Wine of the week: Morande One to One Pais

They say that the best wine is the bottle that’s empty at the end of the evening and so it proved with this light Chilean red which I shared with my neighbours the other night.

It’s made by Morandé from the widely planted pais (pronounced pye-eece) which has been disregarded for years but is now being used to make appealingly fresh tasting fruity reds that are just right for a warm summer’s evening.

Like Beaujolais, which it resembles, you can drink it lightly chilled with charcuterie, salads and other picnicky food or even with fish. It would be great with seared tuna for example.

And the best news of all? It’s available in Majestic for a very reasonable £6.99 on their mix six deal.

NB probably not for you if you’re a fan of full-bodied reds as I know many are, even during the summer months but I loved it.

Off the shelf: Domaine Grangette La Saignée de Rose Piquepoul Noir 2012

As I mentioned in my Guardian column this week I’m slightly disenchanted with the Languedoc’s signature grape variety Picpoul which isn’t nearly the good value it once was but Grangette’s is one I rather like.

Even better is their more unusual Piquepoul Noir which the manager of La Taverne du Port, a wine shop and restaurant in Marseillan, urged us to try. It manages to pull off what Sauvignon rosés rarely achieve - being crisp, fruity and dry. It tastes like a Picpoul but has the structure of a dry rosé. It was terrifically good with a scratch picnic-style lunch of charcuterie and tomato salad yesterday.

I haven’t got my copy of Jancis Robinson et al’s excellent Wine Grapes to hand but according to her website Piquepoul Noir is a rare variant of the better known Piquepoul Blanc which can also be found in small quantities in Spain where it goes under the name Picapoll Negre.

Needless to say, thanks to the Chancellor, it costs a good deal more back home than the 6€ we paid for it at La Taverne du Port* - you’ll pay £10.25 a bottle for it at the only UK stockist I could find, Carte du Vin, but that’s still not a bad price for an interesting rosé.

* a shop I can strongly recommend if you’re looking for interesting wines in the area. In addition to local wines they also have a good selection from Burgundy and the Rhone - and an informal restaurant/wine bar with an interesting and well-priced selection of wines by the glass.

Simmonet Febvre Irancy 2012

I’ve lost track of the number of times my wine of the week has been a pinot noir but hell, I’ve been in Burgundy this week so what else could I recommend?

Actually I could have suggested a Chablis given that’s the part of burgundy I’ve been exploring but I would have found it impossible to single out just one wine.

This Irancy however is made by a Chablis producer Simmonet-Febvre so there is a Chablis connection. It’s a really delicious bright crunchy red from a lesser known appellation - more full-bodied and fruity than most inexpensive burgundy though without, I suspect, quite the ageing potential. Like a cross between a cru Beaujolais and a light Loire red. The extra oomph and colour comes, I would guess, from the added 5% César.

It costs £14 from Marks & Spencer and should be in store next week. I’d definitely look out for it and take advantage of any of those 25% off deals M & S might be offering. Looking ahead to Christmas (gulp!) it would be the perfect wine for the turkey leftovers or a turkey sandwich but in the meantime with charcuturie, simple grills or chilled with seared tuna. It’s one of those happy wines that really brings a smile to your face.

Incidentally Irancy is one of the prettiest villages in Burgundy. If you’re visiting Chablis take a detour south-west and see it nestled (can’t believe I’m using that word) in the middle of the surrounding slopes.

Mas de Libian Bout d’Zan, Côtes du Rhône 2012

If you’re after a bright, fruity, sunshine-filled red to carry you through the dark, dreary days of winter you couldn't do better than this delicious Côtes du Rhône.

It’s made by a young woman winemaker Hélène Thibon from 40-45 year old vines on an estate the family has farmed since 1670 and at £9.90 a bottle (from Les Caves de Pyrène*) it’s ridiculously good value for a biodynamic wine.

It’s a typically southern Rhone blend of grenache (80%) and Syrah (20%) but has amazing, mouthwateringly vivid fruit you just don’t get from conventionally made wine - certainly at this price. Only 30% of the wine spends time in oak - big foudres rather than barrels.

You could drink it with practically anything from charcuterie to cheese - roast chicken, pork belly, garlicky sausages, grilled lamb - even the Christmas turkey. Certainly the Boxing Day leftovers. Caves’ Doug Wregg suggests “lamb meatballs impregnated with fennel and herbes de Provence and pasta” which I imagine would be a terrific match. Or a pizza, maybe - as I say, practically anything.

The quirky name apparently means bits of liquorice and refers to the liquorice flavour in the wine though I don’t personally find it that liquoricey and wouldn’t like it so much if it was. The wine is made without sulphur but I’d defy any natural wine sceptic not to like it. Pure happiness in a glass.

It's also available for £12.49 from the Smiling Grape Company and £12.95 from Joseph Barnes or £11.66 if you buy an unsplit case. You can read more about it on the Caves de Pyrène website.