OFF THE BEATEN TRACK - The Wine Society

OFF THEBEATEN TRACKSebastian Payne MW picks out some lovely wines for us to explorefrom some unlikely sourcesBTFEB12The Wine Society has a long and proud tradition of sourcing good wines from places that othershave not reached. Since our inception, one of our objectives has been to introduce wines notcommonly imported to this country. Buyers taste very widely to search for good bottles to tickle yourpalate, and many are rejected on the grounds that they do not meet the standard: they are eitherpoorly made (Georgia recently), poor value (Switzerland) or trendy but not worth importing (China).This is an offer of wines that are well worth your attention but which you might not have thought oftrying because the names and origins are less familiar. All but two come from Europe, because thereis so much good stuff to choose from, and the others reflect a tradition of winemaking that oftengoes back a very long way. Three are made from organically cultivated grapes. All are thoroughlyrecommended and the three mixed cases offer a variety of choices with savings up to £8.30.Sebastian Payne MWChief Buyerthewinesociety.com/trackSee back pagefor three mixed cases withFREE UK delivery

WHITESAt Marqués de Alella, grapes are hand harvestedBULGARIANEW Bulgarian Chardonnay,2010 (Vinal)Well-rounded, gentle and simple white thatslips down easily. The Wine Society was oneof the first to import wine from Bulgaria’sfertile vineyards in the 1960s. After losingthe plot in the 1980s, Bulgaria is now rightback on track. 12.5%ref BT-BG101 £4.95 bottle £59 dozenHUNGARYHilltop Estates CserszegiFuszeres, 2011Fragrant, fresh and crisp Gascon-like white.The Hungarians have always done theirown thing. Cserszegi is a fairly recentcrossing of several local varieties with a bitof gewürztraminer giving the wineperfume while staying appetising andrefreshing. 11%ref BT-HU671 £5.25 bottle £63 dozenITALYNEW Saladini Pilastri Falerio deiColli Ascolani, 2010A delightfully dry white from organicallycultivated grapes on quite a large privateestate in the southern Marche region ofItaly, which remains ‘off the beaten track’for many and so good value. It is madefrom traditional passerina and pecorinograpes with trebbiano. Muscadet loversshould give this a try. 13%ref BT-IT14331 £6.25 bottle £75 dozenKEYSee page 144 of the List for full details on alcohollevels and sweetness codesbone dry, to intensely sweetSynthetic closure Screwcap closurePR† New vintage Price reduced in January listPORTUGALNEW Quinta da LagoalvaTalhão 1, Tejo, 2011This grapey, deliciously smooth VinhoVerde-like blend of arinto, verdelho,sauvignon blanc, alvarinho and fernão pirescomes from Quinta da Lagoalva, a largeestate in the Tejo region (formerly knownas Ribatejo), stretching along the southbank of the river Tagus. Here, youngwinemaker Diogo Campilho successfullyuses the best modern technology to getthe most from both indigenous andinternational varieties. 13%ref BT-PW3141 £6.75 bottle £81 dozenSPAINPR Marqués de Alella, Alella,2010Spanish whites are on a roll at the momentbut most of the best-known wines comefrom the wet north-west; this delicateappley white comes, however, from the tinyDO Alella in Penedès north of Barcelona,which is more famous as Cava country.It has a slight pétillance which makes it alovely aperitif. Excellent value for moneyand well worth a try. 12%ref BT-SP6421 £7.50 bottle £90 dozenSOUTH OF FRANCE† Bourboulenc, Domaine deSimonet, Vin de Pays de l’Aude,2010A very impressive full-flavoured herbywhite made by outstanding producerChristophe Barbier in the small region ofLa Clape in the Languedoc. The little-knownbourboulenc grape, which is a very smallcomponent in Châteauneuf, does very wellon its own here. 13.5%ref BT-FC21881 £7.75 bottle £93 dozenROMANIANEW Prince Stirbey TamâioasaRomâneasca Sec, 2010The vinous equivalent of crunching abunch of fresh aromatic muscat grapesstraight off the vine, though the flavouris gentle but dry. A delicious aperitif.The tamâioasa grape is native to this partof Romania and may well have beenplanted in Roman times. 13%ref BT-RO21 £9.50 bottle £114 dozenGREECE† Moraitis Sillogi, 2011The fabulous Greek wines of Theo Moraitiswere a great discovery for us last year.Sillogi means ‘collection’ and this is a blendof half each organically grown assyrtiko,which provides grip and excellent length,and malagoussia, which adds lovelybouquet. A white for Sancerre fans from theisland of Paros, rather less visited than itsneighbour Santorini. 12%ref BT-GR491 £9.95 bottle £119 dozenSLOVENIANEW Šipon Furmint, 2010(Dveri Pax)Slovenian white wines have been aninsider’s secret for many years with thebest of them reluctant to leave the country.They share the furmint grape with Tokayin Hungary but making a beguiling finer,lighter style that has great character, lengthand ageing ability. Now to 2015. 12%ref BT-SL11 £9.95 bottle £119 dozenTo order thewinesociety.com/track ☎ 01438 740222 smartphone app

REDSBULGARIANEW Bulgarian CabernetSauvignon, 2009 (Vinal)Bulgarian cabernet was once a staplefull-bodied red representing great value formoney on The Wine Society’s list. Politicalchanges caused upheaval and loss of qualitybut new investment in cellars and vineyardmeans it is a good buy again especially forthose nostalgic for great party wines of thepast. 12.5%ref BT-BG111 £4.95 bottle £59 dozenSPAINCastillo del Baròn Monastrell,Yecla, 2010This vibrant, perfumed monastrell(mourvèdre) comes from the emergingSpanish wine region of Yecla, 50km inlandfrom Alicante. The cooler nights at highishaltitude help preserve freshness andperfume in the well-flavoured fruit.13.5%ref BT-SP6571 £5.25 bottle £63 dozenBajondillo, Méntrida, 2010A chunky, characterful and sensuousSpanish red from organically cultivatedtempranillo, syrah, merlot and cabernetaged in French oak. It comes from thelittle-known Méntrida district in theprovince of Toledo and is made by talentedoenologist Daniel Gómez Jiménez-Landi.14.5% Low stockref BT-SP6601 £7.50 bottle £90 dozenThe sweeping landscape of the Hilltop Estate, HungaryHUNGARYPR Hilltop Premium Red Selection,2009Hungary is known chiefly for its whites,but the marvellous 2009 vintage was greatfor red wines too. This is a highly successfulClaret-like mix of local kékfrankos withcabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc andmerlot and is full, fresh and spicy. 13%ref BT-HU611 £7.25 bottle £87 dozenLOIRE†Côte Roannaise, Vieilles Vignes,2011 (Sérol)Off the beaten track only in the sense thatthe district between the Loire andBeaujolais is small, but well known tomembers who have enjoyed previousvintages and at the outstanding localrestaurant Troisgros, where this is the housered. A delicious foretaste of the 2011vintage, which is excellent for the gamaygrape. 12%ref BT-LO9591 £7.95 bottle £95 dozenLEBANON† PR Chateau Ksara, Reserve duCouvent, 2009Ksara is the oldest wine estate in Lebanon,blessed with vast natural cellars andimpressive investment. This syrah-basedblend, in the style of good southernRhône, would be enjoyed in Lebanonwith mezze dishes like kibbeh and houmous.Supple, juicy fruit yet robust. 13%.ref BT-LE521 £7.95 bottle £95 dozenTURKEYNEW Kalecik Karasi, 2009(Vinkara)A real discovery for us and our firstshipment of wine from Turkey. The wine,from the indigenous kalecik karasi (‘KK’)grape, has charming cherry and redcurrantfragrance, and freshness and gentle almostBurgundian texture that is both round andappetising. It comes from Anatolia. 13.5%ref BT-TU11 £8.50 bottle £102 dozenSOUTH OF FRANCE†Château de Beaulieu, Côtes duMarmandais, 2007From a decanter you might mistake thissouth-west France red for a decent SaintJulien because of its cedary bouquet andfull multi-faceted flavour. It is indeed abarrel-aged blend of merlot and cabernetbut with a secret ingredient, syrah, notallowed now in Claret but once verysuccessful. 12.5%ref BT-FC22041 £9.95 bottle £119 dozenMOROCCONEW Syrah, Tandem, AlainGraillot, 2009Morocco has the best vineyards in NorthAfrica, benefitting from altitude and theinfluence of the Atlantic and Alain Graillot,a highly respected grower in the Rhône, ismaking classy Crozes-like syrah here. 13%ref BT-MO31 £11.50 bottle £138 dozenROMANIANEW Prince Stirbey Novac Sec,2009We were seduced by this Romanian nativered with its naturally sweet rounded palateand fresh ripe flavour. The Stirbey familydescendants have revived the smallfamily vineyard in the foothills of theTransylvanian Alps near Dragasani usingnative varieties and making the wine intheir well-equipped wooden cellar.The Burgundian-like Novac, made in smallquantity, is particularly successful. 14%ref BT-RO11 £13.95 bottle £167 dozenUK delivery is FREE when you order any pre-mixed case,12 bottles or if your order is £75 or moreSee overleaf for three mixed cases