Great examples of what the New World does well

Significant savings dominate the current Waitrose promotions but I have put my focus on two excellent examples – an attractive modern style Chardonnay at £5.99 and a classy Australian Cabernet reduced by £3.

The next cycle of Waitrose offers is now under way offering reductions of 20% or 25% on dozens of wines – with a third off in a few instances.

Here are a couple of highlights that merit a closer look.

Although the discounts shown here end on 10 May, the judgements on the wines themselves should hold good for at least another three months from this post.

Click on any of the bottles shown for an enlarged image to help you pinpoint the wine on a crowded shelf.

Light yet textured Chardonnay

Bear Haven Chardonnay
Bear Haven Chardonnay

Inexpensive wine and California do not often appear in the same sentence but areas away from the Napa hub – like Lodi – can indeed offer good value for money.

Try for example the smooth and nutty 2014 Bear Haven Chardonnay (£5.99 instead of £7.99 – and 13.5% abv) which combines classic butter and vanilla texture with light peach and pear fruit and very lively citrus acidity.

Super Coonawarra Cabernet

Katnook Cabernet Sauvignon
Katnook Cabernet Sauvignon

On the other side of the world, the Katnook Estate (where winemaking was started by a Briton – John Riddoch – in 1896) sits atop the prime cabernet terra rossa terroir in South Australia’s Coonawarra.

Typical of that area’s Cabernets is the dark and dense 2013 Katnook Founders Block Cabernet Sauvignon (£8.99 – instead of £11.99 – and 13.5% abv) with its blackberry, elderberry and mint flavours, firm tannins, good supporting acidity and a chocolate, clove and graphite finish.

 

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