Simon Hoggart

Simon Hoggart presents the Spectator Wine Club's offer of the month for June 2009...  

David Campbell, the co-owner of FromVineyardsDirect.com, is also a publisher, the chap who revived Everyman Library, so a visit to his offices in Clerkenwell, London, is a delight, combining two of life’s greatest pleasures — a good read and a good glass. New editions of P.G. Wodehouse sit on the shelves alongside Russian poetry, art postcards and the world’s greatest classics. Dotted around there’s a new Burgundy David and his partner Esme Johnstone are keen to try, or an unusual red Sancerre, or even their grail, a ‘defrocked’ wine, which is overproduction from one of the great names, to be sold at amazing prices as generic Margaux, Burgundy, or whatever.

The choice is always changing — check it out on the website — and it was tricky making this month’s selection. But we’ve found two ultra-good-value wines, two at medium price and a couple of truly excellent luxury bottles. You will, I’m sure, love them all, but you can always try the mixed case and see which you like best. There are no discounts; FVD reckon that by cutting out the middleman, with their low overheads and margins, they already offer terrific prices. But as always delivery is free.

Our first selection is a delicious, zingy, satisfying white from Gascony, La Chapelle (1). This is a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Colombard and the local grape, Ugni, which together make excellent, crisp summer drinking. At £5.95 a bottle it is terrific value and would leave your guests refreshed and happy.

The Prosecco, Collabrigo Brut (2) is one of the best of these sparklers I’ve tasted. Prosecco can be little better than a neutral base for adding to cassis, white peach pulp, or whatever. But this is delectably dry, full-flavoured, and a joy to drink on its own. It was discovered by the Cipriani family, who serve it at their Locanda Cipriani on Torcello. It is, frankly, of champagne quality at half the price — just £9.85.

To find a premier cru Chablis at £12.95 is remarkable, and this Domaine de la Motte 2006 (3) is indeed remarkable. Chablis is a rather sloppily policed appellation, and some awful rubbish gets sold under the name. (Like some MPs, the makers of the poor stuff will tell you that they are strictly within the rules.) My heart sinks if I’m taken out for a meal and the host says, ‘Look, a Chablis for £17!’ and you know it’s going to be alcoholic chalk dust. So you have to know what you’re buying. I say, buy this. It’s a very fine wine, steely, slightly oaky, full of flavour, distinguished.

Now the reds. FVD’s La Reserve Claret 2006 (4) is made by Jonathan Maltus, who also makes the stratospherically expensive Le Dôme. But this is a superb St Emilion; if it had a label with a picture of a castle or a ruined church on it, people would happily pay far more. As it is, you get a rich, dense Merlot for a most reasonable £7.95. Decant this, and your guests will think they are getting a serious grand cru, which in a way they are.

Wine from the Madrid area is not well known here, partly because it’s only recently that the region has been revived. This Tagonius 2005 (5) is sensational. Robert Parker — okay, I know we’re not supposed to quote him, but prices follow his ratings, and to find a Parker 90-pointer for under ten pounds is amazing. It is half Tempranillo, and a quarter each Cabernet and Syrah. It is wonderfully rich and dark, with multiple layers of flavour. Only £9.95.

Finally, another claret, this one nine years old. Listrac is one of the more outlying parts of the Medoc, but immense strides have been made there over the past few years. Château Ducluzeau is reckoned the very best in the appellation. This 2000 (6) costs £14.95 a bottle, which may seem a lot, but I don’t know where else you would get a mature wine of this quality and vintage for this price. If you have doubts, try it with the sample case — I know you will be back for lots more.