November Mini-bar

Father Christmas this year comes disguised as Mark Cronshaw of The Wine Company in Colchester. He has offered some huge savings on fine wines for yuletide glugging, and so while this Mini-Bar costs somewhat more than our usual offers, it does include special treats for your holiday feasting. There are three great Burgundies, and that rarity — a really fine, mature Rioja.

First up is a delectable Chablis 1er cru Fourchaume 2011 (1), from the Domaine Séguinot-Bordet. It’s only when you taste wine of this standard that you realise how luscious Chablis can be, compared with the alcoholic chalk dust sometimes sold under that name. Here flavoursome -plumpness is perfectly matched by the -flintiness that derives from the soil where the grapes are grown. It is basically billions of prehistoric crushed oyster shells. No -wonder great Chablis goes so well with seafood. Mark has knocked off £24 a case.