Welcome to The Week’s Wine Club, where we will offer you a serious range of the most interesting drinking wines from a handful of Britain’s most reliable – and innovative – merchants.
We all have different paths to understanding wine – in my case it started with gallon kegs in an obscure town in rural Australia, followed by extraordinary bottles of Bordeaux served with foie gras in Bangkok. Our pledge is to offer you an exciting variety of wines at prices cheaper than those available to the public. On top of that, there will always be six different wines on offer, which can be ordered individually or as a mixed case – and you don’t need to worry about delivery charges if you live in the UK, as that’s included. Soon we will have interesting wine events and dinners for members to attend.
Our first selection comes from Private Cellar, which was founded in Suffolk by Andrew Gordon a little more than a decade ago. I dealt with Andrew for years when he was at Corney and Barrow (another of our partners) and was extremely appreciative of his knowledge and honesty, which probably explains the numerous awards Private Cellar have won in their relatively brief existence.
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The exclusive mixed case contains two bottles of each wine and is just £190 including UK delivery - that's a saving of £38.18. Twelve bottle cases of each wine can also be purchased.
What better way to start our Wine Club than with a pair of great value white Burgundies that don’t require you to remortgage your house? There are several styles of wine made with the Chardonnay grape: the New World ones previously tended towards the oaky coconut and pineapple spectrum. Fortunately, the winemakers of the Chalonnaise in southern Burgundy have never gone down that path.
Montagny 1er Cru Les Bassets, Domaine Laurent Cognard 2012 Laurent Cognard is one of the top producers of Montagny Premier Cru whites, with his Les Bassets (13%). Since 2010, he has vinified it in larger barrels with a much smaller proportion of new oak, which produces a bright, zingy wine with focus and depth, using vines that are around 35 years old. [Offer price: £226.20 including delivery. Save £34.08]
Viré Clessé, Domaine Seguin Manuel 2012 Further south, Thibaud Marion of Domaine Seguin-Manuel makes a worthy blend of bought-in grapes for his Viré Clessé (13%), in a lighter style than the Montagny but with the same freshness and zip. This would go with any fish dish – whereas the Montagny could also tackle chicken, guinea fowl or even veal. [Offer price: £170.40 including delivery. Save £40.08]
Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Domaine Matrot 2012 Staying with Burgundy, there is an impressive Bourgogne Rouge (12%) available from Domaine Matrot. It is usually a struggle to find a satisfying red Burgundy for less than £25 a bottle, as cheaper ones can be lean and mean with an aggressive streak of acidity. This wine is made off the back of their vineyards in Puligny, Montrachet and Maranges, and while there is definitely a mineral element here,the balance and finesse of Thierry Matrot shines through. [Offer price: £210.00 including delivery. Save £39.48]
Bishops Head Pinot Noir, Waipara, New Zealand 2012 On the other side of the planet, there is a full-bodied Pinot Noir from Peter Saunders in the Waipara Valley. For a long time, I thought New Zealand pinots were too jammy and sweet, but in recent years they have improved hugely. This is an attractive, intense and generous wine, which could easily be drunk by itself. [Offer price: £198.00 including delivery. Save £51.48]
Morellino di Scansano Podere 414, Simone Castelli, Italy 2013 We also have a delightful wine from the Marrema region of Tuscany called Podere 414 (14%), which was the name of the plot when it was purchased by Simone Castelli’s family 50 years ago. Although mainly made from the Sangiovese grape (85%), its coastal location and the addition of more aromatic local varietals give it an intriguing, cherry-like back note. This has the structure to age for another five years or so, and is ideal to drink with seasonal grouse. [Offer price: £170.40 including delivery. Save £34.08]
Sancerre, André Dezat 2014 Our final wine, and my favourite this month, is a Sancerre (12%) from the Dezat family in the Loire. This classical Sauvignon Blanc has a chalky/alkaline backbone and a glorious mid palate of perfectly balanced fruit. I once overheard a diner at Sydney’s fashionable Bayswater Brasserie commenting on the famous New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc he had just tasted: “Christ mate, that tastes like fruit salad on speed!” There is none of that excess here – just something to savour. [Offer price: £165.60 including delivery. Save £29.28]
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