Old meets new with mail-order wine
THE recent snowfalls, which kept folk from their beloved workplace, increased the snowman population as families spent quality time together in the winter wonderland.
Shopping online also snowballed and I’m sure more than a few cases of wine were ordered by the stay-at-homes.
Certainly wine store websites from Tesco.com down to interesting indie merchants are attractive and prospering. I’ve been sampling the wares of two of them – bbr.com and virginwines.com.
Berry Bros & Rudd is the UK’s oldest wine merchant and the original premises in London’s snooty St James’s are intimidating for the humble punter – all pinstripes and panelling, you almost expect Doctor Johnson to be still taking snuff in some dark corner.
Globe-spanning list
But behind this fusty window dressing is a modern mail order operation based in modern premises out in Hampshire with a globe-spanning list, as will be evident if you watch BBC Four’s new series ‘Wine: The Firm.
One of the stars will be David Clarke, an unassuming expatriate winemaker in Morey St Denis, Burgundy, who used to work for the Williams Formula One team.
I adore his straight Bourgogne Rouge 2006 (£15.15), only eight barrels of which were made. Its rich raspberry pinot noir fruit is delicious now, but it will improve in the bottle for up to a decade.
Bordeaux like Burgundy is a traditional Berry Bros speciality. Berrys’ Good Ordinary Claret (£7.30) is a medium-bodied merlot-dominated, silkily ripe glugger.
Classic stuff
2004 Les Tourelles de Longueville, Pauillac (£22) is not. But this second wine of Chateau Pichon-Baron Longueville is classic stuff from a forward vintage.
Fifty per cent merlot, it is sweetly blackcurranty with a smack of vanilla. It is approachable now but has the structure to last a good while.
Two aromatic whites also impressed. KT & The Falcon Watervale Riesling (£14.60), from the Clare Valley, has the minerality and steel you’d expect from quality Australian Riesling behind approachable liminess. Gorgeous.
Sylvaner is perhaps the most under-rated grape of the generally under-rated Alsace region of France. Domaine Ostertag’s Sylvaner Vielles Vignes 2007 (£11.25) is the serious exception, peachy on the nose and offering a fresh bite and surprisingly long aftertaste.
Real quality
On the website Berry Bros have introduced a ‘Gluggle Earth’ feature, allowing customers to zoom in on wine producing regions – http://www.bbr.com/wine-knowledge/maps
Virgin Wines send out different signals to Berry Bros, but is a source of some real quality.
If you spend £10.99 on their Brachetto’Aqui 2008, you are not paying for the alcohol. It is only 5.5 per cent! It’s also a Lambruscolike (we mean the good stuff) frothy, red fizz, reeking of roses and strawberries. Chill. Sip with fruit or ice cream.
Fellow sippable Italian Araldica d’Aria Alasia (£6.99) is designated only as a vino da tavola bianco (white table wine), but its muscat fruit offers attractive pure grapiness.
Lovely mouthfeel
Similarly aromatic Finca de Arantei 2007 (£11.99) is an affordable example of Spain’s most coveted white. Like the Araldica, its is pale straw in colour, with edgy fruit and a lovely mouthfeel.
Two powerful Virgin reds are both currently down in price to £8.99. I admire Juan Gil’s Monastrell wines from Spain’s hot Jumilla region, but his 14.5 per cent Albacea is a monster even by his standards. One to accompany strong meats.
From its peppery shiraz nose to its smoky, sweet fruit, Tabali Reserve Shiraz 2006 from Chile's Limari Valley is a well-priced treat also.
Virgin Wines are holding their first every tasting in Manchester on Saturday March 21, noon-5pm Exchange Hall, Manchester Central
Published: Wed, 11 February, 2009
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