, Autumn 2009
Wine List
Our wine list features wines from small to medium-sized growers dedicated to coaxing the fullest expression of their land and grapes into their wines. Some are familiar, some less so, but all have a distinct and alluring personality. Don’t be afraid to strike out!
GLASS WINES
Our Winesaver system allows us to offer more unusual, exceptional and sometimes more expensive wines without too much financial damage, and in perfect condition. These will change constantly – please refer to the notices on the bar.
Everyday whites. Available by the glass, jug or bottle
1 Ponte Pietra Trebbiano/Garganega 07 N. Italy 3.25 11.00 13.50
Fresh and zesty with the Soave grape Garganega adding a mineral edge
2 Lyrebird Chardonnay/Colombard, Victoria, Australia 3.25 11.00 14.00
Chardonnay for hints of tropical fruit and girth, Colombard for zing and bite
Everyday reds
3 Ponte Pietra Corvina/Merlot 3.25 11.00 14.50
Corvina is the Valpolicella grape - tangy cherry flavours – fleshed out with some velvety merlot
4 Franschoek Cinsault/Cabernet, South Africa 3.25 11.00 14.00
Cinsault works well in S.A. thanks to all that sunshine, adding spice to the light cassis of the Cab
Rose
5 Rose du Gers, Tanners selection 3.25 11.00 14.00
Free ad for Tanners, as it’s a very good rose, of the strawberry kind
6 Dom. D’Astros 3.25 11.00 14.00
Peach-coloured and a richer, more floral style
Sparklers
7 Blanquette de Limoux 4.75 18.50
More flavour than many Champagnes – peach and pear notes with toast and smoke (that’s what the supplier says, anyway)
Our Winesaver system allows us to offer more unusual, exceptional and sometimes more expensive wines without too much financial damage, and in perfect condition. These will change constantly – please refer to the notices on the bar.
Everyday whites. Available by the glass, jug or bottle
1 Ponte Pietra Trebbiano/Garganega 07 N. Italy 3.25 11.00 13.50
Fresh and zesty with the Soave grape Garganega adding a mineral edge
2 Lyrebird Chardonnay/Colombard, Victoria, Australia 3.25 11.00 14.00
Chardonnay for hints of tropical fruit and girth, Colombard for zing and bite
Everyday reds
3 Ponte Pietra Corvina/Merlot 3.25 11.00 14.50
Corvina is the Valpolicella grape -
Cinsault works well in S.A. thanks to all that sunshine, adding spice to the light cassis of the Cab
Rose
5 Rose du Gers, Tanners selection 3.25 11.00 14.00
Free ad for Tanners, as it’s a very good rose, of the strawberry kind
6 Dom. D’Astros 3.25 11.00 14.00
Peach-
7 Blanquette de Limoux 4.75 18.50
More flavour than many Champagnes – peach and pear notes with toast and smoke (that’s what the supplier says, anyway)
8 Prosecco 4.75 18.50
Less residual sugar means a drier bottle than the Blanquette, with the best attributes of Prosecco: freshness and liveliness in the mouth with with some frivolous acidity
9 Champagne 5.75 29.50
Terrific grower’s fizz delivering clean-cut, alluring yeasty flavours
WHITE WINE
Fresh, light and zippy
10 Picpoul de Pinet, Ch. De Mirande 08 16.50
S.W. France’s Muscadet, only better – crisp like Musc, but fatter, resinous and herby
11 Montravel sec, Dom. De Perreau 07 16.50
Interesting to compare with Conti’s Bergerac – Montravel is further north, same mix of Sauv Blanc and Semillon, this one edgier, grassier and drier
12 Sauvignon de Touraine, Les Nuages, 08 17.00
To be frank, a lot of these Touraine Sauvignons are poor. This one is more than a substitute for Sancerre
13 Gruner Veltliner, Austria, 08 19.00
From the breezy, green-apple end of the fruit spectrum. This sooo-cool grape can develop wonderful Burgundy-like complexity at the other end – watch this space
14 Howard Park Riesling, W. Australia, 08 26.00
Cleverly authentic Riesling from a hot climate, with a touch of lime zest to underline its new-world origins
Astringent and minerally, a bit weightier
15 Alquezar Macabeo-Chardonnay, Somontano, Spain 18.50
Super aperitif wine with aromatic herbs underscoring elusive hints of peach with some gentle apply acidity
16 Bird in Hand, Two in the Bush Semillon/Sauvignon, S. Australia 19.50
Predictable but not boring tropical fruit flavours interlaced with refreshing citrus acidity. And a nice label.
17 Albarino,Rias Baixas, Bodegas Terras Gauda, Spain 08 23.00
Quite a mouthful before you’ve even tasted it, but this is an excellent food wine: greengages to entice, a bit of apple and peach kernel midway and some Riesling-type acidity to finish
18 Churton Sauvignon Blanc, N.Z. 23.00
Typically N.Z., grass and nettles with fugitive hints of passion fruit. Don’t drink if you like pink grapefruit in your S.B.
19 Macon-Pierreclos 06, Dom Jambon 24.00
Restrained but appealing Chardonnay fruit balanced by some chalky acidity. Nice if you like chewing aspirin. (Ok, that’s a joke – it’s really good)
20 Chablis Daniel Dampt 07 28.00
Very correct, pure Chablis without any oak to blur the minerality. Bone dry but expressive
21 Sancerre “Monts Damnes” 07 Dezat family, Dom. Neveu 29.50
Top-notch Sancerre from the specialists – great fruit concentration and that minerally, smoky bite
Aromatic, herbal, spicy
22 Branch Creek Chardonnay/Semillon, S.E. Australia 14.75
Cheery Oz blend with a bit of old-world restraint to tame the exuberant peachy flavours
23 Viu Manent Sauvignon Blanc, Colchagua Valley, Chile 08 15.50
Rather an exotic S.B. showing some rose-petal and lychee flavours, quite rich in style with some green veg acidity. Actually, asparagus and nettles come to mind, but that would make it a bit of a mouthful, wouldn’t it?
24 Saam Mountain Chenin, Middleburg, South Africa 07 16.50
Typical well-made rich, hot-climate stone fruit/vanilla Chenin
25 Reserve de Gassac, Vin de Pays de L’Herault 08 19.00
Very classy expression of (mainly) Viognier. Primary pear flavours drifting into dried fruit, warm butter, pollen...(that’s quite enough – ed.)
26 Ch. Tour des Gendres, Cuvee des Conti, Bergerac 07 19.00
Creamy Semillon-Muscadelle mix of “waxy peaches and sweet cashews with a dash of ginger and white pepper”. In other words, a very lively and complex wine for the price
27 Pinot Gris Reserve, Dirler-Cade, Alsace 04 27.00
Distinguished version showing some limestone and citrus zip to counter the peachy, weighty mouthfeel
Rich, stone and tropical fruits, some oak
28 Alto Pampas Viognier, Mendoza, Argentina 08 14.50
Rich and ripe for one so young – apricots to the fore, but attractively so
29 Oveja Negra Chardonnay/Viognier, Chile 07 15.50
Do we need more of these blends straining for effect? Yes, if they are as well-balanced as this, managing to show the best of both grapes
30 Alamos Chardonnay, Nicolas Catena, Argentina 07 16.50
Catena makes world-class wines. This is a new-world tropical-fruit type but very stylish and clean-cut, mouthwatering acidity cutting through the pineapple and passion fruit
31 Cairanne Blanc Dom. De L’Oratoire St. Martin 07 22.00
Roussanne-dominated blend from the Southern Rhone, exotic fruit, warm honey, freshness too
32 Catena Chardonnay, Argentina 06 27.50
A notch more complex than the Alamos with more of the true Chardonnay showing through. Proper grown-up wine
33 Greco di Tufo, Terredora, Campania, Italy, 07 32.00
Stunning stuff from Southern Italy’s Greco grape – layers of smoky, nutty flavours with some grapefruit-style acidity to take it to another level
34 Moulin des Dames, Luc Conti, Bergerac 07 39.00
A lusher and more opulent version of 26. Half Semillon, the rest Sauvignon and Muscadelle, fermented in oak, intense buttery texture leads to concentrated peach and quince flavours offset by some delicious mineral acidity
RED WINE
Light-bodied, juicy, fresh
35 Ponte Pietra Corvina/Merlot 07 14.00
Corvina is the Valpolicella grape (see below), bright cherry flavours rounded out with some richer Merlot
36 Orquestra Tempranillo, La Mancha, Spain 07 14.50
Bright berry fruits backed by toasty oak to bring out some bashful vanilla
37 Zilzie Merlot, Victoria, Australia 07 15.25
Plums and cherries singing merrily together, bathed in (a lot of) sunshine
38 Allegrini Valpolicella Classico 07 22.00
The benchmark for Valpol – lively black cherry fruit and some darting spice to give depth and length
39 Esterhazy Pinot Noir, Austria, 07 22.00
This is a class act. Sweet strawberry fruit to the fore with only a hint of the farmyard, at half the price of a French equivalent
Medium weight, maybe some oak, lightly spiced
40 Vicuna Cab/Merlot, Central valley, Chile 08 14.00
Silky-smooth, well-balanced claret-type blend but with more immediate fruit
41 La Petite Syrah de Mas Montel, V de P du Gard 07 16.00
From a domaine near Montpellier, the Syrah offers stewed fruits dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg (if you like that sort of thing)
42 Branch Creek Shiraz/Merlot, S.E. Australia 08 16.00
Another very drinkable Oz blend marrying spice to plums in jammy bliss
43 El Grano Carmenere, Rapel Valley, Chile 07 17.50
Green peppers, beans and peas, anyone? Fine savoury flavour s from this grape that Chile does better than anyone (not that many try, unfortunately)
44 Feudi di San Marzano Negroamaro, Puglia 07 18.50
Black cherry jam and mocha chocolate aromas followed by stewed (but in a nice way) herby black fruit. It says here.
45 Gran Marius, Almansa, Bodegas Piqueras, Spain 03 19.00
This is the way to Tempranillo...spending 18 months in oak for those compelling notes of vanilla and clove
46 Marcillac “Lo Sang du Pais”, Philippe Teulier 07 19.50
Moreish juicy raspberry flavours over slate and gravel. Teulier is one of only 8 growers in the tiny appellation, working wonders with the Mansois grape.
47 Chianti Classico, Colli Senesi, 06 21.00
Terrible label but lovely wine. Belting Chianti at a paesano’s price : meaty, spicy with a dash of leather and licquorice
48 Cahors Dom. De la Berengeraie, Cuvee Juline, 05 23.00
Modern Cahors – deep raspberry colour, full of cherry, blueberry and cassis notes and silky tannins adding just enough structure
50 Brokenwood Cricket Pitch Merlot/Cab, 03, Hunter Valley, South Australia 28.00
Mature, stylish, darkly fruity (damsons, sloe gin), how I would like the best junior claret to be, but mostly isn’t
51 Sembro Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero, Spain 06 29.00
The Rioja grape given extra depth and heft from rigorous selection and time in barrel
52 Morgon, Dom. Jean Foillard, Beaujolais, 07 31.00
Full-bodied, complex Beaujolais miles apart from the usual Village offerings. Rich texture and all kinds of teasing flavours from chocolate and cinnamon to kirsch and blackberries. (Possibly Old Uncle Tom Cobleigh is in there too)
53 Rosso di Montalcino, Talenti, Tuscany 06 31.00
More than a junior version of Brunello (just spending less time in cask), this is full of true Sangiovese charm and power – wild herbs, leather , tar, spice...
54 Catena Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza, Argentina 05 31.00
Great firm-structured Cab from the heroic Catena, sizzling with flavours of cassis and blackberries
Full-bodied, complex, profound
55 Alto Pampas Shiraz/Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 08 14.00
Youthful but hefty mouthful of these two spice-laden grapes, punching well above its weight
56 A Mano Primitivo, Puglia 06 21.00
No apologies for two wines from Puglia. This one dense with layered, ripe blueberry and cherry fruit leading on to tobacco and molasses
57 The Stump Jump Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre, D’Arenberg, S. Australia 06 21.00
Many times Oz Winery of the year, d’Ary makes forthright and robust wines which also have their share of refinement. This one is named after a plough that jumps over tree stumps, for some reason
58 Ch. Mourgues de Gres Les Galets, Costieres de Nimes, 07 23.00
Rhone Valley grapes but mostly Syrah. Not Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but nearly as good
59 Lammershoek Roulette Rouge, Paul Kretzel 26.00
Shiraz-dominated, but in a nice way, this elegant bottle shows South Africa can do big and subtle at the same time
60 Falernia Carmenere Reserva, Elqui Valley, Chile 05 27.00
Leaving some grapes to shrivel on the vine in the north Chile heat makes for an opulently fruited and weighty bottle with appropriate alcohol (14%)
61 Catena Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, 06 29.00
Malbec, exported from Cahors, flourishes in Argentina and Catena brings it vibrantly to life in this spicy oak-aged bottle
63 Vina Izardi, Rioja Reserva 03 39.00
Impressive
64 Pinot Noir by Farr, Geelong, S. Australia 05 42.00
Fine red Burgundy without the badge. More weight than French P.N. but every bit as authentic
9 Champagne 5.75 29.50
Terrific grower’s fizz delivering clean-
WHITE WINE
Fresh, light and zippy
10 Picpoul de Pinet, Ch. De Mirande 08 16.50
S.W. France’s Muscadet, only better – crisp like Musc, but fatter, resinous and herby
11 Montravel sec, Dom. De Perreau 07 16.50
Interesting to compare with Conti’s Bergerac – Montravel is further north, same mix of Sauv Blanc and Semillon, this one edgier, grassier and drier
12 Sauvignon de Touraine, Les Nuages, 08 17.00
To be frank, a lot of these Touraine Sauvignons are poor. This one is more than a substitute for Sancerre
13 Gruner Veltliner, Austria, 08 19.00
From the breezy, green-
Cleverly authentic Riesling from a hot climate, with a touch of lime zest to underline its new-
15 Alquezar Macabeo-
Super aperitif wine with aromatic herbs underscoring elusive hints of peach with some gentle apply acidity
16 Bird in Hand, Two in the Bush Semillon/Sauvignon, S. Australia 19.50
Predictable but not boring tropical fruit flavours interlaced with refreshing citrus acidity. And a nice label.
17 Albarino,Rias Baixas, Bodegas Terras Gauda, Spain 08 23.00
Quite a mouthful before you’ve even tasted it, but this is an excellent food wine: greengages to entice, a bit of apple and peach kernel midway and some Riesling-
Typically N.Z., grass and nettles with fugitive hints of passion fruit. Don’t drink if you like pink grapefruit in your S.B.
19 Macon-
Restrained but appealing Chardonnay fruit balanced by some chalky acidity. Nice if you like chewing aspirin. (Ok, that’s a joke – it’s really good)
20 Chablis Daniel Dampt 07 28.00
Very correct, pure Chablis without any oak to blur the minerality. Bone dry but expressive
21 Sancerre “Monts Damnes” 07 Dezat family, Dom. Neveu 29.50
Top-
22 Branch Creek Chardonnay/Semillon, S.E. Australia 14.75
Cheery Oz blend with a bit of old-
Rather an exotic S.B. showing some rose-
Typical well-
Very classy expression of (mainly) Viognier. Primary pear flavours drifting into dried fruit, warm butter, pollen...(that’s quite enough – ed.)
26 Ch. Tour des Gendres, Cuvee des Conti, Bergerac 07 19.00
Creamy Semillon-
Rich, stone and tropical fruits, some oak
28 Alto Pampas Viognier, Mendoza, Argentina 08 14.50
Rich and ripe for one so young – apricots to the fore, but attractively so
29 Oveja Negra Chardonnay/Viognier, Chile 07 15.50
Do we need more of these blends straining for effect? Yes, if they are as well-
Catena makes world-
Roussanne-
A notch more complex than the Alamos with more of the true Chardonnay showing through. Proper grown-
Stunning stuff from Southern Italy’s Greco grape – layers of smoky, nutty flavours with some grapefruit-
A lusher and more opulent version of 26. Half Semillon, the rest Sauvignon and Muscadelle, fermented in oak, intense buttery texture leads to concentrated peach and quince flavours offset by some delicious mineral acidity
RED WINE
Light-
Corvina is the Valpolicella grape (see below), bright cherry flavours rounded out with some richer Merlot
36 Orquestra Tempranillo, La Mancha, Spain 07 14.50
Bright berry fruits backed by toasty oak to bring out some bashful vanilla
37 Zilzie Merlot, Victoria, Australia 07 15.25
Plums and cherries singing merrily together, bathed in (a lot of) sunshine
38 Allegrini Valpolicella Classico 07 22.00
The benchmark for Valpol – lively black cherry fruit and some darting spice to give depth and length
39 Esterhazy Pinot Noir, Austria, 07 22.00
This is a class act. Sweet strawberry fruit to the fore with only a hint of the farmyard, at half the price of a French equivalent
Medium weight, maybe some oak, lightly spiced
40 Vicuna Cab/Merlot, Central valley, Chile 08 14.00
Silky-
From a domaine near Montpellier, the Syrah offers stewed fruits dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg (if you like that sort of thing)
42 Branch Creek Shiraz/Merlot, S.E. Australia 08 16.00
Another very drinkable Oz blend marrying spice to plums in jammy bliss
43 El Grano Carmenere, Rapel Valley, Chile 07 17.50
Green peppers, beans and peas, anyone? Fine savoury flavour s from this grape that Chile does better than anyone (not that many try, unfortunately)
44 Feudi di San Marzano Negroamaro, Puglia 07 18.50
Black cherry jam and mocha chocolate aromas followed by stewed (but in a nice way) herby black fruit. It says here.
45 Gran Marius, Almansa, Bodegas Piqueras, Spain 03 19.00
This is the way to Tempranillo...spending 18 months in oak for those compelling notes of vanilla and clove
46 Marcillac “Lo Sang du Pais”, Philippe Teulier 07 19.50
Moreish juicy raspberry flavours over slate and gravel. Teulier is one of only 8 growers in the tiny appellation, working wonders with the Mansois grape.
47 Chianti Classico, Colli Senesi, 06 21.00
Terrible label but lovely wine. Belting Chianti at a paesano’s price : meaty, spicy with a dash of leather and licquorice
48 Cahors Dom. De la Berengeraie, Cuvee Juline, 05 23.00
Modern Cahors – deep raspberry colour, full of cherry, blueberry and cassis notes and silky tannins adding just enough structure
50 Brokenwood Cricket Pitch Merlot/Cab, 03, Hunter Valley, South Australia 28.00
Mature, stylish, darkly fruity (damsons, sloe gin), how I would like the best junior claret to be, but mostly isn’t
51 Sembro Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero, Spain 06 29.00
The Rioja grape given extra depth and heft from rigorous selection and time in barrel
52 Morgon, Dom. Jean Foillard, Beaujolais, 07 31.00
Full-
More than a junior version of Brunello (just spending less time in cask), this is full of true Sangiovese charm and power – wild herbs, leather , tar, spice...
54 Catena Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza, Argentina 05 31.00
Great firm-
Youthful but hefty mouthful of these two spice-
No apologies for two wines from Puglia. This one dense with layered, ripe blueberry and cherry fruit leading on to tobacco and molasses
57 The Stump Jump Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre, D’Arenberg, S. Australia 06 21.00
Many times Oz Winery of the year, d’Ary makes forthright and robust wines which also have their share of refinement. This one is named after a plough that jumps over tree stumps, for some reason
58 Ch. Mourgues de Gres Les Galets, Costieres de Nimes, 07 23.00
Rhone Valley grapes but mostly Syrah. Not Chateauneuf-
Shiraz-
Leaving some grapes to shrivel on the vine in the north Chile heat makes for an opulently fruited and weighty bottle with appropriate alcohol (14%)
61 Catena Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, 06 29.00
Malbec, exported from Cahors, flourishes in Argentina and Catena brings it vibrantly to life in this spicy oak-
Impressive
64 Pinot Noir by Farr, Geelong, S. Australia 05 42.00
Fine red Burgundy without the badge. More weight than French P.N. but every bit as authentic