M&S deservedly wins plaudits for its adventurous and good quality mid-priced range but sometimes struggles a bit sourcing entry point wines. However, the promotions that start today contain three well priced whites that sit comfortably with Mid-Week Wines quest for “extraordinary wines for ordinary evenings”.
Although these promotions end on 27 April, the judgements on the wines themselves should hold good for at least three months from the time of the post.
Click on any of the bottles shown for an enlarged image to help you pinpoint the wine on a crowded shelf.
Sauvignon with an important bit extra
Fed up with one dimensional “acidic gooseberry and little else” sauvignon?
If so, take a look at the Chilean 2013 Paradiso Sauvignon Blanc (£6 instead of £8).
It adds appealing savoury (celery, perhaps) depth – with apple and pear style texture – to the customary ripe and bright grapefruit flavours and grassy aromas.
Bergerac does sauvignon too!
When talking about sauvignon, it’s too easy to overlook Bordeaux and South West France.
There, though, varying degrees of semillon often also go into the mix; indeed 2013 Mayne de Beauregard Blanc (down from £8 to two for £12 – or £6 a bottle in Scotland) from Bergerac is actually a 50:50 blend.
The result is a fresh yet restrained white with pink grapefruit flavours, balanced acidity, peach based substance and the extra richness that semillon brings to the party. Note however that some stores have now moved on to the 2014 vintage.
Now for something delightfully different.
This white from Slovenia is exactly the type of unorthodox wine that makes M&S stand out.
2013 Dveri Pax “1139” Furmint Pinot Traminer Riesling (£8 – instead of £10) is a skilful blend of four grape varieties but consolidates them all into a clean and nicely integrated entity with rounded, long, lime and ripe apple flavours and a suggestion of mint to provide freshness and complexity.
