I try hard to grow as much of my own salads, herbs and vegetables, which sustain me throughout the spring and summer months. Winter is more of a challenge but I do try to resist from buying from supermarkets as much as possible.  I never purchase meat or game off the shelf, instead preferring to purchase directly from the producer. I am far from a food snob but I do believe in eating the most flavoursome meat or game, which has been lovingly respected throughout its tender life.

I always purchased Loué ducks until I stumbled across the Cornish Duck Company. The owners, Tanya & Roger are incredibly passionate about their ducks, which is reflected in the quality of the meat. The duck's welfare influences absolutely every decision they make and commerciality takes a firm back seat. I recall placing an order during the summer – Roger emailed me explaining that due to the heat, their ducks (like us) were reluctant to eat therefore, respective bird sizes were much smaller. You certainly do not see any ‘shrinkage / weight loss’ on the supermarket shelves or in many butchers.

Tanya & Roger breed the unique Terras duck, which roam the Truro fields completely free. Of course, nighttimes are spent in the comfort of spacious barns, which keeps the predators at bay.

The ducks enjoy a much longer life than most commercial producers would allow. Slow growth without the need for chemical interference is their holistic approach. In fact, all their ducks are fed on non-GM and non-medicated pellets.

The contentious subject of slaughtering takes place on the farm simply as this causes the least stress to their beautiful birds. Their range of products are fresh (never frozen), cut to order and sent out weekly however, given that Tanya and Roger are truly artisan producers, expect that many products are sold-out. Return a few days later for the next fresh offering.

"Tucking into a whole roast duck is a joyous and gastronomic experience everyone should experience."

Cornish Duck Co produces the best duck I have ever eaten. Tucking into a whole roast duck is a joyous and gastronomic experience everyone should experience. The flesh is extraordinarily soft; the layering of fat is perfect to keep the flesh from drying out, but is not flabby. The skin (salted) becomes roasted gold, parchment paper thin and incredibly easy to gorge on!

You must keep the duck fat, which I recycle with their duck legs and thighs – I confit for around 4-5 hours with lots of bay from my garden.

The duck breasts are the best you will ever buy however, I take a different approach to many when cooking them. Gently score the skin (crisscross) and season well with salt. Gently place (skin side down) on a warm pan and cook for at least 15 minutes. Slow is best as it renders all the lovely fat and keeps the succulent flesh from toughening-up. I flip over for a few minutes on the flesh side and then rest (in a warm place) for 8 minutes – I refrain from covering with foil as the skin looses it’s crispness. Carve along the length of the breast and serve with whatever takes your fancy...

Roger’s duck burgers are a revelation and strictly made to order (I do keep a stash in the freezer, which keep very well). Cooking tip – long and slow for these beauties too.

Take my word – this is the best duck you will ever eat.

www.cornishduck.com

Paul, a Polish immigrant who originally spent years cutting his teeth as a sommelier in Toronto before moving out to Santa Maria in the early 2000’s with the dream of making his own wine. Paul has worked at Au Bon Climat (The breeding ground for so many great winemakers) and Qupè.

Starting with the 2002 vintage, he made a meagre six barrels. He has grown slowly, crafting fewer than 500 total cases of Pinot Noir and Syrah, but gaining a worldwide reputation, and consequently having more and more access to fine vineyards. His distant mentor has been the late and great Henri Jayer of Burgundy and the Chave family of Rhone.

Today he sources fruit from some of the choicest vineyards in the Central Coast and his highly-rated bottlings are reserved for top restaurants and his mailing list clientele with each vintage always selling out instantly. Sadly, limited retail distribution.

Paul’s philosophies are simple, often repeated by many however, achieved by few – Paul believes that all the greatest wines possess authenticity, harmony, and elegance. These are the qualities he constantly attempts to capture in his wines. The ultimate goal is to create wines that are seamless and textural with enough structure and balance to complement fine cuisine.

In order to make wines of the highest calibre, he selects unique vineyards that are cared for by talented vineyard managers committed to absolute excellence. He strives to locate and source from not only the best vineyards but the best blocks within each of these vineyards.

During the growing season, yields are restricted to achieve maximum concentration of flavor. Harvest is based on physiological ripeness, which changes depending on the vintage characteristics.

Cellar work is based on minimal intervention, cleanliness and purity of intention. With due respect to science, Paul believes that true artisanal winemaking is based on intuition, sensitivity and passion. Keeping the lots small allows for gentle handling throughout the winemaking process.

Above all, Paul wants his wines to give pleasure and keep your palate interested until the last drop from the bottle.

"I will declare these three are the best US wines I have sampled this year."

I was fortunate enough to sample three of Paul’s wines (amongst many other US wines) during October. In short, Paul’s wines stood head and shoulders above the crowd. In fact, I will declare these three are the best US wines I have sampled this year. His Syrah is utterly sensational - I do not posses one Australian Shiraz that comes close (That is a significant statement given the sheer depth of Aussie Shiraz).

I cannot recommend Paul’s wine enough and sadly have very little to offer. We were offered an allocation of 24 bottles of each, which is rather pitiful however, given the extraordinary quality, impossible to resist.

We have prepared a three pack case (one of each bottle) and I urge you to grab one quickly as I fear these will be heading to our clients in Hong Kong before long.

Neal Martin (97-99) placing it above Château Lafite Rothschild (£2,850.00), Pontet Canet (£685.00) and both Pichon’s (£650 & £710.00) and equal to Château Montrose (£750.00 per case)...

“The 2016 Lynch Bages is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot with 13.7% alcohol and an IPT of 95, the highest ever for this property and probably one of the highest on the Left Bank this vintage. It was picked between from 27-30 September for the young vines, then the picking team stopped, restarting on 3 October with the Merlot and the Cabernets finished on 12 October. This vintage is matured in 75% new oak. It has a very concentrated, almost opaque bouquet that required some coaxing from the glass, developing floral and crushed limestone scents with time: disarmingly fresh and with stunning vivacity. The palate is concentrated and tannic, although they are not obtrusive and appear neatly embroidered into the multi-layered black fruit.

This is a classic Lynch Bages with ambition and recalls vintages like 1990, a Lynch Bages built for long-term ageing. That arching backbone is counterbalanced by the keen line of acidity and a freshness that knows no bounds. There is ethereal delineation and tension on the finish, but I would give this at least ten years in bottle to enjoy this audacious Lynch Bages at its peak. Maybe the biggest surprise of the vintage, this has all the makings of a sensational wine”

98-99 James Suckling “This is really back-ended thanks to a powerful and almost endless finish. Full-bodied, dense and powerful with incredible concentration and length. Round and polished tannins. Layered. This unravels bit by bit. Energetic acidity gives it such superb freshness. This is at the 2010/2009 level.”

Quilceda Creek is dedicated exclusively to the production of world-class Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon and has produced some extraordinary results since the 2001 vintage. It is rare to see a wine perform to the same consistent level year-in-year-out with only two vintages that have dropped below 97+ points. The majority sitting around 98+.

Three vintages have scored the magical 100 points from Robert Parker / e.RobertParker.com. 2003, 2005 and the most recent vintage, 2014. The demand for Quilceda Creek is simply enormous with the vast majority selling directly to private members in the US (it’s a long waiting list). Moreover, you cannot find one single case of the 100 point 2003 or 2005 in the world market.

Quilceda wines rarely see their way out of the domestic market however, we have been fortunate enough to source 5 x Cases (6x75cl) which we have purchased directly from Quilceda.

Quilceda Creek is arguably the most reasonable 100 point Cabernet Sauvignon from the US particularly when compared to the following 100 pointers: 

All prices are per case of six

• Colgin IX Estate - £2,100
• Screaming Eagle @ £8,500+
• Scarecrow @ £3,400 
• Eisele @ £1,800 
• Maybach Materium @ £1,800 
• Schrader Cellars @ £2,000 
• Hundred Acre ‘Ark Vineyard’ @ £2,200