Zonnebloem Chardonnay 2009

I wanted a decent, affordable Chardonnay and couldn't be bothered going into the supermarket. On my high street when I get out of the tube Oddbins is closest. In truth, I don't shop there much - they can't really compete with Waitrose (about 2 minutes further up the street) in terms of price, but they do offer an alternative selection. The manager there knows me, and I feel bad not going in more often.

Either way, I wasn't coming out empty-handed. There haven't been too many South African Chardonnays I haven't liked (possibly none). I don't drink them very often, but I usually go away impressed. This was £7.49, and the manager even gave it his seal of approval.

I liked it. It wasn't overly powerful or anything, but it had that meaty Chardonnay character with a touch of oak, and also the requisite tropical fruit flavours - a combination that makes it worthwhile in my opinion, especially at this price.

Zonnebloem

Chardonnay 2009

Stellenbosch, South Africa

Oddbins

£7.49

3/5

Hungerford Hill Semillon 2008

Hunter Valley is the place for Semillon, and I've been trying them, slowly, over the past couple of years. They aren't always easy to find though, so when I saw this at Oddbins I bought some.

Low in alcohol (10%), it's quite tart and it's dry. I confess I'm not very knowledgeable about this style of wine - is this because the grapes don't get any riper? Standard citrus character, plus a sort of nutty flavour in the background. Interesting, but possibly just short of pleasant.

I think this is where bottle ageing comes in, which is traditional with Hunter Valley Semillon. I'm assuming this would improve with age, because now I'm not sure I would drink it again. Hard to give it a fair score, but the one I gave was based on it's current state.

I'm aware that I'm always drinking Hunter Valley Semillon too young, and one of these days I'll blog about an older one (I've got a Tyrell's Vat 1 2002 waiting, and I tucked away a 2005 Tim Adams a couple of years ago).

Hungerford Hill

Semillon 2008

Hunter Valley, Australia

Oddbins

~£10

2.5/5

Oddbins Discount Codes

Francis Ford Coppola 'Director's Cut' Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

I bought this wine because it was named the 'best value' wine in a recent California Cabernet Sauvignon tasting in Decanter magazine. It was £20 in Oddbins.

I didn't really like it, but I'm not sure it's Francis' fault. We had it after a bottle of Chateau Palmer Alter Ego, and we thought it would be good for comparison. It was good for comparison - as it was completely different. I won't hold it to the same standards as Palmer (maybe I should?), but it was a bit strange. It was very spicy oaked, vanilla. The main characteristics reminded me of a southern Rhone wine actually. I like California Cabernet the most next to Bordeaux, but this was something else.

It opened up, and revealed it's own depth and structure. Quality wine, but not really what I expected.

And another thing - these North Americans with their celebrity wineries... I've tried a couple of the Canadian ones (Mike Weir Pinot Gris - thought it was really good, and being Canadian I'd buy anything with Wayne Gretzky's name on it), but do these guys really like wine this much? Is it something their PR managers tell them to do? Is it a box to tick in their career?

Francis Ford Coppola Winery

Director's Cut Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Alexander Valley, California

Oddbins

£19.99

3/5

De Bortoli Windy Peak Sangiovese 2006

I've noticed that sometimes Italian varieties can be done well in other countries - noticeably Argentina and Australia, thanks to their Italian ex-pat communities. We've been drinking a lot of Chianti recently, so I thought it was a good time to try the Australian version with this Victoria Sangiovese.

This starts off with bright cherry fruit and good acidity, the hallmarks of this variety. After a bit of time in the glass it develops some earthiness, which actually slightly reminded me of an Aussie Pinot Noir. It's not all bad though (just joking), and it retains a vibrancy of fruit that identifies it as definitely New World. There is just a bit of harshness to it though, a lack of elegance that shouldn't be there for a £10 wine.

De Bortoli

Windy Peak Sangiovese 2006

King Valley, Victoria, Australia

Oddbins

£9.99

2.5/5

Oddbins Discount Codes

Vidal Riesling 2009

I'm always on the lookout for good Riesling, and this has been recommended by various columnists.

It's quite good - very clean and crisp and citrusy. I would say it's lacking complexity - no petrol notes or loads of mouthfeel, but it's a young wine and the freshness makes up for it.

A bit pricey - for £8.99 I was expecting perhaps a bit more depth but it's classy enough.

Vidal
Riesling 2009
Marlborough, New Zealand
Oddbins
£8.99
3.5/5
Oddbins Discount Codes

Casa Santos Lima Quinta de Bons-Ventos 2008

Portuguese wine has a reputation as being good value, and I don't think I try enough of it. This is £5.99 (regular price) at Oddbins.

I need to keep things in context here. £5.99 to me is a good price for an everyday wine, if a little high (I can frequently find stuff I really enjoy for under £5, with all the special offers). It may not be cheap for other people, and for yet others it may be regarded as plonk territory. Let's just say it's certainly affordable to most wine drinkers.

At first I found it a bit disappointing, but only because it's of that soft, easy drinking style that I don't usually go for. The little blurb on the shelf at Oddbins said it would go well with pizza, and we were having spaghetti bolognese for dinner, so it seemed like a good choice. Indeed, it went fairly well with the food - my only gripe was the oak character in the wine, which was noticeable. It has some spice and perfume notes as well, it reminds me of a southern French red.

Going back to the price, it seems good value, maybe a pound or so less though?

Incidentally, this wine is classified as VR Lisboa under the Portuguese wine classification system, which is roughly equivalent to a French Vin de pays. It is made with indigenous grape varieties.

Thanks to reader Marc for recommending this wine.

Casa Santos Lima

Quinta de Bons-Ventos 2008

VR Lisboa, Portugal

Oddbins

£5.99

3/5

Peter Lehmann Wigan Riesling 2003

A while ago, after I disapproved of one of their Chenin Blancs, a Peter Lehman winemaker suggested I try their Rieslings. I finally found one at Oddbins that looked like it was worth trying. It was heavily discounted - it was around £11 but normally went for about £16 (which seems overpriced to me).

It is a lovely wine indeed, and everything a good Eden Valley Riesling should be. It's citrus and petrol on the nose, and all minerals, lemon and a touch of kerosene on the palate, with good acidity. Delicious stuff - I need to work out the best food match for Aussie Rieslings, any suggestions?

Peter Lehmann

Wigan Riesling 2003

Eden Valley, Australia

Oddbins

£11

4/5

Oddbins Own White 2008

It's been awhile since I made my risotto, which requires a cheap white in the recipe. One for the risotto, one for me, etc....

This time I dropped into my local Oddbins for a bottle of their own-label white wine. In truth, I wanted to look for some other stuff as well, but I thought this white would be a good one because after I used the glass or so needed for the recipe, the rest would be drinkable.

In fact, the wine is quite good. It's a blend of white grapes from the Languedoc region of France. Well-chilled, it's remarkably fresh, crisp and tart, a bit grassy, and refreshing.

I like the Oddbins own-label range. The rosé is fantastic. The red is so-so, not really my style but I think it would appeal to a lot of people. It's good to see quality wines offered for less than a fiver by this company.

Made for Oddbins by Paul Mas.

Oddbins

Oddbins Own White 2008

Languedoc, France

£3.99 (£4.49)

3/5

Jansz Premium Cuveé NV

I've always found this Tasmanian sparkler pretty reliable. A blend of 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir and 5% Pinot Meunier, it has pleasant flavours of apple and cinnamon.

Interesting production method as well (taken from Oddbins website) - a long, cool fermentation followed by a year of ageing on its lees in a tank to add complexity. It's not clear to me where the secondary fermentation takes place, but I can only assume it's in the tank and not the bottle, which would be the Charmat process.

Good stuff, and great value.

Jansz

Premium Cuveé NV

Tasmania, Australia

Oddbins

£9.99

3/5

Bodegas Carchelo 2008

This wine got my attention at a tasting at our local Oddbins. It seemed to stand out among the other wines we tried that night, which were a selection of wines all priced under £10, so I decided to buy a few bottles.

It's a blend of 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Tempranillo and 40% Monastrell (Mourvèdre) from the Jumilla region of southern Spain.

I'm not sure how much I like it now, though. Although it has some dense structure, it also has a sweet, baked, raisiny character which I'm not too keen on. It also seems low in acidity, which can be typical for Tempranillo-based wines.

Not too bad though, and good value if purchased as part of a case.

Bodegas Carchelo

Carchelo 2008

Jumilla, Spain

Oddbins

£8.99 (£7.19 if part of a case of 12)

3/5

Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Semillon 2008

This was recommended to me by my local Oddbins store manager. I had attended a tasting there a couple of weeks ago, and decided to purchase some wine (more on what I bought in future posts). I was buying with a friend, and we needed to make up a case of 12 to get a discount. I asked for a Semillon, and this is what I got.

I find Semillon intriguing. It doesn't enjoy the popularity of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, the critical acclaim of Riesling, or the mass-market appeal of Pinot Grigio. It's the main grape used in the sweet wines of Sauternes, and it's also used as a blending grape with Sauvignon Blanc (in white Bordeaux or Australian white blends). However, use of it as a dry varietal wine is limited, normally to the South Australia and New South Wales regions of Australia, where it can produce long-lived wines of complexity.

Fleur du Cap's motto is "wines inspired by nature". This particular wine is hand-picked, matured in oak on its lees and bottled without filtration, the aim being minimal interference.

This example is from South Africa. Stellenbosch, to be exact. It is produced by The Bergkelder, a "wine centre", which seems to be a combination winery, shop, museum and cellar. Fleur du Cap is the brand name of the wines they produce.

The nose and palate are initially dominated by lime. The nose isn't particularly forthcoming actually. I'm finding this wine hard to describe. The palate is very rich, not sweet but rich. Lemon furniture polish, with a long lingering finish. I usually find Semillon a bit strange, but I think that's part of its charm, and I keep coming back for more. It's great with food - tonight it was parma ham-wrapped chicken stuffed with Boursin.

It's not cheap (£10.99, £8.79 as part of a mixed case of 12), but it's not over-priced. Good Semillon falls in this price category.

Fleur du Cap

Unfiltered Semillon 2008

Stellenbosch, South Africa

Oddbins

£10.99 (£8.79 as part of a mixed case of 12)

3.5/5

Ascheri Dolcetto d'Alba 2007

Pretty decent Italian red here.  Dolcetto is something I've covered before,  but this is a more upmarket version, or at least the price would have you think so.

It came across initially as a somewhat serious wine, with a deep, concentrated cherry fruit nose and good depth of flavour.  However I found its effect diminished somewhat over the course of the meal, and by then end seemed more like a cheerful pizza wine, although one of good quality.

I think it's overpriced at £10.99.  £7 or £8 would seem more reasonable to me. This is something you see often at Oddbins - they can't really compete with places such as Waitrose for value.  Hopefully with the new ownership we'll start to see some more exciting things happening.

Ascheri

Dolcetto d'Alba 2007

Dolcetto DOC, Piedmont, Italy

Oddbins

£10.99

3/5

Oddbins Own Red 2008

This isn't terribly different than the Cuveé de Richard in my last post.  An easy drinking glugger from the Languedoc-Roussillon region in France, and similarly priced.  I'd say the Cuveé de Richard just shades it though.  The Oddbins version is slighter rougher around the edges, and with perhaps a bit more length, but overall it didn't seem as enjoyable.

Not bad if you want a cheap bottle of red that won't make you gag, but I would rather pay an extra £1.50 and get something genuinely decent.

Oh, and this is produced by Paul Mas, who seems to have quite a few fans among wine writers. I've tried his VdP d'Oc Cabernet, and wasn't a fan of that either.  Perhaps it's just a style I don't appreciate.  If anyone can recommend something by him that they think I should try, please do so.

Paul Mas

Oddbins Own Red 2008

Languedoc, France

Oddbins

£4.49

2.5/5

O Fournier Urban Malbec 2007

This may be too little too late for this post.  I had bought this wine from Oddbins because I had a 20% off Argentina wines voucher, and the shop assistant chose this for me, saying it was the best one they had for that price (£6.99).

Unfortunately, I was greeted with the sight of this bottle, opened and uncovered, on the kitchen counter on Easter Monday morning.  Someone had opened it late the night before, had a glass, and forgotten to seal it.  In a panic I shoved a seal into the top of the bottle.

I still tried it later on though, and it was a very rich, full, grapey, almost port-like wine.  I'm not sure if the grapey character was a result of it being left open all night, or was just an indication of its concentrated fruit-flavours.  Either way, it seemed pretty impressive.

I stopped by Oddbins tonight hoping to get another bottle but they were sold out and weren't expecting any in for "a few weeks".  Crap.

O Fournier is one of the names I always see mentioned as being a top producer in Argentina, and I didn't realise they produced this wine until I inspected the fine print on the label on the back of the bottle.  I'll leave it to one of the experts, Jancis Robinson, to fill you in a little more about this wine.

O Fournier

Urban Malbec 2007

Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

Oddbins

£6.99

4/5

Barbadillo Manzanilla Sherry

I was looking for a wine to match with smoked salmon, which we were serving as an appetizer for Easter dinner, and a Google search came up with Manzanilla sherry.  Being a sherry fan, I didn't need to look any further.  However I also decided to serve a Chardonnay, suspecting that not everyone would be into the sherry.

Manzanilla sherry is a dry sherry produced around the city of Sanlúcar, Spain.  It is similar to Fino sherry, which is produced around Jerez.

It is very dry, with a strong, sharp flavour.  I'm not convinced it was the ultimate match for the salmon, but it was good enough.  This type of sherry is a great food-matcher, and I'm struggling to think of anything it wouldn't go with.  That said, I didn't particularly enjoy the combination that much - I think I would have preferred something a bit softer (like the Chardonnay!).

Barbadillo

Manzanilla Sherry

Sanlúcar, Spain

Oddbins

£6.99

3/5

Yarra Yering Pinot Noir 2005

(as part of a fine wine tasting)

After tasting two fantastic whites, the aroma of this first red of the tasting hit me like a ton of bricks. A very, powerful, perfumed and (seemingly) alcoholic wine, it did have a noticeable "wow factor".

Supposedly made in the Burgundy style, it still had a little bit of that Pinot barnyard character that you get in new world Pinot Noir, but by no means was that a bad thing. Very concentated and perfumey on the palate. A very good wine. The food match this time was duck paté, but I wouldn't say it improved anything, the wine was brilliant on its own.

Yarra Yering apparently lost some vineyards to the recent bushfires, and it recently lost its founder, although the impact these events will have on future production is unclear.

Yarra Yering
Pinot Noir 2005
Yarra Valley, Australia
Oddbins Fine Wine Store (41a Farringdon Street , London)
£40
4/5

Domaine Belle Hermitage Blanc 2001

(as part of a fine wine tasting)

The Hermitage appellation in the northern Rhone valley is probably more well known for its red wines than it's white, but the whites are no less coveted.

Produced from a blend of Marsanne and Roussane (the exact proportions are unknown) and with 8 years of bottle age, this wine had a deep yellow colour and a nutty, almost sherry-ish aroma, along with notes of honey, caramel and vanilla.

This wine was part of a "fine wine" tasting we participated in with a group of friends. Admittedly I did a poor job of taking notes, and I see that I didn't actually note anything down to do with how this wine actually tasted. What I do remember though is how well it went with the suggested Beaufort cheese, combining to make a really nice, caramel/honey flavour.

Recommended with fish, seafood and things with butter sauce.

My usual rating system will be difficult to apply to the wines that we had during this tasting. Usually a 3 and above means "I'd buy it again", but at these prices that's not going to happen anytime soon, so for now I'll pretend I can actually afford to drink them.

Domaine Albert Belle
Hermitage Blanc 2001
Rhone Valley, France
Oddbins Fine Wine Store (41a Farringdon Street , London)
~£37
3.5/5