My father loved nothing more than a smutty limerick. Indeed, he delighted in penning lewd lines whenever he was encouraged to do so.
This being a family magazine, I won’t sully your breakfast with his verse on Verdicchio – tame though it is – but can happily send under plain brown-paper wrapper or via email if such things appeal.
This is a cracking example of how tempting a wine proper Gavi di Gavi should be
It’s just that said lickerish limerick was brought to mind on tasting the first wine of this very genial selection – three Italian, three French – from our old mates at Honest Grapes.
It’s a jolly verse and the 2020 Casalfarneto Diego Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico (1) is a similarly jolly wine, from one of my very favourite regions in Italy – Le Marche. Fresh, zesty and keen with plenty of citrus and Sauvignon Blanc/-Bacchus-like aromas and acidity, it’s the perfect picnic wine or first undemanding glass of the evening. £11.79 down from £13.10.
We’ve offered the 2018 Albert Bichot Viré-Clessé (2) before with great success and I reckon it’s currently tasting even better. Family-owned Maison Albert Bichot have been making wine in and around Beaune for almost 200 years and clearly know what they’re about. Soft, smooth and honeyed with concentrated fresh lemon, butter and whispers of caramel and vanilla, it’s lusciously long-lasting in the mouth and deeply satisfying. £15.75 down from £17.50.
I’ve lost count of the number of dreary, overpriced Gavi di Gavis I’ve had in dreary, overpriced Italian restaurants over the years, and so it was a complete delight to encounter this 2020 Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi (3). Made from 100 per cent Cortese in southern Piedmont, it’s a cracking example of how tempting a wine proper Gavi di Gavi should be.
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in