I shocked an old friend the other day when I confessed how much I drank per week. He shocked me by confessing how often he had sex. We sat in speechless astonishment before clearing our throats in a very English way and moving on to the weather.
I’m not in the least bit proud of my consumption. Alarmed is more the word. But it’s an occupational hazard. My chum has no such excuse. The trouble is that I’m so easily seduced. So it was with this glittering selection from Armit Wines. Out of a dozen or so bottles tasted, these five proved irresistible, united by an innate elegance, and I didn’t just taste, I gulped.
The 2020 Borthwick Vineyards Paper Road CPR (1) from Wairarapa, New Zealand, has nothing to do with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and everything to do with Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling, of which it’s an extremely tasty blend. I love wines like this! It’s just so welcoming, with teasing hints of peaches, pears and lively citrus on the nose and a silky, mouth-fillingly creamy, fruity finish. A complete bargain at RRP, it’s an absolute giveaway with 26 per cent off. £12.08 down from £16.43.
The 2018 Astrolabe Chardonnay (2) is another cracker from NZ, in this instance from Marlborough, due west of Wairarapa across the Cook Strait, through which sailed French botanist/cartographer Jules Dumont d’Urville in his ship Astrolabe in 1827.
Made from free-run juice of 100 per cent Chardonnay, drawn from three vineyard sites, the wine was fermented and aged in French oak. The result is strikingly fine and testament to the great skill of the wine-maker, Simon Waghorn. It’s so graceful and light on its feet, with notes of peach, apple, biscuit, nuts and grapefruit, and a zephyr-soft touch of cream on the finish. It’s seriously sophisticated Chardonnay. £15.42
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