It’s April at last, my favourite time of the year. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and, if you squint slightly, the sea here in Brighton could almost pass for blue. We’ll be mowing the lawn before you know it.
And we’ve some lovely April-appropriate wines, courtesy of Corney & Barrow — well-priced too. In fact, if one takes advantage of the fabled Brett-Smith Indulgence (£6 off a case when buying two dozen bottles or more), there’s a double discount on offer. Hooray!
No apology for including the 2014 Corney & Barrow Blanc. It might be overstating it slightly to say that irate readers picket our offices when we don’t include Corney & Barrow’s house wines in these offers, but we certainly get some pithy emails. And I can understand why, because these house wines are exemplary: cannily sourced, keenly priced, beautifully packaged and utterly delicious.
Just to remind you, the house white is a blend of Colombard and Ugni Blanc made by Producteurs Plaimont in Gascony in cahoots with Corney & Barrow’s buyers. It’s light, fresh, fruity, floral and zesty and ideal for carefree springtime drinking — easy on the pocket, too, at just £6.63 a bottle with the Brett-Smith Indulgence, £7.13 without, down from a list price of £7.50.
The 2014 Château La Fleur des Graves Blanc fair leapt out at me at the tasting. A blend of 80 per cent Sauvignon Blanc (giving backbone and aroma) and 20 per cent Sémillon (fleshy, rounded fruit), it’s steel-fermented and oak-aged for 12 months. It has weight, character, balance and style and is a reminder of what great value can be found among the dry whites of Bordeaux. £10.43 with the B-SI, £10.93 without, down from £11.50.
We’re all out and proud rosé drinkers these days, and the 2014 Château la Tour de l’Évêque from Provence is as fine an example as I’ve had in ages. Everything about it is classy, from the elegant bottle and chic label to the hand-picked, organically farmed fruit and the glorious pale salmon-pink colour of the wine itself. And as for the blend, it’s fascinatingly complex: Grenache and Cinsault with splashes of (red) Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cabernet Sauvignon and (white) Rolle, Ugni Blanc and Sémillon. It’s full of juicy wild strawberries, cream, herbs and spice and is a joy to drink. £9.90 with the B-SI, £10.40 without, down from £10.95.
The 2014 Corney & Barrow Rouge will be familiar to readers. A blend of Merlot, Carignan and Grenache, it comes from just south of Minervois in the heart of the Languedoc and is instantly appealing, with vibrant red and dark fruit flavours, silky smooth tannins and a long spicy, slightly herbal finish. It’s so soft and approachable that one could easily drink it on its own. £6.63 with the B-SI, £7.13 without, down from £7.50.
The 2011 Quinta de Chocapalha is a big, bracing, concentrated red made by Sandra Tavares da Silva, who played volleyball for Portugal and was as a leading model before becoming a winemaker at her family’s estate in the sun-baked hills of Alenquer, north-east of Lisbon. A Touriga Nacional-based blend, it’s aged for 18 months in French oak and has soft, smooth tannins, a clean acidity and buckets of mouth-filling juicy dark fruit, spice and liquorice. £11.38 with the B-SI, £11.88 without, down from £12.50.
Finally, the organic 2012 La Combe de Grinou Rouge, a supple blend of 70 per cent Merlot and 30 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon. Pretty much impossible not to like, being enticingly soft, smooth and succulent. Bergerac, in the valley of the Dordogne, has been quietly making some delightful wines of late, and this is perfect for those who enjoy their red Bordeaux but don’t always enjoy their red Bordeaux price. £8.53 with the B-SI, £9.03 without, down from £9.50.
The mixed case has two bottles of each wine and delivery, as ever, is free.
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