I am always delighted by the number of wine merchants who
queue up to make offers for The Spectator wine club. Heaven knows, it isn't for the money. By the time I have demanded a rapacious discount for readers, insisted on free delivery, cadged an extra reduction for multiple orders, and mentioned the reasonable but nonetheless hurtful commission charged by this magazine, there can't be much moolah left.
This is how the big supermarket chains do it. They sweep into a vineyard, buy up the entire production at a price per litre less than their own-brand water sells for, and oblige the family to make their children scurry barefoot through the vines, catching fieldmice for the pot.
I can only conclude that merchants want to work with us for the honour of knowing that their wine is going down the throats of such an adventurous and discerning readership. And in the hope that, since the wines are so good, many of you will come back for more. That, at any rate, may be why Christopher Staniland and Andrew Mangles at Quantock Abbey Wine Cellars in Crowcombe have offered us this selection of excellent wines, and knocked off an extremely generous 12.5 per cent, right across the board, The Le Tilhou Colombarcl 20021 from Gascony is typical of the fresh and lively wines being made in this part of the world. At first I thought it was just serviceable, but then after it had had a bit of air, and had become chilled rather than iced, the rich floral, citrus and almond flavours began to come through. I sat in a sunny garden in Wiltshire, gazing at a vast beech tree and the lamb-dotted hills beyond, nursing a glass of this and thinking that at this point life could not improve very much.
Ernie Loosen J.L. Wolf 2001" is a rarity —a Pinot Gris from Germany. It's coyly advertised as pfresh pfrom the Pfalz'. Don't let that put you off, It is an absolutely first-rate, beautifully made and truly delectable example of this very popular grape. Stunning value at just £6.30, Quincy is one of the smaller Loire appellations. Like Sancerre, the wine is made from Sauvignon Blanc, but has a softer, smoother, richer flavour — not quite as subtle, perhaps, but fuller and fatter. It is never cheap, but the Bruno Lecomte 20013' is discounted by a handsome £1.15 a bottle and would be perfect with outdoor summer meals,
I hesitate to mention when a wine is 'medal-winning'. There are so many competitions these days that even Le Piat d'Or might have won something somewhere. But the Laguna Gran Reserva 1996"' richly deserves its gong. Like so many new Spanish wines, it matures and fills out with age, so that the spicy, soft fruit flavours are backed by real depth. Absolutely gorgeous, and terrific value at less than £6.
Malbec from Argentina is increasingly popular. and when you taste the Luigi Bosca 20005' you will understand why. This is magnificent: dark and velvety, with a heady alcoholic whiff and a rich flavour of damsons and forest fruits. A truly voluptuous wine, reduced to a very reasonable £8.10.
Now a remarkable and historic treat. John X. Merriman was a Cape politician — anti-imperialist and anti-racist, and so a handy symbol for the new South Africa. In 1892 Cecil Rhodes appointed him minister of agriculture. He bought his own farm and vineyard so as to get experience of the work, and persuaded the province's winemakers to strike for quality rather than quantity. He was so successful that Rudyard Kipling, Scott (later of the Antarctic) and George Bernard Shaw came to visit. So you can drink the wine they drank, except for GBS who was teetotal and had a glass of milk.
I suspect that the eponymous John X. Merriman 2000(') is of much higher quality than those celebrities enjoyed. In fact, it is quite superb, like a fine, mature claret at half the price: nutty, cigary, fruity — I could go on. But you must try it, if only in the sample case. The price is reduced by nearly £1.50.
Delivery as always is free, and there's an extra 3 per cent off if you buy three cases or more.
Previous page
