Wines of the Month
Three seasonal wines for December, always open for tasting at our shop in Mere.
(Two bottles of each wine shown are included in this six-bottle case. Our standard list price of these wines would be £99.40, plus £10 delivery to a mainland UK address. Offer price saves £20.40).
Free next day delivery with this offer case
December Wines of the Month - Classic Cuvées for Christmas:
December is always a busy month for all and trying to choose wines to cover the 'ifs' and 'buts' of entertaining can be a head-scratcher. At Yapp HQ, we love to recommend wines we know are bankers for all eventualities. Time and again, these wines deliver great quality alongside terrific versatility and we're very lucky to have the benefits of the current excellent vintages in these regions. Classy white Burgundy, rich claret and a hearty Southern Rhône red should cover most bases whoever turns up at your front door!
Bourgogne Chardonnay: Closerie des Alisiers 2017
Being brought up on white Burgundy, I love how well it pairs with food - a recent experiment drinking it with Thai green curry was deemed a surprising success. This classy Chardonnay from the excellent rich 2017 vintage is made by négociant Stéphane Brocard and owes much to his upbringing around Chablis. Mineral, crisp and yet with richer stone fruit that comes from the warmth of the vintage, this would be an amazing partner to smoked salmon, canapés or savoured on its own as an aperitif beside the fire.
Gigondas: Domaine Saint Gayan 'Origine' 2015
Jean-Pierre Meffre's Gigondas is their flagship wine and in the wonderfully approachable 2015 vintage, you really can't beat it. Josh Raynolds of vinous.com described it thus: "Bright ruby. Spice-accented raspberry and cherry aromas are complicated by suave floral and spice qualities. Seamless, broad and sweet in the mouth, offering juicy red and blue fruit preserve flavors [sic] and a hint of allspice. Closes smooth and long, featuring slow-building tannins and lingering spiciness. 90-92/100." Serve with a good game terrine or pie, sautéed wild mushrooms or a garlic-studded baked Camembert.
AOC Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux: Château La Brande 2015
The summer of 2015 hit the headlines mainly as the mercury tipped over 40 degrees C. in parts of Bordeaux. Not only did this ripen the grapes rather nicely, especially Merlot, but the rain held off during harvest. This Merlot-rich blend has wonderful red fruit, some cassis influence from the Cabernet Sauvignon and the fine structure lent by Cabernet Franc. I love that the winemaker added a splash of Petit Verdot which gives it a lovely perfumed elegant nose and lovely length. Decant if you can or give it a little time to breathe and serve with confit duck, a slow-roast daube or some rich spicy cassoulet.
Santé,
Grant Berry.
(Two bottles of each wine shown are included in this six-bottle case. Our standard list price of these wines would be £99.40, plus £10 delivery to a mainland UK address. Offer price saves £20.40).
2 x Bourgogne Chardonnay: Closerie des Alisiers 2017£0.00
This wine is a classic, unoaked, crisp Chardonnay which is an ideal starting point for exploring our white Burgundy range. Made by savvy, young négociant, Stéphane Brocard, who was instrumental in helping us develop our Burgundy offering, it's a delicious, crisp and unoaked example to savour on its own or with a simple dish of fruits de mer.
2 x Gigondas: Domaine Saint Gayan 'Origine' 2015£0.00
This superb Gigondas from Domaine Saint Gayan is a reference point for the appellation, made from a traditional blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre that is vinified in cement vats prior to blending and bottling.
2 x AOC Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux: Château La Brande 2015£0.00
Ever on the lookout for good value 'petit' Bordeaux parcels from satellite appellations in great vintages, this is a cracking little blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot from the Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux AOC (previously known as ‘Côtes de Castillon’, up until 2009).
