As regular followers of these offers will know, Jason Yapp and Tom Ashworth, co-proprietors of Yapp Bros (they are, in fact, step-bros), are a wicked, evil pair. Nothing delights them more than luring innocent and naïve drinks writers to their doom over endless glasses of their vino.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I have succumbed to their wiles. Only the other day I had reason to recall one particular shirt-popping, liver-challenging lunch and its aftermath when I found a receipt for a hideously pricy bottle of champagne I seem to have bought in a place called Tranny Shack. Goodness knows where and what that is and with whom I shared said bottle. Bloody Jason!
The trouble is that the wines the Yapps waft under my beak are always so darn tasty. The boys might be absolute devils but, crikey, they know their wines.
Six corking French regional wines and one superlative English fizz
The 2019 Saumur Blanc (1) is a case in point. A crisp, clean and deeply refreshing Chenin Blanc from the Loire, it has been the Yapps’ unofficial house wine for yonks and is much admired, not only for its quality but also for its jaunty, modernist label featuring Charles de Gaulle in mid-drink. It’s a perfect summer wine, bottled under screwcap to conserve its bright orchard fruit. £10.25 down from £11.25.
The 2019 Ch. Estanilles ‘Vallongue’ Blanc (2) is a typical southern French blend of Roussanne, Marsanne and Vermentino (all organic) from Faugères. White wine makes up only some 2 per cent of the appellation’s output, so it’s a delightful rarity. Soft, creamy and full of herbs and ripe peaches, it has the mineral weight to match many a dish. £13.95 down from £14.95.
The 2019 J-M Raffault Chinon Rosé (3) has weight and character in abundance too. Made entirely from Cabernet Franc, it’s a glorious coral pink thanks to short maceration on the grape skins. It’s fresh, it’s lively and it’s crammed with juicy wild berry fruit that finishes perfectly dry on the palate. Delicious! £11.95 down from £12.95.
The 2018 Domaine de Millet Merlot (4), from the armagnac-producing Dèche family near Eauze in Gascony, shows just what an uncomplicated delight Merlot can be in the right hands. Ripe, succulent and voluptuous, it’s made for carefree quaffing and demands little from the drinker other than they drain the bottle. £10.25 down from £11.25.
The 2018 Joel Taluau Bourgeuil Cuvée du Domaine (5) made entirely from old vine Cabernet Franc is similarly accessible, albeit with a touch more complexity. There’s plenty of instantly appealing ripe, youthful summer berry fruit here, cleverly kept in check by a touch of savouriness on the finish. I tried it lightly chilled and loved the way it developed in the glass. £13.95 down from £14.95.
The 2019 Les Sorcières du Clos des Fées (6) is an old favourite of mine from the Côtes du Roussillon. A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan, it’s bursting with ripe, spicy red and black fruit enlivened by a keen acidity. It’s a completely hedonistic wine for gratifying off-the-bat drinking made — as Jason puts it so inimitably — for buvabilité maximale. £14.95 down from £15.95.
And finally, to mark the start — this very weekend — of English Wine Week, we’ve an effervescently English PS: the truly fine 2015 Smith & Evans Pinot-Chardonnay (7) from the heart of Somerset. I’d not come across this before and was smitten from the first sip. This is only the third vintage of this corking champagne-method fizz and we’re lucky to get it as usually it’s destined for the on-trade. I can’t praise it highly enough, especially at this generously discounted price which is the equivalent of buying five and getting six. £24.95 down from £29.95.
The mixed dozen has two bottles of each wine apart from the Smith & Evans fizz which is available in unmixed six-bottle boxes only. Delivery, as ever, is free.
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