PREVIOUS TASTING ARCHIVE – NOVEMBER 2024
The world’s most famous appellations make wonderful wines, from Bordeaux to Burgundy and from Sancerre to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. But such wines come at a price, and are not always easily available. This tasting takes a peek over the boundary walls to taste wines from nearby appellations, made using the same grapes and in a similar style. Can similar enjoyment be had, while avoiding the more prestigious price tag?
The six wines for this tasting come from appellations next door, or very close, to their famous cousins including Saint-Emilion, Sancerre and the Napa Valley.
The Wines
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the inspiration for two of our wines. Our red comes from one of the region’s most famous producers, but for this wine Roger Sabon de-classifies some of his Châteauneuf fruit and blends it with fruit from surrounding appellations. Our white also comes from a top Châteauneuf estate. It is an unusual blend of Viognier and Grenache Blanc from the Rhône, blended with Picpoul from Provence.
To the Loire next, but not to its most famous appellation, Sancerre. Neighbouring Tourraine is where Domaine Pré Baron make such a similar wine from very old Sauvignon Blanc. Our third white is a fizz. Prosecco has taken the world by storm, but our Brut wine is drier than most and comes from just outside the Prosecco boundary. What’s intriguing is that it made from Durello, a hyper-local variety where a handful of producers make a highly specialised Spumante.
Two reds complete the tasting. Saint-Emilion is one of Bordeaux’s superstar appellations, with names like Château Cheval Blanc selling for hundreds of pounds per bottle. But immediately east lies Lussac Saint-Emilion, a ‘Satellite’ appellation. Here, similar wines are made from the same grape varieties, in our case a polished and fragrant Merlot-based blend. Finally, Napa Valley Cabernets can also run to the hundreds of pounds per bottle, As Napa produces less than 4% of Californian wine, they are never cheap. Our Cab comes from nearby Lodi which enjoys similar conditions, its vineyards cooled by fogs from the Pacific channeled in by river valleys.
The normal price for these six wines delivered is £85.70, but for this tasting they have been reduced to £75, including UK delivery.
£75 including UK mainland delivery.
- Adria Vini, Durello Spumante Brut
- Domaine Pré Baron, Touraine Sauvignon
- Domaine Chante Cigale, Cicada Blanc
- Roger Sabon, Le Sabounet
- Ch. Jamard Belcour Lussac Saint-Emilion
- Showdown, ‘Man With The Ax’ Cabernet