Wine Club: five to stock up on for Easter

It’s flipping well snowing as I write, but my Glyndebourne tickets have come and my MCC pass has just plopped on to the mat so it must surely be spring. And where a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love, so this old soak’s fancy lightly turns to just how many bottles I need to get me through Easter.

Growing up in Kent I lived near Romney Marsh, a special place that I still love for its windswept acres, lonely churches and tales of smugglers, revenue men and Dr Syn, the mysterious vicar of Dymchurch, who was not quite who he seemed. A leg of precious marsh lamb invariably took pride of place on our Easter board, my mother smothering it in ground ginger, runny honey, rosemary, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and half a pint of Kentish cider before roasting. And Rioja was invariably the wine that we drank alongside. There’s no better match for lamb and I’m delighted that Armit are offering three exquisite examples from La Rioja Alta, the fabled masters of the region, along with one of their whites from Galicia and a red from Ribera del Duero.

I’ve never been a fan of Albariño, largely, I realise, because I’ve never had a decent one. My eyes were opened by the 2020 Pazo de Seoane Albariño (1), a blend of Albariño with dashes of Caiño Blanco, Loureiro and Treixadura, none of which – in my endless ignorance – had I heard of before. Oh come on, I do my best to keep up. Anyway, this is a gem, full of fresh green apples, pears and peaches, a touch of elderflower and plenty of citrus on the long, dry, zesty finish. £13.17 down from £15.44.

The 2017 Finca San Martín Rioja Crianza (2) is 100 per cent Tempranillo from La Rioja Alta’s Torre de Oña vineyard. Production was down thanks to a savage frost at the end of April last year, but the wines that did get made were spot-on and this is great value. Aged for 16 months in American and French oak, it boasts rich, red fruit with spice, chocolate and coffee on the finish, all wrapped up in gentle tannins. £12.08 down from £14.68.

A blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha from three first-rate vineyards, the 2015 La Rioja Alta Viña Ardanza Reserva (3) has everything I love about fine Rioja: fully mature, luscious, ripe fruit; soft tannins; a touch of sweetness in the mouth and whispers of spice and liquorice on the finish. After malolactic fermentation and three years in oak (and two in bottle) before release, it’s in perfect nick and, although the ideal partner for roast lamb and other meaty dishes, many Riojanos enjoy it as an after-dinner treat. £24.25 down from £26.88.

The 2015 Finca Martelo Reserva (4) is also an absolute joy. Made largely from old vine (60 years plus) Tempranillo and dribbles of Mazuelo, Garnacha and (white) Viura, it’s a gorgeous deep red and gratifyingly complex. It’s more reserved than the Viña Ardanza, more concentrated and slightly less sweet in the mouth. It’s full of fresh and sour cherries, vanilla, toast and mocha. If you don’t like this you simply don’t like fine Rioja. £26 down from £28.88.

Finally, the 2016 Aster Finca el Otero (5), not from Rioja, but from a single vineyard in Ribera del Duero, a short distance south-west. Made from 100 per cent Tinta del País (as they call Tempranillo here), it’s extraordinarily concentrated, rich and intense. It’s nothing if not elegant, though, with red and dark fruit, prunes, spice, pepper and chocolate. The tannins are there but disappear alongside food and it’s grin-inducingly grown-up, satisfying and enjoyable. £32.16 down from £35.68.

The mixed case has four bottles each of wines 1 to 3 and the ‘Single Vineyard Six’ has three bottles each of wines 4 and 5. Delivery, as ever, is free.

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