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A taste of Italy for around £6
My top tips this week include a well-made Chianti Riserva and an award-winning Pinot Grigio – both around the £6 mark. I also bring you the usual weekly round-up of supermarket wine savings and promotions which, this week, includes a 1/3 off promotion at Waitrose.
2016 Corte Alle Mura, Chianti Riserva (£5.99 at Lidl)
Four years aging and a “Riserva” classification indicate that this will be well-made Chianti approaching its peak – and our taste buds forcefully confirm that view.
Full, with firm but not intrusive tannin, it provides smoky plum and cherry flavours, good acidity and hints of thyme, cinnamon and vanilla.
Apparently, this wine will be on promotion at Lidl from 8-14 July, dropping to £4.49 in some parts of the UK but to £4.99 in Scotland and Wales (due to their minimum unit pricing policies).
2020 Extra Special Pinot Grigio (£6.50 at Asda)
Italy’s Pinot Grigio is frequently described as “crowd pleasing” but often with reservations about its limited acidity. This tasty award-winner illustrates that few such complaints apply to versions from Trentino.
It has zesty green apple, pear and peach flavours with traces of mace and ginger as well as that crucial acidity (lime-based in this case).
Current promotions
At Waitrose
Save up to 1/3 on wine and fizz at Waitrose until 27 July. This red (one of my five star heroes back in March) currently has 25% off:
- Maree d'ione Nero di Troia Organic (Down to £6.59 until 27 July)
At Co-op
This superb Picpoul de Pinet is among the current offers at the Coop, running until late July. Do check your local store as offers and availability can differ:
- Paul Mas Picpoul de Pinet (Drops to £6.50 until 27 July)
At Sainsbury's
A reminder that the current promotion at Sainsbury's ends tomorrow. This red is my highlight among the offers:
- Les Calcaires Pinot Noir (Down to £6 until 6 July)
At other retailers
Offers and promotions also continue this week at Asda, Morrisons and at Marks and Spencer.
Join us on Thursday when we try to discover what will delight occasional red wine drinkers and suggest wines that fit the bill.
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Brian Elliott
Brian Elliott is an established wine journalist, taster, judge and writer with a weekly column in Scottish newspapers.
Comments
2 Comments
Hello Brian. This is timely to say the least! A Chianti worth a shout right on cue for it getting a £1.50 reduction at Lidl later this week. When Lidl do something like a bottle of reasonably good fizz down to £3.50 on a bank holiday weekend you have to go camping outside the door early to get a sniff of half a dozen bottles from off the single pallet that stores get allocated. But I promise those interested that there will be plenty of the Chianti to go round and worth every penny at the offer. I will drift in mid morning and take only 6 bottles to drink over several weeks in the hope it comes back on offer again. Cheers for now …
As you say Eddie, it is a nice example of chianti – modern in terms of tannin content yet with traditional cherry and herb flavours – and at a fantastic price.
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