SPECTATOR WINE CLUB

Lots to rave about

Auberon Waugh

Vottenburg's Sauvignon Blanc(1) is the second Stellenbosch sauvignon which has excited me wildly this year. At £4.85 the bottle (£4.35 on the Brett-Smith indulgence, if you live in London and order a total of two or more cases from the offer, three or more cases if you live outside) it is also con- siderably cheaper than the other Stellen- bosch wine which excited me so much. It is a magnificent example, straightforward and unflinching as a Worcestershire hostess, with massive fruit underneath: excellent, strong, vital sauvignon with a freshness which hits exactly the right note. Fans of old white Bordeaux may find it a bit assertive, like so many colonials, but the panel all thought it lovely. I would call it the star of the offer, and it is certainly the most excit- ing new discovery, except that there are at least two other wines this time I must rave about, and a fourth which should not be missed.

I cannot claim that the Domaine Haute Begude chardonnay from the Pays d'Oc(2) set anyone's feet dancing at £5.10 (£4.60 on the Brett-Smith indulgence), but it is a sound, full wine, again of the slightly colo- nial character that these new French enter- Prises are developing, at a reasonable price, especially at the bulk rate.

The Notre-Dame de Landiras 1993(s) is an altogether more serious wine, as its price of £6.35 (£5.85 discounted) might suggest. Made by the ingenious Dane, Vinding- Diers, at his Domaine La Grave at Rions, it has a good acid nose, still slightly green, with the semillon on top, suggesting it might improve with keeping, but a rich, expensive taste, strong and long-lasting, if you drink it now. Already much reduced from the list Price - I shall spare Brett-Smith's blushes by not revealing the exact amounts - this Wine has a quality which would make it acceptable on any table in the land. Warmly recommended.

Many punters will remember the Chateau de Sours rosé from Bordeaux(4) which has been described as the best rosé in the world. My own experience suggests that it is best drunk within three or four Months of purchase, but the 1995 is now showing magnificently: a good bouncy smell with a wonderful taste of summer even when taken in rainy May, it comes from pure merlot grapes and looks as pret- ty as anything. This wine would be truly wonderful at summer weddings in place of the usual indifferent champagne, and at £6.10 the bottle (£5.60 discounted) is notably cheaper. It has been reduced from £7.19 the bottle for Spectator readers, but I have heard of shops selling it at £7.45 and even £7.80. Anybody who likes wine would be mad not to buy a case or two to see them through the rest of the summer. Embarrassingly enough, I must also rave about the Domaine de Saissac 1994(5) - a rotten year and an unknown wine, but this lovely oak-aged cabernet from the Pays d'Oc has a beautiful, rich smell and tastes like a seriously decent cm classe claret at the brilliant price of £4.45, or £3.95 dis- counted. There is nothing more to be said, except that it is Brett-Smith's favourite home tipple and will soon be mine. We tasted the Château Montagne 1992(6) from Moueix in February and found it most impressive - not fat, but elegant with high fruit and plenty of good taste - but on a second tasting for this offer it seemed to be going to sleep. It has come down from £5.89 to £5.30 (£4.80 discounted), at which price it is a bargain by any standards, but those who are prepared to wait for it to come to life again in perhaps two years may have some- thing glorious on their hands.

The mixed case works out at only £5.36 the bottle, £4.86 discounted. I think that with the brilliant Stellenbosch sauvignon(1), the Chateau de Sours rose4) and the Domaine de Saissac oaked cabemet(s), not to mention the Landiras(3), this is one of the best offers we have had from Corney & Barrow.

ORDER FORM SPECTATOR WINE CLUB

c/o Corney & Barrow Limited 12 Helmet Row, London EC1V 3QJ lel: 0171 251 4051 Fax: 0171 608 1373

White 1. Nottenburg Sauvignon

Price No. Value

Blanc Stellenbosch 1995 12 Bots £58.20

Domaine Haute Begude 1995

Pays d'Oc, Chardonnay 12 Bots £61.20

Notre-Dame de Landiras 1993

binding-Diers/Bordeaux 12 Bots £76.20 Rose 4. Chdteau dadours 1995

Bordeaux Rose 12 Bats L73.20 Red 5. Domaine .de Saissac 1994

Cabernet Sauvignon, Pays d'Oc 12 Bots £53.40 6. Chateau Montagne 1992

Bordeaux Superieur

(Maze-Moueix) 12 Bats £63.60 Mixed 7. Sample case, two of each 12 Bots £64.30

TOTAL less discount.

TOTAL (cheque enclosed)

'Deduct £6 per case for orders of two cases or more in the London area, three cages or more outside London.

Please send wine to: Own name & address, if different: NAME NAME ADDRESS ADDRESS POSTCODE POSTCODE TELEPHONE TELEPHONE 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 30 September 1996.

VISA/ACCESS NO• Signature Expiry date