In my little restaurant world, festive exuberance started in earnest in early October and in London it has been nigh on impossible to get a table anywhere decent, at a vaguely civilised time, for weeks. ‘We can offer you 5.30pm or 11pm, sir’ is oft heard through stifled giggles on enquiry, and if you have been lucky enough to snag a table in the Christmas build up, prices are up, and what staff are in situ are stretched to breaking point. That is if they have been working at said restaurant for more than two hours. Not ideal.

Good stocks of wine at home – essential

And now, the dreaded arrival of the oddly named ‘Omicron’, cancelled trips to and from Europe and beyond, enforced mask wearing making it tricky for Jack Frost to get anywhere near your nose, and generally the government getting themselves in the usual seasonal muddle.  Surely Christmas won’t be cancelled again, but what better time to start thinking about wines stocked up at home for the coming weeks for entertaining, sharing with friends & family?  It is most certainly timely to be thinking about wine as presents and starting to anticipate answering the door on joyous wine deliveries.

A list of wines curated with every occasion at Christmas in mind - vital

Buying wine for the Christmas period can be challenging. One may need to be all-things-to-all-men/women/uncles/in-laws, and you will need to buy in volume.  Why should you compromise on what you usually buy?   It is pleasurable to provide a variety of wines over Christmas, not to be stuck with the same wines for Christmas Eve as for Boxing Day.  The selection of wines on offer right now are mind boggling.  Whitfield Wines is your one stop shop for all the holiday imbibing eventualities.

Pairing wine at Christmas - non-traditional

From a pairing point of view, the best way to think about wine for Christmas is as another element on a table groaning with goodies. Turkey is likely to be the centrepiece on Christmas Day, but it is also a blank canvas.  It’s all the other delicacies before, during and after the big day that need to go with the wine! Wine at Christmas must be festive and celebratory, not dusty and stuffy.   Aromatic, delicate whites are good to have, fruit-driven burgundies that can be fresh and focused or rich and powerful; for reds, red-berry driven, sophisticated, perhaps younger Pinot Noirs or a ‘glou-glou’

Beaujolais Cru; Christmassy blends of Grenache from Northern, and Syrah from Southern Rhône feel comforting; Young Nebbiolo and velvety Sangiovese are often seen as winners, more vibrant, fruity and perhaps hedonistic than traditional older Bordeaux blends

Thank you and Happy Christmas, 

Ben

Starting with Two Favourites

I am a huge fan of well-made Sauvignon Blanc.  You may remember from my first letter my recommendations from the cool climes of the Loire Valley like the Dézat Sancerre, Thibault Pouilly Fumé etc. I like SBs from other parts of the world too, including those made in warmer places like Marlborough, New Zealand.  They can be ‘too much of a good thing’ with intensely aromatic, herbaceous flavours only right for certain occasions. Balance is key to successful Sauvignon Blanc.

In Portugal this summer, I did a lot of tasting (!) including the incredible Quinta da Boa Esperança Sauvignon Blanc 2019.  I search out non-indigenous grapes being used well, and I was totally blown away by the Sauvignon Blanc that my friend Artur Gama produces.  Cooled by the Atlantic breezes that bluster down the valleys in this part of Portugal (quite near Eriçeira, surfing mecca), this is an incredibly balanced Sauvignon, and really difficult to fault. Made in small quantities, it is fine, zesty and pure, with great acidity and very delicate herbaceous flavours.  I urge you to try a case or two. Deluxe, everyday drinking at its best.

Another hot favourite is Pinot Noir from Alsace, which is becoming very desirable in the UK as red burgundies become ever more expensive, and the region produces high quality wines at more sensible prices.  I discovered Bruno Sorg during my time at Zédel, as it is the perfect expression of those wonderful bright red fruit wines so prevalent in the brasseries of Alsace. I urge you to try this, it is refreshing and delicate, and perfect with roast chicken!  It is pale in colour and unlike more full-bodied reds, its texture is really soft and gentle. Very tough not to open a second bottle, so get a case.

Where to find Value in Burgundy

This remains a constant challenge for lovers of white Burgundy who want quality and quantity combined, whilst trying to spend sensibly.  Price rises are becoming more and more acute as adverse weather, especially frosts in Chablis, but also warmer weather throughout Burgundy in the summer months restricts supply, and challenges wine producers with the need for earlier and earlier harvests in these areas. All this in the face of never ending and increasing demand (blame quantitative easing).  Prices are only going one way. 

Finding new generations of producers, pushing suppliers on prices and lots of tasting and searching off the beaten track can yield great results and I have some exciting suggestions for those of you with white burgundy issues. 

In my first letter, I introduced the wines of a well renowned, family estate run by Gilles et Nathalie Fèvre.  Since then, lots of you have bought them or tasted with me and the feedback has been overwhelming. A friend with an amazing palette professed recently that the premier cru was the finest 1er cru Chablis she had ever tasted.  I have the Chablis 2019 and the Premier Cru ‘Les Fourchaumes’ 2019 available which is up in price a little with the new vintage and limited to first come first served!  Worth noting if you are getting organised for Christmas, the premier cru is also available in magnums and is plentiful.  They are absolutely delicious, mouth-watering, benchmark examples of pure, incisive, concentrated wines. If you like Chablis, you will love these.  Most of the production stays in France and what comes to the UK is often nabbed by the restaurant trade, so I am really lucky to be able to offer these fine Chardonnays.

A suggestion that is a touch easier on the wallet and is right in our sweet spot of every day, deluxe drinking is Vincent Girardin Bourgogne Blanc Terroir Noble 2017.  The Bourgogne Blanc “Terroir Noble” comes from vines all situated in the communes of Puligny, Chassagne and Meursault (hence 'Terroir Noble'), so amazing raw materials. The wine has that whole ripe, rounded stone fruits and buttery, creamy richness thing going, typical of great white burgundy, great balance between freshness and concentration of flavours. The crazy thing about this is the price, which is at a big discount to anywhere else you will find it, I promise.  It is a total bargain and extremely drinkable.

I have discovered another fantastic secret wine in Burgundy; Montagny Blanc, 1er Cru Grappes D’Or, Domaine Feuillat Juillot.  It delivers brilliantly on intensity and quality.  Immensely pleasing for friends and guests, this drinks like a much more expensive wine from a grander AOC. Maybe not quiet every evening deluxe, but perfect for a special Saturday lunch or Friday evening with friends. This wine should be in your cellar/ under the stairs at all times.

And now for something completely different!  Domaine Alain Gras St. Romain Blanc 2019 is a new discovery for me and is another insider’s wine.  For many years the St. Romain appellation has been slightly hampered by its altitude and the wines have stayed a touch lean, compared to their very grand neighbours in Meursault and Auxey-Duresses and around the Côte de Beaune. As the area is gently impacted by warmer summers, St. Romain has benefitted enormously from its altitude and topography, and in the hands of one of the best wine makers in Burgundy - Alain Gras - some truly magical whites are being produced at less than exalted prices.  If you love Meursault premier crus, I urge you to try this, at a fraction of the price and frankly better value than a lot of Meursault being produced currently.

‘Insider Wines’ from Bordeaux

When it comes to Bordeaux, I am constantly on the look-out for what are known in the trade as ‘insider wines’, that is to say wines that are a little below radar for what they are, but deliver above and beyond, and for obvious reasons, are often nabbed by restaurants in the UK, quickly and quietly! The following three wines are no exception.

Firstly, white Bordeaux –you may hardly ever drink it, but this wine will change any preconceptions you may have. This one is from the Graves appellation, Château Graville-Lacoste and is owned by the charming and understated Hervé Durbourdieu.  When I first visited Restaurant Chez Hortense in Lege-Cap-Ferret (famous for its roast turbot, beach views & cool Bordelais people watching) and tasted this, their infamous house wine (no one drinks anything else), I was blown away by its deliciousness.  Wondering if this might have been a holiday romance, I tracked it down in the UK and have found it as good, if not better on these shores.  The blend is 60% Semillon, 30% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Muscadelle. Fermentation and ageing take place in stainless steel to retain freshness. This is classic, mineral Graves with real depth and vitality.

Vieux Ch. Saint André harks from north-east of St Emilion in the Montagne appellation, set in around 12 hectares and has been in the Berrouet family since 1978.  If the name of the estate is mysterious, the family name is certainly not, at least in wine world. A Berrouet family member has been the head winemaker at Pétrus since 1964; Jeff’s brother, Olivier, succeeded their father, Jean-Claude, there in 2008. Pétrus – as with all the wines of Pomerol – is also unclassified, so Vieux Chateau Saint André is in good company. I am so excited to be able to present this classic, merlot driven Pomerol.

Next is Pauillac de Lynch Bages 2016. Truly a baby Lynch-Bages (well, the third wine) it is a wonder that this member of the Lynch-Bages Family is not more widely lauded.  That is to say it is pretty much a perfect expression of Pauillac, impressive and rich, all autumn, cedar and dark berries. It was first created in 2009 and is made entirely from the fruit of the property. The wine comes from the younger vines and is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. It is a wonderful introduction to the property and while clearly Pauillac, the young fruit character gives a forward, supple style that delivers delicious early drinking.  I can bring it to you at a brilliant price - sub £30!

Italian Elegance – Nebbiolo & Sangiovese

The Piedmont region of northwest Italy has long been—deservedly—associated with high quality Barolo and Barbaresco wines made from the red Nebbiolo grape. Today, however, less tannic, often fresher and very affordable alternatives are produced in various DOCG. I feel like it is my duty to find them for you.

For this month, I will also include (again) wines made from Italy’s most famous and widely grown grape – Sangiovese.  I have as ever been looking for high quality, combined with brilliant pricing and Cortonesi is exactly that.   More exciting Italian reds in November!

Langhe Nebbiolo Simane, Reverdito 2019. So, this wine could be sold as Barolo San Giacomo, but the producer considers the soil to be too heavily clay to produce perfect Barolo. How lucky we are as it would be triple the price!   A great expression of Nebbiolo, barriques are no longer used. The wines are aged for between one year and thirty months, depending on the vineyard and the vintage.  These are soft wines, but still with plenty of backbone and authority. You will love them.

Gattinara Mauro Franchino 2017. I discovered this incredible wine recently on the revered wine list at the River Café in Hammersmith.  It is very hard to remove wines from the RC list as long-standing customers complain, so to add a completely new wine takes real star quality!  This tiny, three-hectare estate is firmly in the control of Mauro Franchino and he produces around 400 cases in a normal year. Although Barolo and Barbaresco have the reputation, Gattinara is in the heart of the Langhe and produces ethereal Nebbiolo wines without the price or craziness surrounding the more famous examples. Mauro`s vineyards are centrally located and mostly just to the west of the famous tower you see on bottles (see right). The qualities Mauro brings to his winemaking produce fragrant wines with great structure.  Stock is a touch limited, so first come, first served.

The two Sangiovese wines are perhaps unsurprisingly, Brunellos from Tuscany - Rosso di Montalcino 2019 from Cortonesi and the Brunello di Montalcino 2016, Cortonesi ‘La Manella’. They were both on my last letter and will be tricky to switch out.  The Brunello di Montalcino is now the 2016 vintage, a little more money, but even better than the 2014.  The Brunello is for special occasions, the Rosso for everyday deluxe.  Please do get involved with these wines, and if you would like more detail, do let me know. They will pluck at your heart strings and give huge satisfaction.  Best price around of course, and magnums available too (just ask).

A Brace of Gorgeous Champagnes

Suggesting so-called growers Champagnes can be a thankless task, as there is still so much bias in the UK towards the heavily branded, high-quality product from the famous Champagne houses amongst sensible consumers, and much of the best product from smaller houses stays in France.  However, as we approach Christmas and to stay in line with my stated aim of finding high quality at brilliant (unbeatable) prices, it would be remiss of me to leave you to fend for yourselves as we approach champagne buying season! You will love both of these, one vintage, one NV.  

Barthélémy Saphir Brut 2014 is our first WW champagne and is a serious product at a wonderful price.  Many champagne houses have gorgeous stories about their romantic beginnings. Louis Barthelemy is a relative newcomer – 1923 – but ticks the box as it was created by a Russian Princess who fled Moscow and its revolutionary unrest for Éparnay.  The house was acquired in 2002 by Jean Barthélémy Chancel, the youngest négotiant manipulant of his generation.  Set amongst the great vineyards around Aÿ, the house benefits from rich and diversified buying contracts in a large number of top-notch crus.  Made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier.

The style is about relatively low dosage, and longer than average on lees, creating a wonderful, complex, elegant wine. The champagne is made using the grapes from a single harvest and is produced only in exceptional years with the best ageing potential.  This is proper, vintage champagne from a top-class producer.

When I taste this Champagne Gallimard Père et Fils, everything about it says happy times.  Birthday parties with magnums, after breakfast on Christmas Day, to accompany a successful book launch, a glass of champagne (or two) before lunch on a Sunday, just because, well, it’s a Sunday.

Didier Gallimard owns 10 hectares of prime vineyards on the steep slopes around Les Riceys in the southern Aube. Didier’s son Arnaud has joined him, becoming the seventh generation, and the long-term future is now secure. Their vines’ average age is over 30 years and the dramatically sloping vineyards, which are of chalk and Kimmeridgian limestone, are planted mainly to Pinot Noir and just a little Chardonnay. Their wines are full and rich and offer enticing aromas and flavours of summer fruits.

The Gallimard champagne I am offering this month is 100% pinot noir, and at these prices, I think just scream ‘buy magnums’!

Thank you, and happy drinking, 

 

Ben 

I am delighted to introduce you to my new ad/venture ‘Case by Case’ from Whitfield Wines. This is the soft launch of a ‘side-hustle’, so I am contacting friends (that’s you) who may become founding ‘members’, whose feedback and views I really value and most importantly who all enjoy really good wine at volume but may have less time than you would like to source it!  Please do let me know what you think.

The concept is really simple.  Month by month, case by case, I curate a very small selection of European wines of outstanding quality.  These may be the recognisable hits from the restaurant menus that I know well, wines that have shone at professional tastings and that are hard to find outside of the trade. I am offering them at a price that is unlikely to be bettered, and in most cases cheaper than what you need to pay in London. 

I do all the leg work, so that you can serve wines at home, (call them your ‘house wines’), that are guaranteed crowd pleasers, perfect across all settings, for drinks, for dinner with guests or for quiet nights, even for taking to friends’ houses.  No longer will you need to rush to Majestic, gambling on a bottle or six, nor photograph a label when you are out, in the hope you may be able to find the wine later. Importantly, as you are short of time, you need never worry that you will run out of wine again.

You will also be safe in the knowledge that you have a fridge or cellar filled with wonderful, high-quality wines bought for a brilliant price, that is likely to be from a well-known, perhaps hard to access producer from a top region in Europe.  These are not mixed cases, nor are they ‘best wines under a tenner’.  I will find you magnums where I can, and names that will always impress.  All delivered to your door (in London) for free. Mostly I will be targeting wines in the high teens pricewise.

The idea is that when you sign up to ‘Case by Case’, I send you a monthly missive, with a few ideas and stories.  You decide on a minimum of a case of wine (or more), delivered each month. Every month, you can try something new or can just reorder your favourites (subject to availability).

Further down the line there will be a discrete invitation only online shop front and a subscription system that will make the whole process even easier, but in the meantime, I thought I would kick things off by presenting to you four absolute favourites of mine - gorgeous and good value wines perfect for the summer.

Let me know if you would like a case (or three) and which wines you fancy, and I will deliver the wines to you myself next week. Payment details and T&Cs are at the bottom of the email. A case is 12 bottles but can be comprised of 2x 6 bottles, of course.

 

Very best wishes for the summer,  

Ben

 

 

Case by Case: July 2021

 

IDEA ONE: Chardonnay – Chablis:

As the search for value in White Burgundy becomes more and more challenging, I thought some guidance towards one of the most exciting producers in Chablis would be a great place to start.  

 

Gilles et Nathalie Fèvre I have met twice at their vineyards in and around Fontenay-Près-Chablis; they got together at University studying to become oenologists and much of the land they produce from has been in the family for 100 years. Their daughter Julie is now part of the team (see below, with her Mum). They are brilliant, and their wines reflect their dedication and honestly; you can feel the love in the wine!  They are absolutely delicious, mouth-watering, benchmark examples of pure, incisive, concentrated wines. If you like Chablis, you will love these! Most of the production stays in France and what comes to the UK is often nabbed by the restaurant trade, so I am really lucky to be able to offer these fine Chardonnays. 

 

A brilliant team – Nathalie & Julie Fèvre showing ‘les garcons’

how it is done in Chablis.

IDEA TWO: Sauvignon Blanc - Pouilly Fumé:

My second wine comes from the Loire Valley, in fact only a couple of hours drive from the Chablis region. Drinking Sauvignon Blanc can be confusing as it can differ so much according to region or country, and in France the names give no indication of the grape variety.  Of course, the Loire is famous for those – with the Sancerre and the Pouilly Fumé classifications; geographically very close, mostly very similar in style, they are wonderful cool climate Sauvignons 

I couldn’t decide where to kick off from, so went with one of the most famous producing families in both - André Dezat (well in fact his sons and grandsons now, see below). Dezat is a rock star name in both Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé.  Below are the different generations!

Domaine Thibault has astonished with its quality since their first PF vintage in 1984 won a gold medal in Paris. Low yields and assiduous care taken both in the vineyard and cellars ensure a great wine with a pedigree second to none. It is a wine that I never tire of drinking, every time a bottle is opened it delights and thrills. I cannot recommend it enough – and the price is pretty amazing too.

IDEA THREE: Sangiovese (red) grapes – Brunello:

Number three producer is so exciting.  Some of you may know that I have an ongoing love affair with the Sangiovese grape, particularly from around Montalcino in Italy.  It’s tough to recommend a real crowd pleaser red wine as summer may be upon us any second (or may not!), something to be enjoyed on warmer evenings, but not so light in body that it will put others off.  I try to keep my ‘house wine’ maxim in mind at all times. 

A brilliant connoisseur I know recently spent several weeks in the region, searching for consistency, value and quality all wrapped into one Brunello producer that would work across the restaurant trade in London.  The Cortonesi wines are the result of that search and the wines sell like crazy at Italian legends like Bocca di Lupo in Archer Street.  They are brilliant value for Brunellos and if you have not been and want to see a new part of Italy, I cannot recommend a visit enough.  It is utterly gorgeous with wonderful food and masses to see and drinking Sangiovese on warm evenings is the most natural thing in the world.

Tommaso Cortonesi’s grandfather bought La Mannella in the 1970s. The estate spreads over 56 hectares, eight of which produce Brunello di Montalcino. The major vineyard is around the winery at La Mannella, just north of Montalcino itself, but there is another vineyard near Castelnuovo dell’ Abate, to the south east of the town. 

The Rosso di Montalcino comes from vines planted in 2011 and is aged for one year in 30hl Slavonian oak botte.  Annual production is between 12,000 and 14,000 bottles, so fairly small.  It has a very delicate colour and is delicate in style though stands up to ragu! This is a final parcel of the 2014 Brunello (a blend of La Mannella & Poggiarelli – each slightly different altitude and soil), which is drinking superbly, and offers amazing value for money! In 2014 just one Brunello was made, a blend from the best fruit from the two separate vineyards. The wine is made entirely from Sangiovese and is aged for 40 months in large oak barrels, then a further six months in bottle, before release. It has a very delicate colour and offers a tight knit, bitter cherry fruit character. The 2016 is hotly anticipated and will be released later this year.  If you have not tried Brunellos before, you will never look back, I cannot imagine a better house wine.

Both the 2014 Brunello and the 2018 Rosso are incredible value and should be snapped up as they will not be priced at these levels again. I really think the Rosso di Montalcino is the most luxurious every day red imaginable! 

IDEA FOUR: Coteaux D’Aix-en-Provence Organic Rosé

I always think we are a little over exposed to rosé in this country, and I had decided not to include one in my inaugural Case by Case letter. We often go by the lightness of colour as consumers, and we can be unsure what constitutes really top-class rosé.

I tasted the Tour Campanets recently, and I just had to share what I think of as one of the most exciting rosé producers in Provence, with magnificent terrain and very limited production; this is as thrilling as a successful insider trade! Syrah 40% - Grenache 40% - Cinsault 20%, so a typical blend; it is completely delectable; complex, refreshing, explosive in flavour, with a kind of sophisticated moreish-ness that is rare in rosé that nowadays gets away with mediocrity because of its branding and the fun you are having when it is on offer!