Undervalued corkers from Mr Wheeler

I had my regular May meeting with the accounts department (Mrs Ray) the other night and it did not go well. The general gist was that I’m a profligate fool and that I need to drink less, not to mention less expensively. And no, she did not appreciate me quoting the late, great Errol Flynn’s line: ‘My problem lies in reconciling my gross habits with my net income.’ She looked at me long and hard and I feared a lengthy dissection of my failings, but she simply muttered something about me being no Errol Flynn before leaving me with my thoughts and the dregs of a rather tasty claret (see below).

The upshot is that this week I’m focusing on wines that give particularly good value. Each wine below is a corker and, in my view, massively undervalued. Just don’t tell Mark Cronshaw at Mr Wheeler that I said so.

If you like Viognier as much as I do, you’ll love the 2020 Domaine de la Baume ‘Elisabeth’ Viognier (1) from deep in the Languedoc. The bottle is big and bold and so is the wine, with full-on peach, apricot and honeyed lemon notes. It’s far from flabby, though – as Viognier can be if kept unchecked – just delightfully full-flavoured. £9.95 down from £10.95.

We all know what great – and what great value – reds can be found in Rioja but the tiny amount of white produced often gets overlooked, which is crazy given how appetising the 2019 Viña Real Barrel Fermented Rioja Blanco (2) is. Made from 100 per cent Viura fermented in new American oak, it’s creamy and toasty with apples, pears and fresh citrus. It’s a brilliant go-to white. £9.95 down from £11.95.

The 2020 Raats Family ‘Original’ Chenin Blanc (3) is an old favourite and I drink buckets. I’ve long forgiven the mighty Bruwer Raats for getting me whimperingly sozzled on weirdly pink South African grappa in Stellenbosch’s notorious De Akker pub, largely because I enjoy his wines so much. This is just lovely, with fresh, lively fruit – quince, pears, peaches and citrus – and a creamy finish. Nobody makes Chenin like Bruwer. £12.45 down from £13.95.

The 2016 Casa de Uco ‘El Salvaje’ Malbec (4) is stunning value. The label might be hideous but the wine is spot on, being a beautifully crafted, high-altitude Malbec from Mendoza. Violet-scented and full of vibrant, concentrated, deep, dark fruit and a gentle touch of oak, it’s perfect spring barbecue fare. £11.95 down from £13.95.

The 2016 Wynns Coonawarra ‘The Siding’ Cabernet Sauvignon (5), grown on Coonawarra’s famous terra rossa soil on the Limestone Coast of South Australia, was a huge hit at our Wynns Coonawarra Winemaker Lunch last year. It’s gratifyingly rich and spicy with plenty of dark berry fruit and touches of mint, eucalyptus and herbs. And it’s so fresh, too, and instantly appealing. £12.45 down from £13.95.

The 2019 Domaine de Mourchon Séguret Tradition Côtes du Rhône Villages (6) is a seriously grown-up red from one of the Rhône Valley’s most admired producers. It’s soft, it’s smooth and it’s spicy. It’s rich and intense, too, blended from Grenache, Syrah and Carignan and, although ready to go, has plenty of life ahead. £13.25 down from £14.95.

Finally, as a really peachy bonus, we’ve the 2009 Château Perron (7), a wonderfully stylish petit château from the Graves. As you know, 2009 was a stellar vintage in Bordeaux and this is in such irresistible form (and provided such solace the other night) that I just had to add it to the offer. A classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, it’s richly flavoured, with lush, juicy fruit and hints of spice, chocolate, vanilla and cedarwood. I love it! It’s also ridiculously well priced at £17.50. That’s a meagre £105 per six bottles, delivered.

The mixed case has two bottles each of wines 1-6 and delivery, as ever, is free.

Order today.