The boiler has been on the blink for days and I’m tired, cold and grumpy. Mrs Ray, too, is being unnaturally scratchy. Don’t worry, she never reads this.
To cheer ourselves up and to keep out the chill, I suggested that she join me in tasting a dozen or so Burgundies from Honest Grapes, not at 6 p.m. as planned, but at a much more sensible and invigorating 11 a.m. She took little persuading, bless her. Carpe diem and carpe decanter are her mottos.
And what a hearteningly wise decision it was. We both love fine Burgundy – who doesn’t? – and Tom Harrow – co-founder of Honest Grapes and Head Wine Guru – really knows his stuff. His cannily curated selection from his favourite rising stars and unsung heroes in the region all hit the spot. So much so that after we’d picked our top six, we called various neighbours and, with their help, drained every bottle over an impromptu lunch of cold cuts and salad.
There is nothing so cheering as the first glass of the morning when you’re feeling what my mother used to term as low in the tripes, and the 2022 Guillaume Vrignaud Petit Chablis (1) put instant springs in our step and smiles on our faces. It’s the perfect mid-morning uplifter. It’s not too dry and it’s not too lean, as many Petit Chablis can be, it’s just lovely. Guillaume Vrignaud owns some 29 ha of vines around Fontenay-près-Chablis and this is made from organically-farmed grapes grown in the Chemin des Chaumes vineyard, undergoing complete malo-lactic fermentation before resting on the lees in stainless steel.
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