I swear it’s only the vino that keeps me and Mrs Ray going. I mean, there’s precious little else to look forward to these days. I’ve given up on the impossible jigsaw, can only watch so much telly and if I never do another Zoom quiz it’ll be too soon.
No, all I look forward to post-breakfast is that first 6 p.m. glass. Well, that and the day my teenage boys finally discover where the dishwasher’s hiding. I don’t ask much; tonight it’s just something chilled and Three Men in a Boat. Bliss!
This week’s offer from Armit Wines boasts six corkers from Italy and a tasty trio from Chile. We start with the 2018 Agricola Punica Samas (1) from Sardinia. A blend of 80 per cent Vermentino and 20 per cent Chardonnay, it’s vibrantly fresh and exhilarating with a mineral — even slightly salty — finish. £14.50 down from £16.28.
Three vintages, six regions, nine grapes from Italy plus a bonus trio from Chile
The 2018 Cantele Teresa Manara Chardonnay (2) is from Puglia in Italy’s heel. Although the family-owned winery focuses on local varieties such as Fiano, Bombino and Negroamaro, it’s this classic pesticide/herbicide-free Chardonnay that catches the eye. Silky soft, rounded and creamy, it’s delicately honeyed with just a touch of vanilla and spice. £14.50 down from £16.17.
The 2018 Cantine Lunae Vermentino Etichetta Grigia (3) is from Liguria in Italy’s far north-west and the baby brother of the estate’s so-called Black Label, which won Gambero Rosso’s White Wine of the Year 2020. It’s 100 per cent Vermentino and 100 per cent delicious. Teasingly aromatic and floral on the nose, it’s full of peaches and citrus on the palate and is deeply drinkable. £15.50 down from £17.11.
The 2017 Giacomo Fenocchio Barbera d’Alba (4) is from neighbouring Piedmont and a 150-year-old family-owned estate. Made entirely from Barbera, it’s a glorious deep red with a rich, scented bouquet, mouth-fillingly rich raspberry/cherry fruit and a long dry finish. It’s punchy at 14.5 per cent vol and I reckon it needs sloshing in a decanter or carafe to open it out. £15 down from £16.69.
The 2017 Musella Valpolicella Superiore (5) from the Veneto is a blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Barbera, all biodynamic and all, apparently, treated to music in the vineyard from winemaker Maddalena Pasqua. Full of typical cherry-ripe, herbal flavours and soft, subtle tannins, it’s wonderfully accessible and something I’d serve lightly chilled. £17 down from £19.26.
The 2016 Querciabella Chianti Classico (6) is an exquisitely made organic/biodynamic Sangiovese from Tuscany and a stellar vintage. Intense, concentrated, elegant and lively, this is just the sort of wine I dream about at breakfast and is a total steal at less than twenty quid. £19 down from £23.08.
Finally, just because I love them, we’re flitting across to the other side of the world for a trio of wines from one of my favourite Chilean producers: Matetic, leading exponents of organic and biodynamic winemaking. All three wines were born in the cool of the San Antonio Valley and all are great examples of their region and their varieties. The 2016 Matetic Corralillo Gewurztraminer (7) is appealingly aromatic and spicy. It’s Gewurz, all right, but taut, fresh and a touch less creamy and less heady than you would find, say, in Alsace. £12 down from £14.23.
The 2016 Matetic Corralillo Pinot Noir (8) is a 90-pointer, as adjudged by both Robert Parker and James Suckling, and a snip at this price being soft, mellow, juicy yet savoury. £16 down from £18.07.
Finally, the 2015 Matetic Corralillo Syrah (9), a big beast of a wine, full of ripe dark berry fruit, spice, pepper and a whiff of violets. Unleash the barbie! £16 down from £18.07.
The mixed dozen has two bottles each of the six Italian wines and the mixed half dozen, which needs to be ordered in addition to another case, has two bottles each of the three Chilean wines. Delivery, as ever, is free.
Order today.
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