SPECTATOR WINE CLUB

EVERY day for the last two months I have reflected that I must have suffered a moment of madness — as we politicians describe the spasm of succumbing to ungovernable urges — when I agreed to take over this column from Auberon Waugh.

The Spectator Wine Club has, under Mr Waugh's stewardship, attracted a loyal and devoted band of admirers. For many years they, or rather we, have followed his advice with something approaching religious zeal, and I am very conscious how much advan- tage and pleasure his learning has given, to readers and to their guests and friends.

His will not be an easy act to follow. So, since it all worked so well, I do not intend to upset or change Bron's admirable meth- ods, and I shall do my best, with all humili- ty, to pick merchants and their wines as carefully and wisely as he did.

The first offer of the year follows these traditions by looking at some excellent wines produced by Wrightson and Compa- ny from Manfield, near Darlington. Simon Wrightson has produced some magnificent, mainly inexpensive, wines for the club over the last few years, and his mid-winter offers have regularly provided drink to cheer up the sometimes grim and dull weeks of February and March.

So here goes. The Chardonnay Domaine Fontenelles 1998(') coming from the Languedoc Roussillon is a pleasant conven- tional white wine to drink, and provides quite excellent value, given its quality, at just under £5 a bottle. This is a bargain as a good serviceable table wine that will do at any time of the day. The second of the whites is the High Country Chardonnay 1997(2). This is a whol- ly different wine. It is a traditional, big, rich, fat type of Australian Chardonnay with a splendid golden colour to it. The panel's view was that even at £7.40 a bottle it will warm and cheer your hearts as winter comes to an end. Incidentally, this is emphatically not the sort of wine once most memorably described by my illustrious pre- decessor as 'just another flaming Aussie pooftah'. Strongly recommended.

Our first red wine, the Domaine de L'Ameillaud 1998,(3) is a much heavier and more serious wine than its price of just over £4 a bottle would suggest. Grown at the southern tip of the Rhone Valley, whose wines of 1998 are generally of a very high standard, the vines are owned by an Englishman, Nick Thompson, who makes this delicious, round and generous Provençal. Simon Wrightson offered the 1997 of this wine last year, which was received with acclamation. The panel found the 1998 to be a worthy successor in its soft- ness and smoothness and warmly recom- mend it.

Nicholas Soames

The Opal Ridge Shiraz Cabernet 1999(4) is an amazingly complex and fascinating wine to taste and smell. Made from, as may be obvious from the name, a blend of Shi- raz and Cabernet grapes, it is thoroughly exotic and utterly delicious. It will, in my view, be just the thing to have at your side with Cheltenham and the Budget approaching. I think people will find this wine highly unusual and very lush indeed. At under a fiver a bottle it is excellent value. Enjoy.

Next, the Château Garreau 19960). This is a genuine Bordeaux from an excellent vintage. It has a pure claret taste, good colour and represents first-rate value at £5.25. The panel thought it a straightfor- ward, uncomplicated wine that was drink- ing well.

Finally, the Château Nodoz 1997(6) from the Cotes de Bourg. This is guaranteed not to induce the same effect as those curious little pills, also called Nodoz, which one can buy in America to stop one going to sleep after a long luncheon. Château Nodoz is one of the best of the petits châteaux of the Bourg area whose wines generally come forward early, and the 1997 we found to be definitely worth trying.

This has been a nerve-racking process, not least since, as the actress said to the bishop, it is my first time. But I hope the readers will find it an interesting opening offer. The mixed case, two of each, works out at £65.19.

Thank you, Mr Wrightson.

ORDER FORM SPECTATOR WINE CLUB

cio Wrightson & Company Manfield Grange, Manfield, near Darlington, North Yorkshire DL2 2RE Tel: (01325) 374134 Fax: (01325) 374135 E-mail: ed.wrightson.wines@onyxnet.co.uk

White I. Chardonnay Domaine Fontenelles 1998,

Pike No. Value

Vin de Pays d'Oc 12 bots £58.92

High Counoy Chardonnay 1997 12 bots £88.80 Red

Domaine de L'Ameillaud 1998,

Vin de Pays de La Principaute d'Orange 12 bats £50.00

Opal Ridge Shiraz Cabernet 1999,

South-East Australia 12 bots £56.88

Chateau Garreau 1996, Bordeaux Supdneur 12 bots £65.40

Chateau Nodoz 1997, Cates de Bourg 12 bots £72.00 Mixed

Sample case, two of each 12 hots £65.19

TOTAL (Cheque enclosed)

Please send wine to: NAME ADDRESS Own name & address, if different: NAME 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 Mastercard/Visa, details of which may be tele- phoned or faxed. This offer, which is subject to availability, closes on 31 March 2000.

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