Domaine Mayole Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah 2007

This is my first Moroccan wine ever, obtained from Waitrose as part of their World of Wine Showcase.

Morocco has a thriving wine business centred around the city of Meknes. This wine is produced by "Les Cépages de Meknes", which I think is owned by the French conglomerate Castel, which owns high street chains Oddbins and Nicolas.

I'm a bit perplexed by the blurb on the Waitrose website, which describes it as "big", "bold" and "rich". I actually thought the wine was quite French in style. Restrained, medium bodied with some nice cherry fruit and a touch of smokiness, along with a hint of tannin that makes it all the better when taken with food. Overall quite good. Perhaps the slightly higher alcohol (13.5%) gives it a bit of a boost.

I got it for virtually half price at £5.49, down from £9.49. It's a bit of a knee-jerk reaction for me to dismiss it as over-priced, which I'm tempted to do (if you were to buy it at full price). In truth however, it's just as good, if not better, than many £15 négociant-produced clarets that you see on the shelves of the supermarket these days. So that makes it a very good buy at this price.

Domaine Mayole

Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah 2007

Appellation Beni M'Tir Garantie, Morocco

Waitrose

£5.49 (£9.49)

3/5