Spectator Wine Club - Mixed Case

"A week on the lash in Las Vegas with my 21 year-old son – the old soak and the young Turk – was not the best preparation for tasting wines for this offer with Honest Grapes. Slinking home liverish and chastened, we agreed that what had happened in Vegas would stay right there and that Mrs Ray would never know about Ludo’s first cigar (duck to water), his first stab at roulette (he lost – I won) and baccarat (he won, I lost), and especially not about my impromptu but thrilling encounter with the bewitching Eureka O’Hara, drag queen extraordinaire. Thank goodness, our matching tattoos have thus far remained unseen. Such secrets will go to our graves. Having horribly overcooked it on the cocktail front, we made a solemn vow at 4am on the last day never to drink again. But it’s strange how restorative a good night’s sleep in one’s own bed can be and how thirsty jet lag can make one. And so, the morning after our return, I found that I was raring to go and dragooned young Ludo to help me whittle HG’s excellent selection down to the following 3 French and 3 Spanish wines. We think you’ll like them too.

The 2023 Viña del Oja Rioja Blanco (1) is the perfect wine with which to get back into the alcoholic swing of things. Easy-going and supremely drinkable, even on an empty stomach, it’s made by the Santiago family in Labastida. 100 per cent Viura, it’s full of creamy apples and pears with a crisp, refreshing finish. £9 down from £10.

The 2022 Maison Darragon ‘Les Tuffes’ Dry Vouvray (2) from the hamlet of Sanzelle, just outside Vouvray in the Loire Valley, is Chenin Blanc of real style, produced by Pierre Darragon with daughter Christelle and son-in-law David Charbonnier. Light, delicate and charming with plenty of white fruit on the nose, it’s blessed by a long, lemony finish. I love Chenin like this. £13.30 down from £14.30.

The 2022 Terra de Asorei Albariño (3) from a group of wine-loving, vine-owning, resource-pooling friends in Cambados, Galicia, the Albariño capital in the heart of the Salnés Valley, is just lovely. Full of nettles and cut grass – not dissimilar to fine Sauvignon Blanc – it’s refreshing and cheering and makes a cracking aperitif or partner to oysters now that there’s an R in the month again. £15.30 down from £16.30.

The 2019 Viña del Oja Rioja Crianza (4), also from the Santiago family, is all that you want from a Rioja Crianza. A blend of 90 per cent Tempranillo and 10 per cent Mazuelo, it’s aged for 15 months in American oak and is soft and juicy with concentrated damson, cherry and dark plum, dusted with a touch of vanilla and a hint of something savoury on the finish. It’s a steal at this price. £11.50 down from £12.50

The 2020 Ch. Sénéjac (5) from the Haut-Médoc, is quintessential claret. Owned by the Bignon-Cordier family for the last 25 years, the estate just gets better and better, and this Cab/Merlot blend, overseen by the winemaking team at mighty Ch. Pontet Canet, is bang on song, with rich, concentrated, dark bramble fruit. They deliberately make the wines to be drunk young and this is already a huge pleasure being soft, velvety, elegant and stylish. It’s a great price too, and I haven’t found it cheaper elsewhere. The Co-operative, for example, sells it for over £20. Just saying. £18 down from £19.

Finally, the 2021 Albert Bichot Fleurie ‘La Madone’ (6), from Maison Albert Bichot, founded in 1831 and the leading buyer at the fabled Hospices de Beaune auctions. 100 per cent Gamay, natch, it’s light, fresh and herbal with juicy red fruit and an almost thirst-quenching succulence. Chill it lightly and enjoy. £18.90 down from £19.90.

This mixed case has two bottles of each wine and delivery, as ever, is free."
Jonathan Ray, The Spectator