Vinya Carles Priorat Crianza 2007

With the holiday season upon us LIDL tends to come up with the odd special, whether it's frozen moose meat, entire geese, 3-bird roasts or windshield-wiper fluid, it's usually good value. The wine is no exception.

Priorat has a reputation for upmarket, complex wines. I've never seen one less than £12, which in itself is arguably good value for a quality wine. To see one for £5.99 is intriguing to say the least.

The wine itself is not bad at all. Not a world-beater, but pretty good. Depth, complexity, and fruit were all there. The funny thing with these LIDL wines is you're expecting them to be terrible, and they're not. Some of them actually do reflect their price tag, but this certainly doesn't. My local LIDL has sold out of this already, but if yours hasn't I suggest you snap some up.

Vinya Carles

Priorat Crianza 2007

Catalonia, Spain

LIDL

£5.99

3/5

Espiago Alonso 2009

This is a Grenache based red from the Calatayud DO in Zaragoza, Spain. It's not an overly complex wine. It's soft and fruity, with decent if not light underlying tannins. It has more depth than the average Grenache glugger, but I'm getting the impression it's a bit one-dimensional.

It would make a fine glugger, one that I would gladly serve, but at the same time a bit pricey for that purpose.

Espiago Alonso

Espiago 2009

Calatayud DO, Zaragoza, Spain

Virgin Wines

£10.99

3/5

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Vintage Cava Brut Rosé 2008

This is a good bargain. Made for Sainsbury's by Codorniu, it is a deep pink colour with good red-fruit flavours and a noticeable richness about it. Interestingly the main grape varieties are the Champagne Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Only these two are mentioned on the label but there's a good chance it also includes some Spanish varieties.

Considering Sainsbury's also sells Codorniu NV rosé Cava for £11.99, do you think it's any better than this? I seriously doubt it.

Sainsbury's

Taste the Difference Vintage Cava Brut Rosé 2008

DO Cava, Spain

£6.99

3/5

Vina Fuerte Old Vine Garnacha 2009

Following on the last post in with the Grenache theme, this was the other wine I tried along with the Australian one. It was bound to be different, being Spanish and much younger, and it was.

It was deep red in colour and much fresher. It was a bit grapey, which is what you can get with warm-climate Grenache, but not overwhelmingly so. It was rich and had acceptable structure, but still simple and arguably one-dimensional. Not a bad thing though - a good example of affordable, good wine, although I wonder if the full price of £6.99 isn't a little steep.

Vina Fuerte

Old Vines Garnacha

DO Calatayud, Spain

Waitrose

£5.24 (£6.99)

3/5

Freixenet Elyssia Gran Brut Cava NV

This upmarket Cava is a blend of the Champagne-variety grapes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well as traditional Cava varieties Parellada and Macabeo.

Nice packaging and presentation, but would the wine measure up? I don't really think it did. It had an elusive, lemony (some said peachy) nose and I thought it had a faint whiff of rubber, which I've noticed before in cheaper Cava. On the palate it was pleasant but unspectacular - the mild fruitiness never building up to much and fading on the finish.

I also purchased a bottle of the Pinot Noir rosé version, which has a sticker on the bottle that proclaims 'Best Cava in the world'. Not sure what that's all about, but will be sure to investigate!

Freixenet

Elyssia Gran Brut Cava

DO Cava, Spain

Waitrose

£9.99 (£14.99)

2.5/5

CVNE Rioja Rosado 2008

This is the third different rosé wine I purchased from Majestic on the weekend, and the one that I suspected would be the best. Actually, as I was putting the bottles into my cart, a member of staff mentioned to a watching customer that this was probably the one he'd recommend as the best one there. Like I said in a previous post, they didn't have a very good selection for some reason.

Anyhow, I was right and this one hits the spot. It's a deep pink colour - these types I prefer to have with food (although it's totally fine without it) - dry and refreshing. It's a bit negative, but for me what makes a good rosé is what it isn't sometimes. It lacks what I think are three things that make bad rosé: a confectionery-like flavour (like candy floss), a bitter finish, and an overtly alcoholic flavour/finish. These flaws are pretty common in rosé (especially new world like Australian), and Spain is probably my first choice if I want to avoid these (and not pay crazy prices). You are left with the dry red-fruit flavours and just enough tang to make you reach for the food platter.

Forget Shiraz for BBQs, this is more like it.

CVNE
Rioja Rosado 2008
Rioja, Spain
Majestic
£7.99 (£5.99 when you buy 2 or more)
3.5/5

Waitrose Solera Jerezana Fino del Puerto Sherry

I'm still tasting my way through the Waitrose Solera Jerezana Sherry range. I think this has been my least favourite so far. I've decided I'm not really a Fino person. I've never really had one that I've been that thrilled about (yes even Tio Pepé).

I found this slightly bitter. Better with food, but in my opinion not as good as a nice Manzanilla (to compare to a similar style). It did have a bit of smoky, minerally complexity to it though. OK but not my thing.

Waitrose

Solera Jerezana Fino del Puerto

Jerez, Spain

3/5

Vina Pomal Rioja Gran Reserva 1998

I bought this wine last year at the beginning of the summer. I'm not a big Rioja drinker but it was a good price (£7.99 from £12.99) and has some good bottle age.

I opened one last summer, and it was a big mistake. It was far too warm (both the wine and the weather) to enjoy a bottle like this. It tasted like warm tomato juice. I decided to leave my remaining bottles in my wine rack for a more suitable occasion.

One such occasion came up on the weekend when a friend of ours made a lamb stew (using Donald Russell meat - very good). The wine was much better this time - complex juicy fruit nose with a light, strawberry fruit palate. Good finish. The last few sips of the bottle I thought detected a stewed-fruit character (reminiscent of the bottle I had in the summer), but perhaps the bottle had warmed up a bit too much. Not overly deep or complex, but it has some class, and is a bargain at this price.

Vina Pomal

Rioja Gran Reserva 1998

Rioja, Spain

Majestic

£7.99 (£12.99)

3.5/5

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference 12 Year Old Dry Amontillado Sherry

Yes, another Sherry. I just can't help myself, and I'm not even finished!

This wine, from Lustau once again, sports several awards on its label. IWC trophy, IWC gold, IWC best in class. Must be good then.

It is good, but for some reason I didn't enjoy it as much as some other ones I've had recently. It had a slight sour note to it I thought. Perhaps it is also a bit rich, and would have been better appreciated with food, whereas I had it on its own. Good price, too.

UPDATE: I tried this again recently. I've introduced this style of Sherry to my brother-in-law, and now he's addicted to it. Since Waitrose was all out of their Solera Jerezana Palo Cortado, I settled for this. I seemed to appreciate it more this time. I found it had some intense fruit and spice notes (oranges and cloves), and went down rather well.

Sainsbury's

Taste the Difference 12 Year Old Dry Amontillado Sherry

Jerez, Spain

£6.63

3/5

Sainsbury's Manzanilla Superior Sherry

I think this is probably more what I was expecting from a Manzanilla than this. This is light, fresh tasting and 15% alcohol.

It's always worth checking the label on supermarket own-label wines. This is produced by Lustau (a bit of a recurring theme I know), who pretty much always deliver quality Sherry. Lustau doesn't do all of Sainbury's own-label Sherry, but the ones they do that I've tried have always been very good.

This is a bargain at only £5.99. It also has a Decanter World Wine Awards silver medal, which is a good indicator of quality.

I personally prefer Amontillado/Oloroso style sherries, but this is a fine example of the lighter, flor-developed style for a great price.

UPDATE: This is really growing on me. Had another bottle of it last week, and I'm really starting to appreciate it, especially for that price. Upgrade to a 3.5.

Sainsbury's

Manzanilla Superior Sherry

Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain

£5.49

3.5/5

Waitrose Solera Jerezana Manzanilla Sherry

Now for a lighter style of Sherry. Manzanilla is similar to Fino in that it develops with a flor, and exposure to oxygen is minimal. It is to be served chilled, and consumed while it is still fresh. Manzanilla is produced around the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, instead of Jerez, which produces Fino.

I was expecting something a little lighter and fresher than what I tasted here. This has a strong almond flavour (different than the nutty flavour experienced with oxidized Sherries such as Amontillado), and was fortified to 17%, making it seems a heavier drink than say, a Fino or a lighter Manzanilla. Interesting, but I'm not sure sure I really enjoyed it - something seemed a bit stale about it. I wonder if the bottle has spent too much time on the shelf, or if indeed it is intended to be slightly different in style.

Produced for Waitose by Lustau.

Waitrose

Solera Jerezana Manzanilla Sherry

Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain

£7.99

2.5/5

Waitrose Solera Jerezana Palo Cortado Sherry

Yes, another Sherry. Apologies - I've bought a lot homogeneous 'everyday wine' recently so haven't been experimenting too much with different individual bottles. Except for Sherry.

This is probably my favourite supermarket Sherry yet. Sharper than the Amontillado, it's intensely nutty, complex and has a good, long finish. Great stuff, and highly recommended. Also by Lustau.

Waitrose

Solera Jerezana Palo Cortado Sherry

Jerez, Spain

£7.99

4/5

Waitrose Pale Dry Amontillado Sherry

If you like buying sherry in litre bottles, and like it dry, this is the one to buy (instead of this). Dry (perhaps a tiny touch of sweetness), nutty and pleasantly flavourful, this is good value for good quality.

Produced by Lustau for Waitrose.

Waitrose

Pale Dry Amontillado Sherry

Jerez, Spain

£7.99 (1L)

3/5

Sainsbury's Pale Dry Amontillado Sherry

I like the idea of having an open bottle of sherry in the fridge, ready to pull out at a moment's notice, without worrying about 'opening a bottle' and if it will be finished, if it will keep, etc. This is what sherry is good for.

Continuing my current obsession with Amontillado sherry, I've been trying various supermarket own-labels. Theoretically they should be good quality and value. This one, at £5.69 for a one litre bottle, is cheap.

And cheap-tasting. It's probably the most disappointing sherry I've tried. I'm not sure what makes a 'pale' Amontillado (perhaps minimal exposure to oxygen?), but that's what this is. It's not as rich as other Amontillados I've tried, but it's more the flavour that is a let down. It's tastes like sherry, but with a bit of a rotten-fruit note to it. It's not terrible, and has the requisite nutty finish, but this isn't one I'd recommend.

This is made for Sainsbury's by Bodegas Williams & Humbert.

Sainsbury's

Pale Dry Amontillado Sherry

Jerez, Spain

£5.69 (1L)

2/5

Waitrose Solera Jerezana Dry Amontillado Sherry

I don't know if any one's noticed but I've been on a bit of a sherry bender recently. I've never taken really to Fino-style sherry - I mean it's OK but I don't get excited about it. I like Oloroso, but I've recently discovered Amontillado, which to me is a lot more versatile than Fino or Oloroso.

Amontillado is good on its own or with food, isn't too rich, and ranges from dry and tangy to rich and nutty - you just have to find the right one for you.

This one from Waitrose (courtesy of Lustau) is a good bet. It leans toward the dry and tangy end of the spectrum, and has a tasty, nutty finish. Good quality for a very reasonable price.

Waitrose

Solera Jerezana Dry Amontillado Sherry

Jerez, Spain

£7.99

3.5/5

Vega Escal Priorat 2005

Priorat is an old wine region in Catalonia, Spain dating back to the 12th century. The wines are usually red, and big, and mostly composed of Grenache, Carignan and Syrah. This one in particular is 60% Carignan, 30% Grenache and 10% Syrah.

At first, the wine had very fresh, fruity blackcurrant notes - dense but fruity, and also quite inky and dark coloured. It reminded me almost of an Argentinian Malbec. However after time it started to resemble a Languedoc-Roussillon red (no doubt due to the Carignan content - not a bad thing), with a bit of rustic character showing through, and some good length. Enjoyable I thought, although I think it would have shown better with decanting - I need to decant more often, it really helps wine show at its best. I wasn't too impressed when I first opened it, but now it's drinking like a proper wine.

A quick glance at the label reveals it to be 14.5%. I guess that explains why my face feels like it's full of quick-drying cement right now.

Vega Escal

Priorat 2005

Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain

Waitrose

£7.59 (£9.49)

3.5/5

The Society's Exhibition Viejo Oloroso Sherry

At a recent Wine Society tasting I tried the 'Dulce' (literally 'sweet') version of this wine, which is a blend of PX and Oloroso sherries, not unlike a cream sherry. I asked what the difference between this 'Dulce' blend and a cream sherry was, and the answer was something to do with the ratio of the blend - I think a greater proportion of PX sherry goes into cream sherry. I wish I could be more precise, but it was the end of the tasting where everyone converges on the sweet wine table, and the guy pouring was busy trying to answer my questions while pouring sherry for pretty much the entire room.

Anyway, this the dry version of the wine. It is an old, aged wine, and is very concentrated and syrupy, but without any cloying sweetness. Typical flavours of nuts, but also some caramel and dark toffee - odd in a way without the sweetness, but good. I drank this mostly on its own, but I think it would be better with some sort of hard, mature cheese, after a meal.

This was made for The Wine Society by Sanchez Romate.

The Wine Society

Exhibtition Viejo Oloroso Sherry

Jerez, Spain

£10.95

3.5/5

Vega del Castillo Garnacha 2008

I decided to try this as a potential sub £5 good value wine. I tasted it at a Wine Society tasting, and as I've (stupidly) tended to do lately it was one of the last wines that I tried. I thought it was so-so, but something in that price range would have to be truly outstanding to impress me at the end of a tasting.

So I bought it anyway. It's better than so-so, but that's about as good as it gets. It has some perfumey, baked dark fruit flavours and a slight grip. It's not as rich as I expected, being a wine from old vines. I suppose you're not going to get much better than this for under £5.

Vega del Castillo

Garnacha 2008

Navarra, Spain

The Wine Society

£4.95

2.5/5

Sanchez Romate Maribel Amontillado Sherry

This very good dry Amontillado sherry is available from the Wine Society for the ridiculously favourable price of £6.50 a bottle until December 17th.

Amontillado sherry is a style of sherry that started off under a flor of yeast, but then was exposed to oxygen, either on purpose or because the flor failed to develop. The result is a darker coloured, nutty flavoured wine somewhere between Fino and Oloroso in body and richness.

I'm having difficulty trying to tell the difference between Amontillado, Oloroso, and Palo Cortado. All have been exposed to oxygen and all have a dark colour and nutty taste. Perhaps the Oloroso and Palo Cortado are richer and have more of those caramel flavours, the result of longer barrel age.

I'm really enjoying this bottle - I think it's actually the first Amontillado I've tried. It's great to have a small glass before dinner, or while I'm cooking. Also, being an oxidised wine, once opened it will keep for several days in the fridge.

This sherry is specially selected and bottled for The Wine Society.

Sanchez Romate

Maribel Amontillado Sherry

Jerez, Spain

The Wine Society

£6.50 (£7.50)

3.5/5

Berry Bros. & Rudd Palo Cortado de Jerez 1/50 Vides

Palo Cortado Sherry is a style of sherry halfway between a Fino (or Amontillado) and an Oloroso. The wine is initially intended to be a flor-aged style such as Fino, but the flor dies away prematurely and the wine is exposed to the air, and takes on the nutty, oxidized character of Oloroso while retaining the tangy character of a flor-aged sherry.

Palo Cortado is also rare, as apparently only 1-2% of wines end up being used for this style.

This wine in particular bears the name of Sherry company Emilio Lustau SA. However, the actual producer of the sherry is the 'Almacenista' - the Bodegas who actually buys the wine or grape must and matures the sherry in their cellars. Lustau honours these Bodegas by including them on the label. In this case the Almacenista is Vides SA.

One other curiosity about the label - what does the '1/50' mean? This means that this wine was obtained from the producer's solera system of 50 barrels, or 'butts'.

Now, how was the wine? Pretty good I'd have to say. It's exactly how I described it in the first paragraph. It has the dark brown colouring and the initial nutty, caramel flavours of an Oloroso, but finishes with a salty tang reminiscent of a flor-aged sherry. Good depth and complexity, and the hybrid character is fascinating.

Lustau SA/Vides SA

Palo Cortado 1/50

Jerez, Spain

Berry Bros. & Rudd

£11.70 (375 ml)

3.5/5