Dry and fruity summer wines
All the big retailers will have summer wine specials in the coming weeks but so too will the Independent sector so keep them in mind too.
Aldi held a summer portfolio tasting a week or two ago and I must admit that the standard was quite high given the amazingly low prices. It is quite beyond me how they (and Lidl) can sell their wines for such a low price — especially sparkling wine.
All the Aldi wines I tasted were clean and correct with no flaws except perhaps fruit concentration in a couple of examples.
Of course a bottle of Albariño from a producer such as Terras Gauda (see recommendation below) will taste significantly richer and more complex than the Aldi €9.99 version, but as an introduction to the grape it is does its job well.
Perhaps the most remarkable wine in the tasting for me was their Vignobles Roussellet Pinot Noir Burgundy which sells for just €7.29 and tastes significantly better than many a Bourgogne Rouge costing €20 and more (although I do admit it lacks typicité somewhat).
This is not to say it tastes like a bottle of Chambertin or even Gevrey Chambertin, but chilled a little (to say 14 degrees Celsius) and drunk casually — in the garden perhaps — this should make for an enjoyable experience.
Elsewhere in the tasting I found the sparkling wine to be of a high standard (eg, Veuve Monsigny Champagne for €19.99), and the Exquisite range is generally reliable. Of the reds I tasted I particularly liked. Cru de Pezenas 2013 for €12.99.
Selections this week are some bargains from Aldi balanced by some examples of the kind of white wine I like best in early summer — dry wines with fruit and complexity that go well with lighter foods but have enough richness should the wind pick up and spots of rain begin to fall.
The three whites below will work particularly well with barbecued pork, fish or chicken.
Stockist: Aldi
This old friend is back and in new packaging having been absent for a year or so (due to severely reduced vintages in France).
Made from 100% Chardonnay with lemon pear drop scented fruit, a smooth soft mousse and lingering fresh lemon peel on the finish. Excellent value for a very good sparkling wine.
Stockist: Aldi
As I’m sure you know by now Picpoul From the Languedoc is very fashionable these days and with good reason. Crisp and clean with green apple and sweet citrus aromas backed by lime and slightly under-ripe pear acidity.
Sure you can pay more elsewhere for more concentration, but this is well worth a try if you are new to the grape.
Stockist: Aldi
If it’s Summer it must be time for Rosé. Pinot Noir always makes interesting Rosé but given this noble grape’s reputation for quality it is generally kept for red wine production.
New Zealand grows the grape well and this packs lots of redcurrants and raspberries into the nose and palate. Good texture and a hint of complexity with a clean dry finish.
Stockists: Matsons Grange, Mannings Ballylicky, Ardkeen Stores, Stacks Listowel, The Corkscrew, Jus de Vine, Donnybrook Fair, Mitchells (also online)
From a small sub-region of Rias Baixas near the Portuguese border this is mostly Albariño but also has some Loureira and Caiño Branco. I consider this almost a bargain given the quality.
Stockist: O’Briens
The village of Monthélie is between Volnay and Auxey Duresses in the Cote de Beaune and is often overlooked.
I found this single vineyard version in O’Briens and was seduced by its restrained elegance and subtlety – aromas of vanilla, pears and lemon pie, with sweet pears on the palate and some yellow apple tinged stony freshness on the finish.
Stockist: Marks & Spencer
From the generally reliable coastal region of Elgin southeast of Capetown and the ever-reliable house of Paul Cluver. Aromas of sweet apples with a chalky tinge, ripe apple follow-through on the palate with bright fresh acidity and lingering minerality. Cluver also makes an excellent dessert Riesling
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