I’m currently comparing M&S ‘Classics’, Tesco ‘Finest’ and Sainsburys ‘Taste the Difference’ wines. This compared well.This family’s winery has produced wine in Bordeaux since 1791. A warming winter red. Tasting notes: Its appearance is deep purple in colour. Red fruit notes on the nose. Medium body. Balanced acidity. Soft tannins. Short finish. Reasonably intense. Ripe red fruits…
Tag: red wine
M&S Classics Côtes du Rhône Villages 2019
With its ‘Classics’ range M&S set out to produce wines which are the epitome of a grape, blend or region. This wine is the first in the series that has been merely OK. For another pound, elsewhere you can better Cotes du Rhone. Tasting notes: Its appearance is deep purple in colour. Cherry notes on the nose….
M&S Classics Chianti, Riserva 2017
With its ‘Classics’ range M&S set out to produce wines which are the epitome of a grape, blend or region. It includes repackaged wines from existing suppliers as well as new wines that their buyers had to go out and hunt down. Sue Daniels set out “to find and redefine those lovely well-known regions and…
M&S Classics Claret, Bordeaux 2019
With its ‘Classics’ range M&S set out to produce wines which are the epitome of a grape, blend or region. It includes repackaged wines from existing suppliers as well as new wines that buyers had to go out and hunt down. Sue Daniels set out “to find and redefine those lovely well-known regions and iconic…
DV Catena Malbec 2017
Malbec is the world’s favourite red wine grape and Catena Zapata won ‘The World’s Most Admired Wine Brand 2020’ from Drinks International. The effects of the pandemic on Argentina’s already fragile economy will be profound and long-lasting. Tesco stocks 29 malbecs and several chardonnays, pinot grigios, torrontes etc. from Argentina. This wine and most of…
Malbec 2019 Tesco Finest
Malbec is the world’s favourite red wine grape and this is down to Argentinian producers like Catena, who produce this good value red for Tesco and their own label DV Catena range which is sold in the UK. Argentina is essentially a developing world country and as such its wines ought to be fairly traded….
St Emilion Grand Cru 2017, Lidl
“If anyone orders merlot, I’m leaving. I am not drinking any f@£$ing Merlot!” The irrational hatred that Paul Giamatti’s character had for merlot in the wine-lovers’ film Sideways had a profound, lasting impact on merlot sales. Bordeaux producers don’t tend to put the grape variety on the label, so St Emilion may have avoided the…
Ventoux Côtes du Rhône 2018, Sainsbury’s
The Cotes du Rhone appellation is one of the world’s largest wine-producing regions. The variety of grapes is amazing. Sainsbury’s updated ‘Taste The Difference’ range is doing a good job of teaming up with good producers and releasing own-label wines that are interesting and reasonably priced. Ventoux is about 30km from its famous neighbour Chateauneuf du…
Cabalié 2019, Pays d’Oc
My most recent delivery from Laithwaite’s had this recent vintage of Cabalie, another wine which receives rave reviews on Laithwaites website. It’s another wine which Laithwaites have sold for years now. It’s good wine. Tasting notes: Its appearance is deep purple in colour. Dark fruit, plum notes on the nose. Medium length. Medium body. A blend of…
Trivento Reserve Malbec 2019 – UPDATE
Sales of Malbec are at an all time high in the UK – and deservedly so; it’s good wine and most of the available offerings are well priced (in the UK at least). The UK market leader is Trivento – owned by the mammoth Vina Concha Y Toro company from neighbouring Chile. Founded 23 years ago, Trivento…
‘Cune’ Imperial Rioja Reserva 2015
Cune Imperial Reserva is a rioja ‘Reserva’, which means that the wine must have some time aging in oak and futher ageing in the bottle.but not as long as a Gran Reserva. Although the label states ‘Tempranillo’, this wine is in fact a blend of Tempranillo, Mazuela and Graciano. The grapes used for Cune Imperial…
‘Cune’ Rioja Crianza Tempranillo 2016
I explained to a connoisseur once that it is really CVNE, and that ‘CUNE’ came about when a sign arrived on which the sign-writer had mistaken the V for a U – but the company ran with it. He told me I was wrong, and it was just CUNE. I futher explained that it is…
A Time for Wine 