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Three wines from France's Abbotts & Delaunay
The Septembre wines are the entry-level for the Edouard Delaunay range and both have been made by Head Winemaker, Christophe Briotet who won IWC red winemaker of the year in 2020 and IWC white wine maker of the year in 2021.
Christmas isn’t complete without some Burgundy and these two elegant, well-made wines offer typical Burgundy character at exceptionally good value for money prices.
The Languedoc red would also be perfect with a Christmas roast.
Edouard Delaunay Septembre Chardonnay 2020, Burgundy (Majestic £14.99 or £10.99 mix six)
Made by Laurent Delaunay in Burgundy at his family's winemaking estate; barrel-aged and stirred on texture-building lees, resulting in a gloriously indulgent wine that stands with some of the finest oaked whites.
Grapes from the Côte d’Or are complemented by a selection from the heights of the Mâconnais adding roundness and fruitiness to the blend. 65% are vinified in the style of great white Burgundies and barrel aged, the rest from the Mâconnais in steel tanks.
Citrus, lemon, orange blossom and floral honeysuckle; elegant lemon barley sugar, melted butter, frangipane and hazelnut; saline-mineral with leesy complexity and breadth. Very adept, pure and elegant.
Drinks nicely on first pouring, opens up with aeration and will become more savoury with some cellaring.
Very Good.
Match with seafood starters or roasted white meats such as pork belly or chicken.
Edouard Delaunay Septembre Pinot Noir 2019, Burgundy (12.5%
Majestic £16.99 or £12.99 mix six)
The Edouard Delaunay estate's history dates back to 1893; the wines were the choice of The Orient Express and the finest restaurants in France. A century later, it fell out of family hands, until Laurent Delaunay bought it back in 2017 and re-established his deep-rooted family connections with the best local grape-growers.
With the help of award-winning winemaker Christophe Briotet, he’s making a huge success story of what is now Burgundy’s fastest up-and-coming producer. This Pinot Noir is made mainly from grapes from Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits.
A contemporary, complex Pinot Noir. More than 80% of the mostly handpicked grapes come from the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits with half aged in oak barrels and half in stainless steel tanks.
cherry and redcurrant fruit with raspberry leaf, blueberry tart and marzipan; fresh and vibrant with red and dark berry fruits, fresh green herbs, clove and cigar and some mushroomy sous bois; well-integrated oak and spices.
Good.
Match with gamey dishes, such as venison or wild salmon, as well as mushroom-based foods.
Abbotts & Delaunay Cumulo Nimbus Minervois 2017, (The Oxford Wine Company £22.99)
Also part of Badet Clément’s Abbotts & Delaunay Collection made in the Languedoc, this stylish Minervois is a blend of handpicked Syrah and Grenache grapes, the Syrah from vineyards by the Canal du Midi, the Grenache from cooler higher altitude vineyards in the Causses.
60% of the blend is aged for 9 months in oak resulting in elegant tannins, complexity and a long, silky finish.
dark fruits, spice, liquorice, herbal eucalyptus and sous bois; forest fruits, pepper and plummy juicy black cherry and acassis; fresh and harmonious with supple, very fine, well-integrated tannins. Elegant and complex.
Drinks nicely on first pouring; will also repay some cellaring.
Very Good.
Match with roasted red meats such as beef, lamb or venison.
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