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This week’s top tips and current promotions
This week, I bring you three great wines under £7 – a Chilean Pinot Grigio and two excellent reds from Aldi. Read on and you'll also find my regular reminder of supermarket promotions and the wines to look for within them.
2020 Casillero del Diablo Pinot Grigio (£6 – instead of £8 until 24 February – at Asda)
It’s not just Italy that produces light, popular Pinot Grigio – as this Chilean example proves.
It has lightly textured, ripe apple, quince and mango flavours with hints of sweetness yet gentle cinnamon spiciness too.
Importantly, though, everything gets a burst of freshness from the wine’s lively lemon style acidity.
2019 Buenas Vides Shiraz (£6.99 at Aldi)
This veritable masterpiece from Argentina’s San Juan region delivers deep, dense bramble and mulberry flavours more like Syrah/Shiraz from France’s Northern Rhone than Australia’s Barossa Valley.
That backbone is ably supported by eucalyptus, chocolate and clove elements with a smooth, slightly sweet, texture but only limited tannin.
And while you're in Aldi…
Pick up a bottle of their 2019 Specially Selected Brouilly (£6.49). Especially if you doubt the current quality of Beaujolais.
It has (predictably light) cherry and pomegranate flavours with sharp acidity and subsidiary suggestions of thyme and chocolate but – typical of Gamay – no tannin to speak of.
You'll find this in some stores but it may not currently be available online.
Current promotions
At Sainsbury's
Don't forget, tomorrow is the last day of the current promotion at Sainsbury's. We'll bring you details of its successor when we can but until then, here's my highlight from the current offers:
- Sheep Hill Shiraz Malbec (Drops £1 to £6 until 9 February)
At Morrisons
As well as the main promotion – which continues this week – Morrisons has added a few extra discounts ahead of Valentines Day. They include this vibrant red which, I think, is worth a look:
- The Best Marques De Los Rios Rioja Crianza (£.7.50 or included as part of the £15 Valentines Meal Deal until 14 February)
At other retailers
Promotions continue this week at Tesco, M&S and Waitrose. For details and my picks, see last week's Top Tips post.
Join us again on Thursday for our regular Top Tips item where we look at wines from a range of online suppliers that score well for quality and value.
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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
4 Comments
Never been a huge fan of most Aussie Shiraz I’ve tried but often enjoyed French Syrah. Think a bottle of the Argentine masterpiece might be slipped into the weekly shop tomorrow!
I don’t think you will be disappointed but do report back on what you thought ….. Brian
Saw this recommended elsewhere and tried it but found it underwhelming and a bit “muddy” thus not that enjoyable. Not to be repeated.
Hi Peter and thank you for the report back. Certainly the example I had was sound enough but perhaps anyone else who had a duff bottle can add a comment about their experience.
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