Nicolas - Canary Wharf

Well a refurbishment has had little effect on the decor here but something made a difference because this bargain basic bistro wine bar was packed on a recent Wednesday evening. An enterprising staffer, surely on commission, had packed a dozen well dressed city ladies into a space roughly the size of one of their shoe cupboards and was yelling her way through a tutored wine tasting over the din of clattering plates and clinking wine bottles. It is run by Nicolas, the off license chain which stocks it's resolutely Francophile range and insists on displaying its limited global wine offerings, paltry as they are, in amusingly hard to find corners of their stores. This is perhaps no surprise given it is a French company but it must be the only wine retailer in the UK whose Australian wine range consists of a whole three bottles (count 'em!) and they are all Yellow Tail. Still, each to their own and we have to thank them for this outpost which is a combination wine bar and off license which allows you to select a bottle which is then carried into the wine bar and opened for you. This means no markup on whatever you drink. The menu to accompany this is strictly local french bar fare such as Charcuterie, toasted sandwiches and Duck Cassoulet. Not fine dining but solid and a hearty accompaniment to anything you happen to pluck from the shelves which is the real attraction because although the French seem to be intent on committing Claret infanticide, the selection of fine wine covers an area that is not served by high street chains.



Waiters were polite though slightly stunned by the sheer quantity of customers and we plumped for a reliable bottle of Louis Latour Macon to wash down our starters allowing us the budget to indulge a little on a bottle to marry with our Lamb Shanks. Phelan Segur is a well respected St Estephe Chateau famous for its current owners choice to pull all of the 1983 - 1985 vintages from sale when quality did not meet he standards he aspired to. On the nose, smoke blackcurrant, raspberry, mineral and dried herbs, Medium-bodied, with well-integrated tannins but lacking the complexity of a recent half bottle of the 2004. This is serious Cru Borgouis Claret and at £40 a bottle a relative steal in central London.