Simon Lloyd of Henri’s Delicatessen and Wine Merchants, Morningside chooses his favourite wines and champagnes for the month of May.
Champagne Boizel
This fantastic Champagne House, is the Champagne of choice in many Michelin starred restaurants in France. Elegant and refined, this is what real Champagnes tastes like – unlike a lot of the shocking examples of Champagne sold in supermarkets these days. We list several of their Champagnes – the Brut is the ultimate expression of the house style while we also have their rose, vintage and other cuvees.
Jean-Louis Denois Brut
Monsieur Denois is originally from the Champagne region but has moved down south to the area of Limoux near Carcassonne. Here he makes sparkling wine from Champagne grapes using exactly the same method as used with the grapes from his old vineyards. This is much less expensive however, at only £13.95 a bottle to put some fizz in to your life! His sparkling rose is a winner too at the same price.
Le Cave des Vigerons des Pegairolles
This is the smallest cooperative in the Herault region of the Languedoc Pegairolles, the region that sweeps inland from the France’s Mediterranean coast from Perpignan all the way to Avignon. The red is a classic southern French mix of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan from old vines and much lower yields than is common for a cooperative, and the 2009 rose, which has just arrived, is pure sunshine in a class from an excellent vintage.
Picpoul de Pinet 2009 Domaine de Guillemarine
Refreshing white from the south of France made from the Picpoul variety. This wine demands to be drunk in the freshness of its youth and will be beautiful over the next 9 months or so. Pear, lemon and pineapple flavours mix together to produce this classic Picpoul. Grown near the oyster beds of the Bassin de Thau, Picpoul is the Muscadet of the south and its name means “lip stinger” referring to its fresh acidity which makes it perfect with shellfish. I promise this is more of a “lip smacker” than a “lip stinger” however!
Les Hauts de Smith 2005
This red wine from Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte in the Graves region of Bordeaux is starting to drink beautifully but will keep comfortably for a few more years yet! I managed to pick up a parcel direct from the chateau in wooden boxes of six. Although not cheap, at £160 for six bottles it is still outstanding value for Bordeaux of this quality.
