Something new this week, with our first-ever offer from Naked Wines, the online retailer that’s been much in the (wine) news thanks to the proposed rebranding of Majestic. Majestic — which, along with venerable, old-school merchant Lay & Wheeler, is part of the Rowan Gormley–led Naked Wines stable — will close some of its stores while renaming its remaining ones as Naked Wines. Watch this space.
Anyhow, it was Naked Wines that famously shook up the trade a dozen years ago with its novel concept, whereby so-called ‘angels’ stump up £20 a month and lob it to selected winemakers in return for decent vino, available at what NW claims to be knock-down, wholesale prices. The idea is that the middleman is sent packing and whatever might have been spent on marketing, advertising, agents, wholesalers or distribution instead goes into the wine. There are now some 200,000 angels backing hundreds of producers.
As for the wines themselves, well, here are six from three of NW’s best-known winemakers at prices below even that which the blessed angels pay.
Stefano di Blasi will be familiar to well-heeled wine-bibbers as the genius behind such Italian gems as Solaia and Tignanello. Thanks to Naked Wines, he’s making his own more economically friendly vino in Tuscany and beyond. The 2018 Stefano di Blasi Bianco Trevenezie (1) is a Garganega-based blend from near Lake Garda in north-east Italy. Fresh, clean and unassuming, it’s ideal summer aperitif fare and as easy-going as its price. £7.19 down from a RRP of £10.99 or the ‘angel’ price of £7.99.
The 2016 Stefano di Blasi Chianti Classico (2) is a Sangiovese-led blend that’s full of juicy, ripe and sour red-and-black cherries, a touch of spice and a succulent finish. It’s fresh and inviting and a wine to be drunk rather than agonised over and analysed.
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