It’s always a treat to visit Corney & Barrow HQ – all swish after its refurb – but especially so when in the company of Chloë Smith-Ferrari, grand panjandrum of the Spectator Club, headmistress of the Spectator Wine School and possessor of an impressively inquiring thirst. C&B wheeled out the big guns with James Franklin, head of merchant sales, Olivia Galéa, head of marketing, and Rebecca Palmer, head of merchant buying, there to greet us or, more likely, to check that we didn’t nick the silver or try to snaffle a bottle of DRC.
They opened an embarrassing number of bottles on our – sorry, your – behalf – and Chloë and I stayed far longer than planned, intent on choosing the finest possible.
I’ve always loved the wines of Producteurs Plaimont, an exemplary cooperative in south-west France, and their 2023 Yura Jurançon Sec (1) is a peach. A blend of Gros and Petit Manseng, it’s bone-dry and lemon-fresh, built on a keen acidity. This is only the second vintage and Decanter awarded it 97 points and a Platinum medal. It makes a glorious aperitif. £13.49 down from £14.95.
The 2025 Domaine La Croix Saint Laurent Sancerre (2) had Mrs Ferrari purring. From Sauvignon Blanc grown in the cooler parts of the Bué commune, it’s fresh, fragranced, pure and slightly creamy thanks to a touch of lees contact. It’s just perfect. £20.66 down from £22.95.
Juicy and fresh with sour cherries, raspberries and a touch of sweet orange on the soft, smooth finish
So too is the 2024 Thanisch Estate Riesling Kabinett (3), from a 400-year-old estate on the banks of the Mosel. Picked early, it’s naturally low in alcohol (just 9.5%), crisp, clean and full of refreshing lemon and apple. Beautifully, stylishly crafted, it’s the ideal start to any meal. £21.28 down from £23.65.
The 2025 Source Gabriel Rosé (4) is Provencal rosé at its absolute best and at a sensible price, unlike some other angelic offerings. A pale, pale pink – the owner, Régine Sumeire, pioneered such a style at her other estate Ch. Barbeyrolles – it’s a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Carignan and Mourvèdre, and is seductively creamy, fruity but dry. To judge by the faraway look in Mrs F’s eyes, it prompted some sun-soaked Riviera reverie. £13.95 down from £15.50.
The 2020 Cecilia Beretta Valpolicella Classico Superiore (5), from an estate owned by the Pasqua family, is so easy-going and approachable. A Corvina-based blend, made in modern style, it’s juicy and fresh with bitter/sour cherries, raspberries and even a touch of sweet orange on the soft, smooth finish. Mrs Ferrari reckons it should be lightly chilled. £15.53 down from £17.25.
The 2021 Maturana Wines ‘Pai Gar’ Garnacha (6) from Loncomilla in Chile’s Maule Valley couldn’t be more different. A rich, dark, rustic, Rhône-style red, it’s produced from 130-year-old vines using ancestral methods, including ten months’ maturation in amphorae. The result is alcoholic and bold, yes, but deliciously drinkable with that lovely sweet, ripe Garnacha fruit. £15.26 down from £16.95.
The 2022 Domaine Rossignol-Trapet Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes (7) is similarly classy and eye-catching, made by brothers Nicolas and David Rossignol from eight parcels of old-vine, biodynamically farmed Pinot. It’s just how fine red burgundy should be. £49.72 down from £55.25.
The 2023 Domaines Leflaive Mâcon-Verzé (8) is an ‘in the know’ wine if ever there was one, with all the Leflaive stardust but without the Leflaive price tag, coming as it does from Domaines Leflaive rather than Domaine Leflaive. It’s textured and poised, made from grapes grown in the Mâconnais single vineyard Anne-Claude Leflaive bought 20 years ago, but vinified in Puligny. Fabulous! £39.55 down from £43.95.
Finally, and I’m stupidly excited about this, Wolfschmidt Kummel (9) is back in production and Corney’s have the agency. Hats off! The grown-ups’ gripe water par excellence, the finest of all digestifs, the eau-de-vie of the gods, fine Kummel should be in everyone’s post-prandial glass and Mrs Ferrari insists you get stuck in. £29.85.
The mixed case has two bottles each of wines 1-6. Wines 7-8 and the Kummel (9) are available in any quantity you wish, with free delivery for orders over 12 bottles. For the chance to win a double magnum of Wolfschmidt Kummel follow the QR code or web link and you will find entry details towards the bottom of the C&B Spectator page, open to all readers.
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