June, 2019 | Postcards From Here and There

The Sampler Putney

If I ever I was in South Kensington I would always try to make time to visit The Sampler on Thurloe Place. Sadly the store closed in 2017 but were soon to open south of the river in Putney and nearby Wimbledon. Neither store is as spacious but there is still a great range of wines and plenty of opportunities to taste from the Enomatic machines.

Navazos Niepoort White. 2016. Made from the Palomino grape with fermentation in stainless steel followed by ageing for 11 months in oak under natural flor. Not surprisingly it is very sherry like, dry, mineral and with a lovely freshness. It has a lingering finish. If you love sherry but want a little less alcohol this could do the job.

Chateau Lapuyade. Jurançon Sec. 2016. Lapuyade is a certified biodynamic estate and this fry white, made from Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng, is an absolute delight. Packed with citrus, stone fruit and a touch of caramel. Rich and with lovely balance. The finish is incredibly long. Fantastic value for money.

Novum Chardonnay. Marlborough. New Zealand. 2017. The amount of Chardonnay grown in Marlborough is minute compared to Sauvignon Blanc. This is rather good, Pale yellow in appearance with a delicate nose of citrus, stone fruit and a delightful floral note. The palate is dry with lovely balance and a fresh citrus finish.

Le Soula. La Maceration du Soula No. 16. A skin contact, orange wine made from a blend of Vermentino and Macabeu along with small amounts of Sauvignon Blanc and Malvoisie du Roussillon. It is also a blend of six different vintages with 2016 being the largest component (30%). Light orange in appearance it is very dry but with lovely flavours of orange and spice and some significant tannin. A really unusual wine.

Scholium Project. 1MN. Bechtold Ranch. California. 2016 Bechtold Ranch is a Cinsault vineyard plated in 1870 on ungrafted rootstocks where it was originally known as Black Malvoisie. Light red in appearance and with a slight haze. Nose is wonderfully expressive with red fruits. Dry with soft berry fruit and a touch of floral perfume. Very dry on the finish.

Inconnu. Lalalu Cabernet Franc. California. 2017. Light with fragrant red fruits. This is an easy drinking wine which doesn’t disappoint. Drink young to enjoy it at its best.

Domaine Binet Jaquet. Faugères Grande Réserve. 2016. This is serious stuff. Made biodynamically and a blend of Mouvedre, Grenache, Syrah and Carignan. It is packed with dark fruits and a subtle savoury spice. It is full bodied and very appealing. Wonderful.

Alpha Box & Dice Icona. Cabernet Sauvignon. McLaren Vale. Australia. 2015. Grapes were destemmed, crushed and left for two weeks on the skins. Following fermentation it was aged for 24 months in oak of which one third was new. Rich and opulent with lovely blackcurrant, chocolate and vanilla. Currently drinking very well. Jolly good stuff.

Chihuly at Kew Gardens

Dale Chihuly is an American sculptor known for his large scale glass installations. His work can be seen in museums around the world and his current exhibition, entitled Reflections on Nature, can be found in the grounds of Kew Gardens until the 27th of October. There are twelve locations around the gardens where his work can be seen and a map provided along with entrance to the gardens gives you a route to follow to ensure that you don’t miss anything.

The sculptures are a perfect complement to the formal structure of the gardens, adding colour, contrast and a sense of scale. The first sculpture on the trail, just to the left of the entrance gate, is Sapphire Star, it gives a real idea of what is to come. The intensity of colour in the blown glass is amazing.

Sapphire Star

The second location features smaller pieces inside the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art. Once again it is the colour that strikes you immediately and the lighting in the gallery has been set to ensure they show at their best.

The Lime Crystal Tower is almost camouflaged against the surrounding vegetation.

The beauty of the placements of many the sculptures is that you don’t really see then until you are almost on them so well have they been blended in to the landscape.

The Temperate House at Kew is one of the most iconic and popular places to visit. Opened in 1862 it is Grade 1 listed and has recently undergone a major renovation. Chihuly has placed several pieces in here including Persian Column which is suspended from the roof and was specially created for this exhibition.

Persian Column

Just outside the Temperate House on either side of the central entrance are two Opal and Amber Towers.

Cherry Walk leads from the Temperate House to King William’s Temple. Here Chihuly has placed Cattails and Copper Birch Reeds. The grass has been allowed to flower here with no mowing giving height from which the blown glass emerges. it is a wonderful explosion of colour against the flower heads.

The area below King William’s Temple is perhaps one of my favourite sections of the exhibition. The setting is perfect and the choice of colour stunning.

While some of the pieces emerge from the surrounding vegetation others are statement, stand alone pieces that are almost in complete contrast to their surroundings. This is perhaps best illustrated by the Scarlet and Yellow Icicle Tower.

From the tower a short walk through the Rose Garden brings you to the Water Lily House. Red Reeds can be found outside, growing straight and tall and in such a vibrant red colour.

Inside the Water Lily House is another of the absolutely stunning installations entitled Ethereal White Persian Pond. Numbers entering are controlled so that it doesn’t get over crowded, giving you space to move around and enjoy the work from a variety of different viewpoints. I took so many photographs here I could probably do a post on this area alone.

Paintbrushes are a fantastic impact piece with sharp contrast between the red and green.

Finally Summer Sun can be found in front of the Palm House on the edge of the lake. Reminiscent of a setting sun it is a perfect end to what is a wonderful trail through these beautiful gardens.

Kew Gardens open at 10am every day however closing times do vary a little so it is worth checking if you prefer entry later in the day. I arrived shortly after 10 and the queue to get in was very short and the gardens themselves very quiet. By the time I left three hours later it was considerably busier and the queue stretched out and along the main road. That said it was a Saturday and the weather very pleasantly warm. If you visit mid week outside school holidays you may well find it quieter.

Kew Gardens are perhaps best reached from central London by taking the Richmond branch of the District Line. It is only a short 5 minute walk from Kew Gardens station down Lichfield Road to the Victoria Gate entrance.

Leake Street Tunnel

Leake Street Tunnel is a 300 metre long tunnel that runs beneath Waterloo Station. Since 2008 it has become decorated for its entire length, including the roof, with street art and graffiti. The tunnel has been designated as free wall space so artists can work here without fear of prosecution. As a result there is a thriving community of artists working here and an ever changing variety of work. It is therefore highly likely there will be something new if you make a return visit.

The tunnel is actually quite close to the London Eye but most of the thousands of visitors it attracts are unlikely to venture across York Road to find the tunnel. I started my visit at Waterloo Station which is served by Jubilee, Northern, Bakerloo and Waterloo & City lines as well as being a mainline station for South Western trains. Leave the station by the steps just to the left of the toilets. At the bottom of the steps its a left turn round onto York Road. From here Leake Street is a short walk on the left. It is well signposted when you get there.

The tunnel is quite dark although there is low level lighting installed to enable you to see the murals. During the day there does seem to be a lot of people around looking at the walls.

There are also a couple of bars at the York Street end of the tunnel. However if may well be a completely different experience visiting after dark. I would recommend a visit during the day when there are lots of people around.