So that’s another Dry January finally knocked on the head. Phew! For dear Mrs Ray, it was more of a persistently damp January with a few scattered showers and – the weather forecast was spot on here – one heck of a downpour on Burns Night. For a girl who claims not to like whisky, she can sure pack it away.
She pays for it afterwards, of course, and was a little piano during the final days of the month, just as I was cranking up the engines. I’m still slightly off my game, to be honest, but I was back in the vinous gym on 1 Feb, going through my paces with these all-French, all-red (apart from one fizz) treats from our confrères at FromVineyardsDirect, and I should be match fit soon.
According to FVD’s Esme Johnstone, the 2021 Mas Carlot ‘Générations’ (1) from Costières de Nîmes, south-west of the Rhône Valley, is the best-value red on their list. A Grenache/Syrah blend with just a stiffening dash of Mourvèdre, it’s fermented in stainless steel and aged in concrete, allowing the juiciness, freshness and spiciness of the dark berry fruit to shine. FVD have imported Mas Carlot’s wines for well over a decade, and when we offered a parcel of this very wine in August it promptly sold out. The price is even lower this time, so get your skates on. £12.50 down from £13.95.
The 2019 Ch. de Clotte ‘Tradition’ (2) from Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux is another old favourite of ours which we offered very successfully last summer. The intervening six months have been more than kind, and it’s bang on song, with soft, mellow cassis fruit and a touch of inky intensity.
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