Wine Club 16 February

We should all be firmly back in the saddle by now, with dry January but a ghastly memory. And if there are still any stragglers still toying with glasses of mineral water, I trust this selection courtesy of FromVineyardsDirect will tempt you off your high horse.

Four classic French regions are represented (Burgundy, Provence, the Rhône and Bordeaux) along with an Aussie Chardonnay — (don’t panic; it’s unoaked and restrained) and a Kiwi Pinot Noir (don’t fear; it’s reasonably priced).

The 2016 Pitchfork Chardonnay (1) from Margaret River, Western Australia, is the only Aussie wine that FVD sells and why bother sell others when this is so good? Margaret River, some three hours south of Perth, is beloved of wine bibbers. It might only contribute some 3 per cent of Australia’s total wine production but it accounts for more than 20 per cent of the country’s premium wines. We’re talking quality. And this, from winemaker Michael Kerrigan of Hay Shed Hill, is perfect: steel-fermented, unoaked, crisp, fresh and with plenty of scrumptious tropical fruit and very keenly priced. £11.95 down from £12.95.

And talking of fine Chardonnay, the 2017 Maison Deux-Fleurs, Mâcon-Fuissé ‘Les Bruyères’ (2) was run to ground last year by FVD’s Esme Johnstone, and soon proved its worth by becoming their best-selling white burgundy. Mathieu Paquet is a talented vigneron for sure and this is as good as many a Pouilly-Fuissé (it’s certainly cheaper). Fresh, clean and enticing with beautifully balanced, slightly creamy fresh fruit, it’s extremely moreish. £12.95 down from £13.95.

If Provencal rosé’s your thing, then the 2017 Horizon Rosé (3) is as charming as they come and with a pukka pedigree to boot. The Negrel family have been making wine here for more than 200 years and are generally agreed to be on more than nodding terms with their onions.