Wines of the Month

Post Christmas, Yapp HQ is traditionally filled with unabashed good cheer and a sense of deliverance after the successful completion of another busy festive season and the start of a new year. There’s always a palpable sense of excitement at the prospect of new vintages arriving, new wines coming on board and rediscovering past favourites. This case falls into the latter category, being three marvellous, comforting cuvées which seem appropriate to feature in our first monthly case of the annum; two reliable Rhône reds alongside a magnificent Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley.

Pouilly-Fumé: Domaine Dominique Guyot 'Les Loges' 2018
Dominique Guyot's Sauvignon Blanc is a cracker, giving lovely rich ripe stone fruit flavours and aromas. Matthew Jukes commented: "It is a joy to taste a youthful, innocent Pouilly-Fumé with such immediacy and openness on the nose and palate. It is a textbook Sauvignon Blanc with uncommon allure and gloss and it will be sure to make you go weak at the knees." I pair it with spring vegetable risotto, soft goat's cheese or prawn egg-fried rice. Some say slow-roast pork belly works well, if there's no cider to hand.

Grignan-Les-Adhémar: 'Le Grand Dèves' 2019
The hills of the Drôme département lie to the east of the river Rhône are just to the north of Provence. This Syrah and Grenache blend owes more to the Côtes-du-Rhône tradition of appealing unoaked reds, loaded with ripe berry fruit, a good peppery edge and touch of spice. It's got sufficient weight to cope with curries, without being heavy on either alcohol or tannin. Bring on the cumin and cardamom!

Côtes du Rhône: Pascal Frères 'Cuvée Personelle' 2018
When Rhône-based grower Yves Chéron produces wines wearing his négotiant moniker ‘Pascal Frères’, you know that the results will be nicely made and excellent value, sourcing good-quality fruit from his extensive network of growers across the region. This traditional Côtes du Rhône blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre is seasoned with a touch of Cinsault, adding fleshy plum to the blend of berry fruit and spice. It’s weighty enough for a hearty pot au feu stew, though bangers and mash seems an eminently suitable alternative.

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 £81.40, plus £10 delivery to a mainland UK address. Offer price saves £12.40).