SPECTATOR WINE CLUB
SIMON HOGGART
It’s a huge pleasure to work with John Armit wines. Not only do they offer tremendous bargains, but they also give you the chance to taste the wines first, free. You can visit their headquarters, just off Ladbroke Grove in Notting Hill, on Wednesday 25 May, between 6 p.m. and 8.30. All nine wines here will be shown, and any orders you place will be delivered within a day or so. It’s a pleasant opportunity to meet other wine-loving Spectator readers and I hope to be there myself, day job permitting. Numbers are limited, so please call ahead to bag your place.
I hope you’ll try the Kaesler Old Vine Semillon 2003(1) from the Barossa Valley. Semillon is the grape used in Sauternes, but in Australia it makes this wonderfully fragrant and delicate dry wine. The old vines give an extra body and depth which make this perfect for summer meals outdoors. Reduced by £2.58 per bottle.
The Chablis Domaine de la Genillotte 2003(2) is a smashing wine, which we’ve offered before with great success. As I never tire of saying, Chablis can be awful — your heart sinks when a kindly host produces a bottle which you fear will taste of alcoholic chalk dust — but this is packed with fruit and flavour, as well as having the necessary flintiness. A £2.12 discount.
There’s a further £1.30 off the delicious Sancerre from the Domaine Henry Natter 2003(3). Until recently some Sancerres were sloppily made, relying too much on the fame of the appellation. New Zealand has changed all that, and this combines the rich flavour of an antipodean Sauvignon Blanc with the traditional steely elegance of the region. And it’s measure of how far the Antipodes have come that we can offer this gorgeous Seresin Reserve Chardonnay 2002(4) from Marlborough, New Zealand. This is a tremendous wine: voluptuous, packed with tropical fruit flavours, nuts and spices, long on the palate and deeply satisfying. At £79 for a six-bottle case, they are not giving it away, but that includes a remarkable saving of £3.37 a bottle.
Now the reds. The Montepulciano 2002 from Fratelli Barba, at Colle Morino(5), is fantastic, sodden with rich flavours like crushed plums and cherries. At its original price it is a wonderful bargain; reduced by £1.21 it’s a snip.
There’s another £2.54 off the Côtes du Rhône Rasteau from Ch. du Trignon 2002(6), bringing it down to just £99 a case. This is one of the great wines from this appellation, dark and complex, perfect for laying down — if you can resist guzzling it now.
Pinot Noir is more popular than ever, and the excellent 2002 New Zealander from Borthwick Vineyard(7) has all the delicate perfume and subtle flavours we associate with the most difficult grape. Given that Oregon Pinots can cost £30–£40, it’s great to find this at under a tenner — a saving of £2.79 per bottle. The famous Moueix family, who make, among other delights, Ch. Pétrus, have created this Grand Cru St Emilion, Ch. Cloître Lescours 1998(8). Most people love the soft, smoky, fleshy savour of a fine St Emilion, but most can’t afford Cheval Blanc. This makes a terrific substitute. And with a £43 per case discount it’s easy on the credit card.
I wouldn’t normally use a merchant’s own publicity material, but here’s what Armit says about its house champagne(9): ‘Shouts pure class. Lovely perfume, bags of tangy apple and lemon, with a touch of cream, just awesome value for money.’ Except that Decanter magazine agrees. And so do I. Reduced by £1.37.
Delivery is free, and there are two sample cases. To book a place at the 25 May tasting call Lucy Marcuson on 020 7908 0620.
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