In vino veritas - what wine are you drinking?

mikep

We had a Marques De Caceres Gran Reserva 2011 last sunday.
Got it while on offer in Supervalu for €20..

Keep an eye out for it..

dudara

Was in Aldi this evening picking up some stuff for dinner, when I saw this Colombard blend on the shelf for €8. I love Colombard as I think it makes great, crisp whites, that are perfect food wines.

This Vue sur Mer Cotes de Thau is a blend of local Terret Bourret, Piquepoul and Colombard. I must say that I'm really impressed by it for €8. It's got a decent amount of body and length, with lots of citrus and apples.

[IMG]https://cdn.aldi-digital.co.uk//Vue-Sur-Mer-Côtes--de-Thau-A.jpg?o=XK99$9y8krCF8DvzE7l7xDXHfSkj&V=1apn&w=1500&p=2&q=50[/IMG]

The Nal

7 quid in Aldi. Its excellent

odyssey06

At this stage it might be quicker to list the wines from ALDI that one should avoid, they seem to have really raised their game this summer

limnam

odyssey06 wrote: »

At this stage it might be quicker to list the wines from ALDI that one should avoid, they seem to have really raised their game this summer

To be honest, I can't think of many bottles from either Aldi or Lidl that I was unhappy about.

The Nal

odyssey06 wrote: »

At this stage it might be quicker to list the wines from ALDI that one should avoid, they seem to have really raised their game this summer

They really have. Discovered the €9.99 Californian Pinot Noir which is absolutely sensational for that price.

odyssey06

The Nal wrote: »

They really have. Discovered the €9.99 Californian Pinot Noir which is absolutely sensational for that price.

I saw that in my local ALDI but seemed to have sold out now

I hope they get some more in. I picked up the Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon but haven't opened it yet.

The Nal

odyssey06 wrote: »

I saw that in my local ALDI but seemed to have sold out now

Same, I rather stupidly only bought two despite there being a case there. Hadn't tasted it at that point though.

odyssey06

limnam wrote: »

To be honest, I can't think of many bottles from either Aldi or Lidl that I was unhappy about.

There's a Salice Salentino I got in LIDL think it was €7.99, maybe it once-off but it was 'dead'.

limnam

odyssey06 wrote: »

There's a Salice Salentino I got in LIDL think it was €7.99, maybe it once-off but it was 'dead'.

Yeah there's definitely been the odd one, but very rare for the amount of bottles I've tried and the price point

BaZmO*

odyssey06 wrote: »

At this stage it might be quicker to list the wines from ALDI that one should avoid, they seem to have really raised their game this summer

The last 2 bottles I got from ALDI were fantastic. They were included in the Tom Doorley list that someone posted a few pages back.

I think the red was the Bouches du Rhône 2018 and the white was the The Wine Foundry Avesso Vinho Verde 2018, which was as nice a Vinho Verde as I've tried, and I've been to Portugal a good few times. Most of their wines tned to be standalone great wines, but at the price point they're fantastic.

dudara

The Iron Horse Barossa Valley Shiraz is great value. They also used to have a Paul Mas Chardonnay from the Languedoc-Roussilon which was great value for money, but I haven’t seen it in a while.

limnam

Lunaria Ruminat Primitivo - Biodynamic/organic

I believe I've posted wines from this co-op before.

Occasionally there's a bottle of wine that I spend drinking going _this_ is why i love wine so much and this is defintiley one of them.

Beautiful red fruits silky smooth with a long last finish

Currently 15.95 in O'Briens. They also have the montepulciano from this co-op that I highly recommend also

odyssey06

Château Haut Garriga, Bordeaux Blanc 2013, 12%.

This is a 100% semillon white bordeaux. I think I got it as a present, google tells me at one point it was available in Wines Direct Arnotts for €12.95.

A fresh, dry white with a long finish, went very well with seafood in white sauce.

odyssey06

Posting this snippet from Decanter magazine...

French Michelin-starred restaurant Maison Rostang has confirmed that thieves
stole €400,000 worth of fine wine between 30 June and 1 July. Maison Rostang said that ‘irreplaceable’ vintages produced by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Petrus, Latour and Lafite were stolen via a hole that had been cut into the wall of the cellars under the streets of Paris.

otnomart

Sauternes, one of my fave sticky wines which I uncork in Autumn

Buddy97mm

Having a bottle of Scarlatto Toscana from Aldi this evening. Exquisite, exceptional value at 9.99

ednwireland

castillo de embid 6.66 a bottle from supervalu very drinkable 6 bottles for 40 euro offer

nice bit of green

Michel Lynch Merlot CS is a winner. 12.50 from Dunnes.

Ludikrus

nice bit of green wrote: »

Michel Lynch Merlot CS is a winner. 12.50 from Dunnes.

Lovely wine. Very easy on the head too I find! Usually even if I only have a glass of red I feel it a little bit in the morning. With Michel Lynch I can tear away

Ludikrus

Buddy97mm wrote: »

Having a bottle of Scarlatto Toscana from Aldi this evening. Exquisite, exceptional value at 9.99

Agree, it's exceptional at that price (think it's actually 9.49). I haven't seen it in Aldi for several weeks. I hope it comes back.

The Nal

Excellent value for €9 in Lidl

odyssey06

Picked up the Marks and Spencer meal deal with dinner and a bottle of wine for €14.

Went for the Marques de Alarcon Tempranillo Syrah as the wine option, and it's lovely.
Nice, easy drinking Rioja with fresh acidity - good with lamb, pork shoulder, duck etc

https://www.marksandspencer.com/palacio-del-marques-tempranillo-syrah-case-of-6/p/p21126965

odyssey06

I attended wine tasting event for my local independent off licence.

Putting down some notes on the tasting for my own benefit, and also if someone is looking for a special bottle there are some tips and ones to avoid.

All of these were lovely wines, some a bit over priced perhaps I've tried to put in order of preference.

French Red:
Domaine de la Boire Blanche Minervois €19
Chateau Tour Canon Lalande de Pomerol €20
Mas Montel Petite Syrah €14
Les Brulieres de Beychevelle Haut-Medoc €35
Gaelius St Emilion Grand Cru €35
Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages €17

Italian Red:
Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino €45
Pio Cesare Barolo €70
Calimoro Montepulciano d'Abruzzo €12
Madregale Terre de Chieti €12
Ornellaia Le Volte Toscana Rosso €30
Appassimento Negroamaro Primitivo €16

Spanish Red:
Conde Valdemar Gran Reserva €22

American Reds:
Louis Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon €35 - blockbuster at 15.5%, had to retreat to get some cheese for that one but tons of flavour.
Mac Murray Central Coast Pinot Noir €21
Menage a Trois Zinfandel €18

Whites:
NZ Babich Black Label Sauvignon Blanc €23 - possible the nicest Sav Blanc I've tried, more in the Sancerre style
Bodegas Altos de Torona Albarino €20 - think this would be great with seafood
Bodegas Altos de Torona Godello €20 - nice fresh minerality

Randomers:
Henry of Pelham Sibling Rivalry Red €17 - blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon from Ontario, Canada. Lovely.
Garzon Tannat Reserve 2017 €20 - my favourite on the night, all the way from Uruguay.
Justino 5yo rich reserve Madeira €28 - OH favourite on the night
Kanonkop Pinotage South Africa €33 - very nice pinotage, getting away from the overly tobacco style
Aszu 5 Puttonyos Tokaji Disznoko €43 - somehow tart and yet concentrated sweetness. Wasn't to my liking but OH loved it.
Syria, Bargylus White €33 - a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc which divided opinion. I liked it a lot but OH thought it was an epic fail

Disappointing:
Brazil, Alisios Tempranillo\Touriga €13 - nothing special
China, Chateau Changyu Moser Blanc de Noir €20 - actually a white wine with cabernet sauvignon in the mix. Slightly sweet, more like grape juice than wine, very delicate flavour.
China, Chateau Changyu Moser Cabernet Sauvignon €20 - poor, would prefer any mass market Aussie red at less than half the price
Louis Roderer Brut Champagne €60 - thought this was a bit aggressive and acidic
Lebanon, Chateau Marsyas Red €38 - thought this was a bit too herbaceous

limnam

Benazzoli Valpolicella Ripasso 2015

I don't say "It's devine" often, but when I do....

So many layers to this wine and so much clarity on the fruit. Beautifully balanced.

Bit on the pricer side at 24e but worth every penny. Can be picked up in Curious wines.

odyssey06

The Nal wrote: »

Excellent value for €9 in Lidl

I expect you'll be happy to hear that it's the wine of the week next week in LIDL.
https://www.lidl.ie/en/leaflet/lidl-ie-leaflet-wk48-nov-dec-2019-mon-25th-sun-1st/view/flyer/page/38

Reduced to €6 from Thursday 28th to Wednesday 4th.

The Nal

odyssey06 wrote: »

I expect you'll be happy to hear that it's the wine of the week next week in LIDL.
https://www.lidl.ie/en/leaflet/lidl-ie-leaflet-wk48-nov-dec-2019-mon-25th-sun-1st/view/flyer/page/38

Reduced to €6 from Thursday 28th to Wednesday 4th.

OOOHHH! Nice one cheers. Will be there for a couple of cases.

odyssey06

Picked this up for curiosity value €8 in nearby Polo stores shop (along with some great pork neck).

Chateau Loghiny Cabernet Sauvignon from southern Moldova, bottled in Czech Republic.

Lovely bouquet, nice initial fruit flavour but slightly off after taste I can't quite put my finger on.

Described as dry wine as there is also a medium dry Pinot Noir, a medium sweet Merlot and a sweet Driada in the range - for the adventurous.

The little contraption attached to the top of the bottle is actually a mini plastic corkscrew, for emegencies

odyssey06

I received a gift of a bottle of Faustino I Rioja Gran Reserva (2009) from a relative returning from Spain hols.

I say 'perfect present' because it something I enjoyed but would not have bought for myself given the price and the quality of cheaper Riojas over here.

Really lovely rioja with depth of flavour and lasting finish.

The Nal

odyssey06 wrote: »

I expect you'll be happy to hear that it's the wine of the week next week in LIDL.
https://www.lidl.ie/en/leaflet/lidl-ie-leaflet-wk48-nov-dec-2019-mon-25th-sun-1st/view/flyer/page/38

Reduced to €6 from Thursday 28th to Wednesday 4th.

Just back from Lidl. 21 bottles for 126 quid!