The weather may be bizarre at the moment, but when the sun comes it seems particularly warm, which is when you will crave these excellent wines. They have been selected for summer drinking by Amanda Skinner of Lay & Wheeler, one of our most popular merchants. They are perfect for parties, barbecues, picnics or as aperitifs, even for drinking indoors while the rain lashes against the windows. All are discounted on L&W’s list price.
The full title of our first is (draw breath here) Prosecco dei Colli Trevigiani Frizzante Nera Spago, De Faveri, Veneto, n.v. (1). I would translate but we don’t have the space. All you need to know is that it is a luscious Prosecco, full of soft moussy bubbles and with a lovely vibrant flavour. Delicious on its own, or perfect for a bellini or a kir royale. Drink it up while it’s still zingy and fresh. Reduced by over £6 a case to £7.95 a bottle.
German wines are just beginning to make their comeback; small wonder when you can drink gorgeous, light, perfumed, fruit-bursting Rieslings such as this superb Mosel from Fritz Haag 2005 (2). No incomprehensible blackletter label festooned with 17-syllable words; all the work has gone into the luscious wine. Amanda wants to clear the decks for the 2006 vintage, and has taken an amazing £30 off the case price, bringing it down to under a tenner.
Rosé becomes more popular by the day. Here’s a fat, full-bodied wine, the Domaine Mourgues du Grès 2006 (3), from one of my favourite French appellations, Costières de Nîmes. This is the most easterly of all the Languedoc regions, and the wines have real oomph to them, as well as that whiff of herbs, spices and the sea. Again, £6 off each case brings it to £5.95.
Finally a Beaujolais, and a very good one too. Following the Beaujolais Nouveau debacle, a gimmick that sold a lot of wine and almost ruined the reputation of a once-great name, the makers have been slowly clawing their way back into public esteem. The best, like this 2006 Fleurie from Clos de la Roilette (4), are rich but at the same time have a lightness which makes them perfect for hot weather. You don’t want to drink this warm, so I would leave it in the fridge for 40 minutes beforehand. Reduced by over £15 a case.
Delivery, as ever, is free, and there is a sample case containing three bottles of each wine. If you’re buying unmixed cases, you can knock a further £10 off a two-case order, or £15 off a three-case order.
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