Robert Mondavi
Woodbridge
2006
Cabernet Sauvignon
When it comes to the greats of Californian Wine, Robert Mondavi is undoubtedly the brightest star shining in the firmamanent of New World wines, and in particular the constellation to be found hovering over the skies of Napa Valley. Little suprise then that he was named Decanter Magazine's Man of the Year way back in 1989.
Robert Mondavi had a simple belief that wine should be an integral part of every day life and this has, without doubt, been supremely displayed in the staggering array of premium quality wines to have come from the Robert Mondavi winery which he founded in 1966 - incidentally when I was just four years old. When establishing this winery his vision was to create premium quality wines that would stand high and proud against the greatest legends from vineyards in Europe - and this he did supremely well, even collaborating with Baron Rothschild to create the Opus One Winery and some awesome legendary wines in the process.
When I first started getting interested in wine in the early 1980s, Robert Mondavi was the man from California that everyone was talking about, so I was desperate to blow some money from my student grant (not loan in those days) on a bottle. However, I had to wait until I started working to afford this pleasure and remember ordering my first bottle of Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc in 1984 when I took the very young and beautiful Mrs W (then my girlfriend) to Brinkleys Restaurant in Hollywood Road, Fulham. Sade's Diamond Life was playing in the background and we had an astonishing meal for two for the princely (and hugely unaffordable) sum of £40. At the time I was on £5,200 a year. However, it was a fantastic evening made particularly special by a truly wonderful and unique wine which to this day I haven't forgotten.
So when I came home yesterday raving to Harry that I had picked up a Robert Mondavi wine at ASDA reduced from £7.99 to £5 I could hardly contain my enthusiasm and excitement, explaining why Mondavi wines were definitely where it's at when it comes to the very finest in Californian wines.
However, I have to say that my enthusiasm soon waned after tasting what I felt to be a highly capable but unremarkable wine - one for which the Mondavis in recent years have arguably been criticised for producing, at least within its Woodbridge and Coastal brands. Indeed the wine we drank last night is the kind of commercial global wine which came to light in the controversial film Mondovino which looked at how the traditional vineyards of Europe were being globalised by US wineries eager to buy up family vineyards to create a more palatable universal offering regardless of local tastes and 'terrioir'.
What Harry, Ruth and I drank with our pizza and salad last night was highly likeable in the same way that some Broadway or West End musical entertainment show has drawn in a generation of unquestioning yet ecstatically delighted followers. However, it was neither unique nor memorable in the way that bottle of Fume Blanc was back in 1984.
In 2003, Robert Mondavi, speaking in an interview to the New York Times, criticised his sons for driving forward the company's lower priced Coastal and Woodbridge brands in preference to the premium end wines for which the Robert Mondavi brand had become associated. He was clearly unsettled by the fact that his winery had become associated with wines at the more affordable end of the price spectrum, remarking to the New York Times journalist that restaurants no longer offered them on wine lists. ''We've got to get our image back, and that's going to take time,'' he said.
I'm sure Harry and Ruth will readily agree, last night's Cabernet Sauvignon was extremely drinkable and offered a pleasing mix of dark berry flavours with a slight aniseed and chocolate aroma. However, it didn't make a remarkable or distinctive impression on the palate - it was just a very sound wine. But instantly forgettable.
Mr Mondavi - your very sound judgement was right. I am now going in search of a bottle of your famous Fume Blanc. Long live premium quality wines with the personality and price tag to match.
However, this is nevertheless a hugely drinkable, safe bet and won't let you down- and at this price it's a bargain. But a conversation stopper it ain't. Just like my M & S suit. It does what it says on the packet but doesn't turn any eyebrows.
Dinner Party Appeal: 9/10 (highly drinkable, and as sound as a pound)
Value for Money: 9/10 (this is a great bargain at £5)
Probability of Buying Again: 4/10 (I'd rather save my money for the real Mondavi experience with its less easily obtainable premium brand - check out Majestic Wines online)
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
I can feel an award ceremony coming on
Award winning wines from Aldi
Well you know it's nearly Christmas when the lights go up in your local high street during October half term, mince pies are stacked higher than santa's grotto in your local Tesco and, yes, all of a sudden there's a whole plethora (that's a large amount to you and me) of award ceremonies on TV. You know the kind of thing, Soap of the Year, TV personality of the year, non-entity of the year and all that.
Well my wine blog has been going for less than a month but it's come to my attention that an award ceremony is well over due. So, for the rest of October and all of November I've decided that I am only going to review wines that, for some reason or other, have won an accolade from a notable and trustworthy source.
So coming this week I'll be looking at Champagnes and sparkling wines from a store who claims to have Award winning wines from just £2.99. Even our highly respected guru Mr Oz Clarke has a very pleasant word or two to say about their Cremant de Jura, £5.99, so we'll be cracking open a bottle or three this weekend to see if this really is better than some Champagnes.
I'll also be checking out Aldi's Bushland Reserve Australian Shiraz which has already wowed Oz Clarke back in 2007 and should wow him even more with a price tag of just £3.99.
And I'll also be comparing these with some pricier numbers from other stores to see if price doesn't always guarantee perfection.
Well you know it's nearly Christmas when the lights go up in your local high street during October half term, mince pies are stacked higher than santa's grotto in your local Tesco and, yes, all of a sudden there's a whole plethora (that's a large amount to you and me) of award ceremonies on TV. You know the kind of thing, Soap of the Year, TV personality of the year, non-entity of the year and all that.
Well my wine blog has been going for less than a month but it's come to my attention that an award ceremony is well over due. So, for the rest of October and all of November I've decided that I am only going to review wines that, for some reason or other, have won an accolade from a notable and trustworthy source.
So coming this week I'll be looking at Champagnes and sparkling wines from a store who claims to have Award winning wines from just £2.99. Even our highly respected guru Mr Oz Clarke has a very pleasant word or two to say about their Cremant de Jura, £5.99, so we'll be cracking open a bottle or three this weekend to see if this really is better than some Champagnes.
I'll also be checking out Aldi's Bushland Reserve Australian Shiraz which has already wowed Oz Clarke back in 2007 and should wow him even more with a price tag of just £3.99.
And I'll also be comparing these with some pricier numbers from other stores to see if price doesn't always guarantee perfection.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
A country wine with a touch of city refinement
Vin de Pays de Cotes de Gascogne
The Co-op
£3.79 (price to be confirmed)
I'm not quite sure how I managed to miss this bottle of white lurking on the bottom shelf of our fridge but I came across it this evening while looking for, of all things, a new pack of butter. Sadly, our butter supplies are completely depleted but in its place sat this simple, unassuming Vin de Pays.
I don't recall buying it so I'm presuming it was procured by Sally & Bill (sister and brother in law) who have taken a serious, life long vow only to ever drink white French wine. It's a noble cause but one that I cannot subscribe to as it would require me to (a) avoid drinking wine that was red and (b) devouring wines from Bordeaux, which regular readers of this blog (all two of you) will know is one of my unavoidable (and equally unaffordable) obsessions.
Anyway, this chance encounter on the bottom shelf of the fridge with this country number from South West France provided me, Harry and Ruth with the excuse for a pre-dinner aperitif before we sat down to a truly exceptional Spagehetti Bologneise crafted by my son and heir. The young man was waxing lyrical about his Italian creation so I decided to calm him down with a pre-dinner glass of white wine which we drank alongside some left over cheese in the fridge.
Under the French wine classification system, a Vin de Pays wine is essentially a country wine - effectively better than a Vin de Table (plonk to you and me) but with not quite the reassuring provenance offered by a Vin de Pays D'Oc (which basically means that the origin of the wine comes from a designated territory).
So before us this evening stood, metaphorically speaking, a rough country lad in a green bottle with about as much pedigree as Kerry Katona's freezer and with all the doubts and misconceptions that this inevitably brings. However, my first, second and third glugs proved me wrong (not about Kerry Katona's freezer) but about the unexpected delights offered by this crisp, clean and refreshing wine which is made up of three grape varieties - Columbard, Ugni Blanc and Gros Manseng. I have to admit that I've only heard of the first of these grape varieties but I can also happily say that they all work well together to create a wine that has lemony citrus notes with a light clean vanilly taste.
The whole thing sits nicely on the palate and as the wine begins to lose some of its fridge temperature it becomes quite fragrant in a freshia (not freezer) and melony kind of way.
Emminently drinkable and with a smoother than expected composition, this is a highly acceptable and highly affordable aperitif - perfect for pre-dinner drinks with nice folk from the city or equally nice folk from the country. Who cares precisely where it has come from, it's nice to have found its way into my glass this evening.
On a more general note, and no disrespect to the glowing reference I've given this bottle, white wines do tend to get on my nerves after the second glass in a way that reds never do - unless they're truly atrocious. So even though I find it highly agreeable, I'd be moving on to something with more guts for the main course - and it would probably, no definitely, be red.
Dinner Party Appeal: 8/10 (more as an aperitif than the main centre of attention)
Value for Money: 9/10 (laughable price for the quality)
Probability of Buying Again: 8/10 (as a standby for drinks with nibbles I'd be daft not to)
The Co-op
£3.79 (price to be confirmed)
I'm not quite sure how I managed to miss this bottle of white lurking on the bottom shelf of our fridge but I came across it this evening while looking for, of all things, a new pack of butter. Sadly, our butter supplies are completely depleted but in its place sat this simple, unassuming Vin de Pays.
I don't recall buying it so I'm presuming it was procured by Sally & Bill (sister and brother in law) who have taken a serious, life long vow only to ever drink white French wine. It's a noble cause but one that I cannot subscribe to as it would require me to (a) avoid drinking wine that was red and (b) devouring wines from Bordeaux, which regular readers of this blog (all two of you) will know is one of my unavoidable (and equally unaffordable) obsessions.
Anyway, this chance encounter on the bottom shelf of the fridge with this country number from South West France provided me, Harry and Ruth with the excuse for a pre-dinner aperitif before we sat down to a truly exceptional Spagehetti Bologneise crafted by my son and heir. The young man was waxing lyrical about his Italian creation so I decided to calm him down with a pre-dinner glass of white wine which we drank alongside some left over cheese in the fridge.
Under the French wine classification system, a Vin de Pays wine is essentially a country wine - effectively better than a Vin de Table (plonk to you and me) but with not quite the reassuring provenance offered by a Vin de Pays D'Oc (which basically means that the origin of the wine comes from a designated territory).
So before us this evening stood, metaphorically speaking, a rough country lad in a green bottle with about as much pedigree as Kerry Katona's freezer and with all the doubts and misconceptions that this inevitably brings. However, my first, second and third glugs proved me wrong (not about Kerry Katona's freezer) but about the unexpected delights offered by this crisp, clean and refreshing wine which is made up of three grape varieties - Columbard, Ugni Blanc and Gros Manseng. I have to admit that I've only heard of the first of these grape varieties but I can also happily say that they all work well together to create a wine that has lemony citrus notes with a light clean vanilly taste.
The whole thing sits nicely on the palate and as the wine begins to lose some of its fridge temperature it becomes quite fragrant in a freshia (not freezer) and melony kind of way.
Emminently drinkable and with a smoother than expected composition, this is a highly acceptable and highly affordable aperitif - perfect for pre-dinner drinks with nice folk from the city or equally nice folk from the country. Who cares precisely where it has come from, it's nice to have found its way into my glass this evening.
On a more general note, and no disrespect to the glowing reference I've given this bottle, white wines do tend to get on my nerves after the second glass in a way that reds never do - unless they're truly atrocious. So even though I find it highly agreeable, I'd be moving on to something with more guts for the main course - and it would probably, no definitely, be red.
Dinner Party Appeal: 8/10 (more as an aperitif than the main centre of attention)
Value for Money: 9/10 (laughable price for the quality)
Probability of Buying Again: 8/10 (as a standby for drinks with nibbles I'd be daft not to)
Monday, October 12, 2009
Heritage Road - a wine that says G'day and means it
Heritage Road
2008 Reserve
Merlot South Eastern Australia
Price to be confirmed - reckon 3 for 2 at Tesco, £5 a bottle
In my opinion, food on a Monday night should fall somewhere between nursery fare and school dinners. Let's face it, the first day back on a new working week really doesn't warrant any major culinary celebration at the dining table, especially in these increasingly dark and gloomy autumn nights. Basically, on a night like this all I want is something quick, tasty and comforting - maybe with a drop of wine left over from the weekend.
This evening's meal was some old Portobello mushrooms fried in butter and plonked on a slice of rustic wholemeal toast. It was washed down with a deservedly rugged glass of Merlot from Heritage Wines - a brand developed, according to its website, by Lisa McGuigan, the daughter of Brian McGuigan of McGuigan Wines. A former winemaker at the highly regarded Barossa Valley-based Penfolds Winery, Mr McGuigan and his daughter certainly know their craft and can bring to the table some really punchy numbers.
The bottle accompanying my mushrooms on toast was in fact a present from my brother in law who told me he wanted to buy me something French - he knows me too well. However, this little number 12,000 miles south is considerably better than equally priced Gallic offerings and is a very capable, drinkable Merlot - particularly so given its youth (2008).
On first tasting, I did wonder whether it was a touch on the watery side but three glugs later it started to show some body and a bit of flexibility. The intensity of flavour is not as strong as its deep ruby colour nor its seductive red berry bouqet suggests - "but come off it mate", as they might say in Aussie, "the stuff is younger than a marsupial's first birthday so what do you expect". And quite right too.
Handsomely presented and competitively priced, this is a respectable young up start from Down Under and one that I would certainly put on the table for a night of washing down pizzas, french bread and cheese or a wintery caserole. This is the kind of Aussie wine that says G'day to you and lets you get on with it, rather than tries southern hemisphere gentility by putting on a fake English accent.
Very Decent Wine: 7/10 (it's honest - and therefore decent for being so)
Dinner Party Appeal: 7/10 (probably feels more at home on the barbie)
Probability of buying again: 8/10 (why not, it's a well crafted wine and nicely priced)
Value for Money: 9/10 (current supermarket deals suggest this is a blinder mate)
2008 Reserve
Merlot South Eastern Australia
Price to be confirmed - reckon 3 for 2 at Tesco, £5 a bottle
In my opinion, food on a Monday night should fall somewhere between nursery fare and school dinners. Let's face it, the first day back on a new working week really doesn't warrant any major culinary celebration at the dining table, especially in these increasingly dark and gloomy autumn nights. Basically, on a night like this all I want is something quick, tasty and comforting - maybe with a drop of wine left over from the weekend.
This evening's meal was some old Portobello mushrooms fried in butter and plonked on a slice of rustic wholemeal toast. It was washed down with a deservedly rugged glass of Merlot from Heritage Wines - a brand developed, according to its website, by Lisa McGuigan, the daughter of Brian McGuigan of McGuigan Wines. A former winemaker at the highly regarded Barossa Valley-based Penfolds Winery, Mr McGuigan and his daughter certainly know their craft and can bring to the table some really punchy numbers.
The bottle accompanying my mushrooms on toast was in fact a present from my brother in law who told me he wanted to buy me something French - he knows me too well. However, this little number 12,000 miles south is considerably better than equally priced Gallic offerings and is a very capable, drinkable Merlot - particularly so given its youth (2008).
On first tasting, I did wonder whether it was a touch on the watery side but three glugs later it started to show some body and a bit of flexibility. The intensity of flavour is not as strong as its deep ruby colour nor its seductive red berry bouqet suggests - "but come off it mate", as they might say in Aussie, "the stuff is younger than a marsupial's first birthday so what do you expect". And quite right too.
Handsomely presented and competitively priced, this is a respectable young up start from Down Under and one that I would certainly put on the table for a night of washing down pizzas, french bread and cheese or a wintery caserole. This is the kind of Aussie wine that says G'day to you and lets you get on with it, rather than tries southern hemisphere gentility by putting on a fake English accent.
Very Decent Wine: 7/10 (it's honest - and therefore decent for being so)
Dinner Party Appeal: 7/10 (probably feels more at home on the barbie)
Probability of buying again: 8/10 (why not, it's a well crafted wine and nicely priced)
Value for Money: 9/10 (current supermarket deals suggest this is a blinder mate)
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Close Encounter with La Closerie de Malescasse
La Closerie de Malescasse
Haut Medoc
2003
Aldi Stores £9.99
Last week saw three momentous events - I became 47, Harry failed his second driving test and Ruth made a good enough recovery to start coming home for visits from hospital.
Even with Harry's disappointment, I felt that the best way to celebrate and commiserate in equal measure was to crack open a bottle that had been in the rack for, ooh, all of 24 hours. The bottle in question was a Grand Vin de Bordeaux Claret from Aldi's Premium Wine selection and I'm pleased to say that this little number lived up to its premium position on the shelves. However, just to temper my enthusiasm slightly I found this particular wine not quite as intense nor as well rounded as the previous bombshell from Aldi the Chateau Grand Pey Lescours, 2004, see further down the blog for my entry on 2 October, which was an absolute 5* delight.
This may be partly due to the fact that La Closerie de Malescasse is, in fact, the second label (and therefore in classification terms the lesser) of the Chateau Malescasse which is a Cru Bourgois Superieur. By the way, for those of you who have yet to get your heads around the complex classification of Bordeaux wines fear not as copious help is at hand with what I believe to be the definitive and only truly readable guide to the whole subject written by none other than Oz Clarke. The book, unsurprisingly titled 'Bordeaux', is published by Time Warner Books and remains one of the best bed time reads of the last decade, particularly if you like Bordeaux wines and even more so if you like Mr Clarke's emminently readable style. The man's a genius.
Anyway, back to this little number which, even though its classification effectively makes it a poorer cousin against its grander brother, is a perfect example of a light and supple claret which is a true pleasure to drink. Thanks to its ripe tannins and smooth flavours of red berries the wine had enough personality to stand up for itself against a very gutsy French meal of ratatouille and a cheese board of hairy chested Camberbert and Brie. In fact, the wine very much came in to its own alongside all these rapidly devoured food items.
Where it was a tad disappointing was with its lack of length on the palate and a certain shallowness in intensity. It all slipped down far too easily without making a full flavour close encounter on the palate. Even so, despite its lightness of touch, I enjoyed it very much.
All in all a very good example of a well made, well contructed Claret that would please many different palates. However, it didn't quite deserve the detailed consideration I thought I would need to give a wine of this provenance - and because of this it lost a few points. However, it's a sure fire bet for poise and elegance, if less of a winner on the big flavours I was looking for.
Very Decent Wine: 7/10
Dinner Party Appeal: 6/10 (others might steal the show)
Probability of buying again: 6/10
Value for Money: 5/10 (another £1 buys you a very different wine altogether - Chateau Grand Pey Lescours, also from Aldi)
Haut Medoc
2003
Aldi Stores £9.99
Last week saw three momentous events - I became 47, Harry failed his second driving test and Ruth made a good enough recovery to start coming home for visits from hospital.
Even with Harry's disappointment, I felt that the best way to celebrate and commiserate in equal measure was to crack open a bottle that had been in the rack for, ooh, all of 24 hours. The bottle in question was a Grand Vin de Bordeaux Claret from Aldi's Premium Wine selection and I'm pleased to say that this little number lived up to its premium position on the shelves. However, just to temper my enthusiasm slightly I found this particular wine not quite as intense nor as well rounded as the previous bombshell from Aldi the Chateau Grand Pey Lescours, 2004, see further down the blog for my entry on 2 October, which was an absolute 5* delight.
This may be partly due to the fact that La Closerie de Malescasse is, in fact, the second label (and therefore in classification terms the lesser) of the Chateau Malescasse which is a Cru Bourgois Superieur. By the way, for those of you who have yet to get your heads around the complex classification of Bordeaux wines fear not as copious help is at hand with what I believe to be the definitive and only truly readable guide to the whole subject written by none other than Oz Clarke. The book, unsurprisingly titled 'Bordeaux', is published by Time Warner Books and remains one of the best bed time reads of the last decade, particularly if you like Bordeaux wines and even more so if you like Mr Clarke's emminently readable style. The man's a genius.
Anyway, back to this little number which, even though its classification effectively makes it a poorer cousin against its grander brother, is a perfect example of a light and supple claret which is a true pleasure to drink. Thanks to its ripe tannins and smooth flavours of red berries the wine had enough personality to stand up for itself against a very gutsy French meal of ratatouille and a cheese board of hairy chested Camberbert and Brie. In fact, the wine very much came in to its own alongside all these rapidly devoured food items.
Where it was a tad disappointing was with its lack of length on the palate and a certain shallowness in intensity. It all slipped down far too easily without making a full flavour close encounter on the palate. Even so, despite its lightness of touch, I enjoyed it very much.
All in all a very good example of a well made, well contructed Claret that would please many different palates. However, it didn't quite deserve the detailed consideration I thought I would need to give a wine of this provenance - and because of this it lost a few points. However, it's a sure fire bet for poise and elegance, if less of a winner on the big flavours I was looking for.
Very Decent Wine: 7/10
Dinner Party Appeal: 6/10 (others might steal the show)
Probability of buying again: 6/10
Value for Money: 5/10 (another £1 buys you a very different wine altogether - Chateau Grand Pey Lescours, also from Aldi)
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Lovely Jubbly Chablis
Chablis
2007
Vin de Bourgogne
Lidl Stores £6.98
One week into my wine blog and we bump into our first bottle of white wine, and a fairly decent one it is too.
My sister and her husband have dropped in for the week to help out while Ruth is in hospital and the first evening's meal could only really be accompanied by white wine, for the simple reason that Sally and Bill are white wine drinkers. They're big on Muscadets and anything from Burgundy, and also like Pouilly Fuisse and Poully Fume. In other words, they like a decent bottle of French white that is simple and easy to drink and ideally comes with a bit of class.
On a limited budget you don't get a lot for your money in the Burgundy white section of any supermarket which is why I thought I'd try and kid them with a handsome bottle sitting on the shelves of Lidl. As I later explained to my sister (a very loyal Waitrose shopper and very regular visitor to its uber-smart store in genteel Lymington), Lidl is an even cheaper version of ALDI which is rapidly becoming quite a respectable shopping venue in its own right. Lidl however is still quite a raw, bare fluorescent tube-lit, in your face shopping experience and not for the feint hearted. Unless you're a hard core bargain hunter like me.
So, if you really can put all your preconceptions to one side (including the low budget interior) Lidl is well worth a visit for some extremely decent looking wines, including this little number at £6.98. For £9.99 I could have opted for the Chablis Premier Cru but I really wanted to give my taste buds the entry level experience, and also see if I really could pull the wool over the discerning palates of my sister and brother in law. How;s that for mixed metaphors.
Anyway, I'm delighted to say that with a good 2 hours chilling in the fridge, the entry level Chablis received lots of very positive noises from my guests who were aghast at the thrifty price and the really pleasing construction of this wine. The Chardonnay grape, which I have to admit is not my favourite, was soft and understated for the price and gave out lemon and pineapple flavours in a smooth and elegant presentation.
Personally, I need to drink a few more Chablis to make a fair and considered assessment of this wine so will return very soon to upgrade to the £9.99 Premier Cru. However, it pleased two people who drink more white wine than I could ever think about and I certainly liked the way this little number held its own on the table against an equally striking Muscadet.
I'd call this wine an elegant little run around. Young, fresh, easy going but good enough to be taken seriously and a sure fire bet for any white Burgundy fans who want something that does exactly what it says on the tin, or in this case label.
Very Decent Wine: 8/10 (good all rounder)
Value for Money: 10/10 (try and find cheaper)
Dinner Party Appeal: 8/10 (lovely label)
Probability of buying again 8/10 (I'll be getting more for Christmas)
2007
Vin de Bourgogne
Lidl Stores £6.98
One week into my wine blog and we bump into our first bottle of white wine, and a fairly decent one it is too.
My sister and her husband have dropped in for the week to help out while Ruth is in hospital and the first evening's meal could only really be accompanied by white wine, for the simple reason that Sally and Bill are white wine drinkers. They're big on Muscadets and anything from Burgundy, and also like Pouilly Fuisse and Poully Fume. In other words, they like a decent bottle of French white that is simple and easy to drink and ideally comes with a bit of class.
On a limited budget you don't get a lot for your money in the Burgundy white section of any supermarket which is why I thought I'd try and kid them with a handsome bottle sitting on the shelves of Lidl. As I later explained to my sister (a very loyal Waitrose shopper and very regular visitor to its uber-smart store in genteel Lymington), Lidl is an even cheaper version of ALDI which is rapidly becoming quite a respectable shopping venue in its own right. Lidl however is still quite a raw, bare fluorescent tube-lit, in your face shopping experience and not for the feint hearted. Unless you're a hard core bargain hunter like me.
So, if you really can put all your preconceptions to one side (including the low budget interior) Lidl is well worth a visit for some extremely decent looking wines, including this little number at £6.98. For £9.99 I could have opted for the Chablis Premier Cru but I really wanted to give my taste buds the entry level experience, and also see if I really could pull the wool over the discerning palates of my sister and brother in law. How;s that for mixed metaphors.
Anyway, I'm delighted to say that with a good 2 hours chilling in the fridge, the entry level Chablis received lots of very positive noises from my guests who were aghast at the thrifty price and the really pleasing construction of this wine. The Chardonnay grape, which I have to admit is not my favourite, was soft and understated for the price and gave out lemon and pineapple flavours in a smooth and elegant presentation.
Personally, I need to drink a few more Chablis to make a fair and considered assessment of this wine so will return very soon to upgrade to the £9.99 Premier Cru. However, it pleased two people who drink more white wine than I could ever think about and I certainly liked the way this little number held its own on the table against an equally striking Muscadet.
I'd call this wine an elegant little run around. Young, fresh, easy going but good enough to be taken seriously and a sure fire bet for any white Burgundy fans who want something that does exactly what it says on the tin, or in this case label.
Very Decent Wine: 8/10 (good all rounder)
Value for Money: 10/10 (try and find cheaper)
Dinner Party Appeal: 8/10 (lovely label)
Probability of buying again 8/10 (I'll be getting more for Christmas)
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Grace Falls - but do we want to pick her up?
Grace Falls
2008 Shiraz California
Bottled for PUB Wines Ltd by W1507 @ NR10 4BG UK
Sainsbury's £5.00
Many of my very honest friends tell me very honestly that my obsession with French wine is all to do with the pretentious side of my nature which often comes to the fore when I have a decent bottle of something from Bordeaux or Burgundy in my hand.
Nothing could be further from the truth as I genuinely have huge admiration for what the Californians, Argentinians, Chileans, Aussies and Kiwis have done, and continue to do, with their innovative winemaking and love drinking decent wines from any of these regions and continents.
However, what irritates the hell out of me is coming across a bottle of wine such as this little number from California, which we glugged while watching X Factor - a suitably populist 'culture' event to accompany a wine which, for all intents and purposes, is aimed at the undiscerning masses. On this occasion, X Factor was by far the more enjoyable experience.
What irritates me about wines like these is that they are carefully marketed through their design and name to appear to have a decent provenance. With a name like Grace Falls you imagine a quaint family-run winery somewhere in California's Napa Valley where the production of every bottle is painstakingly and lovingly cared for at every stage. But you'd be wrong, as far as I can discern from numerous Google searches Grace Falls doesn't actually exist. And close inspection of the label, as you'll see from the top of this blog, reveals that this is a wine created for the pub trade and bottled by that great wine personality W1507 (I know him well) @ NR10 4BG (that equally highly reverred postcode vineyard in North London).
Quite how it found its way on to a shelf in Sainsbury's, I really can't say - nor do I actually care. And for many people may be this isn't an issue - after all this is completely drinkable, wholly unoffensive wine that I suspect many people will actually enjoy. But why is this? Precisely because W1507 @ NR10 4BG is aiming to do exactly that - create a wine that is as memorable as most of the sub standard acts on X Factor - lacking in originality, talent or personality. Quite frankly if this bottle was up before the judging panel, it would deserve to get four Xs for being an imposter.
For me, a wine has to be more than just drinkable to be a decent wine. I don't want the wine equivalent of a 1980s Ford Sierra. I want a wine that may even have some faults or indiscrepancies, but one that at least shows some personality along the way. And one where I know where it has come from.
Personally the £5 I spent on Grace Falls would have been better invested on five national lottery tickets on the offchance of winning a fortune and buying my own real vineyard in California.
In future wine blogs I'll tell you why I believe the French wine labelling system is probably the best consumer-friendly (albeit sometimes confusing) means of telling you exactly where your wine has come from. Nothing like this post code nonsense.
Very Decent Wine: 1/10
Dinner Party Appeal: 2/10 (Lucozade is more honest)
Value for Money: 6/10 (but what exactly are you buying?)
Probability of buying again: 0/10
Top of the class or back of the class: Don't even bother turning up to school
2008 Shiraz California
Bottled for PUB Wines Ltd by W1507 @ NR10 4BG UK
Sainsbury's £5.00
Many of my very honest friends tell me very honestly that my obsession with French wine is all to do with the pretentious side of my nature which often comes to the fore when I have a decent bottle of something from Bordeaux or Burgundy in my hand.
Nothing could be further from the truth as I genuinely have huge admiration for what the Californians, Argentinians, Chileans, Aussies and Kiwis have done, and continue to do, with their innovative winemaking and love drinking decent wines from any of these regions and continents.
However, what irritates the hell out of me is coming across a bottle of wine such as this little number from California, which we glugged while watching X Factor - a suitably populist 'culture' event to accompany a wine which, for all intents and purposes, is aimed at the undiscerning masses. On this occasion, X Factor was by far the more enjoyable experience.
What irritates me about wines like these is that they are carefully marketed through their design and name to appear to have a decent provenance. With a name like Grace Falls you imagine a quaint family-run winery somewhere in California's Napa Valley where the production of every bottle is painstakingly and lovingly cared for at every stage. But you'd be wrong, as far as I can discern from numerous Google searches Grace Falls doesn't actually exist. And close inspection of the label, as you'll see from the top of this blog, reveals that this is a wine created for the pub trade and bottled by that great wine personality W1507 (I know him well) @ NR10 4BG (that equally highly reverred postcode vineyard in North London).
Quite how it found its way on to a shelf in Sainsbury's, I really can't say - nor do I actually care. And for many people may be this isn't an issue - after all this is completely drinkable, wholly unoffensive wine that I suspect many people will actually enjoy. But why is this? Precisely because W1507 @ NR10 4BG is aiming to do exactly that - create a wine that is as memorable as most of the sub standard acts on X Factor - lacking in originality, talent or personality. Quite frankly if this bottle was up before the judging panel, it would deserve to get four Xs for being an imposter.
For me, a wine has to be more than just drinkable to be a decent wine. I don't want the wine equivalent of a 1980s Ford Sierra. I want a wine that may even have some faults or indiscrepancies, but one that at least shows some personality along the way. And one where I know where it has come from.
Personally the £5 I spent on Grace Falls would have been better invested on five national lottery tickets on the offchance of winning a fortune and buying my own real vineyard in California.
In future wine blogs I'll tell you why I believe the French wine labelling system is probably the best consumer-friendly (albeit sometimes confusing) means of telling you exactly where your wine has come from. Nothing like this post code nonsense.
Very Decent Wine: 1/10
Dinner Party Appeal: 2/10 (Lucozade is more honest)
Value for Money: 6/10 (but what exactly are you buying?)
Probability of buying again: 0/10
Top of the class or back of the class: Don't even bother turning up to school
Friday, October 2, 2009
Classsy Claret. Ding Dong - Bring it on
Chateau Grand Pey Lescours
St Emilion Grand Cru
2004
Aldi Stores UK £9.99
Two bottles into my wine blog and I'm amazed at my, so far, uncanny knack of picking two consecutive TDWs (thoroughly decent wines) at what I believe to be TIPs (thoroughly indecent prices).
Today's offering, which slipped down faster than a D list celebrity on a soaking wet red carpet, is an amazing find for anyone who likes a decent posh Claret but can't afford the posh Claret prices that most wine merchants feel the need to charge here in the UK. How ALDI does it I will never know. Although their huge buying power is probably half the answer. Long may that power last.
Unfortunately, today's offering will probably never find its way into the fine and dandy homes of power wives living in the leafy suburbs of Surrey, Hampshire and Cheshire, all of whom would rather miss a session of Botox treatments or cancel their subscriptions to Homes & Gardens than allow their Gucci loafers to bless the floors of an Aldi store.
Which is sad, because if they did re-program their SAT NAV-enabled Waitrose trolleys to head in a new direction they would allow themselves to win favour with their Claret drinking, Maserati-driving power hubbies, all of whom who would simply drool over such an outstanding wine. Quite simply this is a wine which ticks so many boxes for me, and no doubt them - clean, elegant and fruity in a quietly assured way with the added cachet of exceptional dinner table appeal - with manners to match. Make no mistake, this is a wine that tastes as good and as classy as it looks. No surprise really given that the family behind this little number have been doing their stuff since since 1924.
Talking of age, with this being a 2004 vintage, this is a wine whose blackcurrant velvety-ness has matured enough to ensure it stays longer on the palate than the aforementioned D list celebrity would prefer to remain recumbant on that carpet. This is a serious, exceptionally well made Claret that has a very precise and controlled feel to its taste and structure but with personality too. The tannins, always more prominent in Clarets than New World wines, are subtle and not too stiff which lend this wine its posh drinkability.
And at £9.99 this is the kind of wine that people who have no qualms about having the Aldi name appear on their bank statements deserve to own, cherish and drink in abundance.
Everyone round Tom's tasting table loved this wine in every way - it brought a smile to our faces and reminded us that you can still get a decent Claret at less than a tenner without crying over your Steak au Poivre, which is what we should have been eating last night - but we spent the money on the wine instead.
Aldi's marketing slogan 'Spend a Little, Live a lot' is perfectly encapsulated in this classy number.
Thoroughly Decent Wine 9.5/10
Value for Money 10/10
Dinner Party Appeal 11/10
Top of the Class or Back of the Class? Teacher's pet
St Emilion Grand Cru
2004
Aldi Stores UK £9.99
Two bottles into my wine blog and I'm amazed at my, so far, uncanny knack of picking two consecutive TDWs (thoroughly decent wines) at what I believe to be TIPs (thoroughly indecent prices).
Today's offering, which slipped down faster than a D list celebrity on a soaking wet red carpet, is an amazing find for anyone who likes a decent posh Claret but can't afford the posh Claret prices that most wine merchants feel the need to charge here in the UK. How ALDI does it I will never know. Although their huge buying power is probably half the answer. Long may that power last.
Unfortunately, today's offering will probably never find its way into the fine and dandy homes of power wives living in the leafy suburbs of Surrey, Hampshire and Cheshire, all of whom would rather miss a session of Botox treatments or cancel their subscriptions to Homes & Gardens than allow their Gucci loafers to bless the floors of an Aldi store.
Which is sad, because if they did re-program their SAT NAV-enabled Waitrose trolleys to head in a new direction they would allow themselves to win favour with their Claret drinking, Maserati-driving power hubbies, all of whom who would simply drool over such an outstanding wine. Quite simply this is a wine which ticks so many boxes for me, and no doubt them - clean, elegant and fruity in a quietly assured way with the added cachet of exceptional dinner table appeal - with manners to match. Make no mistake, this is a wine that tastes as good and as classy as it looks. No surprise really given that the family behind this little number have been doing their stuff since since 1924.
Talking of age, with this being a 2004 vintage, this is a wine whose blackcurrant velvety-ness has matured enough to ensure it stays longer on the palate than the aforementioned D list celebrity would prefer to remain recumbant on that carpet. This is a serious, exceptionally well made Claret that has a very precise and controlled feel to its taste and structure but with personality too. The tannins, always more prominent in Clarets than New World wines, are subtle and not too stiff which lend this wine its posh drinkability.
And at £9.99 this is the kind of wine that people who have no qualms about having the Aldi name appear on their bank statements deserve to own, cherish and drink in abundance.
Everyone round Tom's tasting table loved this wine in every way - it brought a smile to our faces and reminded us that you can still get a decent Claret at less than a tenner without crying over your Steak au Poivre, which is what we should have been eating last night - but we spent the money on the wine instead.
Aldi's marketing slogan 'Spend a Little, Live a lot' is perfectly encapsulated in this classy number.
Thoroughly Decent Wine 9.5/10
Value for Money 10/10
Dinner Party Appeal 11/10
Top of the Class or Back of the Class? Teacher's pet
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