If London is, as the Knight Frank Wealth Report suggests, the ‘wine capital of the world’ (ranked by access via its restaurants to the finest wines from the world’s top 250 estates), then Hélène Darroze at The Connaught is its high temple, an address where the boundaries of vinous ambition are pushed to extraordinary lengths.
Under the stewardship of head of wine Lucas Reynaud-Paligot, The Connaught’s cellars, expanded in 2008, hold an astonishing 30,000 bottles on site, translating to 3,000 wine-list references; these are supplemented by a staggering reserve of up to 200,000 more in bond – a collection so deep that Reynaud-Paligot says he could cease acquisitions for four years and still have ‘all the basics’. This strategic stockpiling owes much to Daniel Manetti, the former global director of wine at Maybourne Hotel Group, who, as Reynaud-Paligot notes, ‘was very smart in accumulating this – opening the gates and windows to welcome in some extraordinary bottles’.
‘The aim for the wine list,’ says Reynaud-Paligot, ‘was to create something iconic, with a broad range of producers, prices and styles – from the most celebrated vineyards, to lesser-known winemakers.’ This ambition is supported by the strength of The Connaught’s long-standing relationships with leading domaines, allowing for an unusually deep and nuanced offering. ‘We’re able to offer multiple vintages of key wines,’ he adds, ‘giving our guests the chance to taste older and often rarer bottles.’ Underpinning the entire programme is a sourcing philosophy defined by rigour and integrity. ‘The Connaught has always prioritised quality, which is why our list is built on an ex-cellar philosophy – securing wines directly from the source, in the best possible condition.’
Born and raised in Lyon, Reynaud-Paligot stumbled into hospitality at 14 via a summer job. ‘I loved art and design, but I’m colour-blind, which made a career in it tricky.’ He progressed to the restaurant of Pierre Orsi, who trained under Paul Bocuse, before a short stint at Bocuse’s own flagship. With 100 covers a night, he adapted fast. ‘At Bocuse, I learned not to panic when things go flying, to breathe and to find myself.’
I wanted to open every crazy bottle on the list, to tell stories that would make guests want to come back
In 2017, Reynaud-Paligot moved to the UK, landing at The Vineyard, Stockcross. ‘I was still a kid, and I didn’t speak English, but I loved learning about world wines in a venue famous for its Judgment of Paris mural and wine pairings, with 100 options by the glass.’
When Reynaud-Paligot finally joined what he calls ‘The Connaught family’, he arrived with a singular thirst: ‘I wanted to open every crazy bottle on the list, to tell stories that would make guests want to come back.
Even the most seasoned professionals are astonished by The Connaught’s cellar. When Benjamin Yip, then a sommelier at Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay, visited for lunch, he was so stunned by the scale of the Petrus collection that he became galvanised to join the team. ‘We have some 200 bottles,’ says Reynaud-Paligot of the famous Pomerol – alongside specialist fridges stocked with Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, including ‘13 bottles of Echézeaux 2006’. As he puts it, ‘It’s a privilege to be part of this while I am still young.’
Among the treasures in the vault, which is abutted by an oft-booked private dining room where the menu is formed around the wine choices, he highlights the first vintage (1979) of Krug Clos du Mesnil. ‘I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy it three times, and we still have bottles for those who understand its significance.’ Then there’s the Cheval Blanc 1947, a bottle that took Daniel Manetti three years to source and Reynaud-Paligot just a week and a half to sell – for £35,500. ‘It wasn’t just a transaction, but the passing of history,’ he recalls. Today, the restaurant’s Château d’Yquem line-up includes the legendary 1920 and 1921 vintages.
‘Hélène is here fortnightly, and for every wine dinner,’ says Reynaud-Paligot, who is forensic about the union of wine and food. ‘We meet in advance with head chef Marco Zampese to decide the courses and shape the pairings.’ The first meeting centres on the dish: the sauce, the garnishes, the core flavours. The second, with Hélène, locks in the final details. ‘We know the rules: the sauce is king, the wine must change the game, and the pairings must build both flavour and texture.’
The wine dinners have been crafted over the years mainly by iconic châteaux from Bordeaux and vineyards across Burgundy, Reynaud-Paligot explains. ‘They are all producer-led, but the most important thing for our dinners is that the main person – be it head winemaker, owner or CEO – will be leading.’
Within the pantheon of bimonthly symposia hosted at The Connaught – which has included Champagne dinners with Salon, Billecart-Salmon and Krug (where, as part of the six-course format, Clos du Mesnil 2008 met caviar from sturgeons inhabiting a lake famed for its beauty in China’s Huangshan mountains) – three wine dinners stand out. ‘Château Latour – sold out, grand in every sense,’ says Reynaud-Paligot. ‘Then Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, which took six months to plan. At the end of the night, half the room told us no producer could follow it – we had “closed the circle”.’ And then, the 40-year Harlan Estate dinner. ‘Only the second ever held – the first was at Harlan itself. The trust placed in us was immense, reflected in our by-the-glass offering of the 2005, with back vintages stretching to the inaugural 1990 – a wine never officially released to market.’
Personalisation is everything. ‘Beyond the usual invites, we use WhatsApp – it’s direct, effortless and more intimate than email.’ Reynaud-Paligot also keeps meticulous records of 800 guests’ preferences, so that his team may, beyond the napkins embroidered with guests’ initials, curate each experience with absolute precision.
The Connaught does not merely offer vintages – it crafts experience, indulgence and admission to some of the greatest bottled epics on the planet. As Italian poet Cesare Pavese once wrote, ‘We do not remember days, we remember moments’ – and here, at Hélène Darroze, each glass holds a moment steeped in time, waiting to be savoured.
The Connaught wine cellar: A selection of treasures
The finest hotels no longer simply assemble wine lists. The Connaught’s own-label wines are not perfunctory house offerings, but collaborations with some of the most respected producers in the world. These bottles are designed to hold their own alongside the flagship cuvées of their makers – wines of provenance and poise, intended to be poured without hesitation and remembered long after. The hotel is not involved in the crafting of these wines, but they are not white-labelled blends cobbled together out of convenience. ‘Partners have been chosen for their exceptional quality, consistency and the trust we’ve built over the years,’ says Reynaud-Paligot.
The Connaught Selection is seen as a subtle extension of the hotel’s personality – a vinous calling card served by the glass across the property, or available by the bottle to those wanting to take a piece of Mayfair home. ‘The range remains the same for now, though in future we may focus on specific appellations.’
Sancerre – Domaine Alain Gueneau 2023
Domaine Alain Gueneau is a name of quiet distinction in the Loire, producing wines of restraint and finesse. From their 16ha estate in Sancerre, Alain and his daughter Elisa craft wines from terres blanches (the calcareous clay that lends structure) and caillottes (the stony soils that enhance aromatic clarity). Their philosophy blends tradition with sustainability: single Guyot pruning, grass cover to prevent erosion, and minimal intervention. The result? A Sancerre that is fresh, mineral and precise. ‘Very good quality. Fresh. Crisp. Exactly what people expect from great Sancerre. Clean, elegant, easy-drinking – but by no means basic,’ says Reynaud-Paligot.
Meursault – Vincent Girardin 2019
In Burgundy, Vincent Girardin has long been a name of conviction. What began as a modest 3ha estate has grown into a domaine spanning 14ha, with another 19ha under lease. Precision drives his winemaking, which favours finesse over force. Now under Marco Girardin, the domaine embraces biodynamic principles, with earlier picking and reduced new oak allowing terroir to shine. This Meursault is controlled indulgence: orchard fruit wrapped in the salinity of limestone soils, with just a light spread of butter. ‘This is Meursault in its most satisfying form – a wine you can take one glass at a time, or finish the bottle without a second thought,’ says Reynaud-Paligot.
Gevrey-Chambertin – David Duband 2018
David Duband is among Burgundy’s most compelling figures, having taken over his father’s vineyards in 1991. Instead of selling to négociants, he bottled under his own name, crafting wines of purity, poise and latent power. This Gevrey-Chambertin is effortlessly fluent: bright red berries, a touch of spice and a hint of earth held in perfect tension; the tannins silken, the acidity taut. ‘Fresh, fruit-forward. In any appellation he touches, Duband brings drinkability to the fore. We like to serve this red slightly chilled – just enough to sharpen the edges,’ says Reynaud-Paligot.
Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett – Egon Müller 2020
To call Egon Müller the king of Riesling is both true and inadequate. His wines are alchemy in liquid form, transforming soil, stone and fruit into something that seems to defy time itself. The 2020 Scharzhofberger Kabinett is a masterclass in precision: green apple, white peach and wet slate introduce a palate that vibrates with citrus and honeyed apricot. The acid/sugar interplay is so precise that the sweetness feels like an illusion, vanishing on the finish. ‘This is Egon’s only collaborative label,’ says a proud Reynaud-Paligot.
Barolo – Achille Boroli 2018
The Boroli family built its name in textiles before turning to wine in the 1990s, drawn to the Langhe’s misty vineyards and hallowed terroir. In 2000, Achille Boroli joined the estate, refining its style into a modern expression of Barolo – polished rather than ominous, graceful rather than austere. The 2018 vintage epitomises this approach. Where traditionalists favour structure, Boroli leans into finesse. Velvet-soft tannins, luminous fruit and seamlessly integrated oak create a wine at once rich and fresh, captivating from the first sip rather than requiring years to unfurl. ‘Roagna is full-bodied, structured. Boroli is the opposite – silky, smooth, effortlessly drinkable. It’s a Barolo you can pour alongside a tartare,’ says Reynaud-Paligot, who visited both producers on the same trip.
