Wine Club 23 November

At dinner the other night, our host spotted a well-priced magnum of fizz on the list and beckoned the sommelier. Alas, it turned out the magnums were no more, the last one having been sold two nights previously.

‘Oh dear,’ sighed my chum. ‘I guess we’d better have it by the half-magnum, then, and see how we get on.’

Well, it won’t surprise you to learn that we got on just fine and ended up having two half-magnums.

The fact is that magnums are a real treat, the ideal size for wine lovers, especially at this time of year with parties galore and friends dropping by unexpectedly. So it is that Corney & Barrow here offer a couple of great-value examples which I heartily endorse. And for those who prefer their wines in half-magnums, we’ve some of those too, including some excellent fizz. And a six pack of magnums and a case of sparkling on standby sounds like good festive planning to me. Oh, and do take advantage of the Brett-Smith Indulgence, whereby C&B’s MD, Adam Brett-Smith, knocks a few quid off for anyone buying two cases or more, on top of our special Speccie discount.

The 2018 C&B Côtes de Gascogne Blanc (1) is ideal festive fare: cheap, tasty and light in alcohol (just 10.5% vol). A blend of Colombard and Ugni Blanc from the excellent Producteurs Plaimont co-operative, it’s fresh and zesty, dry to off-dry and extremely quaffable. £7.05 with the Brett-Smith Indulgence, £7.55 without, down from £7.95.

The 2018 C&B Périgord Blanc (2), a 50/50 Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon blend from Bergerac, is deliciously characterful with creamy citrus notes and a long, rounded finish. Indeed, coming from the highly regarded, family-owned Château Grinou in Monestier, it’s almost indistinguishable from fine white Bordeaux, albeit a fraction of the price.