100% Tannat • 13.5%Vol • Please note: Now 2015 vintage

As many of you will remember, Claudiu Moldovan has been hosting the private parties here in the upper rooms of Gauthier Soho for five years. We thought it would be a good idea to ask him which wines were popular with this style of dining.

His answer was immediate: "people organising an important event for a group of people want a wine which will please everyone, while still retaining a touch of individuality and specialness. We've been suggesting this red wine from Madiran for many years now, and it's easily our most popular. It goes with everything and people always order another bottle".

From renowned makers Chantal and Philippe Mur, L'Esprit de Basté is from the Madiran region in the Béarn, to the South-West of Bordeaux. Madiran wines are grown on clay and limestone hills along the left bank of the river Adour. Phillipe Mur, who was previously a wine-maker at Château d’Aydie (one of Madiran’s most famous), created Clos Basté in 1998 with 10 hectares of land, planting 5500 plants per hectare.

Gascony's Great Red Wine

Hugh Johnson's World Atlas of wine is quite assured: 'Madiran is Gascony's great red wine'. The top wines are made only with the local grape Tannat, L'Esprit de Basté is aromatic, full of favour, balancing clean acidity and generous alcoholic content. It goes especially well with full bodied dark meats such as wild duck and guineafowl. 

Don't just take our word for it. L'Esprit de Baste is trusted at none other than two-Michelin-starred The Ledbury in London's Notting Hill, and also Michelin-starred Club Gascon and The Glasshouse in Kew. At Gauthier Soho we are serving it with the Pink Duck Magret ‘Apicius’, Borlotti Beans & Rosemary Buttered Runner Beans, Apicius Jus in the current Private Party Menu.