That frisky feeling

Auberon Waugh

THIS IS THE second offer of Pierre Andre wines this year for the two good rea- sons that they have proved extremely pop- ular, and their importer, Mr Peter Harris, has made gigantic concessions to keep his prices down. On the first, a beautiful white burgundy made from pure chardonnay at the Château de Corton Andre", I all' afraid he will make no profit at all. I do not know why I was so tough about insisting on a price of £5.65 when the panel first chose it in April because we liked it well enough then — nice sweet smell, good and intense with nothing waterish in the finish — but it has improved tremendously since, losing its slight prickle and ending very strong indeed. Perhaps it is a trifle paler in colour than its weight would suggest, or than I like my white burgundy to be, but that is its only fault, and it is given away at £5.65.

The Pouilly Locihé is a heavier white bur- gundy, richer in the sense of more opulent as well as more concentrated (as we would expect on a price-jump of £1.30 the bottle).

We all decided it was worth the difference. The year 1990 may well prove to have been an annus mirabilis in Burgundy -- I have not yet quite made up my mind about the reds — but this example, which is buttery, full, fruity and delicious, will go on devel- oping power and complexity for three or four years, possibly longer. My own guess is that it would need a touch more acid to survive into the next century, but it drinks wonderfully now and is a bargain by bur- gundian standards at £6.95.

Everybody cheered he 1990 Domaine de Castelas at £4.75. Excellent, clean almost burgundian smell, deep pigeon's blood colour, the taste a trifle more char- acteristic of the RhOne but not excessively SO, a deep, full wine of unmistakable quali- ty and class. I think I may have offered the 1989 a year ago. That was good, but the 1990 is even better.

Pierre Andre's Gigondasw is an old friend. The 1989, offered twice, went down a treat, although oddly enough I thought it Slightly sleepy second time round. The 1990, by contrast, although full and meaty, struck me as a bit green on first tasting in April. It is young and sparky for drinking now — one member of the panel found violets, plums and mulberries already there, which seems a bit alarming — but I think I would keep it for about 18 months before expecting the real quality to emerge. It is unmistakably a first-class wine, but it would be a shame to drink it now, having paid £6.15 for it, when it will be so much better in a little while. 0, The Fleurie Domaine de la Treille , by Contrast, is for drinking as soon as it ar- rives. It is a wonderful example of the light, fresh beaujolais tradition — lively, herba- ceous, full of flavour and bright young fruit, guaranteed to make anyone who drinks it feel young again and yes, dammit, even frisky. Hie. People will complain that £6.25 is too much to pay for the experi- ence, but they won't get it any cheaper.

I had never heard of the Ladoix appel- lation until I met this bottle — it is a com- paratively recent invention — and perhaps the unfamiliarity of the name explains its extraordinarily low price of £7.75 for a really good, strong burgundy from a bril- liant year, bursting with fruit that lingers and lingers. From any of the better known villages like Chambolle or Morey or Gevrey, let alone Aloxe or Vosne, it would cost at least £14 and almost certainly be less good. However wonderful it is to drink, I should keep a couple of bottles back to see if it turns into a really prize specimen at the dryer end of the Grand Old Burgundy spectrum — in eight or ten years. I feel it is an important discovery. So

did Robert Palmer if you look to him on the subject of Ladoix. No doubt word will get around and it will become much more expensive, but while we can still buy it at £7.75 for a classic vintage I feel there is no more to be said. 0,

The mixed case, at £6.25 the bottle, is not the cheapest we have offered, but since all the wines on offer are indisputably bril- liant, there may not be so much point in the mixed case this time. Just choose your wine and go for it, confident that it will be better even than I have said. The Domaine de Castelas is really wonderful at £4.75 — so, in its way, is the Fleurie, so is the Ladoix, so are they all.

ORDER FORM SPECTATOR WINE CLUB

c/o Longford Wines Longford Farmhouse, Spithurst, Barcombe, Lewes, E Sussex BN8 SED lblephone and Fax: (0273) 400232

All from Pierre Andre White 1. Bourgogne Reserve Pierre

Price No. Value

Andre 1991 12 Bogs. £67.80

Pouilly Loche Les Franieres 1990 12 Bois £83.40 Red

Cotes du Rhone Domaine de

Castelas 1990 12 Bogs. £57.00

Gigondas 1990 12 Bois. £73.80

Fleurie Domaine de la Treille 1991 12 Bois. £75.00

Ladoir Clos des Chagnots 1990 12 Bogs. f93.00

Mixed case, two of each 12 Bots. £75.00

TOTAL (Cheque enclosed)*

*Orders may be faxed or telephoned, giving bankers' card details Please send wine to: Own name & address, if different: NAME NAME ADDRESS ADDRESS

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POSTCODE POSTCODE TELEPHONE TELEPHONE Prices include VAT and delivery on British mainland. Cheques should be made payable to the Spectator Wine Club, and sent with order. This offer, which is subject to availability, closes on 12 October, 1992.