The Indulgent Easter Offer
Description
For those that feel a little extra “egg”uberance and luxury is in order this Easter weekend. These three masterfully crafted and stunningly intense wines are sure to elevate the delights of the Easter table and will have you lingering over their complexities long into the afternoon as the light fades and the chocolate wrappers start to pile up.
NV Champagne Vilmart Grand Cellier
From what is surely one of the finest Grower-Producers in the whole of Champagne, this 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir blend from the 1er Cru vineyards of Rilly-la-Montagne is fermented in oak and aged generously on the lees, producing a wine of remarkable depth and complexity for a non-vintage cuvée. Expect rich brioche, toasted hazelnuts, ripe, golden apple and quince, and a lovely, soft texture of fine bubbles and refreshingly vibrant acidity. A simply luxurious aperitif to get proceedings underway, this richly textured, but exceptionally elegant Champagne will also accompany smoked salmon blinis, devilled eggs, or an assortment of fresh shellfish to perfection.
2024 Domaine Clos du Mont Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
A blend of mainly Clairette, Roussanne, Bourboulenc and Grenache Blanc, aged in a collection of stainless-steel tanks, oak barrels and concrete eggs (No pun intended this time!), Domaine Clos du Mont Olivet’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is a richly textured and honeyed wine of real distinction, poise and freshness. With notes of honeysuckle, ripe pear, warm spice and a streak of minerality, this superbly well-balanced, generously rich wine will absolutely sing with whole-baked seabass or turbot with fennel, citrus and rich creamy sauces, butter-caramelised scallops or dressed crab.
Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin Côte Rôtie Champin Le Seigneur
Côte Rôtie at its finest is one of the most hauntingly beautiful wines in all of France, and this cuvée from Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin – sourced from the celebrated lieu-dit Champin le Seigneur – is a wonderful mature example from a great vintage. From a blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier, and having been aged 22 months in oak and gently rested in bottle ever since, the 2017 Champin le Seigneur has arrived at that glorious point of balance where Syrah’s wild, peppery intensity meets the elegance of age: violets smoked meats, dark fruit, wooded spice and a whisper of bacon fat, all woven together with rounded structure and extraordinary finesse. Whether it be for a slow-roasted shoulder of lamb, Provençal herb-encrusted rack, or even the most majestic, well-rested côte de boeuf, this is a true showstopper of a wine, fit for the most indulgent of any Easter feast festivities.
