Working in a wine shop has lots of benefits. One of them – especially at Cambridge Wine Merchants – is that you get to try a phenomenal range of wines, beers and spirits. Some of these we want to introduce to you as ‘Staff Secrets’ – stuff we think deserves to be better known and appreciated. Each month we’ll bring you a rotating selection, along with a bit of info on whose secret it is, and why.
Without further ado:
Bardos Reserva 2016 Ribera Del Duero, Vintae: £17.99
Big, concentrated, juicy and full of spice. An uncommon blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon that spends 14 months in oak. Each sip has the intensity of a bottle, as well as dark fruit this wine shows notes of mocha, chocolate, vanilla and spice and while its elegant it’s definitely not subtle.
Collines Rhodaniennes Terres de Mandrin Syrah 2020 Jeanne Gaillard: £13.99
A 2020 syrah from the Rhone valley, most will think its to young – quite the opposite. Dig in and enjoy, full bodied, loads of cherries, black currants, liquorice and well balanced. Great wine for a midweek drink if pairing with a hearty red meat or tomato pasta dish.
Because this charmer proves what wine buffs know and we all should share – that artisan white Rhone wines are sublime, overlooked and splendidly under-priced.
Because I never get bored of top class Chablis. Impossibly ancient estate, Droin wines are precious jewels in the crown of Chablis. Smells of ripe pear, dry honey and wet stones. Tastes like two bottle of Chablis jammed into one.
September. What passes for summer in this sceptred Isle is already fading into memory. (‘Remember that day back in July, when the sun actually shone?’) But it’s not yet time for the full-bodied reds that work well in winter.
This is the solution. Well, to be honest, it’s pretty much the solution to oh-so-many occasions. Valpolicella. Not the heavier Ripasso stuff. Rather, the unadulterated pleasure that is straightforward Valpolicella. It’s relatively light in body, with red fruits, but the main attraction for me is the wonderful backbone of acidity that holds it together.
It’s pure drinking pleasure, and goes well with any number of foods, but perhaps the best way to truly enjoy it as on its own. If food needs to be there, something like a nice burrata would work perfectly.
I find Pierre Bertrand Half Bottles of Champagne are perfect as an accompaniment to a salmon/prawn starter, on its own or as part of a nice meal for 2, late summer picnics, an aperitif or an enjoyable treat for one. I always keep at least one half bottle “on ice”. They take up so little room in my fridge (compared to a 75cl bottle of wine!)
This award winning champagne adds class to your dining experience. Along with its high quality, deliciousness and affordability it gives me that va-va-voom feeling.
