AUTUMN FOOD AND WINE
Wine Club
Good news for the paupers
Auberon Waugh
FOR OUR TRADITIONAL bumper Christmas offer from Avery's — on which work has been proceeding all year — I will once again go through the pauper's mixed case first, then deal with the plutocrats. Both are considerably cheaper than they were in 1991, when paupers paid £75.44 (£6.29 per bottle against this year's £5.57), and plutocrats paid £174.24 (£14.52 per bottle against this year's £9.81). Where the plutocrats are concerned, the saving has been achieved by cutting down on over- priced mature Burgundy, although there is a truly magnificent claret in No. 10. The paupers are simply the beneficiaries of a benign historical development, that there is some seriously good wine available surpris- ingly cheap for those who search for it.
First the Undurraga Sauvignon Blanc(1) at £3.99 the bottle, up 24p on last year, I am afraid, but I think the 1993 is the better wine. Chilean sauvignon at its healthiest and freshest — fruitier, less herbaceous than its New Zealand equivalents, with touches of grapefruit, it is a very good, clean white wine at the price.
The Château Pichon Bellevue 1992(2) from the Graves de Vayre is unquestion- ably one of the stars of this offer, causing four members of the panel to break into spontaneous cheers for the massive, over- whelmingly fresh taste of gooseberries and elderflower. Everyone loved it — an excel- lent wine at any price, at £5 truly exciting.
The next is a curiosity — an Australian chardonnay from the South of France(3). It was not chosen for its curiosity value, how- ever, but because it is a gentle wine, marry- ing the French and colonial styles — white Burgundy with a touch of pineapple and best butter added. A good compromise and at £5 a reasonable price. Well done, James Herrick.
I couldn't find a Spectator Club claret cheap enough this year, but Raoul John- ston's Beauclaire 1989(4) at £4.45 is certain- ly better than anything I could have found: a hefty, right-bank merlot, nothing harsh or rat-like but a really solid young Bordeatr. for enjoying now. No tannin, sweetish smell of mulberries and joie-de-vivre. Elegant bottle, good, strong wino's tipple.
Next the lucky paupers can buy the Undurraga Reserve Cabernet 1989(y) for £5 where previously they have been stuck with the Undurraga Cabernet (a good leafy claret-style, but without the weight and richness of the Reserve). This is a wonder- ful, deep red, concentrated wine with all the expensive colonial tastes, whether of Coonawarra or Napa Valley: out of all that ripe blackcurrant a pure, high-class taste of premier cru Medoc is breaking through. Long may Chile keep its prices down. This is £15 worth of wine for £5.
Last in the pauper's box comes the St Honore a Vertus(11) champagne. Perhaps I had better deal with the champagnes together, as space is running short. The St Honore Brut at £10 a bottle is good. The Avery's Special Cuvee(12) at £11.99 is bet- ter. The Avery's Bicentennial Cuvee(13) 1989 at £18.33 the bottle is a revelation. Much depends on the chemistry in the mouth when tasting champagne. These three wines are all faultless bargains in their several styles.
Now for a gallop through the rest. As the 'Is there another prima donna in the hall?'
AUTUMN FOOD AND WINE
Hamilton-Russell Chardonnay(4) gets bet- ter and better, its price falls. I asked over £7 for the 1990 two years ago. This 1992 at £6 is seriously good chardonnay. Not too trop- ical nor colonial nor southern hemisphere, it would stand erect and sublime as £18 worth of wine in any Puligny-Montrachet line-up. If all South African wine was as good as this, South Africa would conquer the world. It is possible to find Australian chardonnay as good as this, but not at the price.
The Sancerre Domaine de la Moussiere 1992(5) has been valiantly reduced in price but still costs £7.99. It is an excellent Sancerre in the fuller tradition, grass on the nose, beautiful sauvignon fruit in the mouth. No hot wax this time. I just wish it was not so popular in Paris.
COtes de Beaune Villages 1987(8) may not sound a very exciting label, but Remoissenet produced a magnificent red Burgundy that year which beat four others in the same price-range without much diffi- culty including their own brilliant 1989 Givry Thenard. Both (8) and (9), the 1987 Savigny les Guettes, are for drinking now. Both are excellent. One costs £7.99, the Other £11.95. The Savigny is more concen- trated, but whether there is really £4 differ- ence between them depends how rich you think you are. The Savigny has a sweeter, richer smell, the Villages have a farmyard cir two which might profit from attention. I must admit, I think I am pretty rich . . . Finally, the crowning glory of the offer. Punters should be warned that this is Pauil- lac Château Latour(1) 1990, not Château Latour 1990, Pauillac. Not even nice Mr Avery would give us Château Latour 1990 at £12.92 the bottle. In fact the name of Chateau Latour appears in very small print U n the label. It is Latour's third wine, after Les Forts de Latour (about £20 for the 1990), but it is a splendid, magnificent wine, lovely to drink now or in ten years grand and expensive tasting and utterly, Iltterly delicious. Unfortunately, it is in lim- ited supply, with probably no more than 60 eases available after the mixed case orders have been met. I thought of limiting it to one case per order, but decided that it Smacked of socialism and in any case I was going to order three cases. So it is a ques- tion of first come, first served, and don't expect to be able to re-order. I think this is our best offer yet. Pluto- crats should not be too proud to order eases of the Pichon Bellevue(2) at £5 or the Undurraga Cabernet Reserve(7) at the same price, nor should paupers be too humble to order the Hamilton Russell Chardonnay, given away at £6. They are all Wonderful wines. My only regret is not hav- ing been able to find a good pinot noir at under £7.99.
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