Spectator Mini-Bar Offer | 28 July 2007

I’ve just been sent an order form for the 2006 Château Pétrus, now being held in bond. It works out at £917 a bottle (or, say, £15 a sip.)

I’ve just been sent an order form for the 2006 Château Pétrus, now being held in bond. It works out at £917 a bottle (or, say, £15 a sip.) Clearly things are going swimmingly for the great names of Bordeaux — and indeed Burgundy. In the rest of France things are a little tougher.

Which is why I always recommend people to try French wines from outside the most famous areas. To compete in world markets they have to try much harder, and the result is that if you are prepared to experiment, you can find wines as good as any from the New World and at very decent prices. Someone who does just that is Jason Yapp, son of the fabled, now retired, Robin Yapp. Like his father he is prepared to spend ages fossicking round in France looking for small growers who produce modest quantities of delicious, honest, flavoursome wines for not very much. This is important, since Robin Yapp was — how can I put this? — anxious not to undervalue his stock. Jason sells at lower prices and has discounted all these bottles for us by 10 per cent.

Take this white Côtes du Rhône Villages, ‘Sablet’, from the Domaine St Gayan 2006 (1). It’s a gorgeous, creamy, herby wine skilfully blended from four of the most distinctive south of France grapes, Viognier (for perfume), Bourboulenc (citrus), Clairette (strength) and white Grenache (softness and fleshiness). Great summer drinking, at £7.79.

Quincy has always been a favourite of mine, and this 2005, made by Denis and Nicole Jaumier (2), is a fine example.