Save up to £32 on our wine editor Bruce Palling's selection of classic Summer wines from Corney & Barrow
What is the correct form if, after consenting to a sommelier serving you a mystery bottle, you then find it virtually undrinkable? A friend recently had this happen in Beaujolais, where the sommelier insisted it was supposed to taste like that: thankfully he relented, and took it off the bill. It is not always easy for the uninitiated to tell a sommelier that the wine is off, but you should always stand your ground if you genuinely find it unpalatable.
The reds this month are all French, but from quite diverse parts of the country, and are all from different grapes. That is the magic of a wine – not only does it exhibit the characteristics of the grape variety, but it also expresses the dirt and climate where it’s grown. If you ever have the opportunity to drink old Moulin-a-Vent, jump at it, as after a decade or so it takes on the flavours and depth of red Burgundy, despite it being from gamay, as opposed to Pinot Noir, grapes.
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In the whites, Chablis needs no introduction, while South African Chenin Blanc is arguably more exciting than its French equivalent. I find that the Nelson Sauvignon Blanc has more in common with the Old World versions of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume than its more expressive and fruity New Zealand cousins. And this is why we adore interesting wines – for their ability to refl ect their origins in such beguiling and individual ways. Enjoy.
As usual the selection below is available either as a pair of each in a mixed case, or as whole cases. The mixed case includes two bottles of each of the selected wines, at The Week Wines price of £160.00, usually £184.70. Click here to order. Also available are a mixed red case, a mixed white case or 12 bottle cases of each of the wines. All are at an exclusive price for readers of The Week and with free UK mainland delivery. Terms & conditions apply. Offers end midnight 17th August 2017.
Nelson Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2016, Paarl
Another excellent South African wine, but from further inland in the Paarl region; this award-winning wine is made by Lisha Nelson. Vines have been planted in this region since the 17th century, and this has none of the over-exuberance of some New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc – instead, it has a bright, herbaceous feel with an exquisite end note. A perfect summer wine. The Week Wines price: £105.00, usually £123.00. Click here to order
Old Vines Chenin Blanc 2015, Stellenbosch
There is only half as much Chenin Blanc planted in France than in South Africa, where it is easily the most popular grape variety. Started more than 20 years ago, in the Stellenbosch region east of Cape Town, Old Vines is run by mother and daughter Irina and Fran Botha – and is South Africa’s sole “Women’s Empowerment Winery”. The wine is pale gold in colour and has a ripe peach and apricot texture, with a minerally edge to bind it. Drink now, or keep for a few more years for more depth of flavour. The Week Wines price: £120.00, usually £141.00. Click here to order
Chablis Domaine Vincent Dampt 2016
Chablis is the white Burgundy I drink most frequently, as I adore the steely gunflint backbone behind the fruit. Vincent Dampt has worked both throughout the region and in New Zealand, which perhaps explains the presence of a touch of opulence. The Chardonnay grapes here are at least 35 years old, and the wine has a delicacy that suggests it’s in the perfect drinking zone now. Perfect with seafood, it is well suited for summer drinking. The Week Wines price: £180.00, usually £203.40. Click here to order
Château Cadet 2013, Côtes de Castillon, Bordeaux
Corney & Barrow are the exclusive agents for this great value wine – the first effort by Louis Mitjavile
– which is located on the same outcrop of soil as St Émilion. It is chiefly Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Franc, and has a beautiful mid-palate of blueberries and cherries. It will improve, but drink it now to get the vigour of a well-made young wine. This confirms my belief in the value of drinking major minor wines, rather than the opposite. The Week Wines price: £160.00, usually £179.40. Click here to order
Moulin-à-Vent Coeur de Terroir Domaine Labruyère 2014
Moulin-à-Vent is acknowledged as the leading commune of the Beaujolais region, with characteristics closer to old red Burgundy with bottle age. Consisting entirely of the gamay grape, this luscious wine has vibrant fruit flavours, and although only a few years old, it has superb balance. While I am certain it will improve with age – why wait? The best 2015 Moulin-à-Vent I have yet tasted. Highly recommended. The Week Wines price: £195.00, usually £227.40. Click here to order
Le Faite Rouge Producteurs Plaimont 2013, Gascony
It would be hard to miss a bottle of Le Faite Rouge, with its wax seal and label-free bottle with attached wooden tag. This small production wine is part of a revival by André Dubosc, a local who created a co-operative in the 1970s to revive the local grape
varieties tannat and pinenc, which are used in the better-known Madiran wine. This wine has immense depth and surprising freshness, with spice and black fruits. Would successfully partner any robust dish or cheese. The Week Wines price: £205.00, usually £234.00. Click here to order
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