Another Tesco promotion starts this morning and I have turned a spotlight on three wines that I reckon represent especially good (and well priced) examples of their type.
In addition, though, I have listed seven more on promotion – and a Blanquette sparkling wine – that I am confident will prove tasty and enjoyable yet not break the bank.
Although these promotions end on 25 August, 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.
Reliable wine and change from a fiver
It is very difficult to find wine good enough to commend under a fiver but this red from (just) the French side of the Spanish border ticks an awful lot of boxes.
Smooth and juicy, 2014 Finest* Cotes Catalanes (£4.65 – instead of £6.99) underpins its assertive raspberry fruit with suggestions of cinnamon, white pepper and mocha but rides out on very pleasant graphite touches.
A small but classy wine region
Sticking with that part of France, Languedoc’s tiny Saint Chinian appellation wins many friends with its distinctive reds and the contrasting styles its varied terroirs yield up.
So discover the plum and rosemary influences at work in 2013 Finest* Saint Chinian (£6.99 – instead of £8.99) and the wine’s rich but soft depth, limited tannin, balanced acidic twist and, again, graphite finish
Oak really can be Okay
Oaked wines struggle for shelf space these days but if you are an unreconstructed timber merchant or just like the smoothness and extra spice that barrels sometimes bring, this Californian white may be for you.
There is a silky, creamy texture to 2013 The Original Dark Horse Chardonnay (£6.74 – instead of £8.99) that also provides suggestions of vanilla, butter and chocolate to embellish its banana and orchard fruit flavours.
Highlights among the rest
Others you may enjoy that form part of this promotion are shown below but do double check the prices before you get to the till:
- 2012 Finest* 1531 Blanquette De Limoux (£8.99 instead of £10.99)
- 2014 Finest* Picpoul de Pinet (£5.99 – instead of £7.99)
- 2014 Peter & Peter Riesling Trocken Mosel (£5.99 instead of £7.99)
- 2014 Nederburg 5600 Pinot Grigio (£5.99 – instead of £7.99)
- 2013 Villa Maria Private Bin Chardonnay (£8.49 instead of £10.49)
- 2013 Finest* Old Vines Tempranillo (£4.99 – instead of £6.99)
- 2013 Finest* Douro (£5 instead of £6)
- 2013 Boschendal 1685 Shiraz(£7.49 – instead of £9.99)
2 responses
Thank you for restoring my confidence in supermarket wine. I see aisles and aisles of wine selling on the appearance of a label or trade name. I then see programmes on TV showing Australian wine bulk shipped in container sized bags across the equator for bottling in the UK. No wonder it all tastes the same. So please keep pointing us in the right direction!
Kind regards,
Richard Wheeler
PS I don’t think we fell out of love with Chardonnay – there was just a global race to the lowest price point and greatest market share of the drinks trade.
Great to hear from you Richard and thank you for your kind comments. Both of your final points are spot on. There is some terrific chardonnay out there and the problem is the “race to the bottom” you describe – which could affect all wines here if we cannot kick our current price obsession.
One of my motivations for the website is to emphasise the difference between the best value and the lowest price.
Some nice Majestic wines for you all on Saturday by the way ……….. Best ……….. Brian