SPECTATOR WINE CLUB
Count your blessings
Auberon Waugh
Dike all Corney & Barrow offers, this one conies with generous — sometimes awe-inspiring, but never alarming — dis- counts from the list price, with the further advantage of the Brett-Smith Indulgence, sometimes called the Brett-Smith Blessing, whereby 50p a bottle may be knocked off by Londoners who order two or more cases, by everyone else who orders three or or more cases. I shall not give the list price of the Rioje or of the Catalan chard- onnay(" which are thereby reduced to £3.75 and £3.85 for fear of embarrassing him, but I cannot help observing that for the country dweller who wished to buy a case of the Cattin Riesling) and a case of the Lalande de Pomerol(6), the additional cost of a case of the Rioja, for instance, would work out at a mere £2.75 the bottle, or of the char- donnay at £2.85. Work it out for yourself.
This chardonnayo) comes from the gener- al area of Rivesalte, in the eastern Pyre- nees, chiefly famous for its fortified muscat sweeties. I imagine it may come from Young vines and has certainly not touched oak, but it has a full taste with a buttery fin- ish. Many will prefer it to the more com- mon Macon-Villages which are two or three pounds more expensive. It comes in a pretty, dignified bottle and has a good, straightforward chardonnay taste with nothing silly or exaggerated or wrong about it. The price of £4.35 (reducing to £3.85) is notable for such a full, correct wine. Those who like gewiirztraminer, as I do, will be particularly delighted by this 1992 from the Cleeburg co-operativem. Alsatians prefer the sweeter varieties, but this is a splendid dry, strong, floral example — no sheep's droppings but a touch of steel in the middle taste. Adam Brett-Smith thinks it will go well with turkey but I suspect it will go with anything and propose to drink something much redder with my turkey. The amazing thing about this wine is the Price — I defy anyone to find a better gevviirz at under £6.
Finally among the whites, many people will be put off by the thought of having to pay £6.25 for a riesline, even from one of the grandest properties in Alsace. In fact, its price has come down from something very close to £8 the bottle. I fell in love with Theo Cattin's Black Bear 1992, and this one has much the same delicacy and ele- gance. Those who know say it should be kept 12 months, but I don't know and can't say. For years people have told me that the best dry riesling in the world came from Alsace, but I have never been able to find it until now. Although dry, this wine has per- fect balance, unlike the German trocicens, and ends up positively noble in its delicacy. I was very glad to find it. Now the reds. I feel I have been negli- gent in offering wines from Spain just because I am so ignorant about them. They are undoubtedly among the best bargains in big fruity reds. This Rioja Castillo de Expeleta 1990' is a bit subdued by compar- . ison. Pale colour, lovely, strong, washed- out over-ripe strawberry smell — a good rioja smell kissed by clean oak — but noth- ing earthy or peasant in the taste. An ele- gant, self-confident, educated wine and an amazingly grown-up experience at £4.25 the bottle (£3.75 with quantity discount).
We must pay £5.95 (£5.45 reduced) for the Crozes(5). I almost gave this one a miss, but M. Dudet has made a generous, beauti- fully balanced wine in the miraculous year of 1990 which everybody will like. It has none of the high vanilla taste of over- extracted syrah but is just an excellent, full wine of good body and balance, perfect for drinking now or at any time in the next three or four years. Those who think they don't like the northern Rhone should really give it a try. It is robust and rich without any of the over-sweetness and nausea which seems to be invading the upper reaches of the Cote Rotie.
Now for the tricky one. Moueix's Clos des Reges from Lalande de Pomerolo) starts a bit dull. Perhaps it is too young, but I am suspicious of the 1992 Bordeaux. At first taste one noticed a soft, plummy, earthy smell. 'Rustic merlot with a bit of style', I wrote. By the end of the meal, I decided it was a truly fine, opulent example of Pomerol, given away at £5.99 (£5.49 reduced). On second and third tastings, I decided it was a worthy example of rustic Pomerol's heftier style, but not a wine designed to be tasted. Decanted at room temperature two hours before drinking with a hot meal, it will cause serious delight.
The mixed case works out at £5.46 the bottle. Apart from the miraculously cheap riojao) I think I would nominate the Crozes15) and the gewiire as the stars of the offer, but the one which excited me most was the Cat- tin riesline. This opened a whole new range of experience in the riesling field.
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