Had a really good time at the Wapping Project last week, set in a stunning old hydraulic power station in a quiet part of one of the most interesting and historical parts of London. Excuse the terrible photo - it's a dark, cavernous and very atmospheric space. The food was very good - special mention goes to a fabulous charcuterie plate (I'm sure it's the same supplier as The Empress in Victoria Park, home of the king of charcuterie plates!) and a beautifully cooked middlewhite of pork with braised chard. Dessert, a bitter chocolate pot with tea-soaked prune was unfortunately seriously light on bitter chocolate.
The wine list is almost exclusively Australian, basing itself around an impressive collection of small-to-medium sized producers. We had a 2008 Chateau Tahbilk Marsanne, which came out far too cold but opened up to a classic nose of honeysuckle, lime cordial and yellow grapefruit, the palate a fine balance of pithiness and floral sweetness. The style isn't about refreshment and acidity, and perhaps you want a bit more of that with quite hearty food. What it is about is those delicate floral and citrus flavours and how they'll develop over time. It's still young.
What stole the show was a glass of De Bortoli Old Boys 21yr-old tawny. This was very memorable, with layers of prune, dried fig, walnuts and chestnut honey on the nose. The palate is long and complex, delivering more of those figs and roast walnuts, as well as a slight caramel sweetness and serious acidity. The acidity really surprised me - it's formidable and bounds the whole wine together.
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