Bordeaux Exclusive Arrives At Cornish Gastro Pub
Many restauranteurs help design wines specifically to match their style of food and compliment their brand.
However, a new wine released by Chateau Civrac this summer and available exclusively at the St Tudy Inn in North Cornwall takes collaboration between chef and wine-maker to a whole new level.
Emily Scott, chef patron of the highly regarded food pub, travelled to the right bank of the Bordeaux in late autumn 2016 to craft a unique wine alongside Mark Hellyar, owner of Chateau Civrac.
Mark, who splits his time between Bordeaux and Cornwall, takes a very personal approach to wine-making; natural methods in the vineyards and minimal use of chemicals encourage biodiversity, while his scientific background helps him craft perfectly balanced wines in small batches.
(E+M)2 – a play on ‘Em’ as Emily is known and Mark’s scientific background, as well as the pairs’ initials – was hand-made and blended from Malbec and Merlot grapes, all of which were grown in the vineyards of Chateau Civrac in the appellation of Cote De Bourg.
Emily enthusiastically embraced the task of fermentation, remontage and pigeage and recalls:
“I think Mark’s regular French ouvrier was a bit shocked at my determination, so much so that when it came to digging out the vat I had to be physical pulled out before I either passed out from alcohol fumes or exhaustion. ‘The English lady…’ I heard him mutter with raised eyebrows!”
Mark described the resulting wine as follows:
“This is a light Malbec blend (60:40) with Merlot. Raspberry and cherry on the nose leads to tobacco and spice – typical characteristics of Malbec. Light in the mouth with juicy acidity and a subtle vanilla finish, this wine has been aged in an oak barrel for 1 year with alcohol at 13%.”
The released is limited to only 300 bottles, now available to buy exclusively at The St Tudy Inn.
Emily, who trained as a chef in Burgundy, opened the St Tudy Inn in 2014 and quickly built a loyal following for her simple, seasonal dishes.
The pub was recognised with a Bib Gourmand in 2016 (retained in 2017), and earlier this year Emily was named as one of the most influential women in hospitality by CODE – a leading industry publication.
The food, and wine, can be enjoyed all the more following the provision of four luxurious bedrooms earlier this year, offering a peaceful retreat in the Cornish countryside.