2011 Lea & Sandeman, White Burgundy, France (£12.95 per bottle, £10.95 per case, £9.95 for 2 cases, tel. 020 7244 0522 & www.leaandsandeman.co.uk). Are you on the lookout for sensational white Burgundy for less than a tenner? The answer surely must be yes because this is one of a handful of definitive wine styles on the planet and one usually has to pay more like fifteen quid for the pleasure and even fine examples at this price are thin on the ground. Charles and Patrick (L&S) have acutely trained palates and if a wine is to wear their livery it must be of a very high standard indeed. This delectable Chardonnay comes from Domaine de la Denante and it is in fact a Mâcon-Davayé in disguise. With this covert info on board I am certain that you now have a ‘taste image’ of what this wine might feel like on the palate, but I would urge you to rev this flavour memory up a few notches because the heavenly meadow flower aroma and silky-smooth palate really are top of the range for a Mâcon. There is a lovely, faint, kiss of praline-scented oak in the background, too, and the finish is admirably long. This effortlessly classy white Burgundy will entrance your senses and also leave you with more than enough cash to splash on some very serious fresh fish to cook alongside it.
This article was written days before Patrick sadly passed away. He will be greatly missed.
