Hawksmoor Manchester: Diners given £4,500 red wine by mistake
- Published
Wine drinkers toast cellar confusion after £4,500 bottle mix-up
Lucky diners were accidentally served a £4,500 bottle of red wine at a restaurant.
Hawksmoor Manchester said on Twitter it hoped the customers had enjoyed their evening after being given the pricey 2001 bottle of Chateau le Pin Pomerol.
The diners ordered a £260 Bordeaux but received the bottle "of the same vintage" which was 17 times the price.
A "mortified" staff member who made the error has been urged to keep their "chin up" as "one-off mistakes happen".
It was only afterwards that the restaurant's manager realised the mistake, a spokesman said.
To the customer who accidentally got given a bottle of Chateau le Pin Pomerol 2001, which is £4500 on our menu, last night - hope you enjoyed your evening! To the member of staff who accidentally gave it away, chin up! One-off mistakes happen and we love you anyway 😉
— Hawksmoor Manchester (@HawksmoorMCR) May 16, 2019
Hawksmoor's original message sparked a flurry of amused responses, including "we need to go to Manchester" and "bet they wouldn't be able to tell the difference".
Others praised restaurant bosses for not "flying off the handle" at the staff member involved.
I’d like to reserve a table for tonight, with the same waiter please. https://t.co/DPolMdiCOS
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 16, 2019
I think it makes sense at this point for Hawksmoor to confirm the name and shift pattern of this employee so we can all go and ensure that we help correct any further errors of this nature.
— Bob Halliwell (@bobexile) May 16, 2019
Well played all, mistakes happen, it's how you deal with them (the mistakes) that make the difference!
— Stephen_Carroll (@Stephen_Carroll) May 16, 2019
The customers ordered a bottle of the 2001 Chateau Pichon Longueville Contesse de Lalande, which costs £260.
Hawksmoor founder Will Beckett said a manager from another branch had been helping out and offered to find the wine for a waitress, but picked up the wrong bottle.
The restaurant has subsequently posted a picture on Twitter of the two offending bottles side by side, with the caption "they look pretty similar OK".
THEY LOOK PRETTY SIMILAR OK?! 😉 pic.twitter.com/JWFW81cbe8
— Hawksmoor Manchester (@HawksmoorMCR) May 16, 2019
The diners, who were eating at the bar, were lucky enough to be served "something spectacular" and ordered a second bottle so clearly enjoyed it, according to Mr Beckett.
"At that kind of level you're into a rarity, a flavour profile you won't find anywhere else," he said.
They did not realise they had quaffed a £4,500 bottle, while the second bottle they asked for was unavailable.
'Mortified'
Mr Beckett said the staff member involved was "brilliant, and we know she is brilliant" so there was no point criticising her for a one-off mistake.
"I am going to tease her for this when she stops being so mortified," he added.
According to the Cult Wines online tasting guide, only 500 cases of the 2001 Chateau le Pin Pomerol were made.
It describes the vintage as a "tremendous effort", adding: "Its deep ruby/plum/purple colour is accompanied by an extraordinary perfume of creme de cassis, cherry liqueur, plums, liquorice, caramel, and sweet toast."
Reviews on the vivino.com website say the wine is "legendary" and "mythical".
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- 16 May 2019
