I take another look at core range wines today but, fear not, we are back with wines on promotion next week.
In addition, I have applied a little elasticity to the normal price limits for Top Tips.
That is because I did not want MidWeekers to miss out on a star wine that otherwise could fall between my Friday Treat and Top Tip recommendations.
In fact, both today’s wines are ones that could easily slip past you.
And avoiding missed opportunities is as much this site’s driving force as hunting down keen prices.
I hope you enjoy both of the selected wines.
Adopting my traditional format, images and, where possible, hyperlinks accompany the assessments of the wines.
First the red then
2020 Specially Selected Cigales Crianza (£9.99 at Aldi and 14% abv):
Yes, as I say, this full-bodied Spanish red does exceed the usual price boundaries but, frankly, it is sensationally good.
Cigales is a lofty region NW of Madrid – below many people’s radar – yet capable of terrific wines from tempranillo grapes in particular.
From its perfumed opening, this version oozes quality following that on with smooth and ripe cherry and blackcurrant flavours.
These are supported by sharp acidity, modest tannin and hints of nuts, cocoa and clove.
Here is the link to the retailer’s website … https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/p-specially-selected-cigales-crianza-75cl/4061461681654
Next across to Sicily
2023 Found Lucido (£7.50 in M&S physical stores or at Ocado and 13%):
Lucido – the new name for catarratto – is a (mainly Sicilian) grape, that excels itself in this very favourably priced M&S version.
After initially spicy aromas, it drops into a slightly minty savoury base that also has pithy grapefruit acidic freshness.
Nevertheless, those potentially conflicting qualities prove to be brilliant at supporting the wine’s apple, greengage and honeydew melon flavours.
Here is the link to the retailer’s website … https://www.ocado.com/products/m-s-found-lucido-635284011?srsltid=AfmBOooyc62lrDRG11lZskK9F5lg8SizQN6U5ms6LzLLsw1yK_S3voUy
The next post (on Thursday) reviews the wines of Spain’s Ribera del Duero region – join me then.
27 responses
Hello Brian,
Chardonnay feedback from your last post
I really enjoyed your recommended Asda Barossa Valley Chardonnay- especially at the reduced price of £7.25!
Just the right amount of oak to add welcome notes of creaminess and vanilla without tasting like licking the timbers of the Mary Rose.
As Richard has mentioned,Asda seem to be getting a lot right at the moment.There seems to be renewed wine team enthusiasm.
However if MWW members want to really push the Chardonnay boat out, then your previously recommended The Wine Society Wente Vineyards Morning Fog Chardonnay 2022 £14.95 shows how stunning Californian Chardonnay can be; and at this quality, there is still good value.
Cooling morning fogs can be good for the vineyard as long as they are followed by direct sunshine in the afternoon to dry the leaves and prevent mildew.
Let’s not forget the role of Chardonnay in fizz.
I have heard great things about TWS Cremant dAlsace Extra Brut Prestige Domaine Paul Ginglinger 2021 £15.81 (very precise price?) from Jancis Robinson,Fiona Beckett and others.
But it would have to go some to beat my regular favourite fizz from Asda ! Extra Special Cremant D’Alsace Brut, which is on offer at £9.
So Brian be reassured that you are not “shouting into the empty room”.The room is full of grateful wine enthusiasts who view wine writing as an opportunity to enter a different world.
Many thanks for those kind words, Paul and the suggestion about chardonnay in sparkling wines. I am pleased that you felt that the Barossa Chardonnay struck exactly the right note in its use of oak. I did wonder whether some might find even its modest barrel influences too much so glad you enjoyed it too.
Ooh look forward to sampling the Crianza, Spanish reds a favourite of mine. Bit late to the party to try Lidl’s Orange Sunset. Out of stock in both Wrexham stores and the same in Gwersyllt. A trip to Mold is planned for later in the week🤞
Yes, that is frustrating when it happens and let’s hope there is no repeat in Mold or when you go looking for the Aldi red. Since you are a fan of Spanish reds, stand by for Thursday’s post – a bit more money but some lovely versions there.
You learn something every day! I didn’t know they had made a name change, although looks like most producers haven’t changed yet!
Brian, how does this compare to the Asda Cataratto, which is £1.50 cheaper?
Still a lot of wines bearing the old name about and that Asda version has won many influential friends (including MidWeekers Paul and Eddie). Personally, I preferred the M&S version but I may have a bit of a blind spot for the other one.
Sainbury’s have a 25% discount for 6 bottles this week.
Many thanks David – it is hard to keep up with these promotions so posts like this are really helpful.
And starting today is another “25% off when you buy 6” at Asda, so that Barossa Chardonnay will be even cheaper!
Yes that is terrific news Dave and it should give those Wine Atlas wines a good following wind too.
Morning Brian …
My wine purchasing info’ provider says from today until next Sunday, the 25th, Sainsbury’s have a 25% off buy 6 bottles.
For myself, and double-dips aside too, no longer an invitation to purchase just for the sake of it …but … it might mean we should expect most all of the supermarkets to pitch in this week with a similar offer, then yes, Brummie Dave tells us Asda has 25% off too so I’m off there soon to shop.
In line with your today’s suggestions and this Aldi red you so enthusiastically praise enough for me to want to go and get a bottle regardless of it being a penny shy of £10, I still see a justified purchase mid-week under the usual ethos of this site. How so?
Well if my budget revolves around a certain price per bottle being something either side of the notional £8 now required for sound, enjoyable, value drinking, then if I spend £10 on the Aldi Cigales Crianza and can have something else that is a guaranteed success at £6, then added together I stay within the budget I set myself.
What I would choose at Aldi as well, is their English Lyme Bay Winery Pinot Noir Rosé that’s supposedly £5.99. The problem being, try as I may like Brenda and her Orange Sunset that doesn’t exist in several different Lidl stores, this rosé at that price continues to elude me. But I’ll try a different store to my usual to seek success for both bottles.
The Asda deal is very welcome even when it means a minimum 6 bottle purchase at Asda because there is so much to go at already spoken about on MWW recently to do a mini stock up, including the Wine Atlas whites, Roditis and Carricante, a max here of £5.25, and indeed the Barossa Valley Chardonnay that can be £5.43. Throw in the excellent Lugana turbiana, crisp, mineral and elegant at £8.25 and we are cooking with gas.
And as well as Paul having a liking for the Asda Extra Special Cremant D’Alsace Brut, which is on offer at £9 but will be £6.75, I know you and me both have had it with Asda Wine Club cases and it is indeed a nice drop of fizz. The trolley is now full … and we haven’t spent a fortune. Happy shopping everybody …
I like your logic, Eddie., about levelling out Top Tips over time as I did hesitate about including a £10 wine there. Good idea about the Lugana, too – a seriously underestimated wine generally.
Hello Brian/Eddie,
I have a theory- unproven- that great wines come from areas of great scenery and surroundings.Think Pinot Grigio from the Trentino Alps,or Riesling from the steep slopes of the Mosel or seriously good reds from the Douro etc.
There a few areas more beautiful than the southern slopes of Lake Garda and the Asda Lugana adds weight to my theory.
I guess you should also add Beaujolais to your thesis.
Thanks for recommending and pointing us to the Lucido in the M&S Found series Brian. This M&S Found range and the closely named Lost & Found collection at Waitrose are both sources of interesting bottles for adventurous wine drinkers and I love the fact that we can source and sample these regional rarities from the high street. I was wandering through the wine aisle at the local M&S store last week and noticed the red M&S Found Pignolo reduced to just £6. I had not even come across this grape before but the info on the label “ripe, fruity, robustious red from Fruili (NE Italy)” meant picking it up was a no-brainer. And I have to say that in the tasting it didn’t disappoint – medium-bodied, classic Italian black cherry with plenty of fruit extraction. What’s not to like?
I’ve been back to M&S today to buy more – the big store in the city centre and the decent food hall out of town. Of course, not a bottle to be found! The moral of the story? Always buy two of any cheap / discounted bottle that catches your eye. If it’s no good, you can always give the second bottle away!
Sounds like a good strategy Keith but, as you say, we are fortunate to see a growing interest among High Street outlets in unusual wines.
Good Evening Brian,
I read with great interest Eddie’s idea of buying a pair of wines, to justify buying a higher priced wine by balancing with a cheaper bottle, thus staying, on average “on budget”.
Indeed I was thinking along the same lines, so that I could recommend the Wine Society’s Domaine la Portelle, Fleurie, 2018 @ £14.50. I think this mature understated wine has a most beautiful elegance and style that should appeal to both Pinot Noir lovers, and convert any Gamay sceptics!
But to keep within a £10 (on average budget) I would like to suggest one of the following …
Asda Espartero Tempranillo Blanco @ £5.50. Very drinkable.
Asda Le Manoir Viognier @ £4.95. Tastes like a Viognier, and no off flavours.
Asda Le Manor Pinot Noir @ £4.95. My guilty pleasure, a very simple wine, that to me has echos of an old world style Pinot Noir!
Aldi Spanish Chardonnay @ £3.99. Not drunk this but recommended recently by Jane MacQuitty in The Times.
Or, if you want to take advantage of the 25% off 6 bottles then any of the Asda Wine Atlas wines would fully justify the Fleurie purchase!
I think we should add the (currently) £5 Andrew Peace Chardonnay to that list too.
The Cigales has been available for a couple of months. I can vouch for it’s utter deliciousness!
Yes it was introduced in the spring but the region’s wines can be variable, so it took me a while to catch up with this one. Well worth the effort though.
Not a satisfactory wine shopping trip today at Asda or Aldi, except to say I do at least have a bottle of your today’s recommendation Cigales, Brian. Still no cheap English Pinot Noir Rose. But almost all of the Atlas Wine Series except for the Feteasca Regala were missing from the Asda store I visited so I must try another outlet if I want a six-mix from there.
Except ….
I see Tesco are at it too so that Campaneo Old Vines Garnacha is a bit of a steal at £4.87. And the more expensive treat to match, and a favourite of mine, the excellent Bougrier’s Les Terrasses St Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Cabernet Franc will be £8.25. It’s popped-up as Decanter’s Weekday Wine for August so maybe there’s been a run on it already although Decanter recommendations can hang around longer when less people are reading that somewhat ”exclusive” publication!
David Williams in Sunday’s Observer was singing the praises of the Veneto with a Majestic Soave and the Asda Lugana. More weekend than mid-week though by price. Needs cheaper partners.
Prescient as chardonnay has been featured here recently, whilst Sainsbury’s red TTD Marzemino Trentino is always worth a shout I can’t speak about the Chardonnay Trentino (in that same range) with any enthusiasm, no matter the Alto Adige and Süd Tirol are so wonderful on the eye and the heart! Back south an hour or so along the shore of Garda for some Soave I think.
Great tip Eddie about the current discount on Les Terrasses St Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Cabernet Franc from the Loire at Tesco. Always a favourite. I always find articles and recommendations in Decanter interesting too. If anyone is put off by the ‘exclusive’ price of this publication can I recommend you explore whether it is available free to read online via your local library as it is in Kent. This is a remarkable facility for a whole host of newspapers and magazines
Keith .. I’m lucky. My son has a subscription to Readly and I’m one of his sharers so I get to
read Decanter every month, The Guardian daily, Observer , Radio Times and all else for “free”!!
And win prizes for Radio Times letters, I think. Two at the last count or am I missing some?
Ha ha !! Brian … 4 and still counting .. and 2 “popular show” dvd prizes .. about which I will say nothing …
Brian….Decanter used to be good value. Not any more. I subscribe to the digital addition £12 annually. With the savingsNow I buy 1/2 case of very nice wine from all the reviews on your site.
Steve
Thank you Steve – do you know that has made my day! In fairness, Decanter cover a much broader selection that I do here, but it is gratifying to know that the site is meeting the needs of serious wine enthusiasts like you.