A drink with… Kathrine Larsen-Robert MS
Master Sommelier Kathrine Larsen-Robert, head of wine for Europe at 67 Pall Mall in London, reflects on the club's first ten years in a constantly evolving wine world.
Ten years ago this month fine wine club 67 Pall Mall first opened its doors, in London. In the years since, sites have launched in Verbier, Singapore and Hong Kong – with others planned in Melbourne, Shanghai, Bordeaux and Beaune by 2030. To mark the anniversary, 67 Pall Mall compiled a trends report, based on sales data from the London club, plus a survey of its members. Its head of wine for Europe discusses the findings, the evolution of the club, and her observations on changing wine drinking habits.
‘Ten years ago 67 Pall Mall brought something very different to the table. The Coravin system was making fine wine more accessible to everyone. The club offered super-attentive service, great glassware, plus the USP of wine-storage options, and a reasonable corkage charge. Plus a great list, of course, with a very large wine selection, including up to 1,000 by the glass.
‘Each club has a different list, which is always a combination of the international and local. So we’ll have a larger Bordeaux selection in the Bordeaux club, for instance; and we have 88 English wines on the London list. But there are always 5,000 to 6,000 references in total, so there will always be diversity.
‘I disagree with the pale, male and stale perception of the private members’ club demographic. We’ve always had an egalitarian approach, with a discounted membership fee for younger members, or those in the trade. We don’t want to be stuffy – we want to make fine wine accessible to everyone.
‘Inevitably perhaps, the older members still seem to lean more towards the classic regions. Our younger members appreciate those wines but are less loyal to them, and are keen to discover new regions and styles. The report echoed this, highlighting broadening tastes, from South African Syrah to German Pinot Noir.
‘We’re increasingly seeing that members are learning to navigate the new classic regions – drilling down into sub-regions. Discovery is turning to discernment. So they’re not just asking for South Africa, for example, but for Elgin, or Hemel en Aarde, and are learning about vintage quality in these areas. Yes there’s more vintage consistency in the New World, but challenging weather events such as wildfires do make, say, California vintages very different.
‘It’s fascinating to see that Sauvignon Blanc sales at the club fell 30% in volume in the course of the last 10 years. There are some amazing Sauvignons out there, but consumption was maybe slanted towards Marlborough, and people now want to discover other things.
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‘We have also noticed a growing mindfulness around alcohol levels, which ties in with the Burgundisation of taste (Burgundy remains our members’ favourite region). They’re increasingly looking for more elegant, balanced, subtle wines – for finesse over power. We’ve seen a spike in interest in Sicily. Granted, this may be down to the London club’s Italian somms, but there are definitely more elegant, terroir-driven styles emerging from there that fit this taste profile.
‘Personally, I’m quite classical in my taste. I’m intrigued by the Jura. I enjoy continuing to discover what’s happening in Champagne, and also in Burgundy outside of the expensive areas – in Côte Chalonnaise, for instance, where grapes historically struggled to ripen but are now having an easier time.
‘Climate change was the most commonly cited concern for the future, with awareness greater among the younger generation, though notably its potential impact on signature styles in classic regions like Bordeaux, or Piedmont. We saw some scepticism around definitions too – the term sustainable is quite vague, and can be confusing. Is it sometimes just greenwashing?
‘More than half of respondents said rising prices have affected their drinking in recent years, leading them to switch wines or purchase fewer bottles. And there’s definitely a sense of people feeling the pinch. We also learned that 44% of our London club members are buying less wine to lay down than a decade ago. This could be down to a combination of factors. Maybe they’re buying less because they think they won’t be around to enjoy it. But also pricing at the top end, especially in Burgundy, has gone quite crazy. Then you have the Bordeaux en primeur fatigue – the awareness that there is no benefit to buying en primeur any more, since you can access older vintages on the secondary market at such competitive prices.
‘If I had to pick a couple of favourites from our current London list, I’d include Henriot’s Brut Souverain Champagne – it’s great value – lovely fruit concentration, balanced, and with a touch of tertiary. And there’s a fantastic Chenin Blanc from a Loire producer, Domaine de Bellivière, in Jasnières – again great value – classic Chenin fruit, pure, cool, mineral and bone-dry.’
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