A Stunning Autumnal Selection
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The Robert Rolls cellar is like the Old Curiosity Shop of the wine world, and my selection of six thrilling creations demonstrates perfectly the uniqueness and creativity of this wine merchant. Jack Chaddock, cellar master supreme, makes short notes on every wine submitted for me to taste. They are some of the most fascinating in our business, adding colour, detail and subtle explanations of some of the more intricate nuances in the wines. You cannot afford to miss out on tasting our MWWC wines this month because they will be sure to expand your vinous horizons.
2019 Domaine Preignes Le Neuf Viognier, Coteaux de Beziers, France
I remember a column I wrote many moons ago which stated, ‘Don’t buy Viognier without me.’ I like fewer than 5% of Viogniers that I taste each year, because this grape is a shocker in the wrong hands – fat, oily, confected, greasy and clumsy are various crimes levelled against this grape. Preignes Le Neuf is spot on with a terrific, invigorating perfume, a slender chassis and a crisp finish. Less is way more, and this wine is a superstar with a tiny price tag.
CASE PRICE: £129
2017 Côtes-du-Rhône, Vieilles Vignes, Famille Gras, France
Using fifty-year-old (plus) vines and no trace of oak whatsoever, this wine is a direct expression of the exquisite Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault grapes found at this highly respected property. My short tasting note read ‘Autumn in a glass’ and, expanding on this, heady perfume and evocative flavour, there is silkiness here which is mesmerising, too. Famille Gras, making wine since at least the 1870’s, will tell you this wine is all about the fruit – and I have not tasted fruit as focussed or as pure this year. CASE PRICE: £161.04
2020 Figuière Blanc, Méditerranée, France
I love the rosés from this estate, but I have never tasted this superb, forward-drinking 100% Rolle (aka Vermentino), and it is nothing short of thrilling. Superbly-dry, hauntingly floral and raspier and more combative than an ocean of Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon blends. There is a genuine essence of Provence here with sunshire infused fruit, which is as unmissable as it is enticing. It also manages to capture the brightness and innocence of its flavour on its label design, which is another skill altogether. CASE PRICE: £150
2018 Les Châteliers, Anjou Gamay, Domaine Richou, Loire, France
Most of this great Gamay grape hails from Beaujolais but there is a powerful renaissance in the Loire Valley, and Les Châteliers is an elite example of what you can expect when you use tip-top organic grapes and then leave oak out of the equation altogether. The directness and lip-smacking nature of the lusty blackberry-soaked fruit here is nothing short of hypnotic and this wine, like the CdR, is tailor-made for the finest autumnal recipes.
CASE PRICE: £192.96
2015 Bougogne Blanc, Les Herbeaux, Domaine Michel Caillot, France
How on earth does a Bourgogne Blanc from an old orchard in the centre of Meursault manage to age beautifully for six years and then perform like this wine does on the nose and palate? You know I am going to use the term ‘mini-Meursault’ here, so I will get this out of the way, but the intrinsic quality and restraint in this wine is baffling. If you want to drink effortlessly classy white Burgundy, at the top of its game, for a little over twenty quid – this is it!
CASE PRICE: £258
2016 Château Grand Peyruchet, Loupiac, Bordeaux, France
I don’t think I have selected a sweet wine for the MoneyWeek Wine Club before but when this heavenly Loupiac jumped into my glass, it made the cut immediately. Grand Peyruchet, created from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes, is a dreamboat from start to finish with waxy lemons, crème anglaise, honeysuckle, apricots and patisserie tones cavorting in the glass. Add to this that this cosmic wine is a ‘full’ bottle and not a ‘half’, and this makes the price simply unmissable.
CASE PRICE: £258