Wine Club 11 June

I never drink before noon or 7 p.m., but find myself ever more often glancing at the sundial and licking my lips as the appointed hours approach. Thereafter at least a bottle of wine a day goes down the pipeline, which distresses government health advisers but gives boundless pleasure to me.

It is hard to detach expectations from knowledge of price. On that basis, grand vintages often disappoint: to us barbarians, no liquid can really be worth, say, £400 a bottle. Some generous hosts recently produced for us such masterpieces as Lafite and Pétrus ’82, both of which felt as if they would have been more impressive a few years back. Some very old Haut Brion seemed positively nasty.

But we all savour the difference between pub fare and modest excellence within the £20 a bottle range, of which FromVineyardsDirect.com offer a terrific choice. In the tasting case they sent me last month, both Penny and I fell in love with the 2012 St-Emilion (1), which we would be proud to offer to anyone, and fabulous value at £19.45