Jingle corkscrews
With Christmas just around the corner, Christine Austin checks out some of the best festive wine deals on the high street and in the independent sector.
THE weather doesn’t seem too sure about it, but it is Christmas in just 23 days time. Neighbourhood drinks invitations have started dropping through the door and then there is the whole debate about who in the family is going to pick up distant relatives from remote corners of the country so they can spend the important day around the same table.
Meanwhile supermarkets and wine merchants have unleashed a set of offers in the hope that we will fill up trolleys and online orders with their brands. I have checked out some of the deals and here are the best.
WAITROSE
Every year Waitrose drops the price of 10 fine wines to just £10. These are not boughtin specials with high prices stuck on to them for a few weeks before they are marked down. They are regular lines, marked down to act as a come-and-buy-me. I expect there is limited stock of these wines, and once the offer gets some publicity, I imagine that customers will be queuing around the block to get them. The offer started last Wednesday, so grab the car keys and get down to your local Waitrose to see what is left.
■ Chablis Esprit de Chablis 2022, France, down from £17.99 to £10 until December 13: Astonishing value for this pure citrus and crunchy minerally focused wine. Perfect now with fish and seafood but buy a few extra bottles to enjoy once spring comes round.
■ Bodega Norton Malbec Reserva Finca Agrelo 2021, Mendoza Argentina, down from £15.99 to £10 until January 1: Seriously good Malbec from vineyards in the foothills of the Andes, so they get lots of daytime sunshine, with cool, refreshing nights. Dark mulberry fruit, supple tannins and a long finish.
■ Ch. Liversan Haut-Médoc 2015, Bordeaux, down from £15.99 to £10 until January
1: Seriously good Bordeaux from an estate based on sandy gravel, on the west side of Pauillac. With Merlot giving soft fruit, Cabernet Sauvignon adding structure and a small percentage of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot providing aromatics and depth, it is a wine to enjoy this Christmas, and maybe next Christmas too.
■ Saint Clair Wairau Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2022, Marlborough, down from £15.99 to £30 until January 1: When there are so many Kiwi sauvignons, why buy this one even if it is on offer? Because it really does stand out for quality. More than just gooseberry and peapod flavours, this has notes of passionfruit, melon and crushed blackcurrant leaves in the mix with zesty citrus acting as a wake-up call to your taste buds.
ASDA
Recent tastings at Asda reveal that the buying team have been working hard to move their own label “Extra Special” brand up the quality scale. There are bright, fresh flavours behind those labels and until December 13 Asda is offering a 25 per cent discount when you buy six bottles that normally cost over £5.50. The offer is not just for own label wines, although there are a few that are not in the offer, so you need to check carefully. The added bonus is that this 25 per cent reduction counts even if the wine is on a single-bottle discount, so you can get double discount if you buy six bottles which can be mixed.
■ Extra Special Gran Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2022, Casablanca Valley, Chile, down from £7.75 to £7.25, then down by 25 per cent when you buy a mixed six: Sourced from Vina Indomita, one of the best producers in the Casablanca Valley, this has bright juicy citrus flavours that will liven up salads and starters, as well as a Christmas buffet.
■ Extra Special Chablis 2021, down from £14 to £13, then down by 25 per cent when you buy a mixed six: A medal-winning wine with crunchy green apple, clear citrus fruit and a definite minerally crunch. Team this with prawns or baked fish.
■ Extra Special Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2021, down from £19.75 to £18, then down by 25 per cent when you by a mixed six: Elegant, balanced, dark bramble and spice-filled flavours. When there is stuffing, roasties, gravy and meat, there is a definite need for a wellstructured wine.
BON COEUR FINE WINES
Last week I worked my way through over 60 wines from independent wine merchant Bon Coeur based in Melsonby. Quite a number are on special offer while stocks last but there should be plenty to take them through until Christmas week.
■ Boncoeur Classic Claret 2016, Bordeaux, down from £14.23 to £12: The only reason this wine is under an own label is that it was made by the retired winemaker from one of my favourite chateaux – Ch. Gloria – although the grapes are not from that property. Even so, it is a cracking claret, worthy of a Sunday lunch when there is roast lamb on the table and worth having around for the big event if the whole family have gathered at your house.
■ Quinta Nova 2021, Grainha Tinto Reserva, Douro Valley, Portugal, down from £21.95 to £18: Quinta Nova is a historic estate in a fine position above the Douro, and is now in the hands of the Amorim family who also process much of the cork that comes out of Portugal. Made from the classic mix of Douro grapes, then aged in French 11 months, this is an outstanding wine that has gathered gold medals across Europe. With deep, mulberry and cassis notes, supple tannins and a savoury, peppery-edged finish, it is perfect with cheese. Delicious now but buy plenty and keep to enjoy later in the year.
■ Samuel Billaud Chablis “Les Grands Terroirs” 2021, £31.46, case price, £28.60: Chablis from a winemaker so brilliant that his wines are on allocation. This is classic Chablis, elegant, crunchy, long and refined. This was a vintage caught by an early frost in April which damaged the developing buds. Yields were down dramatically so prices are inevitably high. However, the quality of the wine produced is exceptional.