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Top Tips from Today’s “in form teams”
Here are my choices for this week’s Top Tips – where I offer a steer towards wines that I consider currently punch above their price point.
Since I know that price points are important for many subscribers, this site is concentrates (as its name implies) on wine around – or just above – average prices.
Increasingly, though, spiralling costs mean that quality suffers at entry point prices.
Thus tips – like those offered here – will be increasingly important throughout 2022 and beyond for anyone seeking good value wine.
As for today though, one of my selections come from Italy and the other continues the rich vein of form great value South African sauvignon seems to be enjoying.
Once again pictures and hyperlinks, where possible, are provided to help you make sure you are buying the correct wine.
First Up is that Italian red
2018 Chianti Riserva (£5.99 at Lidl):
See how traditional robust and viscous chianti is changing with this great value, lighter, more subtle Lidl version.
I shall be talking a bit more about chianti on Thursday so stay tuned for another visit to this excellent wine producing area.
Smooth and medium bodied, this example exhibits soft raspberry and red currant flavours partnered by good acidity and firm tannin together with nutty and marjoram influences and a gentle mineral backdrop.
And then head south to the tip of Africa
2021 Best South African Sauvignon Blanc (£5.50 – instead of £7 in Scotland or, elsewhere, 25% off when you buy three – at Morrisons):
Possibly in preparation for the 2022 harvest, South African sauvignon is hard to beat for value at the moment so stocking up now for this summer could be a plan.
Remember, though, that this particular offer ends tomorrow night.
Fresh and grassy, the wine brings us melon, ripe pear and gooseberry flavours supported by sharp lemon acidity and a texture that embodies orange zest, green pepper and herbal influences.
See you again on Thursday with my usual look at current promotions in major retailers with, of course, my latest Top Tips re-appearing on Monday.
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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. Well for sure you are aware of my enthusiasm for the Lidl Chianti Riserva, even at the full shelf price of £5.99 but moreso when it is down to £4.29 as it was recently as a Weekend item on offer for 3 days. I do have a couple of bottles of the ”yellow label” left but I think your readership may struggle now to find this 2016 offering still available. The latest ”new black label” 2018 vintage is currently the one occupying most of the shelf space in my local branches. And there is some difference between the two different years though I do rate both. The online information recommends drinking within 2 years so it seems they have some slightly extended longevity attaching. Open early and even aerate or decant but comes into its own with traditional pasta dishes especially to wash them down. Not everybody likes sangiovese I understand that, but this stuff is real value for money of its kind. Salute ..
Thanks Eddie …. That will be a great help to subscribers. It was your positive comments about this wine that convinced me to seek it out and – as is often the case – you were absolutely right. As for sangiovese, I do find that the softer style many producers are adopting now is gaining the variety yet more friends.
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