DYLANWAD DA
It makes a change to feature a small, dedicated, wine-oriented restaurant this month,
focused on value for money instead of one which mainly displays the good and the
great with money no object.
Such a restaurant is found in the little market town of Dolgellau in North Wales
which has been ploughing its own furrow under the stewardship of owner/chef Dylan
Rowlands since 1988. Dylan's enthusiasm for wine has resulted in him importing wines
from France, Spain, Austria and Italy, enhancing some already well-known names bought
from other UK importers and helping to keep prices down.
The list kicks off with three white and one red House Wine all fairly priced at £14.50,
but you need to get into the higher echelons of the list to find the real bargains.
You are soon there with Ch. Lanessan 1996 at £25 - 3 stars in Wine Behind The Label
(anything under £30 for a 3 star wine is considered a real bargain) also bearing
in mind that the retail price of this wine varies between £20 and £30 a bottle. Angludet
2000 at £46 and Canon-la-Gaffelière 1996 at £65 are less of a bargain but you will
still have to fork out at least £50 for the latter in a shop.
The list continues with the 1995 Vieux Télégraph Châteauneuf-du-Pape, extraordinarily
priced at £45 which is just about below retail. Extraordinarily priced, too, because
this is a 5 star plus rated wine in WBTL which we wouldn't have expected to see in
any list at under £80. Another bargain is the Beaune 1er cru Bressandes 2006 (£37)
at near retail. Quality abounds with Rolly-Gassman's Riesling 2004 from Alsace at
£24.50 and Huet's Le Haut-Lieu Vouvray demi-sec 2002 at £25.50, if not quite at bargain
basement prices they are still extremely good value for money. There is a wonderful
bargain, too with G. D. Vajra's Barolo Bricco delle Viole 1997 at £42.50. Apart from
the scarcity value (I don't think that there are any wine merchants in the UK that
stock this vintage now - although there are a couple in the USA who are retailing
it at around $150 a bottle!), the quality is superb from a wonderful deep and unctuous
vintage - this looks to be a real treat! Dirk Niepoort's Redoma Red 1996 at £30.50
is also well priced.
All the above wines are listed as "Cellar Specials" and it is obvious that many of
them are very special indeed. The main list is quite short - 11 whites, 13 reds,
2 rosés and 5 dessert wines make it up in addition to 3 sparkling wines and a Champagne.
Of the 11 whites, 9 are under £20, with Peter Jakob Kühn's Riesling Kabinett 2005
at £17.50, 3 stars in WBTL being really good value for money. The similarly rated
Chablis 1er Cru Les Fourneaux 2006 from Alain Gautheron at £22 is a snip for a premier
cru Chablis.
There are 7 reds under £20, but here it may be better to go just that little bit
above by honing in on either the Seghesio Zinfandel 2006 or the Ch. Musar 1999, both
at £24.50 and both rated 3 stars, but the 4 star Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2006 from New
Zealand at £34.50 also has a great price/quality ratio and maybe should be elevated
to "Cellar Specials" status. One of the highest rated rosé wines in Wine Behind The
Label is Charlie Melton's Rosé of Virginia 2008, a swashbuckling Grenache/Cabernet
rosé from South Australia which takes no prisoners is listed at £19.50 which is as
cheap as you will find it anywhere.
Five dessert wines from four different countries start with a light late-picked Sauvignon
from the Loire from Cedric Allion at £16.50 a bottle, £3.50 a 125ml. glass. More
expensive but wonderful quality is the Mount Horrocks Cordon Cut Riesling 2005 at
£19.50 for a half bottle and a quarter litre bottles of Royal Tokaj Aszù 4 Puttonyos
Tokaj 1999 at £15.
All in all, this is a great little list. Good quality wines at reasonable, sometimes
more than reasonable prices - a credit to owner Dylan Rowlands for having such a
user friendly wine list. On the debit side, however, the restaurant is only open
from Thursday to Saturday (not sure what Dylan does Sunday to Wednesday!) and there's
no accommodation where you can sleep off the wonderful effects of going through his
wine list, but I can vouch for Ffynnon, a guest house within walking distance of
the restaurant (if you can still walk!)
Best Value White - Peter Jakob Kühn's Riesling Kabinett 2005 at £17.50
Best Value Red: - Ch. Lanessan 1996 at £25
Rich Man’s Bargain - G. D. Vajra's Barolo Bricco delle Viole 1997 at £42.50 and 1995
Vieux Télégraph Châteauneuf-du-Pape, at £45
(Should be rich enough to drink both!)
Dylanwad Da 2 Ffôs-y-Felin Dolgellau Gwynedd LL40 1BS
Tel: 01341 422870
