Wine Club
Spectator Mini Bar Sample Case
Bankers’ bonuses are back up to what they were, and no doubt they are once again buying Pétrus, Mouton Rothschild, Le Pin and so forth at several thousand pounds a bottle. More fool them. At The Spectator Wine Club we can offer first-rate wines for much less than those absurd, show-off, Russian oligarch prices. The wines are not quite as scrummy, perhaps, but on a value-for-money scale they are probably 150 times better. These are wines which will bring you real pleasure at very moderate cost. They come from one of our regular partners, Private Cellar, whose largely female team — Nicola, Amanda and Laura — has the knack of finding both classics and unexpected treasures.
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Spectator Mini Bar Offer: Maison Mayol, Sauvignon Blanc, 2008
Take the lovely, crisp, perfumed Maison Mayol 2008, a Sauvignon Blanc which demonstrates how the French (or at least the southern French) can produce a luscious, nicely balanced wine, packed with flavour and style for a mere £6.99. I liked this a lot when I opened it; after it had a day in the fridge I liked it even more.
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Spectator Mini Bar Offer: JJ Vincent Bourgogne Blanc, 2008
A nice nutty white Burgundy for around a tenner is always welcome, especially when you consider what is charged for some of the stuff at the upper end of the market. This JJ Vincent Bourgogne Blanc 2008 from the Château de Fuissé estate is a fine drop, perfect for those who are by now a little wary of rich, heavily oaked New World wines. This is Chardonnay for people who say ‘anything but Chardonnay’. Just £10.50 a bottle.
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Spectator Mini Bar Offer: Tempranillo, Dme de la Combe Blanche, 2008
Now the reds. Here’s a wine with a longer name than Peter Mandelson’s title. It is Domaine la Combe Blanche, Vin de Pays des Côtes de Brian Tempranillo 2008 and it is luscious. A French Tempranillo is a curiosity, but it works triumphantly. All the deep dark pizzazz of a Spanish wine, with the laid-back sophistication of the French. And only £8.50!
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Spectator Mini Bar Offer: Moueix, Médoc, 2005
Finally, Spectator readers have bought loads of the Moueix wines. This Médoc is made by the same man who makes Pétrus, except that he charges £10.50 for this wine, from the left bank of the river. As opposed to £1,000. Enjoy the qualities of a fine claret — cedarwood, leather, dark damson fruits, smoke.
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Spectator Mini Bar Offer: Pol Roger White Foil N.V., (6 per case)
Finally, as a bonus, you can buy sumptuous Pol Roger White Foil, one of the world’s great champagnes, reduced by 24 per cent from £34 to £26 per bottle. Buy as many as you like, from one to a thousand!
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November Mini Bar Offer Sample Case
The party season is almost upon us, so here is a selection of excellent value wines which you will be delighted to give your guests, in quantity. There is a slight problem of course. If you offer them cheap and nasty wine, at least they won’t drink too much. That may be good for their livers, and even more health-giving if they’re driving. On the other hand, if you provide these bottles, they will come back time and again for more, while making the odd flattering remark, such as, ‘This is awfully good, you must have spent a packet.’ In fact, all of them are provided by the Colchester Wine Company at a considerable discount.
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November Mini Bar Offer: Sauvignon Blanc, Faultline, Marlborough, 2008
The Sauvignon Blanc from Faultline, Marlborough, 2008 is everything a decent Kiwi Sauvignon should be, being crisp and aromatic with all the usual grass ’n’ gooseberry flavours we expect without ever being too sharp. It’s down to £7.50 a bottle, so who can possibly complain?
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November Mini Bar Offer: The Stump Jump, 2007
Here’s a wine that is zingy and outgoing. The moment you taste it, you know it has to be Australian, being as full of as much g’day-pleased-to-meet-you character as Crocodile Dundee, and perhaps more welcoming than, say, Germaine Greer. It’s called The Stump Jump 2007 and it’s an extraordinary blend of nearly all the favourite white grapes. Down to just £7.75 a bottle.
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November Mini Bar Offer: Le Sabounet, Roger Sabon, NV
Now the reds. Roger Sabon is one of the more highly esteemed Chateauneuf du Pape producers, and he makes this modestly titled vin de table, Le Sabounet, almost as a hobby or sideline. Yet it’s great, like a sort of Chateauneuf Lite, with the same beguiling Rhône flavours and a velvety delicacy which you would never expect to find in a vin de table, a sort of liquid Cinderella. Our local posh shop sells it for £7.50; we have it here for £6.25.
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November Mini Bar Offer: Tinto Joven, Casa de la Ermita, Jumilla, 2008
Finally, a lovely bright fun wine from Spain, the Tinto Joven, from the Casa de la Ermita 2008. Again, a hefty saving brings it down to £8.25 a bottle, and it’s another perfect entertaining wine. You know you could drink a lot without suffering anything at all except a pleasant, wraparound sense of well-being.
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Spectator Wine Offer: Nyetimber Classic Cuvée 2003 per case of 6 bottles
The 2003 Classic Cuvée is a blend, and it is fresh and toasty. A lovely crisp drop, reduced by £3.50 from the list price.
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Spectator Wine Offer: Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2001 per case of 6 bottles
The 2001 Blanc de Blancs is reduced by £8.75. It has further layers of flavour, with a zesty, lemony, buttery feel. It’s 100 per cent Chardonnay.
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Spectator Wine Offer: Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 1998 per case of 6 bottles
The 1998 Blanc de Blancs is breathtaking, and sells only in very expensive restaurants and shops. If you could find it, you would pay around £35 retail. Believe me, that is tremendous value; at the £26.95 they are charging in this offer, it’s just amazing. It is every bit as good as those £100 champagnes beloved of rock stars and footballers. This is served in Buckingham Palace, and was given to world leaders at the G20 summit in London this year, presumably to annoy the French. It is a fabulous wine, and if you can run to a case, you’ll find yourself marrying off your daughter just so you can show it off to your friends.
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Spectator Wine Offer: Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 1996 Magnums per case of 3 magnums
Private Cellar in association with Nyetimber has put together a special promotional offer for Spectator readers, and have made available a limited quantity of magnums of the 1996 Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs.
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November Wine Club: C&B house white, Producteurs Plaimont, NV
We always propose C&B’s house white because it is bright and zesty and lemony and perfect with food.
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November Wine Club: Ana Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, 2008
I really liked the Ana Sauvignon Blanc 2008 from New Zealand. Kiwi quality just grows and grows, and this is stunning: fresh, zippy, grassy, with hints of asparagus and even nettles. At £8.07, pre-Indulgence, superb value.
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November Wine Club: Gavi di Gavi, Fratelli Levis, Piedmont, 2008
Italian whites have also improved beyond recognition. One of my great favourites is the Piedmontese Gavi di Gavi, which is the best kind of Gavi because it comes from the town of Gavi, as opposed to somewhere near Gavi, when it would be just plain Gavi. I hope I’ve made that clear. This is a 2008 from the Levis brothers and it is fleshy, plump and fragrant, with a touch of greengages. Gavi isn’t cheap, but at £9.57 this is not half bad. In fact, I am drinking it as I write and liking it even more with each sip.
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November Wine Club: Bourgogne Blanc, Les Sétilles, O. Leflaive, 2007
Readers have bought plenty of Les Sétilles, also from the Leflaives, a terrific 2007 white Burgundy which combines that austere elegance with undertones of hazelnuts, vanilla and peaches. Just £11.07.
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November Wine Club: Dme de Saissac, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006
Now the reds. The Domaine de Saissac 2006 from the Pays d’Oc is a stunner — plump, juicy, packed with fruit. As Adam says, ‘If we put this in a blind tasting with clarets, almost anyone would guess it was a cru bourgeois.’
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November Wine Club: C&B claret, Bordeaux, Sichel, 2005
If you want an echt Bordeaux, you might go for C&B’s own house claret. It’s from the British firm, Sichel, part owners of the incredibly famous Château Palmer, and it’s made by the same guys. This is the 2005, so it’s got enough maturity to give it depth, and it is pretty terrific value at £7.39.
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November Wine Club: Pinot Noir, Eradus, Awatare Valley, N.Z., 2008
Finally, a lovely New Zealand Pinot Noir. This is a 2008 from the Eradus family of Marlborough: fruity, flowery and with a hint of an earthy taste. It also has the deceptive lightness of some of the best Pinots and, as you’d expect, is a fraction of the price you’d pay for a Burgundy or Oregon wine of similar quality. Reduced to £10.99.
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July Mini Bar: J. Lohr Wildflower 2008
Finally, I hope you love this intriguing Californian wine as much as I do. J. Lohr is a vigneron who specialises in unusual grapes and has a cult following in the States. I’m delighted to be offering his Wildflower 2008, which is made from a largely forgotten French grape called Valdiguié. It is quite like Gamay, the grape that makes Beaujolais, but this is more interesting, including berry flavours and even a touch of pineapple. Best of all, it is served lightly chilled. And at £18 a case off, it is a terrific £8.99.
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