It has been a punishing couple of weeks, with two Spectator Wine School Masterclasses, a brace of Winemaker Lunches and a cracking Winemaker Dinner with Ch. Pichon Baron in the library of our new venue above Old Queen Street Café, hosted by mighty Christian Seely himself.
My old pa, faced with such an onslaught, would crack on through, refusing to give into the temptation of taking a day off the vino. Such folly only risked confusing the liver, he insisted, leading to toxic shock or worse.
I’m not so sure but, heck – what better way to regroup and realign one’s palate after such a boozy blitzkrieg than with a gentle morning tasting with Siobhan Astbury, buying director of Haynes Hanson & Clark?
HHC have a wonderful range of wines, both mainstream and quirky, and Siobhan laid on some fascinating treats for me to explore and enjoy on your behalf, my favourites of which are here below.
The 2023 Domaine Alexandre Cady Anjou Blanc (1) is 100 per cent Chenin Blanc (organic) and 100 per cent delicious. It made the perfect start to our tasting, with its fresh, soft quince/pear fruit and fine, brisk acidity. HHC have worked with fourth-generation winemaker Alexandre Cady for yonks and little wonder, for this is a charming, easy-drinking gem. £13.50 down from £15.45.
The 2023 Kellerei Kurtatsch Pinot Bianco (2) from a small co-operative in Italy’s Alto Adige, founded in 1900 and encompassing 190 hectares, owned by 190 growers, is an extremely appealing example of one of my favourite unsung grapes. Mountain-fresh, floral and faintly honeyed, it makes an alluring aperitif or match for simple starters or summer salads. £14.75 down from £17.15.
The 2023 Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Aligoté (3) is as fine an instance of this increasingly popular grape as you’ll find, made by one of the great names of Burgundy from old vine fruit grown in Meursault and Puligny. Once deemed only good for sloshing cassis into, Aligoté as tasty as this – fresh, spicy and honeyed – makes a really canny purchase, especially considering Olivier’s most basic Montagny is around £30 a pop. £20.25 down from £23.35.
Haynes Hanson & Clark have a wonderful range of wines, both mainstream and quirky
Well, the 2022 Ch. de Bousval Gouttes d’O Chardonnay (4) is quite the curiosity, but a flavoursome one. From Les Jardins de Wallonie in, erm, Belgium, it’s an organic, biodynamic beauty, aged in a mix of old oak, stainless steel, concrete eggs and amphorae. Impeccably made, it’s laden with honeysuckle and is upliftingly lemon-fresh, bearing comparison with similarly priced Mâcon or Chablis. £26.50 down from £30.85.
A blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo, the 2022 Campriano Chianti Colli Senesi (5) sees no destemming and no oak and is just uncomplicatedly enjoyable. With its juicy bramble fruit and brisk tannins, it’s the perfect wine with which to while away a Sunday lunch. £13.25 down from £15.10.
The 2023 Domaine de Vavril Cuvée de l’Ecluse Côte de Brouilly (6) from the hillside vineyards above Beaujeu is the ideal vin de soif, full of juicy, jammy, fresh red fruit with lively acidity and soft, silky tannins. Beaujolais as drinkable as this is rarely so well priced. £14.75 down from £16.85.
The 2023 Ch. Lancyre Clos des Combes Pic Saint Loup (7), a big, bold beauty from a fine family estate in the northern reaches of the Languedoc, should be a shoo-in for your next barbecue. An equal blend of Grenache and Syrah, it’s inky dark, dense, concentrated and full of sweet plummy, cherry, blackberry fruit, followed by a rich almost meaty finish. Delicious! £16 down from £18.40.
Finally, the 2019 Ch. Balac (8), a Cru Bourgeois Supérieur owned by the Touchais family near Pauillac in the Haut-Médoc. A Merlot-driven blend, it’s soft, supple, lush and ample with sweet spicy fruit and a long, long finish. It’s rare to find mature claret as enticing as this for less than twenty quid. £16.25 down from £18.60.
The Mixed Case has two bottles each of Wines 2-4 & 6-8 and the Summer Drinking Mixed Case has 6 bottles each of Wines 1 & 5. Prices include VAT and delivery on the UK mainland (except parts of Scotland, which will be quoted for individually).
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