Sainsbury's 'House' Chianti 2009

My brother-in-law came home with a bottle of this the other night. I had a small taste of it, and there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it, although it was the night we were drinking Grenache most of the evening, so the old palate may have been a bit muddled.

I bought another bottle of it yesterday to re-try. We drink a lot of Chianti as an everyday food wine (usually Piccini half-price stuff), so I thought this was worth checking out.

It's not quite the brilliant under £5 miracle I was hoping for. It's very acidic, and has a lot of green, unripe character to it. It still tastes like a Chianti though, and would probably do in a pinch, and then only with food.

Sainsbury's

'House' Chianti 2009

DOCG Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

2.5/5

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

Monte Schiavo Villa le Querce Rosso Piceno 2007

This wine is from the Marche region of Italy. From what I can gather, this region seems to be associated more with white wines than reds. I found it at a Wine Society tasting, and I felt it was probably the best value wine there.

It's a blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% Montepulciano. Think cross between a Chianti and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. In other words, a perfect pizza/pasta wine. And that is what this is.

I can't help but think it's not any better than the various supermarket Chiantis that we frequently see on offer, and it would be a real deal if it was a pound cheaper. However it's an interesting blend and has a bit more structure and backbone than said Chiantis, especially after time in the glass.

Monto Schiavo

Villa le Querce Rosso Piceno 2007

Marche, Italy

The Wine Society

£6.50

3/5

Dino Sangiovese Di Romagna Superiore 2006

This sangiovese comes from the region of Emilia-Romagna in northwest Italy. It's a fairly easy-going wine, like a dumbed-down Chianti. It has a bit of that fruity tariness going on, and was good with our spaghetti bolognese. Decent, but not spectacular.

I bought it at the regular price of £8.31 at Tesco (admittedly a panic buy - sudden dinner guests), but I don't think it's worth that. Funnily enough, I noticed that it's now going for half price, or 2 for £8 in the shop, which I think is a pretty good deal. Might have to get a couple of bottles...

Dino Sangiovese Di Romagna Superiore 2006
Sangiovese Di Romagna DOC
Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Tesco
£8.31
3/5

Familae Piccini Chianti Riserva 2005

These Piccini guys get around don't they? I think I've had 3 or 4 supermarket Chiantis recently, and I've just worked out they are all "Piccini". They seem to be in the business of producing a ripe, fruity style of Chianti that is easy drinking and affordable but retains some character, which is just what you want from the supermarket.

This example is not too different from Piccini's "Selezione Oro" brand, which I covered here. I'd say the only difference is that this one has a bit more Chianti character...a bit mustier and a bit heftier on the palate.

Price-wise, this is exceptional. It is certainly worth the "half price" of £4.99. The reason for the quotes is that sometimes Sainsbury's has things on for half-price that I've never seen for full price (see here), and I wonder if it ever actually sells for full price. But I've never looked for this particular wine before, and I'm going to keep an eye out.

Piccini
Familae Piccini Chianti Riserva 2005
Tuscany, Italy
£4.99 (£9.99)
Sainsbury's
3/5

Santa Julia Organica Bonarda/Sangiovese 2007

This Argentinian wine was a bit of a panic buy. However, there was some (however hurried) reasoning behind the choice:

• It is made from Italian grape varieties, which from my limited experience is something the Argentinians do well.
• It said on the label that it matches well with spicy foods. I was dubious about this, but we were about to have enchiladas for dinner and I was willing to take the label's word for it.
  
• It's cheap, about five and half pounds.

It's hard to properly judge this wine, because we had just come straight from a wine tasting at my local Majestic, and the last couple of wines we tasted were very full on reds. We went right into this light-bodied Argentinian red, and coupled with the food we were having, it didn't seem pleasant. I have a feeling it was the enchilada seasoning, which has things like cumin in it which can make red wine taste pretty horrible.

After the meal, though, the wine started to resemble what I like about Argentinian reds made from Italian varieties: a fruity and juicy wine to drink with things like spaghetti bolognese. I wouldn't say it's great, though, and I'd have to try it again to be sure if I like it or not.

Incidentally, if you've never heard of the grape variety Bonarda, according to wikipedia it's also known as Charbono and is a widely planted grape in Argentina.

Santa Julia
Organica Bonarda/Sangiovese 2007
Mendoza, Argentina
Waitrose
~£5.50