The Sunday Times Magazine • 41Will Lyons
T
here hasn’t been a huge
amount to raise a glass to
recently, but we have the unusual
pleasure of Valentine’s Day and
Shrove Tuesday falling within the
same week (let’s leave Chinese
new year to one side). The cynics
can stop reading now becauseFebruary’s feasts are
a reason to splash out
NV LAURENT-
PERRIER
CUVéE ROSé
CHAMPAGNE
THE FINEST
BUBBLE, £60
France
A hugely popular
rosé — with good
reason. Produced
from 100% pinot noir,
it has great depth
of flavour, with lush
aromas of dark fruit
achieved by finely
tuned grape-skin
contact during the
winemaking process.
tonight is the time to spoil your
loved one, whether that’s with
a half bottle of Billecart-Salmon
Brut rosé, enjoyed virtually over
a Zoom call if you’re spending the
night apart, or perhaps a glass of
prosecco with a few crumbled
chunks of parmesan before supper.
Alternatively why not follow a
different path and pull the cork on
a bottle produced in the romantic
surrounds of Saint-Amour in
Beaujolais. Here, on the fertile
granite and sand soils just south
of Mâcon, the gamay grape variety
delivers succulent wines with
a delicate flavour and seductive
aromas of cherry and spice.NV MORRISONS
THE BEST
PROSECCO
MORRISONS, £7
Italy
When it’s of good
quality, prosecco
can deliver pleasure
at an affordable
price. Derived from
grapes cultivated in
the Veneto region,
this is crisp, light and
delicate, with those
gentle indications
of green apple and
pear that we’ve
come to admire.2016 DOMAINE
ROLET ARBOIS
CHARDONNAY
MAJESTIC, £17
France
If you haven’t yet
encountered the
splendours of the
Jura region, this is
a great introduction.
At Domaine Rolet
the chardonnay is
matured in oak,
lending it a creamy,
nutty character
married with fine
notes of citrus and
white flowers.2018 DOMAINE
LES CôTES
DE LA ROCHE
SAINT-AMOUR
THE WINE
SOCIETY, £11.50
France
The wines of Saint-
Amour in the far
north of Beaujolais
tend to have a lighter,
more delicate
character than their
cousins further
south. This would
pair well with meaty
fish such as turbot if
you’re dining à deux.2017 BOUCHARD
BEAUNE DU
CHâTEAU
PREMIER CRU
WAITROSE, £33
France
If Shrove Tuesday
is the perfect excuse
for pancakes with
crispy duck, this is
an ideal match from
one of Burgundy’s
larger négociants.
Medium-bodied,
with silky-smooth
red fruit, it’s supple
and dangerously
easy to enjoy.TESCO FINEST
10-YEAR-OLD
TAWNY PORT
TESCO, £12
Portugal
This is one of the
best-value bottles
on the high street
today. Aged in oak,
in true tawny style
it’s packed with
mellow, beguiling
flavours of dried
fruit and walnut
skin. Couple it with
a fruit-filled pancake
or rich Valentine’s
chocolates.Refreshment on Tuesday night
may require a little more thought.
The traditional pancake dressed
with lemon and sugar may go well
with a luscious sweet wine from
Barsac in Bordeaux, but I’m
inclined to enjoy it on its own.
Savoury pancakes are a different
matter. Crispy duck-style calls for
silky pinot noir or red burgundy,
while ham and cheese goes down
well with a light white such as
pinot gris, although a good-quality
chardonnay may suffice. If fruit or
chocolate are on the menu, I favour
a glass of chilled tawny port n
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