Out & About June 2017

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JAMES ALLEN has bottled together some corking ideas for Father’s Day The special day in June is Sunday 18th – Father’s Day – and what better gift than something interesting to drink? I have a magnum (150cl) of excellent wine to suggest – magnums always look so special. Then I have a super Armagnac, a top Spanish red and some extremely tasty beers. Any, or all, of these would be well received on the day. Château Gigault Cuvée Viva Claret Magnum 2010 Tariquet Armagnac, Le Legendaire Although both Cognac and Armagnac are Manly Red The Spanish cult star of the

A magnum of “impressively opulent wine” (Robert Parker) from the exceptional 2010 vintage. Across the river from famous Margaux commune in Bordeaux, lies the Premières Côtes de Blaye. With Stéphane Derenoncourt as winemaker, this terrific estate is ensuring the region’s wines get the recognition they deserve. Cuvée Viva is a rich, world class, modern claret. America’s leading critic Robert Parker, always scores the wine highly, describing it as “consistently one of my picks as an overachieving wine”. And

year, the Milcampos Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero (top wine producing area). Juicy, brooding dark fruits and multi-layered flavours, silky- smooth but turbo-charged. Sure to put a smile on dad’s face £18.99 from The Naked Grape, Hungerford

made by distilling the thin wine made from the same local grapes, and, incidentally, in the same part of France (Gascony), Armagnac has, typically, a fuller more complex flavour than Cognac due to differences in distillation and maturation processes.

This is one of Tariquet’s finest Armagnacs, aged for at least 13 years in oak barrels in Tariquet’s cellars. Pale gold in colour with aromas of apple pie and orange flower. Further hints of toffee lead to a smooth palate with light caramel and liquorice notes, roasted fruits and fine spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. Enjoy at room temperature or lightly chilled with luxury desserts. £55 from Majestic, Newbury

he described this particular vintage as “an impressively opulent wine – complex, deep, flashy”. Hand-picked, low-yield Merlot aged in new oak, this is a deeply flavoured, well structured claret, velvety smooth, too. A top pick with roast December 2025. £40 per magnum from Laithwaites, Theale (limited stock) lamb. Alcohol: 13%. Drink by:

Puligny Montrachet Premier Cru This a top-notch white burgundy from a top-notch producer. Superb wine. Terrific for Father’s Day. A perfumed and buttery nose of fresh stone fruit, racy citrus fruits and soft vanillin. A rich and creamy palate of full-bodied fruit and toasty oak, a rounded finish of toasty oak and vibrant acidity. £39.95 from Majestic, Newbury

Real Ale Gift Set Mix ‘n’ match from a selection of Real Ale and packaged in a gift box for just £10. What better way to spend a tenner than on fourbottles of tasty beer. £10.00 from the Naked Grape, Hungerford

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