Wine Club 31 March

We’ve not had an offer from my alma mater Berry Bros & Rudd for yonks, almost a year in fact, and I’m delighted to see them back in these pages with a really very tasty selection of wines. And just for a change, they are offering a six-bottle case this time rather than the more usual 12-bottle case. Unfortunately, since the wines are in such short supply, they are only available in the mixed box, and cannot be bought individually. Needless to say, if you fancy a full mixed dozen then simply sign up for two cases. The wines are darn good and keenly discounted, so I strongly recommend that you do. Indeed, in selling the box at £75 all in, Berrys have very generously snipped £7.30 off the selection’s list price and are also waiving their customary £7.50 delivery charge, thereby saving readers almost £15.

The 2016 Raphaël Midoir, Sauvignon de Touraine (1) comes from Domaine de Bellevue in the village of Chémery in the heart of the Loire Valley. M. Midoir is a fifth-generation vigneron and his low-yield, old-vine wines are much sought after. This example is fresh, lively and citrusy and surprisingly concentrated and I reckon it makes a pretty decent alternative to such grander and far pricier Loire Valley names as Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre. RRP £11.50.

Picpoul de Pinet (Picpoul’s the grape; Pinet, the town, not far from Mèze on the banks of the Bassin de Thau) has become something of a restaurant staple of late and while there are some extremely toothsome ones about, I’ve noticed a bit of dross creeping on to wine lists here and there. The 2016 Félines Jourdan, Picpoul de Pinet (2) is anything but dross, and I fair gulped it down.