SPECTATOR WINE CLUB

Snowdrop fresh and all French

Auberon Waugh

Alother cheap offer, working out at £4.78 the bottle average price on the mixed case, this time all French. A larger, younger panel than usual was slightly dismissive of the first offering, a chardonnay called Le Midi from the Pays d'Oc(t), saying they drank the chardonnay grape to death at university, but they were impressed by the price of £3.95 the bottle, and agreed it would be an ideal drink for English sum- mer afternoon parties. I found it a full, tasty, proper wine, without being aggres- sively varietal, and on returning to it found it deliciously refreshing as well as being an excellent buy at the price.

Wonderful things are happening in the Bergerac region. Everybody loved the Chateau Theulet, both the 1994 which we tasted first and the 1995(2) which came later — if anything even crisper and breezi- er, redolent of spring buds and green things sprouting. One member of the panel who said it gave her a tingling sensation of the palate described it as 'snowdrop fresh', and everybody cheered the idea. A lovely wine at £4.65, highly recommended.

The Pinot Noir rosé from God's own department of the Aude(3) is a curiosity. People might expect it to taste a bit like the Sancerre rouge which has suddenly become so fashionable as a chilled summer drink in London, but it could scarcely be more dif- ferent, as well as being half the price. I found it a quiet and subtle wine, of faint but distinctly fruity smell which has nothing to do with pinot, and elegant appearance. The younger members all raved about it. One found it teasing, reminiscent of pas- sion fruit. An Irishman wrote: 'Passion fruit, fun, sexy' and gave it nine marks out of ten. Everybody except a Polish professor and his young lover thought they could drink vast quantities of it, and even the Young lover said she was amazed by its fresh bouquet and awarded it seven out of ten. It is a nice and easy wine, as well as being unusual, and would undoubtedly prove a good investment at £4.75 the bottle for those who, like Oweri Oysten, enjoy the Company of young persons.

The 1993 red Fitou(4) from Gautier at £4.35 has a surprising amount of bottom to it, with a touch of tannin, too. It is a robust wine with considerable life and a fine, spicy nose. In God's own department of the Aude, Fitou, which carves itself a little cor- ner out of the Corbieres on the way to Per- pignan, is widely recognised as the aristo- crat of the region. Only the very best Fitou sees oak. This is the sort of wine they reserve for Christmas in the part of France where I once resided — and then make soupy noises over it. It seems almost to insult our friends in that wonderful area that we sell its best wine for only £4.35, but It is worth much more — and would cost more in the grocer's in Castelnaudary. It is not easy to find the Cotes du Mar- mandais(5) in any wins atlas; it is a newish appellation control& in the Lot-et- Garonne. Those who glance at Chateau de Beaulieu's handsome label will imagine they are being served a claret. It will shock no one, give pleasure to all. A good wine for serving at dinner to poor, middle-aged, genteel friends who don't like the idea of all these colonial innovations, think Spain sounds cheap and prefer their wine to be French. At £5.05 it will bring them great comfort and make them feel appreciated. Chapoutier's 1994 Rasteau(6) is a first-

class, thoroughly structured, fruity, strong young Rhone. It came down by £1 from £6.95 to £5.95, at which price I should judge it may be the last of ,the classic French red wines which many Englishmen will be able to afford. One member of the panel claimed to detect a smell of sweet mulberries and a touch of eucalyptus, but the truth is that this is just another example of a good Cotes du Rhone Villages such as we have all been dlinkink for years. Apart from freak bargains, like the Fitou — and there is always the possibility that someone won't like them — these southern Rhones may prove to be the last thoroughly sound, thoroughly reliable French reds which many of us see. Burgundy has zoomed away, but there are worse fates than to be stuck in the Rh6ne.

This all-French offer is partly in response to pleas from older punters to be spared the colonial and New World wines which sometimes excite me so much. It proves, at £4.78 on the sample case, that it is still pos- sible to buy good French wine cheap. At any rate, I hope it does.

ORDER FORM SPECTATOR WINE CLUB

c/o Stevens Gamier Ltd 3/5 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford OX1 2EW Ter: (01865) 791313 Fax: (01865) 791594

White

Le Midi Chardonnay 1995

Price No. Value

Gin de Pays d'Oc 12 Boss £47.40

Chateau Theulet 1995

Bergerac Blanc Sec 12 Bots 155.80 Rosé

fnot Noir Rose 1995 12 Bots £57.00

Domaine Maninolles (Aude)

Red

Fitou 1993, Cuvee Bois, Gautier 12 Bots £52.20

Chateau de BeaUlieu 1992

Cotes du Marmandais 12 Rots .160.60

Rasteau 1994, COtes du Rhone

(Chapoutier) 12 Bots £71.40 Mixed

Mixed case, two of each 12 Bots 457.40

TOTAL (Cheque enclosed)

Please sand wine to: Own name & address, if different: NAME NAME ADDRESS ADDRESS POSTCODE POSTCODE TELEPHONE TELEPHONE ACCESS/VISA NO EXPIRY DATE SIGNATURE

Prices include VAT and delivery on the British mainland. Payment should be made either by cheque, with the order, payable to Spectator Wine Club or by Access/Visa, details of which may be telephoned or faxed. This offer, which is subject to availability, closes on 23 August 1996.