I don’t know about you but I’m now comfortably back in the saddle after a serious but ultimately doomed attempt at dry January. My corkscrew and I are inseparable friends once more and it’s as if I’d never been away. Wet February here I come!
I ache for uncorking time — which Mrs Ray and I have currently set to 7 p.m., with an option to bring it forward an hour if either of us is struggling. I have a daily mantra as I ready myself for yet another night stuck chez nous. Wine is made to be drunk… it’s good for us (I know, I know, in moderation)… we need our pleasures… no need to go crazy… break yourself in gently… drink less but better… such God-given delights are there to be enjoyed… and so on.
The 2019 Famille Tiollier Jacquère (1) is ideal for setting the ball rolling. The Tiolliers have made wine at Domaine de l’Idylle in the mountain vineyards of Savoie in the far east of France for almost 200 years. Their speciality is Jacquère, a highly prized local grape, and this example is enticingly crisp, lively and invigorating. With hints of spring blossom and green apples, it’s fresh as a mountain daisy and, at just 11.5% vol, perfect aperitif fare. £11.50 down from £12.50.
A delectable all-French selection from Yapp Bros ideal for wet February
The biodynamically produced 2019 Domaine l’Ancienne Cure ‘Jour de Fruit’ (2) from Bergerac in the Dordogne is similarly alluring. I’m always in two minds about dry Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon blends, but when I sampled this I wondered why. Aromatic, herbal and citrusy, with a refreshing, slightly creamy finish, it firmly commits one to a second glass. £12.25 down from £13.25.
The 2019 Domaine André Vatan ‘Les Perriers’ Sancerre (3) is spot-on, absolute blue chip and a cornerstone of the Yapps’ list since they discovered it in 1972.
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