Aikman’s Bar~Bistro
Aikman’s Bar~Bistro
1- House Wine - from the Conca de Barbara region of Catalonia the Castillo range of wines is produced by winemaker Hugh Ryman from a blend of indigenous and international grape varieties - our white from Vuira/ Chardonnay and our red from Temperanillo - £8.95
2 - Les Pallisages Blanc, Vin de Pays Vaucluse 1997/8 - a superb example of New World winemaking and traditional French grape varieties. Zesty, fresh and quite dry £6.95
3 - Namaqua Chenin Blanc, 1998, South Africa From the hot Olifants area comes this cool white, with a fresh, tropical fruit nose and a hint of mango7.25
4 - Lindeman’s Colombard Chardonnay, ‘98, Australia An off dry wine that mixes the fruit-driven style of Chardonnay, with the light, crisp style of Colombard. £8.30
5 - Soave 1997 - Bone dry and delicately refined. Floral characters abound. £8.45
6 - Mariquita, 1996, Napa Valley, California - An electrifying blend of Chardonnay, Riesling and Muscat that has been barrel fermented - best served well-chilled and is excellent with our Oriental dishes.£8.85
7 - Penfolds Bin 202 Riesling, 1998, South Australia A recent medal winner at the International Wine Challenge, good quality Oz Riesling. Crisp and delicate with a refreshing with a lime and apple palate.8.95
8 - Broke Fordwich Verdelho, 1997, New South Wales.The forgotten gem in the crown of Australian wine-making in Verdelho. Delicate, crisp and dry on the nose, with a lemon sherbert and full bodied palate. £9.95
9 - Montana Sauvignon Blanc, 1998, New Zealand Crisply dry, bursting with ripe gooseberry flavours, mixed with the rapier cut of lime and the tangy freshness of cool Pacific breezes. Paradise in a glass!£10.45
10 - Tokay Pinot Gris, Turkheim, 1997, Alsace A wonderful, unctuous wine from the heart of Alsace. Quite dry with an abundance of citrus fruits and good acidity. This is what Alsace is all about.10.95
11 - Macon Lugny Cuvee Eugene, 1997/8, Burgundy. A fresh and quite delicate white from the Maconnais in Burgundy. Very soft use of oak allows the Chardonnay to do the talking in this understated wine.£10.95
12 - Rosemount Semillon 199, South East Australia Bone dry in style, with obvious up-front ripe fruit and a subtle nutty palate that Rosemounts are famous for.£12.45
13- Wolf Blass Chardonnay 1997/98, South Australia, Big, rich, full-bodied white from the warm vineyards around the Barossa and Clare Valleys,this wine has a strong influence of spicy oak and a subtle length of finish. £12.95
14 - Chablis Brocard 1997, Burgundy Crisp, dry and elegant, this classic wine has a touch more depth of fruit and complexity than many other Chablis due to the fact that the vineyard it originates from is older than many of the region. £13.50
15 - Sancerre Rossignole 197/98, Loire A dry style from a great producer. A crisp gooseberry scented wine with a lengthy finish. A perfect partner to seafood and lighter dishes. £13.95
16 - Muritetta Reserva Blanco 1992/93, Rioja White Rioja does not come much better than this. A roller- coaster of different tastes on the palate with candied fruit and oak the predominant characteristics. Try it with creamy dishes. £14.95
17 - Les Pallisages Rouge - Vin de Pays Vaucluse 1997/98 Fresh, fruity and rather jolly, this is a great example of modern French wine, made with the expertise of Australian Matt Pellow.£6.95
18 - Wild Pig Red, Langue D’oc 1997/98 Soft, juicy and approachable red from the Cevenes Mountains, with the emphasis on rich plummy fruit, this is a flavoursome red from the warm climate of Southern France. £7.25
19 - Santa Carolina Dry Red, 1997/98, Chile Big, bouncy, beautiful Red from the ever-improving estate of Santa Carolina in Norhtern Chile. Huge extract upon the fruit has enabled the winemaker to produce a rich full-bodied jammy wine bursting with flavour. £7.45
20 - Valpolicella Garafano Light-bodied and dry with a fruit hint of spice on the finish. Easy drinking. £7.75
21 - Balbi Malbec, 1997, Argentina The dominant grape variety produced from old vines in the Mendoza district in North West Argentina, where the water is a pure as driven snow. Spicy and juiced up to go. £8.50
22 - Lindeman’s Shiraz Cabernet 1998, SE Australia The jamminess of the Cabernet is contrasted perfectly with the mocha and peppery hints of the Shiraz. Both are softened by a brief ageing in American Oak. £9.25
23 - Cotes de Ventoux PJA, 1997, France Superb red from the heart of the Rhone Valley. Bursting with fragrance and smoky spice, the finish is long and refined. £10.05
24 - Palacio de la Vega Crianza, 1995, Spain Smooth and slender red from the ever-reliable Navarra district in Spain. Temperanillo gives soft tannins whilst the Cabarnet Sauvignon adds that little bit of oomph!. £10.25
25 - Fairview Zinfandel/Carignan 1998, South Africa. - Thanks, Nelson! At last, we can savour the rich opulence of Charles Black’s wines. The rustic Carignan meets the chewy Zinfandel. Heat, spice, rich, long, huge fruit - they all describe this gem.
26 - Beaujolais Villages, Chateau du Basty, 1997 Burgundy Like all good Beaujolais, this fine red displays an exuberance of ripe, plummy fruit. Allied to lower tannins makes it perfect with white meats and creamier cheeses £10.75.
27 - Errazuriz Merlot, 1997/8, Chile Soft, supple tannins, pots of damson fruit and white vanilla chocolate make this wine absolutely irresistable. £10.95.
28 -Sterling Redwood Trail Pinot Noir, 97, California Superbly fragrant red made from the difficult Pinot Noir grape, grown on traditional limestone soils in the Napa Valley. Upfront smoky raspberry fruit, overlaid with a richness of oak. Full bodied and warming, this wine shows both softness and elegance.£10.75
29 - Wolf Blass Red Label Shiraz Cabernet 1997, Australia Well structured soft and fruity red with a rounded palate and long finish owing to the new oak used. This is a well-crafted wine.£12.45.
30 - Chateau la Cardonne, 1996, Bordeaux A blockbusting Cru Bourgeois that is rich and scented with ripe fruit and a big hearty body. The oak maturation gives this wine a lovely balance and long finish.£13.75
31 - Chateau Neuf du Pape Caboche, 1997, Rhone The most famous of the Southern Rhone reds, this is traditionally full-bodied, alcoholic and generous, with emphasis on peppery, warming fruit which comes from a blend of grapes grown on seemingly impossible soil in the ruined shadows of the Papal Palace. £14.25
Sparkling Wines
32 - Segura Viudas Reserva £11.95 This medium-bodied Cava from Spain is sumptuously bright and fresh, with a roundness and depth that makes it ideal as an aperitif.
33 - Shadow Creek NV £16.75 Domaine Chandon’s benchmark Blanc de Noirs from California. As the grape skins are only left in contact with the fermenting juice for a short time, a slight tinge of pinkness is apparent. Baked summer fruits with lots of body.
34 - H. Blin NV £19.50 Soft, dry and elegant.