Aldi, Pierre Jaurant, Bordeaux Blend, 2020, France
At times Aldi delights the wine drinker with a cheap wine that does what it’s meant to do, allow you to enjoy it without thinking about it and this Pierre Jaurant, Bordeaux Blend does that.
It’s a half decent dry red wine with firm tannins and lots of black fruit flavours. It’s uncomplicated and meant to just be drunk. At £5 a bottle it’s excellent value.
Black Sage, Viognier, 2017, Okanagan Valley, Canada
Can you get a bad bottle of Canadian wine? Probably but not this one because this is excellent. A little heavier in texture to most white wines this has plenty to taste, apple, melon, hints of citrus and honey. It’s dry and with balanced acidity works well with fish or chicken dishes. At £15 a bottle it’s reasonable value too.
Villa Sandi, Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore, Millesimato, 2020, Italy
Another prosecco that delivers on being easy to drink with decent bubbles and taste. Green apple, melon, lemon, hints of honey and an undertone of minerals make it very enjoyable.
Bernard Massard, Cuvee de L’Ecusson, Brut NV, Luxembourg
This is a quality sparking wine from Bernard Massard located in Luxembourg and has freshness and zing after 10 years in our wine store. Theres softness and subtleness in the citrus flavours and a hint of butteriness, decent acidity and fine bubbles make this a pleasure to drink. At £20 a bottle its fair value and worth getting a few bottles in.
Babich, Sauvignon Blanc, 2021, New Zealand
Another New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, can it get any more boring? Thus is a rather good one, dry, reasonably light, refreshing with decent flavours and aromas. Lime, citrus, pineapple, hints of gooseberry and green apple. At £14 a bottle it should be decent and it delivers.
Domaine de la Jasse, 2011, Languedoc, France
We use to drink Domaine de la Jasse blend in the past like there was no tomorrow and for good reason. Its a classy Languedoc blend but at £12 a bottle it’s not going to break the bank. Dry with now, soft mellow tannins theres loads of ripe black fruit with notes of tobacco, chocolate coffee and hints of oak and vanilla. This just got better at 12 years old than I remember it.
Tesco, Finest Malbec, 2021, Mendoza, Argentina
Tesco sell a lot of wine do some of it will be terrible and some of it will be great. This is the latter. Excellent black fruit flavours and aromas with good length and firm bit not overly harsh tannins. Pair with a stew or steak for a great combination. Oh with discounts it was under £5, every little helps 😉
Colchester Cellar Club Chilean wine tasting
Local wine clubs are great places to meet interesting people who love wine and try interesting wines. The Colchester Cellar Club is no exception. Friendly and relaxed it has a number of tastings each year on various themes. This time it was Chilean wines.
Below are my tastings notes
Lapostolle Alexandre 2019 Chardonnay at £22 a bottle.
Full on lemon, ripe citrus, nose of oak and smoke, high acid, long length, best with fish or a zesty salad.
Errazuriz wild ferment Chardonnay 2018 at £14 a bottle
Light lemon with lime hints and pink grapefruit,
Morande One to One Gewurtraminer 2018 at £9 a bottle
Perfumed nose, sweet with hints of rose. Med body with very long length. Light notes of lemon and hints of grapefruit and honey.
Morande One to One Pais 2016 at £9 a bottle
Nose of toffee and a hint of tune sweets. Light with red fruit with reserved tannins very much like a good beaujolais.
Mayu Appassimentto Carmenere 2017 at £13 a bottle
Rich black fruit nose, feeds into the flavours. Sweetness to the fruits, firm but soft tannins, so we’ll balanced and integrated with hints of smoke and oak, good solid length. Excellent
LFE 900 Single Vineyard Blend 2014 at £17 a bottle
Smokey, oaky nose with violets and hints of menthol, dry black fruits, spice hint. Very smooth, firm but well integrated tannins. Rather good.
Vik Milla Cala 2019 at £32 a bottle
Fresh red fruit , light nose and body, some spice and a little black fruit . High acidity, Overpriced but very nice.
Purple Angel Carmenere 2018 at £70 a bottle
Fresh menthol on the nose with black fruit. Spice and red and black fruits, firm but balanced tannins with dryness, clear and left on the lees but a lift is used to stir the lees. Its very nice but over priced.
LFE Late Harvest Viogner/Sauvignon Blanc 2017 at £7 a bottle,
Solid desert wine, not sticky but nice fresh flavours, ripe ctritus with good length. For the price this is outstanding. Its not complex but thats what most people need at the end of a meal.
Amisfield, Breakneck, Pinot Noir, 2017, Central Otago, New Zealand
Another excellent Pinot Noir from New Zealand this ‘Breakneck’ from Amisfield is dry, smooth, with firm but well integrated tannins that makes this a joy to drink. Plenty of flavour with red cherry at the front and hints of oak, a subtle earthiness and all with long length.
Sure at £60 a bottle it’s not cheap but then again quality like this is often expensive. It’s a shame as many people won’t get to try it.
Christiena, Trousseau, Cap Classique Method, Brut, South Africa
South African sparkling wine is normally very good and this one Christiena in the Robertson area of the western Cape is no exception. It’s dry, crisp and with good levels of balanced acidity. The flavours of lemon and lime are subtle allowing the crispness to shine though. On itsown or with sea food it’s a quality wine.