2009 Domaine Begude, Terroir 11300 Chardonnay, L'Aude, France (£8.25, down to £6.89 until 24th May, Waitrose).
I first met James and Catherine Kinglake at a book signing many moons ago. They bought one of my books and I signed it.
In this delightful little moment they asked me a terrifying question. I did my 'no way' face on the spot and then spent an hour trying to dissuade them from giving up a great career in the City to buy a vineyard in France and take a 'no going back' step towards becoming vignerons.
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We became great friends over a series of meetings, discussing regions, properties, wine-making machinery, root stocks and the like, and I followed their progress into the unknown every step of the way.
Eight years have rolled by and their wines today are truly remarkable. They are fervent organic fans and they make sensitively oaked, beautiful chardonnays and pinots and even a few quirky, secret wines which you can discover if you make it down to Carcassonne to visit them.
Their latest release, named after their postcode to reinforce the fact that no one else can make wine like it, is a sensational, summery glugger. Buy all you can it explains, in one glass, why they never doubted their move to make wines to enchant our tastebuds.
Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year ( www.matthewjukes.com ).
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