20% off all award-winning Provençal wines from organic estate Chateau Léoube
Jonathan Ray, The Spectator’s drinks editor, writes: ‘Rory Sutherland, the magazine’s “Wiki Man”, was on blistering form the other evening at our inaugural Spectator Writers’ Dinner, held in the boardroom at 22 Old Queen Street. Thanks to Rory’s witty and razor-sharp insights, some top-notch food and excellent (not to mention seemingly limitless) wines from Ch. Léoube – the Provençal estate famed for its organic red, white, rosé and sparkling wines and olive oils – it’s fair to say a fine time was had by all.
Domaine de Léoube and its château near St. Tropez are owned by Lord and Lady Bamford (founders of Daylesford Organic, one of the UK’s most sustainable farms), and readers were well-refreshed throughout the evening with several different cuvées from the estate.
We started with glasses of Sparkling de Léoube, en magnum, one of very few traditional method sparklers made in Provence. A canny blend of Cabernet Franc (lots), Rolle/Vermentino (a little) and Ugni Blanc (barely a splash), it spends 18 months on the lees and is crisp, clean, concentrated and fresh, the lush ripeness of the berries supplying all the fruitiness and depth without recourse to any dosage.
I can’t think of anyone else making a traditional method fizz from Cabernet Franc in Provence, and it got a resolute thumbs up from round the table.
The 2022 Sécret de Léoube Rosé was similarly enticing, a wonderful blend of 45 per cent Grenache, 45 per cent Cinsault and – the ‘secret’ – 10 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon. What started out as something of an experiment has become a stalwart of the Léoube range, and it’s a belter, with ripe, creamy red berry fruit, the minerality of the schist soil, the salinity of the nearby sea and the heady herb notes from the garrigue scrub. It’s a fine rosé for white wine lovers.
We all agreed that the 2022 Ch. Léoube Blanc, a Rolle/Sémillon blend (with added dash of Ugni Blanc), would appeal to lovers of Chablis or Sancerre, so classy is it. With lemony notes from the Rolle and richness, weight and texture from the Sémillon, it’s complex and sophisticated and it was no surprise to see glasses drained.
The 2021 Ch. Léoube Rouge is all about charm. A Syrah/Cinsault/Grenache/Cabernet Sauvignon blend that spends two years in large oak foudres, it is full of black fruit, cassis and spice with a touchy of meaty beef bouillon on the finish. The tannins are soft and silky, and it’s one of those rare reds that could easily be drunk on its own.
Finally, the 2018 Léoube Collector Rouge, velvety soft and seductive from hand-picked, low-yield Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This is something special indeed, with an exhilarating freshness and plenty of cassis and with hints of smoked paprika and a touch of leafy herbs. There is some new oak here, but it’s aged mainly in larger 600L demi-muid - a delicacy of touch is its hallmark. If there was ever such a thing as Provençal claret, this would be it.
Lord and Lady Bamford have kindly made all the wines we enjoyed the other night – in fact their entire Provençal range, including their Mediterranean gin and olive oil – available to the wider Spectator readership, complete with a very generous 20% discount.
Simply use the code LEOUBE20 at the checkout. The offer is valid until 31 December 2024 and delivery is free on all orders over £120.
