Lidl, Feinherb Klusserather, St Michael, Riesling, Model, Germany
I’ve said it before that supermarkets like Lidl sell decent wine at excellent prices and this Riesling from the Model, Germany shows it. At £5 a bottle it’s great value. A medium white wine with lots freshness, light aromas and flavours of apple, pear, lychee, melon, ripe pineapple and peach. Lots there, although quite subtle and great freshness.
It’s a great easy drinking wine on its own or with Asian food.
Little Odisseia, Tinto, 2016, Douro Valley, Portugal
Little Odisseia from the Douro Valley, Portugal is another solid red wine from a country that doesn’t seem to produce any bad stuff.
There are notes of tobacco, black fruit and leather with hints of mushrooms. This is a dry, bold wine with firm tannins that give structure. Its not fancy or complex but you get is a wine that is not going to embarrass you, just drink it or have it with a steak.
Well done to the wine maker, a wine to order by the case because at £7 a bottle its excellent value.
Domaine De La Desoucherie, Cheverny, 2013, Loire Valley, France
This white wine from the Domaine De La Desoucherie in the Loire Valley is typical of the whites from the region.
Its subtle and easy drinking, there are aromas and flavours of citrus and its about Eur8 a bottle. We picked this up when visiting the Loire Valley and its a shame in many ways that we can’t get this in the UK. Its a great white for the summer to just drink in the sun.
Granmonte, The Orient Syrah, 2012, Thailand
Anyone can make wine but not everyone can make good wine let alone excellent wine, so where does The Orient Syrah come? Its good, very good for an 8 year old Syrah. This was made by someone that clearly knew how to make good wine.
There are aromas of plum, oak, spice and hints of pepper. The flavours of plum, blackberry, blackcurrant are still there but is nice and smooth with mellowness and softness that is a delight.
Thailand is now on the list of countries that can make decent wine, I hope all Thailand wine makers can get to this standard.
Aldi, English Bacchus, Chapel Down, England
Aldi have some great wines at great prices, sure you can look down your nose at them but you will be missing out as this Bacchus made by Chapel Down shows. How do I know this is from Chapel Down, their post code is on the back!
Bacchus is the English/German Sauvignon Blanc. There are aromas of Melon and Gooseberry with additional flavours of citrus and tropical fruit. Its dry, light and refreshing, perfect with asia food, sea food or in the garden on a summers evening enjoying the sun.
At £7.99 per bottle its cheaper than the 6 case price (£60 for 6 bottles) of the branded Chapel Down Bacchus from the vineyard and much cheaper than the £13 per bottle price. Aldi have done it again with a great wine at a great price.
Cottas, Vinho Tinto, Portugal
Its hard to find a bad bottle of Portuguese red wine, they just keep delivering good value, drinkable red’s and this one from Cottas is no exception.
A deep red colour with aromas and flavours of black fruit, blackberries and blackcurrant. Its dry, reasonably smooth and got plenty of flavour. More important its very easy to drink and cheap. At £6 a bottle is great value.
Quinta Do Crasto, LBV Port, 2005, Portugal
Buy is my recommendation on this Quinta Do Crasto, LBV Port, 2005 from Portugal.
Yes its 15 years old and should have been open much earlier but it still had a fresh flavour drive smell and taste, lots black fruit, tobacco, oak, raisins, very smooth and pretty rich but with structure and longitivity.
At £20 its not expensive and it does deliver all round.
La Méridionale, Merlot, Syrah, Languedoc, France
The South of France produces lots of Merlot and Syrah red wines and this one from La Méridionale is typical.
Blackberry, plum and cherry and you primary flavours for this pretty simple but drinkable red. Its very Dry, has decent enough body and depth of flavour with tannins that are a little rough and pronounced. Its not bad but its a food wine. pair it with steak or a burger and it will go down very well. At £7 a bottle its decent value too.
O:TU, Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, love it or hate it, its a Marmite wine. This one from O:TU is very good, not outstanding but theres lots to like about it.
Its a dry, acidic white with decent body and length of flavour. There are aromas and flavours of lemon, lime, grapefruit and gooseberry with a little green apple and hints of ripe melon.
Its no Greywacke but its a decent wine.
Piccini, Collezione Oro, Chianti Superiore, 2018, Italy
It was a while before I got Chianti, over price and over here was my view and luckily I tried others before this Collezione Oro from Piccini.
OK so its a dry, medium bodied and reasonably well balanced red wine. It has aromas of cherry, raspberry with flavours of blackberry and redcurrant and earthy notes in there. Its not bad but its not exciting, its note shouting at me to buy a case. Sure at about £10 its decent value but what if you spent a little more on something else?