SPECTATOR WINE JONATHAN RAY
has a touch more weight and creaminess,
being a half-and-half blend of Viognier and
Chardonnay. It has the peachy aromatics of
the former and the buttery, honeyed notes of
the latter. It is utterly charming. £10.50, down
from £12.
The 2016 Moulin de Gassac ‘Guilhem’
Rouge (4) is a typical Languedoc blend of
Syrah, Grenache and Carignan filled with
ripe briary fruits, spice and chocolate with a
long, robust, slightly earthy finish. It’s a crack-
ing value everyday red. £8.95, down from £10.
The 2016 Moulin de Gassac ‘Albaran’ (5)
is made from old vine Syrah and Cabernet
Sauvignon with some time in oak. It’s a per-
fect autumn red, full of cassis, spicy blueber-
ries and plums. There’s a touch of vanilla too,
and firm but mellowing tannins and a long
finish. £10.50, down from £12.
Finally, the 2016 Moulin de Gassac ‘Elise’
(6), a half-and-half blend of old vine Syrah
and Merlot. It’s full of soft, juicy, concen-
trated fruit with the smoothest of tannins.
Although it’ll keep a year or so it really
deserves to be opened immediately and
knocked back with abandon. £10.50, down
from £12.
The mixed case has two bottles of each
wine and delivery, as ever, is free.M
as de Daumas Gassac is one of
the great estates of the Langue-
doc. Indeed, it is often referred
to as the Languedoc’s Grand Cru or First
Growth, and I am just one of many to have
fallen under its spell.
The estate’s Moulin de Gassac range is
famously accessible and shares the same
pedigree and winemaking philosophy as that
of Mas de Daumas Gassac, and speaks just
as resolutely of its terroir.
It is also extremely well-priced, particu-
larly so for readers of The Spectator since our
partners Mr Wheeler have lopped off up to
£1.50 a bottle. Several of these wines aren’t
available anywhere else and those that are
won’t be so keenly priced. Fill your boots.
The 2016 Moulin de Gassac ‘Guilhem’
Blanc (1) is a slowly macerated, cool fer-
mented blend of Grenache Blanc, Sauvignon
Blanc and Terret Blanc that’s full of white
stone fruit and a delightful freshness. It makes
a perfect aperitif. £8.95, down from £10.
The 2016 Moulin de Gassac Viognier
(2) is a delight. It’s peachy, apricotty and
slightly nutty with surprisingly good acid-
ity. It’s as good on its own as it is with grub.
£9.95, down from £11.50.
The 2016 Moulin de Gassac ‘Faune’ (3)Please send wine to
Name
AddressPostcode Telephone
Email*Mastercard/Visa no.
Start date Expiry date Sec. code
Issue no. Signature Prices include VAT and delivery on
the British mainland. Payment should
be made either by cheque with the
order, payable to Mr. Wheeler, or by
debit or credit card, details of which
may be telephoned or faxed. This of-
fer, which is subject to availability,
closes on 4 November 2017.ORDER FORM^ Spectator Wine Offer
http://www.mrwheelerwine.com/spectator
Mr. Wheeler, Estate Office, Park Lane BC, Langham, Colchester, Essex CO4 5WR
Tel: 01206 713560 Email: [email protected]*Only provide your email address if you would like to receive offers or communications by email from The Spectator (1828) Limited, part of the Press Holdings
Group. See Classified pages for Data Protection Act Notice. The Spectator (1828) Limited, part of the Press Holdings Group would like to pass your details on
to other carefully selected organisations in order that they can offer you information, goods and services that may be of interest to you. If you would prefer that
your details are not passed to such organisations, please tick this boxR.Please note prices are for cases of 12
List price Club price No.
White 1 2016 Moulin de Gassac ‘Guilhem’ Blanc, 12% £120.00 £107.40
2 2016 Moulin de Gassac Viognier, 12.5% £138.00 £119.40
3 2016 Moulin de Gassac ‘Faune’, 13% £144.00 £126.00
Red 4 2016 Moulin de Gassac ‘Guilhem’ Rouge, 13% £120.00 £107.40
5 2016 Moulin de Gassac ‘Albaran’, 13.5% £144.00 £126.00
6 2016 Moulin de Gassac ‘Elise’, 14% £144.00 £126.00
Mixed 7 Mixed case of six, two each of the above £149.00 £118.70
TotalBridge^
Susanna Gross
I’m writing this from Stuart Wheeler’s beau-
tiful villa in Tangier, in the hills just above the
bay, where for a week every September he
hosts a high-stake rubber bridge game. There
are sometimes one or two new faces, but usu-
ally it’s the lucky old regulars who return,
like Patrick Lawrence, Alexander Allfrey,
and none other than the great Andrew Rob-
son. This is my sixth visit, and I love it: the
company, the food, the booze, the distant call
of the muezzins. Of course, Andrew’s pres-
ence adds an extra layer of magic: it’s a treat
to play with and against him, even if he does
win our money, and even more so to have
him on tap to discuss hands.
The fun started before we’d even got
here. On the plane out from Gatwick,
Andrew passed us all a bridge quiz, using
real hands from the recent World Transna-
tionals. We had to give in our answers at the
end of the flight, which kept us unusually
quiet (probably Andrew’s plan). No one got
full marks. Try this one — but cover the N/S
hands as we only got to see E/W:N
W E
Sz Q 10 9
y 8 4
X K J 9 5 4
w Q 8 4
z J 7 6
y 7 5
X 6 2
w A J 9 6 5 3West North East South
1 y Pass
1NT Pass 2NT Pass
3NT Pass Pass Passz 5 4
y A K J 10 3
X A Q 3
w K 10 7z A K 8 3 2
y Q 9 6 2
X 10 8 7
w 2Dealer East
North led the z3. How would you play?
If spades are 4–4 there’s no problem, you can
knock out the wA for your ninth trick. But I
was pretty sure North had led from zAKxxx,
making it unsafe to play a club. I decided to
cash the yA (in case the yQ drops), run the
diamonds and then finesse the heart. I was
awarded just half a point for my answer,
because although I would have made the
contract, my thinking was too shallow. There
is a way to combine your chances. Start by
cashing five diamonds. North can’t discard a
spade. Nor can he discard two hearts if he
holds yQxxx or yQxx. So he has to discard
his club(s). Now you exit with a spade! If
spades turn out to be 4–4, you don’t need to
finesse a heart; if spades are 5–3, you do!