The Spectator Mixed Case

Once again Simon Hoggart has chosen his favourites from our list for a Spectator Magazine offer. Here are the wines he chose, in his own words.

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2 bottles Château Teyssier, Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2007
We’ll start with the two clarets which, as it happens, are both made by Englishmen and are both sensational value. The Ch. Teyssier 2007 at £13.65 a bottle is a St Emilion Grand Cru, made by Jonathan Maltus, who makes the celebrated ‘garage’ wine Le Dome that fetches £1,000 a case. (‘Garage’ merely means a very small property in which fine wines are made with infinite care. Le Pin is the most famous of all.) This wine, which comes in a nice wooden crate to impress your friends, is a real classic, soft, cedary, leathery, but with plenty of fruit. It’s already delectable, but will be wonderful drinking for the next five to seven years.

2 bottles Château Méaume Reserve du Château, Bordeaux Superieur 2003
But almost as good, and £32 per (also wooden) case cheaper, is the Ch Méaume Reserve 2003. Alan Johnson-Hill only makes his reserve in the best years, and golly, the scorching 2003 was a good year. Velvet in a bottle. Plumptious. For £10.95 this is close to unbelievable.

2 bottles Michèle et Francois Descombes Vieilles Vignes, Beaujolais-Villages 2009
Please put aside your prejudices. I know we all have horrible memories of Beaujolais Nouveau, but that’s no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy this lovely old vines Beaujolais-Villages from Michèle and Francois Descombes. Silky, fruity, and slightly chilled, perfect for summertime drinking and excellent value at £7.95.

2 bottles Altos de Oliva Gran Reserva, Catalunya 2009
The Altos de Oliva 2009 from Catalonia is a revelation. The Spanish, already celebrated for their reds, are now making great, zingy, flavour-sodden whites. A mere £6.95, and perfect for glugging in the garden.

2 bottles Mas Carlot White Cuvée Tradition, Costières de Nîmes, Rhône 2009
Here’s a great wine to go with food, especially salmon, prawns, oysters, lobster or whatever you find on the fish slab. It’s from Mas—southern French for ‘farm’—Carlot, their Cuvée Tradition Blanc, made in Cuvée de Nîmes. This is one of my favourite appellations, because the vignerons there make scrummy, herbal, full-flavoured wines for very modest prices, in this case £7.95 a bottle. It’s basically a blend of Marsanne and Roussillon, two of the richest grapes grown in the area, with a dash of Viognier, which just gives a heady, perfumed whiff to the whole enterprise.

2 bottles Roger Sauvestre, Mercurey, Burgundy 2000
Finally another sensational bargain classic. Burgundy is one of the few white wines that goes on getting better in the bottle. This is a brilliant ten year-old Mercurey (3) made by Roger Sauvestre. He calls it a ‘baby Puligny-Montrachet’, which is no more than fair. It has all the depth added by age on top of that familiar nutty, vanilla, peachy flavour of a really fine Burgundy. And it costs £12.65! How can you possibly lose?

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