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Two tasty wines for around £6
This week's good value buys include a smooth and delicate Italian white and a rich red from the Port-producing Douro Valley.
2018 The Best Verdicchio (£6.50 at Morrisons and 12.5%):
The Marche region of Eastern Italy seems ideally suited to the subtle yet versatile Verdicchio grape. Its best versions – like this one – seem to come from the Castelli di Jesi zone.
Smooth and typically delicate, this has fresh lemon acidity balanced with savoury touches. Its apple centred backbone contains hints of tropical fruit.
You can find it here on the Morrison's site (although the product description doesn't appear to reflect the current vintage or the wine’s promotion to “The Best” status)
2017 Vila Real Rabelo Red (£6 at the Co-op and 13%):
Portugal is a regular source of great value wine and this red from the Douro Valley illustrates that point well. It uses the Touriga Nacional grape which plays a major role in so many of the region’s classic ports.
It has ripe cherry, plum and loganberry fruit, good acidity, firm tannin and hints of vanilla and cinnamon. Look out, too, for the unusual cork stopper.
Follow this link to find it on the Co-op website.
Wine Royalty to the Rescue
Asked to nominate the UK’s top wine guru and Jancis Robinson will head most lists. Here, however, she has done a fabulous job assembling details of independent wine merchants prepared to deliver to self isolators and the like.
Head across to her website to find one near you. And do remember these guys whenever normality returns – many have excellent wine lists and magnums full of good advice too.
We’ll be back on Monday with alerts about promotions starting next week.
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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
6 Comments
Have tried the Rabelo really lovely managed to get 4 bottles with 15% off so even better . Spent a holiday on the Douro last year and the wines were superb but this ranks with the best in my humble opinion.
Thanks for the recommend
Hi Jane and thanks for endorsing mythoughts on Rabelo – did you struggle with the cork or is it just me?
I agree that the Douro is a great place to visit and let’s hope we can do so again before so very much longer!
Watch out for more Portuguese wines on Wednesday.
Hi Brian
Just seen Jane Hadley’s comments. I didn’t notice any offer for discount in my local Co-op, more’s the pity. Never mind, at £6 this is more than worth that full price anyway. Lovely stuff and a little treat to remind us of what we are going to miss in the way of 2 weeks in the Algarve, at Easter, not, now that is now cancelled! I took my once-a-day stroll out earlier and grabbed another 2 bottles. Oh, btw, mine are 2015 not ’17, if it matters? Delicious stuff …..best now ….and thank you ..
Glad you got some even if Jane’s discount seems to be a local one but, as you say, it is well worth its £6 list price.
You are right I had the offer at one coop store which were doing 15% off any 4 bottles Of wine in a particular section – but didn’t get it at any other stores .
A friends son got me the last 6 yesterday at a coop near him and delivered them on my doorstep – that’s what I call a home delivery !
He sounds like a good lad – and will be much in demand with a service like that!
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