CoOp, Cava, Brut, NV, Spain
Cava is so under eated in the uk. It’s a great alternative to cheaper Champagnes and thus one from the CoOp is a great example. Clean, crisp and dry with fresh apple and pears flavours that last a long time. It’s a very solid silver medal Cava to me and at £6 a bottle fantastic value.
Ramon Bilbao, Crianza, 2021, Rioja, Spain
Another Crianza fron Rioja, Spain and a decent one too with a Silver medal from the IWC. Dry, firm but well integrated tannins and plenty of length of dark fruits. It’s like VW Polo, decent all round and nothing bad. At £12 a bottle its good value, well done.
Aldi sells some great wines and although it’s not great when you consider the price of £4 a bottle it’s hard not to be impressed. It’s a cheap red wine for sure, dry, unbalanced on the tannins and flavours. There are positives. Reasonable red fruit and tannins don’t overwelm. It’s better to chill this a little and drink it in the garden on a summer’s day.
Lidl, Carinena, Monte Plogar, Gran Reserva, 2016, Valencia, Spain
It’s been a whole since I tried a good cheap red from a supermarket, but this one from Lidl is worth buying. At £6 a bottle, it was a pleasant surprise. Dry with soft tannins and decent flavours of plum, blackberry, cherry with hints of chocolate and a little oak in the background. It’s been left longer than the producer would have recommended before drinking but I think that’s helped soften it up. We had ot with a slow cooked beef joint and it was a perfect fit.
Vina Ardanza, Rioja Reserva, 2016, Spain
A standard Rioja or something super? Well this Reserva from Vina Ardanza is a cut above the usual. Dry, firm but well integrated tannins you get a pretty intense red wine with plenty of red fruit flavours, spice, cloves and liquorice all in a soft warm fizzy feeling package. Its a grown ups wine to be savoured. At £25 bottle it’s a little pricey but rather good.
Masia Bou, Brut Cava, NV, Spain
Cava is the new Prosecco for many in the UK Nd this Cava from Masia Bou shows why. Clean, fresh with decent aromas and flavours it delivers something a bit more than your usual Prosecco. It’s dry with high acidity. Lemon and sherbet come through but it’s light if a little tart on the back palette. At £11 a bottle it’s reasonable value too, worth a bottle for when friends pop over.
Freixenet, zero alcohol, Rosé sparkling, Spain
Low and none alcohol wines, beers and spirits have come a long way in recent years. Personally I prefer non alcohol beers. This on the other hand is not something I would drink again. On thd sweet side it has bubbles and a taste of something but nothing anyone could pin down. The best I could think of was the taste of sparking water, the taste of the carbonated process. Save the cash and go for a traditional fancy lemonade.
Martín Códax, Albariño, 2022, Spain
This Albarino from Spain is a great example of the grape, dry, light with a good dope of acidity. You get lemon, citrus and hints of peach on the flavours side. This would go very well with sea food, pasta in a white source or a zesty salad. At £13 a bottle it’s decent value.
Ugalde, Rioja, Crianza, 2019, Spain
This Rioja from Ugalde is a great example of a young Rioja, age around 6 months in oak it’s dry, high in tannins and acidity, got massive amounts of black and red fruit flavours. There’s leather, chocolate, coffee notes in there with a slight earthy undertone all integrated very well.
At zbout £11 a bottle it’s excellent value and paired with a winter roast or BBQ in the summer it’s an all year round wine.
The Guv’nor, Majestic Wine, Spain
The Guv’nor from Majestic Wine is wine from Spain that really surprises for it’s an amazing white wine blend. It is fresh and crisp with lots of citrus with hints of pineapple. Great acidity, balanced and at £6 a bottle it’s amazing value too.