The wretched flashbacks plague me every time. I love Yapp Bros and I love their wines but line up a dozen or so of their bottles, uncork them and pour, and I’m immediately covered in a cold sweat recalling whatever shameful adventure it was that ensued last time I got stuck in, egged on by Tom Ashworth and Jason Yapp, the wicked step bros behind Yapp Bros.
I’ve been on many trips with these naughty boys and I’ve bored you with some of the tales. But it’s the stories I daren’t tell you that haunt me. Unlike those who drink and forget, I drink and remember – and then shudder in shame. But, as always, I drink well, because whatever their moral failings, the canny Yapps source some tiptop wines and you’ll love this selection as much as I do.
The 2023 Cuvée Printanière Saint Pourcain (1) is a case in point. A charming blend of Chardonnay and local Trésallier from the Auvergne and the further reaches of the Loire Valley, it’s lively, inviting and lemon-fresh, bottled in the spring following the harvest, and slips down so easily that the bottle’s drained in no time, I’ve texted Mrs Ray to say that I’m staying for ‘just the one’ with T & J and not to wait up – and that never ends well. £13.25 down from £14.25.
The 2023 Domaine Bellegarde ‘Énergique’ Jurancon Sec (2), a gloriously soft, supple, dry, 100 per cent Gros Manseng from sweet wine country, brought to mind chowing down with the boys and owner Pascal Labasse on piperade, Bayonne ham and tripe sausage before the wheels came off spectacularly in a nightclub in Pau, where for some bizarre, long-forgotten reason we all ended up dancing the salsa until 3 a.m. Twits. I still love this wonderfully food-friendly wine though. £17.25 down from £18.25.
The 2023 Sec du Ch. Closiot (3) is another great white from sweet wine country, in this instance Barsac but produced by a Burgundian – Jean-Marie Guffens of Mâcon fame. Made from overripe (but not Botrytised) Sémillon, it’s beautifully textured, lemony, creamy and rich, but finishes teasingly, perfectly dry. £17.75 down from £18.75.
I insisted we include both the 2024 Moulin de Gassac Viognier (4) and the 2023 Moulin de Gassac Syrah (9) because they’re so tasty and such good value. The entry level wines of mighty Mas de Daumas Gassac in the Languedoc, the one is peachy, apricotty and deliciously crisp, the other blackberry-laden, spicy and peppery. Both are perfect summer wines so do stock up. The Viognier is £11.75 down from £12.75 and the Syrah is £11.95 down from £12.95.
The 2023 Clos Ste. Magdeleine Cassis (5) is in tribute to the three bottles of a previous vintage I shared with JY over a fine harbourside lunch in the village of Cassis, way back when. A gloriously creamy, silky, herbal, spicy blend of Marsanne, Clairette and Ugni Blanc, this is one of the great white wines of southern France that conjures up Raoul Dufy-like images of yachts bobbing on a cobalt blue sea. £28 down from £31.
The 2023 Domaine Le Cazal Minervois ‘Tradition’ (6) is an old favourite and still astonishingly good value. An organic blend of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah, it’s deep, dark and intense with the juiciest of bramble, briary fruit and longest of finishes. £13.25 down from £14.25.
The canny Yapps source some tiptop wines and you’ll love this selection as much as I do
If you like Argentinean Malbec, you’ll love the 2022 Ch. Famaey ‘l’Impression’ (7), a 100 per cent Malbec new to the Yapp list from the grape’s historic home of Cahors. With no oak to obscure its hedgerow fruit, it’s aromatic, succulent and full, with a long, savoury finish. £13.95 down from £14.95.
Finally, the 2020 Ch. Sicot (8), from north of Libourne in Bordeaux, is new to the list and a complete steal. Minimal use of sulphur really lets the Merlot fruit – with added splashes of Cab Sauv, Franc and Malbec – shine, and the result is a smile-inducingly rewarding claret that could even stand a bit more ageing. £13.95 down from £14.95.
The Spectator mixed case has two bottles each of wines 1-3 and 6-8 at £178. The Moulin de Gassac case has six bottles each of wines 4 and 9 at £142.20. Wine 5 is available in boxes of six at £168. Delivery for 12 bottles or more, as ever, is free (geographical exclusions apply).
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