There are different ways to approach the tyranny of Dry January. One is to drink in secret. Another is to indulge only on feast days. Personally I have always refused to make January a miserable and puritan month, which means finding excellent red wine to transition from Christmas exuberance to the long, drawn-out evenings of the new year. And so the quest to find the perfect January red begins.
It should not be too expensive, but nor should it be a false economy. After the excesses of December, value is key. Readers are forgiven for pursuing a bargain in the January sales – we have all done it. But the truth is many discounted offerings represent exactly the kind of wines one should not be drinking. They are the rejects, the failures, the lesser vintages. So much so that one might suggest the collective noun for them is ‘a Labour cabinet’.
From the late 17th century, the so-called wild geese left Ireland to establish vineyards in France
The best wine does not need to be discounted, because it always offers value. Which is better: a well-chosen £20 from a classic vintage that drinks like £30, or a less well-chosen £30 wine that is discounted to £22? Content first, price second, and it ought never to be the other way round. Whenever guidance is required on such a matter, a visit to the charming and indefatigable Tuggy Meyer of Huntsworth Wine is advised.
The first nomination for an ideal January red is Château Brande-Bergère ‘Cuvée O’Byrne’ 2016. At £20, it offers impeccable value as a Monday-to-Thursday wine. A classic Bordeaux blend, it is a juicy red from a stellar vintage, produced minutes north-west of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion. Richard O’Byrne was an Irish priest who founded the picturesque estate at the end of the 18th century. This is Meyer’s house claret and for value and quality I am not sure it can be beaten. From his small Kensington shop, Meyer has sold more than 20,000 bottles of this gem from a family-run chateau. After an hour’s decanting, it is easy to see why.
The second is the 2016 vintage from Château Ormes de Pez. Owned by the Cazes family, those of Château Lynch-Bages fame, it is a true classic, produced on the stony ground of Saint-Estèphe. More fruity and medium-bodied, at £39 this is a special for the weekend. Allow it to decant for two hours and it will be in its prime, or place in the cellar and enjoy in 20 years. Mr Meyer tells me both of these wines are so good that local customers have driven four or five cases back to the south of France.
Keen-eyed readers will have noted the jolly commonality. Between names such as Lynch and O’Byrne, these wines are, in essence, a product of Irish genius. Pursuing a better trade and life, from the late 17th century onwards, the so-called wild geese left Ireland to establish vineyards in France. To date, legendary names remain. Hennessy’s Cognac is perhaps the most famous, but there are still many traces to be found in Bordeaux. Lynch, Barton, Phelan and Kirwan, among others. As someone with Irish ancestors, I can only be proud thinking about the geese who took flight, went forth and built these magnificent estates. These are just two examples, and we are very lucky to be able to savour them to this day.
January is depressing enough, so scoop these bottles up at Huntsworth while you can. Make the effort before shops like this disappear, in no small part due to the Treasury’s pecuniary assault on wine merchants. Despite rises on excise duty, business rates and the litany of other rising costs, Meyer’s Huntsworth is not increasing prices on these vintages or, indeed, on any of its wines. Famously, Hemingway’s only regret at the end of his life was that he didn’t drink more wine. Don’t get to the end of January and find that is also yours.
Comments