October Wine Club II

A serious wine merchant stands or falls by the quality of its own-label or house wines. When I worked at Berry Bros & Rudd over 20 years ago, doing shamefully little to help make it the award-winning success it is today, my boss, Simon Berry, used to stress that any fool could source, market and sell a bottle of 1982 Ch. Lafite but it took real skill to do that with an own-label wine. This has to be pitch perfect both in terms of quality and of price and can’t rely on simply being a famous name.

We had a decent, if small, range in those days, headed then as now by the fabled Good Ordinary Claret (of which more below). It was nothing like as imposing as the current Own Selection, though, relaunched last month with more than 50 bright, shiny new wines, and each one a belter.

Buying director Mark Pardoe MW, stresses that the range is about authenticity, drinkability and value and, having tasted it, I cannot disagree. The wines are wonderfully well priced, too, but this hasn’t stopped Mark insisting on serious Spectator-only discounts, over 20 per cent in some cases.

The 2013 Good Ordinary White is a crisp, zesty, citrusy Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux, made especially by Dourthe, one of the region’s top producers. Although not madly complex, it’s gratifyingly refreshing and pretty much hits the bullseye as an invigorating aperitif. And thanks to Mark Pardoe’s discount, it’s seriously good value. £7.50 down from £8.85.

The 2014 Sancerre, Domaine David Sauterau, is absolutely spot on and I’d be amazed to find a better example anywhere else at this price. I mean, quality Sancerre for less than 12 quid! Having been there for nine generations, this domaine knows its stuff.