Adventures In Wine

In this episode, Jason and David must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all they ask is a flight of fine wines and a corkscrew to open them by… With ABV’s on the increase and the prospect of even warmer weather to come, Jason has gone coastal and lined up a half dozen wines that reflect the benign influence of the sea and upon which, you can rely for years to come, even if your hair catches fire. 1) A zingy, sharp as a razor clam, Muscadet de Sevre et Maine from Jean-François Baron. 2) Napier vineyard's Klein Luis Darling Sauvignon Blanc, irresistible as the call of the siren. 3) A beautifully balanced, mother-of-pearl pink Côtes de Provence Rosé from Clos St Magdeleine 4) An exemplary St Emilion from Château Milonblanc, as approachable and eager to please as a youthful midshipman. 5) A weighty, Bandol Mas de le Rouvière from family Bunan, leathery and spicy as the bosun after ten years at sea. 6) And a golden-tressed, Corsican, vin doux naturelle from Domaine Pieretti, honey-sweet as a mermaid and not to be taken on the rocks.

In an absolute first for this podcast, our wine-loving friends spend several minutes drinking something that isn’t actually wine. This deviation from tradition, though unthinkable under normal circumstances, is rendered unavoidable by the fact that Jason has decided to answer a question that David wasn’t even aware needed to be asked - unless in a past life, his name had been Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie (i.e. Napoleon Bonaparte’s wife) and the question that bothered his pretty, little head had been, “Whatever would mon petit chou like to drink, ce soir?” Having almost drowned ‘in a sea of ignorance’ when studying Napoleon’s life as a schoolboy, Jason positively redeems himself by expertly surfing onto the shore of knowledge on a giant wave of erudition and libatory learning about the great man’s drinking habits, from the sparkling wine that he drank as a young cadet to the sweet wine he resorted to after exile and poor digestion had taken their toll. In the intervening years, there would have been bottles of heavenly Coulée de Serrant, a single varietal from a seven hectare plot in the Loire and an equally singular and velvety Gevrey Chambertin from Burgundy. To cap it all, Courvoisier from the Charente, naturellement. Not wine, of course, but grapes were involved. Saint-Péray: Domaine Rémy Nodin 'Cuvee Ernest' Mousseux Brut (non vintage) Clos de la Coulée de Serrant: Coulée de Serrant 2021 Gevrey-Chambertin: Domaine Henri Richard 'Aux Corvées' 2019 Vin de Constance: Klein Constantia 2016 Courvoisier VS Cognac

Jason's well-known for keeping a tight ship, but like the egalitarian oenophile we know him to be, he's not averse to granting other mariners of the wine dark sea an opportunity to take the helm and plot a course through the beneficent waters of the bacchanal either. In this instalment, no fewer than six of the U.K's finest sommeliers opine on wine that they would be more than happy to recommend at their own restaurants. There's nothing fancy about their choices either. Here are six, scintillating suggestions that are as affordable and approachable as they are quaffable: Alsace: Léon Beyer Crémant d'Alsace Brut Côtes du Rhône Villages Sablet: Domaine Saint Gayan 'L'Oratory' 2022 Vouvray: Jean-Claude & Didier Aubert Demi-Sec 2019 Vin de Pays de Vaucluse: Le Petit Caboche 2021 Saint-Pourçain: 'La Ficelle' Rouge 2022 IGP Méditerranée: Domaine Richeaume 'Cuvée Tradition' Rouge 2020

The Bordeaux region may be home to some of the most famous and long-lived wines in the world and play host to any number of celebrated appellations, but, says Jason, you can do it on a budget... But would you really you want to? With six sedulously selected bottles to work through, Jason and David hop from one bank of the Garonne to the other sampling everything from the humble to the most high without even getting their feet wet. After a spicy start with a pocket-friendly 2018 Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, Chateau La Brande, they segue onto a silky Graves Pessac 2016, that requires a little more attention and twice as much of your wallet. Yes, when it comes to Bordeaux, you absolutely can believe the hype, as long as your credit is good. All credit then, to a text book Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2018 from Château Alverne, which does all the fruit and new oak spice the right way about. Meanwhile, Château Gombaude-Guillot’s perfectly poised, petal-scented Pomerol of 2014 is a garnet-coloured gem of a wine. By the time the Pauillac: Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2016 is plashing into his Riedel and running black cherry ripples over his taste buds, David hardly knows his left bank from his right and Jason must be walking on water, surely? But there’s more to come in the divine form of a 2009 Chateau Leoville Poyferré, which scored a legendary 100 out of 100 with Robert Parker, but only because 110 doesn’t make any sense. With wines of this order, it can be only too easy to run out of money, but you’ll run out superlatives even faster.

In this episode, Jason and David sample a sextet of wines devoted entirely to one ‘grately’ underrated grape, prized by none other than Cardinal Richelieu, (l’Eminence Rouge of France) and Jason Yapp, (l’Eminence Rouge ou Blanc of Frome). They begin with a perfectly balanced, rose hip and mint, Chinon Rosé 2022 from Domaine Jean-Maurice Raffault, follow it with a peppery, yet gently fruity 2021 Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil from Domaine Taluau and a firm Fred Filliatreau favourite from Domaine Château Fouquet 2020. Then from just across the road, Fred's earthy, exemplary Saumur Champigny: Domaine Filliatreau 'Vieilles Vignes' 2018 and lastly another Domaine Jean-Maurice Raffault from a one hectare vineyard of old vines, ’Clos de L'Hospice' Rouge 2019 - a class act of cassis and sloes with a long finish. Great with food or good to simply sip these are six, shining examples of what Chinon and its environs are capable of. Unsurpassable, under-the-radar rosés and reds from small, independent producers from the Loire valley. You really don’t have to travel any further south or dig any deeper into your pocket.

Welcome to another edition of the podcast where Jason and David drink wine so you don’t have to! Time was when rosé, was like the viola of the wine world; a faintly embarrassing, Barbie-pink hybrid, neither red enough nor white enough to be taken seriously, and rarely music to anyone's ears. But times have changed along with the climate and what might once have been a lunchtime indiscretion on a hot day, has become a main feature on restaurant wine lists and supermarket shelves all year round. Prepare yourself for a breathtaking, tongue-tingling, rosé-run through Jason Yapp’s selection of barely-pink ballet pump, summer wines courtesy of Château Roubaud, Domaine des Oullières, Château La Canorgue, Bandol and Domaine Pieretti; zingy zesty wines from Provence, Corsica and the Rhône delta as well as Yapp’s strawberry and citrus-scented, own-label from the Ardèche.

As far as David is concerned, it’s as German as wearing socks in your sandals and equally as appealing, but in this episode, Jason plies him with five compelling and zesty reasons why he’s just plain wrong about Riesling. From Alsace to Western Australia via the Mosel valley, these slender-shouldered, bottle-green beauties from Leon Beyer, Forest Hill, Willems-Willems, and Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, will not only lend character to a kartoffelpuffer but jazz up a Rogan Josh and titivate a Thom Kha Kai, too. Yes, when it comes to pairing a Prawn Tikka Bhuna, try putting away your over-fizzed, industrial lager and rocking a Riesling instead, but steer clear of the supermarket varieties, if you can. It’s a grape with ‘issues,’ says Jason and requires the dedication of small producers, like the ones above, to do it justice. Zum Wohl!

If there's one thing David has learned from Jason during their many Adventures In Wine podcasts, it's that you simply can't have too many favourites. Favourites are Jason's life-blood; favourite regions and appellations, favourite vineyards, growers and restaurants; favourite sommeliers, even and of course, favourite grapes. Not as fruity as some reds or as tannin-rich as others, Pinot Noir defies easy definitions, but with a line-up of six excellent examples, Jason unerringly demonstrates that if you're prepared to eschew the galley isles of your local supermarket and delve just a little deeper into your pocket, you too, will be adding yet another varietal to your own list of favourites. In this episode our Pinot-driven pair sample a precocious 2022 Domaine Girard Pays d'Oc; a characteristically classy, 2018 Alsace Pinot Noir from Leon Beyer and a subtley-oaked 2019 Spätburgunder from Jurgen Hoffman, before tackling some bigger Burgundian beasts: a velvety smooth 2019 Fixin from Frédéric Magnien; a lambent, red-fruit 2017 Aloxe Corton from Gay et Fils and a masterful 2018 Gevrey Chambertain from Domaine Henri Richard.

With Valentine's Day very much on their minds, Jason and David get fizzical with no less than eight Crémants from the eight Crémant regions of France: Bourgogne, Loire, Alsace, Bordeaux, Limoux, Rhône and Savoie. After such a record-breaking, horizontal tasting, other wine enthusiasts might feel inclined to adopt a similar position, but Jason's and David's enthusiasm for the 'fizz areas' (technical term) of France remains as effervescent as ever. So, don't let the fact that it's not champagne burst your bubble. This Valentine's Day, if you really want to impress your loved one, all you really need is a lively mousse, good length and a dry finish.

Caught up in the Christmas rush? Of course you are! Need wine? Of course you do! In this seasonal edition, Jason and David selflessly taste six wines that have been picked by the press as wholly appropriate for the holiday season so you don't have to! Kicking off with the cream of Crémants from Domaine de L'Idylle (to mollify the peelers and preppers imprisoned in the kitchen), our doughty duo (with a starter of smoked salmon in mind), veer onto family Aubert's vivifying Vouvray. After that, it's a festive free-for-all as they round on a row of reds that will pair with everything from turkey to brisket or mushrooms to barbecued ostrich: a fruitful Chinon, Cabernet Franc from Jean-Maurice Raffault; a full-bodied Faugères from Château Estanilles; a moody Malbec, Tinto Negro from Uco Valley, Argentina and Napier Winery's sensational, South African 'Red Medallion' 2015.

In this brutally honest edition, our aging adventurers in wine, in acknowledgement of their advancing years, doff their battered pith helmets to Jason's son, Will, who happens to be in the first flush of adulthood, rather than David's and Jason's busted variety. But the question on Jason's mind is, 'Do young people even drink wine at all?' while the question on David's is, 'When is Jason coming back from the fridge with the first bottle?' Our try-anything trio then work their way through one sparkling, one white, one rosé and two reds, that Jason believes would capture the youth vote; lively, pocket-friendly wines made with minimal intervention - and don't forget the hip label: Jean-Pierre Py's amiably frisky 'Pet Nat'; Léon Beyer’s versatile ‘La Cuvée'; family Ambrosio-Collomb 's Domaine Ouilllières cool and crisp 'Harmonie'; Graillot and Schmittel's briary, forward-drinking Crozes Hermitage 'Equinoxe', and Nathalie Margan's round and powerful Château La Canorgue, Cotes du Luberon.

This time, Jason's and David's oenological explorations centre upon one small and very special area of France; the 209 hectares around Condrieu, that are home to the legendarily tricky to grow and hard to vinify, Viognier vine. The effort, though, produces a uniquely aromatic wine that has become one of the great gastronomic wines of France. What else, you might ask, pairs so well with that classic Lyonnaise dish, quenelles de brochet? David is obliged to forgo the pike dumplings, however, (which, if they had a pike, they could easily have made, if they only had a perch to go with it), because the only thing in Jason's fridge is Viognier; chilled to just the right temperature to release the honeysuckle, white stone fruit and apricot flavours of this awe-inspiring, yet underappreciated grape. They begin with Patrick Jasmin's, limpid, straw-coloured Collines Rhodaniennes and slip smoothly on to Christine Vernay's sensuous Pied de Samson, before sampling, a true Condrieu from within the appellation itself and Vernay's principle cuvée; Les Terrasses de l'Empire; an intricate, classic Condrieu with a complexity and long finish that belies its single varietal origins. By now, our almost supine samplers are ready for the jewel in the Vernay crown, from the appellation's sweetspot, right in the centre of the town; a Coteau de Vernon, which so dumbfounds David that he can only declare it to be, 'just like Condrieu only more so.' 'On steroids,' adds Jason. Finally, a lightly-chilled Brézème, 'Azalée,' from Domaine Lombard provides a fruit-filled footnote on how Viognier, so fickle with its favours, can very obligingly add a supple freshness to red wine.

For this special edition of Adventures in Wine, David hunkers down with Tom Ashworth over a single (yes, you read that correctly, 'single') bottle of wine: an investment grade Pauillac, Grand-Puy-Lacoste that has lain unopened since 2005. It's a perfectly sumptuous sip, of course, but leaving your wine to languish in the cellar, when it could be fulfilling its destiny in your glass doesn't just improve the flavour, it can also work wonders for your bank balance, as Tom, with a wealth of financial knowledge at his disposal, explains. Yes, investing in wine is the bibulous equivalent of having your cake and eating it - as long as know your onions, of course - or in this case, grapes.

Glass is getting more expensive, cardboard's getting costlier, fuel prices are going through the roof and labour is hard to find... On top of that, in 2021, French wine-makers were hit with a Spring frost that wiped out a significant part of their crop. What's left, may hardly make a dent in the market and be markedly more expensive to boot, but if the half dozen appellations that Jason and David sample in this episode are anything to go by, the quality hasn't suffered at all. First up is Yapp's own label Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine, a crackling, flinty pick me-up you can't put down. Second, a deceptively pale yet aromatic Cotes Du Luberon, from Château La Canorgue, grown from deep-rooted, climate-resistant vine stock is not only delicious but well-placed to hold its own as temperatures and prices rise. Next up, an old favorite of Jason's from Domaine Saparale in Corsica: a coral pink, Corse Sartene - savoury with well-balanced berry fruits, you can taste the sunshine in every sip. La Ficelle is a light-hearted 'vin de soif', from Saint Pourçain, graced with a whacky 'Charlie Hebdo' cartoon that belies the smoothness of its violet and redcurrant palate. Best served 'lightly chilled,' the bottle helpfully bears the legend 'Patron une autre!' just in case you're in no condition to say it yourself. Lastly, from ancient terraces in Rousillon, Les Sorcieres, though made to drink straight from release, is not only impressively earthy, but bursting with well rounded black fruit flavours. On this showing, the 2021 French wine harvest may be small, but it is perfectly formed.

Rather than blockbuster wines for the main event, Jason’s focus for his Christmas 2020 selection is that stalwart behind the scenes, who’s on kitchen duty while everyone else is on the Jenga and the gin. These are wines, he says, that you should have ‘knocking about it the kitchen’; wines that won’t break the bank and will ease those long hours over the brussels but also segue nicely onto the table should the need arise. First up is a bottle-fermented Crémant du Jura, from Valerie and Jean-Christophe Tissot. ‘Creamy, zesty, citrus,’ says Jason. ‘Under-priced,’ says Jancis Robertson. ‘I don’t mind,’ says David. Look on the label of some of the least fine wines on the market and you’ll find that Chardonnay is often the culprit. It’s also responsible for some of the best, though, and Stephane Brocard's 2018 Bourgogne Chardonnay is justifiably, a gold medal winner with a nervy minerality, that’s beautifully balanced with green apple aromas. It may be crying out for oysters, but David’s just crying out for another glass. Jason’s next choice is a surprisingly good white from Faugères, a region best known for its reds. From Julien Seydoux, this 2019 Château Estanilles, a blend of Vermentino, Marsanne and Rousanne, is sumptuous enough to go with your poultry dinner, but should you prefer to give the bird 'the bird,' is also perfectly happy on its own. Jason and David’s first taste of red comes in the form of Fred Filliatreau’s Château Fouquet. A firm favourite, Cabernet Franc, this vintage 2018 is bursting with black fruit, but says David, is still ‘a wine for all seasons.’ It’s a wine for life, in fact, not just Christmas. Last of the reds, but by no means least, is a Rioja Marqués de Zearra Crianza 2014. This blend of tempranillo and mazuelo has become a Yapp top-seller, which, for a French wine specialist is nothing short of remarkable. Why? It’s ‘very user friendly,’ says Jason. Twenty four months in barrel and three years in bottle prior to release at less than £15 a pop, might have something to do with it. Jason and David's just desserts come in the shape of a half bottle of Jurançon Moelleux from Pascal Labasse, which derives all its sweetness and depth from late-picked grapes. 'Great with a tarte tatin,' says Jason, but if you've had enough of the kitchen, you can always go native and drink it as an aperitif.

As bars and restaurants across the U.K. empty, thanks to COVID-19, the recycling bins of the population fill up and none could be fuller than those of Jason and David both, coincidentally, returned from holidays in more benign climes and obliged to quarantine at Her Majesty's pleasure in their respective domiciles. But rather than spend their house arrest staring holes into the air, our bibulous pair heroically set themselves the task of tasting their way through no less than five different appellations in an attempt to ascertain whether or not 2019 was a good year for wine. From the off, judging by Domaine André Vatan's Sancerre, the auguries are very good . This is a classic sauvignon blanc with an elderflower and nettle nose and a reassuringly racy palate. On to Leon Beyer's La Cuvée from Alsace. It's touch-and-go for a moment as David's recently applied aftershave takes an early lead over this delicately-flavoured 'edelzwicker' but thankfully, quarantine measures mean that he's able to keep his audacious faux pas (and the 'edelzwicker') to himself. Next up, Philippe Girard's honey-coloured, late summer rosé from the up-and-coming Malepère region is not only beautiful to look at but delightful to drink. Fresh and bright, it wears its 13.5 ABV well. From Central France, Jason and David's next sampling, is a 'vin de soif' - a forward drinking, hedonistic, highly quaffable 'La Ficelle' from St-Pourçain. Just a couple of glugs are enough to dispel even David's reservations about the 'Charlie Hebdo' label - but why should wine drinking always be such a po-faced affair anyway? Lastly, from Corsica, is Domaine Pieretti's wonderfully briary red. 'Loganberry,' says David. 'Untamed,' says Jason, before both agree that while 2020 may not be their favourite year, 2019 is definitely looking up.

As temperatures (and tempers) heat up during lockdown, we've all learned that wine isn't the only thing that's gotta breathe. For this second socially-distanced wine tasting, however, Jason has lined up a flight of reds, that after a cool start, will simply warm up in your glass. Each made from a single variety grape, they're perfect for summer time drinking, for kitchen table lunches, picnics or just sipping in the garden when the sun is high and the wheelie bin, even higher. First, Fred Filliatreau's Chateau Fouquet 2018 is a fresh, fragrant Cabernet Franc: a firm favourite and not only with lovers of alliteration. Next, Stéphane Brocard's Bourgogne Pinot Noir, 2017 is earthy and fruity, yet racy, says Jason. 'Perky,' adds David, struggling for a word that will adequately describe what is happening on his tongue. Third, is a Beaujolais from Domaine de Fa 2018; a high quality Gamay with vibrant, red fruit that has Jason waxing lyrical and David searching for a bigger glass. Jason's penultimate selection is a rather unusual Poulsard 2017 from Louis Tissot. This smooth, stewed red fruit, jewel from the Jura is as esoteric as it is delicious. Mondeuse, from La Famille Tiolliers, is Jason's final offering. Though full-tasting and peppery, when it comes to summer, it's another wine from the right altitude with the right attitude: light and fresh and ideal for long, hot days and even longer evenings.

In what can only be described as a technological breakthrough for our bibulous pair, Jason and David zoom their way through their first socially distanced wine tasting, pulling off the unprecedented feat of opening the same white at the same time for a spot of synchronous sipping. The pandemic aside, with two woke sons on his quaranteam and climate change an ever pressing issue, vegan wines have been very much on Jason's mind. The good news is that most Yapp wines are vegan, the bad news is that many wine growers just haven't got around to labelling them as such. Two that have are Reh Kendermann and Fred Filliatreau . The former makes a fresh orchard fruit, easy-drinking Pinot Gris vom Kalkstein and the latter, a mineral yet fruitful, Château Fouquet Cabernet Franc, much loved by both Jason and David. And in another first for unprecedented times, neither has to share the bottle with other.

In this big, bonging, New Year edition, Jason introduces David to the Rhône Septentrionale (or Northern Rhône)and the handful of rare and characterful white wines that are teased into existence alongside the ever abundant rows of generic Cotes Du Rhône AOC. While David's head is still spinning with percentages, hectares and Olympic-sized swimming pools (not to mention the vestiges of this year's flu virus), Jason has popped the cork on their first bottle; a fizzy, yet velvety smooth St. Peray from Jean Louis Thiers. It's fit for an emperor and probably was - at least when Napoleon was quaffing it as a cadet in nearby Valence. South East of Valence, Cotes Du Rhone Brézème began with just one hectare in 1962. Though it remains in a kind of classification limbo, this rare blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier from Julian Montagnon is in a class of its own. Further up North and up budget, Alain Graillot's Crozes Hermitage Blanc might appear under-dressed in its screwcap, but is a bright, beautifully textured, masterful offering from a master wine-maker. Only three bottles in to the podcast, any thoughts that David might have that Jason has peaked too soon are chased away by a half bottle of Georges Vernay's voluptuous, ethereal Condrieu. 'There are many occasions when half is the perfect volume,' Jason insists and David, who has barely resorted to the spittoon since the tasting began, is hardly in a position to disagree. Finally, at Hermitage, we arrive at 'le sommet' of Jason's tour of the Northern Rhone and Jean-Louis Chave's Selection Blanche 2015. 'A wine to contemplate,' says David just as Jason whips out a 2001 domain wine from the same illustrious wine maker - gothic font and all. 'I am indulging you today, David,' he says, pleonasmically.

In this special, holly-decked edition, Jason begins by asking David the obvious question and despite receiving the rather obvious answer, presses ahead regardless with a bumper, eight-bottle sampling of his own Christmas wine choices that is guaranteed to get even the most diehard humbug ding-dong-merrily-on-high. Sure enough, David's soon getting teary-eyed over a pocket-sized, half-bottle of Leon Beyer, Cremant d'Alsace; a finely-bubbled, brioche-bouqueted vivifier that's perfect for incentivising the scullion on sprout-peeling duty. With an eye to the fact that your relatives may well hang around far longer than your wine does, Jason's next suggestion is a German, Pinot Gris vom Kalkstein. At around a tenner a bottle, your feckless offspring can neck this easy-going aperitif while you're still worrying over your cranberry reduction. Two wines in and our intrepid duo have only got as far as the smoked salmon, which Jason decides he'll pair with a 2018 Chablis, Domaine Christoph Camu. David may call it, 'Trad,' but this nervy, fruity classic has been around for a long time for good reason and this one's so desirable, your salmon will be just begging for the lemon juice. In need of respite from the demands of meal-planning, Jason and David divert to Christmas Eve and sample a 2017 Yapp Rouge; a toothsome, mid-weight, pure cabernet sauvignon that will cheer any opportunist carollers who happen to gate-crash your silent night. Before you can say, 'Figgy pudding,' however, they're back to the big day and a beautiful Beaujolais 'Fleurie' from Alain Graillot. This racy, crunchy, floral red is Beaujolais done the right way. All you have to do is do your guinea fowl the right way, too. With the beefeaters and mushroom munchers in mind, the gloves are off for Jason's next choice; a no-holds-barred 2015 Châteauneuf Du Pape 'Le Vieux Donjon.' This awesome dark fruit, cherry and tapenade, vintage wine will hush all conversation at the table and wrap even your most garrulous guest in a welcome bubble of solipsistic and appreciative contemplation. Though David may wish to linger, Jason is bringing out the cheese already and for the first time in their podcasting history, our vinous pair enjoy the novelty of eating something to soak up all the sampling they've done. The cheese is a heady, truffle-infused Godminster cheddar which team Yapp has paired with an equally heady Château Milhau Lacugue, 'La Truffiere.' Not quite like putting curry on your vindaloo, but a double-truffle treat for any hedonist who can't get enough of a good thing. And for those who may feel they've had quite enough of everything, Jason's last suggestion may just persuade them to linger a little longer at the table. Put away the port, stash the Sauternes; Banyuls from Domaine La Tour Vielle is a limpid, caramel-coloured, candied peel and fig, dessert wine that will stand up to Christmas pud, mince pies and chocolate whilst everyone else is falling over. Salut!