Château de Fonbel, Grand Cru St. Emilion 2001

I was at The Ivy Restaurant in Central London last night.  Didn't see any celebrities but did pick an excellent wine off their list, which is comprehensive and reasonably priced.  You can look at The Ivy wine list here.

I referred to my Pocket Vintages 2007 Old World Edition whilst perusing the wine list and decided that the Chateau de Fonbel 2001 looked like a good bet.  After all, PV said that 2001 was a very good year for St Emilion.

It was absolutely delicious.  The waiter did not decant it although there was sediment at the end so it would have benefited from decanting.  The wine was smooth, fruity and full of body and went very well with the steak I was tucking into.  This is drinking very nicely now and will probably improve for another couple of years.

I noticed that BBR is selling it for only £12.21 a bottle when you buy a case of 12, which I think is very reasonable.  The Ivy was selling it for £49 a bottle, which is four times mark up.  Click here to order from Berry Bros.