It was tasty, well-priced red Bordeaux last week and it’s tasty, well-priced white Burgundy this week. Don’t say we don’t love you. All we crave is your happiness and we work hard to attain that.
By which I mean that I drink as much as I can on your behalf. Team player, that’s me. Mrs Ray tries to stick her oar in too, of course, and it’s a full-time job trying to save her from herself. It’s not that she’s not helpful. It’s just that the singing and dancing on the tables does grate after a while…
Burgundy is darn pricy these days, but if you look hard enough and trust your source – in this instance, the astute Mr Wheeler – then toothsome bargains can be found. Get stuck in, I say. Add some to the bottles you bought last week, and you’ll have bloody Christmas pretty much sorted.
The 2023 Mâcon-Uchizy, Domaine M&B Talmard (1) was a staple of Wrightson & Co’s portfolio when Mr Wheeler took over the business in 2016, and they’ve never managed to beat it in terms of value for money. With an understated elegance and a creamy, buttery texture and lemony freshness, it’s pure, clean and expressive. No surprise that it’s Mr Wheeler’s bestselling wine. £16.50 down from £17.95.
Fewer than 350 cases of the 2020 Mâcon-Azé ‘Vieilles Vignes’, Les Reflets d’Ambre (2) were made and Mr Wheeler took the lot, as they have done every vintage for over ten years. Referred to by those in the know as a ‘mini-Meursault’, it’s made from old-vine fruit and is in peak condition with a beautifully supple texture and hints of dried, stewed and candied quince, pear and apple, and a dry to off-dry finish. It wears its high alcohol extremely lightly and is stylishly knit. £17.50 down from £18.95.
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The 2021 Viré-Clessé ‘Quintaine’, Cave de Viré (3) from the hamlet of Quintaine, between the villages of Viré and Clessé, all but sold out when last we offered it and little wonder – it’s truly classy. Made at/by one of the leading co-operatives in the Mâconnais, it was discovered by the Mr Wheeler buying team at the Paris wine show a while back and they were instantly smitten. I can see why. Fermented in steel and aged on the lees for two years, it’s delicately honeyed and ever so slightly spicy, with beguiling, fresh apricot/pear notes and a long, bone-dry finish. £18 down from £19.95.
Mr Wheeler’s buyer, Ben Godfrey, reckons that the 2022 Domaine Séguinot-Bordet (4) is the best village Chablis available, and they’ve taken the estate’s tiny production for almost 20 years. It is indeed a belter, being upright, elegant and with a certain richness of fruit married to the typical Chablis minerality. It’s a brilliant wine and I’m delighted to see it under a very stylish and discreet screwcap. £19.50 down from £20.95.
The 2022 Montagny 1er Cru ‘Les Chaniots’, Vignerons de Buxy (5), is the top of the range from this celebrated co-operative and a long-standing favourite of Speccie readers. Yes, the price keeps edging upwards, but it remains a bargain compared to a Puligny, say, and is the best value in this category. With vibrant, ripe fruit, it’s peachy, nutty and welcoming, and Mrs Ray and I saw the bottle off in no time. £20 down from £22.95.
The 2022 Saint-Véran ‘Les Ombrelles’, Maison Jean Loron (6) is a gem of a discovery in the portfolio of mighty Maison Jean Loron. Grown on a mix of limestone and grey marl, it’s aged for six months on the lees – partly in barrel – adding a roundness and depth to the honeyed, almondy, white stone fruit. It’s full-flavoured but with a correct, mineral core and is nothing if not top-notch. £21 down from £22.95.
The mixed case has two bottles of each wine and delivery, as ever, is free.
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