Wine List Confidential: Galvin La Chapelle

Francophiles will be delighted with this list at the third restaurant from chef brothers, Chris and Jeff Galvin, with Burgundy and ready to drink Bordeaux being particularly strong.

There’s a great Rhône selection, including, perhaps unsurprisingly given the name of the restaurant, a Hermitage ‘La Chapelle’ vertical selection reaching back to 1952 from Paul Jaboulet, if expense accounts or the mood to splash the cash takes a grip.

Devised by group wine buyer Andrea Briccarello, the landscape-format list, which begins with a quote from Paulo Coelho, boasts around 50 wines available by the glass, including Soave Classico ‘Calvarino’, Pieropan poured from magnum, as well as 14 available by the 475ml ‘Pot’ (475 ml).

A fascination for geography is clearly apparent, with titles including ‘The Eastern Borders – From Alsace to Mont Blanc’, and ‘Red Wines from Lyon to the Mediterranean Sea’.

Pristine French-influenced dishes using ingredients from our islands include starter of velouté of Roscoff onion and slow-cooked Burford brown egg and crisp shallots from chef’s menu, or, from the à la carte, Scottish lobster tartare with chilled granny smith consommé and oscietra caviar.

Wine from Lebanon (Altitudes, Ixsir) is recommended with main course, tagine of Bresse pigeon, couscous, confit lemon and harissa sauce.

CURRENT POSITION ON WINE LIST CONFIDENTIAL: 45

CURRENT WINE LIST CONFIDENTIAL OVERALL SCORE: 91.2

Expert wine picks

• Laurent-Perrier, NV, Ultra Brut, Champagne – France – Sparkling – £90

• Niagara Peninsula, 2011, Chardonnay, Delaney-Bachelder – Canada – White – £105

• Domaine Léon Boesch, 2015, Pinot Blanc ‘La Cabane’, Alsace – France – White – £40

• Les Chaignots, 2002, Domaine R. Chevillion, Burgundy – France – Red – £320

• Bodegas Pinord, 2010, Priorat – Spain – Red – £92

• Aszú, 2013, 5 Puttonyos, Royal Tokaji – Hungary – Sweet – £90

Restaurants are graded on a 100-point scale based on five criteria: size, value, service, range and originality. For a full guide to London’s best wine lists visit winelistconfidential.com