Oh dear, I’m so sorry, I got a bit carried away this week. Now that we’re no longer on the naughty step and Christmas isn’t being taken away from us after all, I’m in a cloud of euphoric indecision. We can finally meet actual, real, genuine people — hurrah! — but what the heck are we going to drink?
We need to get stockpiling. The thing is, so tasty were the wines Mr Wheeler sent me and so over-excited was I that I just couldn’t decide which to pick, hence this bumper selection. Trust me, though, for each and every bottle is absolutely first-rate.
The 2019 Greenhough ‘River Garden’ Sauvignon Blanc (1) from Nelson, New Zealand, is spot-on. Being crisp, clean and much less exuberant and tropical than you might expect in neighbouring Marlborough, it makes a perfect and very refreshing aperitif. £12.75 down from £14.95.
The 2017 Sumaridge Estate Chardonnay (2) from the sweet spot that is South Africa’s Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley — plenty of sun, tempered by cool maritime breezes — is in great shape with weight, texture and deliciously ripe, understated exotic fruit. £17.95 down from £19.95.
I was nervous that the 2012 Louis Jadot Marsannay Blanc (3) might be over the hill but, crikey, it’s in stunning form. Bought direct from Maison Louis Jadot in whose cellars it has slumbered these past few years, it’s one of the finest, most graceful and rewarding wines I’ve had all year, well-priced white Burgundy at its best. £21.50 down from £22.95.
The 2017 Ritual Pinot Noir (4) is a complete steal, proving yet again what extraordinary value can be found in Chile’s Casablanca Valley. Made from hand-harvested organic fruit, fermented in open tanks and aged for 11 months in oak, it’s textbook Pinot: succulent and savoury.
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