SPECTATOR WINE CLUB

A miracle of old honey and hay

Auberon Waugh

There are some magnificent wines in this offer, and at least one of them (the Monbazillac(2)) is also a stupendous bar- gain. I was not, on this occasion, able to fmd any cheapo magnificos to transform the lives of poorer readers, which means that the average price in the mixed case is £5.72 the bottle, but this is less than 4p up on our last El Vino offer in March 1996 and I feel I can recommend the mixed case unreservedly. The most expensive red — the Château Terre Rouge, Medoc 1989(6), is one of the best clarets I have offered for a very long time, but not everybody will be able to afford a case at the price of £7.85 the bottle, reduced to this from £8.25. In the mixed case, it will be a treat for the paupers, as will the splendid, sweet Mon- bazillac.

Anyway, here we go. Despite the current anti-Third World chardonnay mood, the St Helena Chardonnay 1995(1) won loud applause. It is fresh and full with good acid, not oppressively varietal but easily identi- fied and, at £5.60, good value for money. It has improved further since first tasting in March. A lovely summer's drink.

The next wine should prove something of a marvel to all who have not closed their minds to the idea of a sweet white which can be drunk chilled as an aperitif, as well as with pudding or foie gras. Slightly lighter (and much cheaper) than your average Sauternes or Barsac, it has a most elegant old-honey smell and a touch of hay on the palate which, combined with a true depth of taste which never cloys, make it a mira- cle at £6. Good sweet Monbazillac is very expensive even in the Bergerac region. This one is supreme, and has been reduced from £7.48. Every wine-lover should have a bot- tie permanently in the fridge.

I wish I could dance and sing about this Communard(3), which has been El Vino's staple light claret for as long as I can remember and was once a favourite of mine. But it remains the same at £4.52 the bottle and I feel I have moved on. Those who want a decent, reliable light claret will have difficulty finding one cheaper.

Our second red is a Chilean merlot(4) at £4.95. Good fruit, plenty of character, could be kept or drunk now with meaty food. Improved and filled out two days after first tasting. An interesting, self-confi- dent wine.

A bit of a price jump to the 1993 Rioja Alcorta Crianza(5) at £5.41, but that is the one I eventually chose as my ordinary drinking wine for the month and my wife, who is sometimes a bit sniffy about Spanish wines, welcomes it. Very decent Crianza smell and excellent, full, clean Rioja taste which is not too assertive and slips down easily.

Finally, the co-star of the offer (with the Monbazillac which many will be too stuck- in-the-mud to try), a wonderful, pure, strong bourgeois MOdoc which nobody will ever have heard of but which will bring sighs of happiness to all claret-lovers. This is as good as a bourgeois claret can be, with a hefty blackcurrant touch to its beautiful rich nose and opening up in the mouth like a, like a. . . . Three stars and worth every farthing of its reduced price at £7.85. Those who buy the Château Terre Rouge 1989 will bless the name of The Spectator for as long as they have some.

ORDER FORM SPECTATOR WINE CLUB

cio El Vino Co. Ltd 1 Hare Place, Fleet Street, London EC4Y IBJ Tel: (0171) 353 5384 Fax: (0171) 936 2367

Price No. Value White

St Helena Chardonnay 1995,

Curico Valley, Chile 12 Boa £6720

Monbazillac Grains d'Or 1995 12 Boa £7200 Red

Communard Bordeaux 12 Bots £54.24

Merlot Bisquertt 1995, Chile 12 Boa £59.40

Rioja Alcorta Crianza 1993 12 Bots £64.92

Chateau Terre Rouge 1989, Madoc,

Cm Bourgeois 12 Boa £94.20 Mixed

7 Sample case, two of each 12 Boa £68.64

TOTAL (Cheque enclosed)

Please send 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 30 June 1997.