Clearly, it was a mistake to taste the wines Corney & Barrow sent for this offer on the same night as Mrs Ray’s book club. We squabbled for space and then squabbled for wine, and while every one of the dozen or so bottles was drained dry, the books weren’t even opened. My wife says I’m an infuriating idiot but her friends seemed to like me. It was indeed a chaotic evening, but happily everyone agreed on the top six wines, with 1 and 4 getting the loudest cheers from my impromptu tasting panel.
The 2022 Eradus ‘Ana’ Sauvignon Blanc (1) is classic Kiwi Savvy Blanc from the delightful Michiel Eradus, who hosted a memorable Spectator Winemaker Lunch a while back. Named after his daughter, it’s made with fruit from the Awatere Valley, Marlborough, where warm days and cool nights lead to an exhilarating freshness and keen acidity. With plenty of lively tropical fruit and a dry finish it’s spot on, especially at this price. £12.60 down from £14.
It was indeed a chaotic evening, but happily everyone agreed on the top six wines
The 2020 Château La Fleur des Graves (2) is a low-yield, small-volume, oak-aged blend of 75 per cent Sauvignon Blanc and 25 per cent Sémillon from the tiny appellation of Graves de Vayres in the Entre Deux Mers. I’m not usually a fan of dry white Bordeaux – not sure why, I just rarely seek it out – but this completely disarmed me with its fresh, lively fruit, grassy notes and citrus finish. £13.55 down from £15.05.
Made from 100 per cent Sauvignon grown on the banks of the Cher, a tributary of the Loire, the 2020 Domaine de l’Epine ‘Une Promesse’ Quincy (3) is produced by Magali le Roh, who gave ‘une promesse’ to her father that she would continue working the estate after his death.
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in