My annual bout of CADDAD (Christmas Affected Doom, Depression and Despondency) struck early this year. It’s a terrible affliction about which I’ve written many times before and it knocked me flat in late September, just as the first mince pies and Christmas puddings appeared in the supermarkets. Stoicism being my middle name, I dug deep and vowed to carry on, only to be felled again outside Fortnum & Mason at the end of October, assailed by their ridiculously premature festive decorations and jaunty carols played on a loudspeaker outside their store. In October! For heaven’s sake.
Mrs Ray and I have already had our first festive row about the bloody tree and I can only applaud and envy the chap I saw only yesterday chucking his tree – gaudy baubles and all – into the council recycling area and stomping off. Oh to have such inner strength! What I do have, though, is a thirst, and I’ll be slaking it regularly over the coming weeks, helped by the following bottles from our partners Honest Grapes.
Citrusy, peachy and sprightly, it makes a fine aperitif and is spot on with a plate of festive oysters
We’ve offered some wonderful still white burgundies from this producer before, but the Domaine du Bicheron Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs NV (1) is the first sparkler of theirs that we’ve offered, and it’s a gem. Produced in the traditional method from 100 per cent Chardonnay, it’s fresh, lively and ever so slightly toasty. More than acceptable on its own, it’s perfect as the base of many a festive cocktail and is far better value than those dreary BOGOF champagnes you see in the supermarket at this ghastly time of year. £16.70 per down from £17.70.
Bouza do Rei, a federation of five local vineyard owners established in 1984, is one of the top producers in Rías Baixas, north-west Spain, and their 2022 Bouza do Rei Albariño (2) is as decent an example of this hugely popular grape as I’ve had. Citrusy, peachy and sprightly, it makes a fine aperitif and is spot on with a plate of festive oysters. £15.40 per down from £16.40.
The 2022 Clemens Busch Riesling Trocken (3) is ideal for lovers of classic bone-dry German Riesling. Using organically and biodynamically grown fruit from the terraced banks of the river Moselle, opposite the village of Punderich, it’s crisp, clean, pure and zesty. And at just 10.5 per cent, you can drink it with abandon. £16.80 down from £17.80.
The 2021 Château Saint-Roch Côtes du Rhône (4) is another riverside wine, this time from an estate owned by the Brunel family of Château La Gardine, on the opposite side of the River Rhône from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. A classic blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, it’s juicy, spicy and full of ripe briary fruit and it slips down awfully easily. £14 down from £15.
With fine red burgundy in such short supply, it’s worth looking further afield for your next Pinot fix, and the 2017 Weingut Stadlmann Blauburgunder (5) from Austria is a canny place to start. Produced from organic, sustainable vines in and around Traiskirchen, some 20 kilometres south of Vienna, it’s soft, smooth and velvety and full of ripe/sour cherry and raspberry fruit enhanced by a long savoury finish. The 7th-generation wine producer Bernhard Stadlmann is generally agreed to be one of Austria’s finest – and one sip of this and you can see why. £17.20 down from £18.20.
Finally, the 2019 Luigi Righetti Amarone della Valpolicella (6) from the Veneto in Italy. Gianmaria Righetti is a supremely gifted winemaker and this is just how fine Amarone should be. A typical blend of Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella grapes, some of which have been partially dried to concentrate the sugar and flavour, it’s soft and silky, rich and intense. It’s also a hefty 15 per cent, not that you’d notice, so approachable and genial is it. £21.70 down from £22.70.
The mixed case has two bottles of each wine and delivery, as ever, is free.
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