Just in case you missed it last week we’re showing again the details of the final Wine Club offer of the year, courtesy of Private Cellar, the East Anglian wine merchant which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.
The great Jancis Robinson recently declared the company to be the finest independent merchant in the UK, which is one heck of a compliment and one with which many of our readers would agree, certainly the readers who joined us the other week to taste a dozen or so of their wines, of which the following selections were the highest scorers.
The Henri Chauvet Brut Blanc de Noirs NV Champagne (1) is something of a favourite at the Speccie, having been featured in a number of Private Cellar’s tastings with us. So-called grower champagnes are all the rage at the moment and this is a fine example from a family-owned eight-hectare property in the premier cru village of Rilly la Montagne. Made from Pinot Noir and a dash of Pinot Meunier, it is crisp, clean and fresh. There’s also a nice touch of toasty biscuit in there too and a very fine mousse. £24.25 down from £25.50.
The 2013 Ique Torrontés Bodega Foster (2) is a real charmer that was the hit of Private Cellar’s session at the Spectator Wine School. Torrontés has become Argentina’s signature white grape and I must say that I delight in its delicate elderfloweriness. It is not dissimilar to an Alsace Gewurztraminer, in fact, but without the oiliness and without quite so much spice. It is headily aromatic, though, and vibrantly fresh thanks to being grown in high-altitude vineyards in Mendoza. It’s certainly great value at £9.50, down from £9.95.
Readers were virtually unanimous about the 2011 Montagny 1er Cru Les Bassets Domaine Laurent Cognard (3). Quite simply it’s a belter of a burgundy, crammed with full-flavoured Chardonnay with the gentlest of gentle touches of wood. We offered it in February and readers couldn’t get enough of it so I’m delighted that Private Cellar has managed to grab some more on our behalf. If it was a Meursault — which it strongly resembles — it would be a heck of a lot more than the £19.25 Private Cellar is asking, down from £20.25.
The sister wine to our delicious Torrontés, the 2013 Ique Malbec Bodega Foster (4), also scored highly. A deep, deep purple in colour and with the typical Mendoza Malbec notes of violets on the nose, this is a juicily delicious wine whose genial approachability belies an intriguing complexity. £9.50 down from £9.95.
The 2011 Château Tayet Bordeaux Supérieur Private Cellar Selection (5) is great stuff too and just right for Christmas, a simple yet classy claret at the very fair price of £12.85, down from £13.50. From a ten-hectare property near Macau (Château Cantemerle country), on the border with Margaux, this is as supple and as smooth a claret as you’ll find for the price. Made of 60 per cent Merlot and 40 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, it has spent a year in oak and, despite its youth, is more than ready for action.
Finally, the 2002 Croft Quinta da Roêda Port (6) which, just so you know, will arrive in rather fetching individual wooden boxes ideal for easy wrapping. Croft is the oldest of all the port producers, having been founded in 1588, the year of the Spanish Armada, and Quinta da Roêda is the jewel in its crown, one of the Douro Valley’s finest vineyards. Single quinta ports such as this are always ridiculously low-priced, a fraction charged for fully declared vintages and I reckon provide the best possible value to port lovers. £19.95 down from £21.95.
There is much in this offer to enjoy and the first 30 customers who buy two cases (for delivery to one address) will receive two extra bottles of the 2013 Ique Malbec, free of charge.
Happy Christmas to one and all!
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