Coronation Magnums #3
If you find yourself heading for lunch over this coming weekend, a tad short on time and lacking the ’luxury gift’, then here are two magnums that never fail to please.
Almost certainly on the shelves of your local Majestic, and many other retailers as well, the elegance of both these wines is flawless.
I don’t need to say very much about either of them.
Laurent Perrier Rosé
Majestic - £150.00 - Magnum
Laurent Perrier’s Rosé Champagne has been a favourite in the UK for the last 40 or more years. The fragrant nose of strawberries, red apples, blood oranges with a hint of brioche is delicious. The palate contains all of the above with wonderfully balanced acidity, length, and a gentle mousse. People always smile when they are drinking this brew, and their eyes sparkle.
Miraval Rosé, Côtes de Provence
Majestic - £39.99 - Magnum
Miraval was launched just over a decade ago to great acclaim. The celebrity ownership and packaging was enough to give it an immediate status around the world, but the real skill was asking the Perrin Brothers, who own Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, to make this wine. As with everything they produce, the finished product is flawless. For me, this is probably the benchmark Provence Rosé.
Not a magnum, but a real bargain .....
Château de Rayne Vigneau, Sauternes 2002
Majestic - £16.99 - Half-bottle
Whilst thumbing through Majestic’s web pages, I happened to notice what looked like a ridiculous snip. Obviously, I needed to taste it, and yes, it is delicious and I’ve just placed an order for a case. It is in excellent health, probably heading towards the end of its life, and needs to be consumed over the next 12 months: not a ‘keeper’. This is a very rich and complex Sauternes, with layers and layers of different flavours hitting the nose and palate, evolving over a relatively short period of time in the glass. If you need half-bottles for those summer lunches and suppers to accompany strawberries and other fruits, then this will hit the mark wonderfully well. Or as the Majestic site recommends, with Roquefort. Shropshire Blue would be a better alternative. Or for that matter foie gras.
All prices quoted above are from Majestic and for a mix of six.
