My best buys at Waitrose this summer

Although I’m deeply sceptical about ‘half price’ offers, the periodical 25% off promotions if you buy six bottles that the supermarkets put on are a great opportunity to buy your favourite wine at a bargain price. Waitrose is the latest to do it and here’s my pick of the wines I’ve tasted recently.

By the way the offer only runs until next Tuesday June 17th and doesn’t apply in Scotland. Note some wines are only available in a limited number of stores and that some might not have come into stock at the time of writing though they were all supposed to be in by early June. The offer excludes Fine & Rare, Wine Gifts and the En Primeur Service.

RED

Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Pinot Noir 2013 Pays d’Oc £8.99 down to £6.74 230 branches

A delicate pretty pinot from the Limoux region - not too alcoholic or too sweet. Would be good with duck or, chilled, with seared tuna or salmon.

Bijou Cuvée Sophie Valrose Rouge 2012 Cabrières £7.99 down to £5.99 69 branches

A Syrah Grenache blend from the Languedoc in an unusual flute-shaped bottle. A bit funky at first but rather delicious. The rosé under the same label (£8.49 down to £6.37) is also really good. Both would make good barbecue drinking.

Mirabeau Rouge 2013 Côtes de Provence £8.99 down to £6.74, 69 branches

A bright fragrant stalky blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon blended by former M & S wine buyer Jo Ahearne. The rosé isn't quite as good.

Esprit des Trois Pierres 2013 Costières de Nîmes £7.79 down to £5.84, 240 branches

The classic southern French Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre blend. Juicy, easy to drink - perfect for the great outdoors.

Telmo Rodriguez Al-muvedre Old Bush Vine Monastrell 2013 Alicante £8.99 down to £6.74 13.5% 187 branches

Vibrant, bright, juicy, spicy characterful red. Made for grilled meat.

Pablo The Cubist Old Vine Garnacha 2012 Calatayud £9.99 down to £7.49

Exotic rich, full-bodied and spicy. Think steak.

Haughton The Bandit Cabernet Shiraz 2011 £8.99 down to £6.74 159 branches

Deep rich cassis-like red from Western Australia but with a good balancing freshness. Another good BBQ wine

ROSE

Waitrose Provence Rosé 2013 Cotes du Provence 13% £9.29 down to £6.97, 240 branches.

If you’re a fan of pale dry Provencal rosés you’ll love this crisp, fresh example, a really good buy at the price. Salade niçoise, this has your name all over it.

WHITES

Domaine de Felines Jourdan Picpoul de Pinet 2013 £8.99 down to £6.74

One of my favourite Picpouls - really well made, crisp, clean and fruity. The perfect seafood white.

Louis Latour Chardonnay 2013 Ardèche £8.99 down to £6.74

I’m not usually a big fan of Louis Latour but this is a really pukka Burgundian-style chardonnay in a posh bottle that looks - and tastes - as if you’ve paid a great deal more for it. Pair with rich seafood like scallops and crab.

Laurent Miquel Nocturnes Viognier 2013 £8.99 down to £6.74, 260 branches

A rich lush style of viognier made from vineyards that are cultivated by the lutte raisonée - sustainable viticulture - philosophy. Lovely with mildly spiced chicken dishes.

Triade Fiano/Falanghina/Greco 2013 £8.99 down to £6.74, 258 branches

A crisp fresh fruity white from Campania. Great for Southern-Italian style seafood dishes like swordfish or grilled squid

Seifried Estate Grüner Veltliner 2013 Nelson £11.99 down to £8.99. 60 branches

A real curiosity - an Austrian grape variety, grown in New Zealand producing a really intense fruity style of Grüner with bags of personality. Fantastic for Asian salads, noodles and seafood dishes. Well worth snapping up at this price.

For other good buys see this post I wrote last November though bear in mind that they might not be showing quite as well now and that the initial prices may have changed.

12 good wine buys at Waitrose

Waitrose is the latest to offer a 25% deal off wine and champagne if you buy six bottles (12 online) The deal runs until midnight on November 5th and excludes gift packs and spirits.

Here’s what I think are the best and most interesting deals - at the discounted deal. I wouldn't necessarily buy them at the full price.

WHITES

Pujalet 2012 Pays de Gers (11.5%) £5.49 down to £4.12 (258 branches and online)

Not much has been heard of Pays de Gers recently but it’s a great bargain which should massively appeal if you’re a Sauvignon-drinker. Bright, fruity and crisp it would make great party drinking.

Montgravet Chardonnay 2012 Vin de France (12%) £5.99 down to £4.49 (248 branches and online)

A smooth unoaked chardonnay that should satisfy even white burgundy lovers (well, not great white burgundy but the basic stuff). Good for creamily sauced pasta or chicken.

Domaine Balland-Chapuis 2012 Coteaux du Giennois (12.5%) £9.99 down to £7.49 (168 branches and online)

If you like Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé but don’t want to pay the going rate for them (now around £12-14 a bottle) this lesser-known Loire Sauvignon Blanc is a great alternative. For raw and simply cooked seafood, grilled fish and goats cheese.

Wither Hills Chardonnay 2011 Marlborough New Zealand (14%) £10.15 down to £7.61 (250 branches)

Like big, creamy chardonnays? Here's a good one with a couple of years' bottle age. Try it with crab, scallops, roast chicken or even the Christmas bird.

Astrolabe Province Pinot Gris 2012 Marlborough New Zealand (13.5%) £17.99 down to £13.49 (48 branches and online)

I probably wouldn’t pay the full price for this rather gorgeous lush New Zealand Pinot Gris but it’s well worth a punt with this discount especially if you like Thai food for which it would be the perfect match

REDS

Montgravel Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2012 £5.99 down to £4.49 if you’re buying 6 bottles 13% (186 branches and online)

An unusual wine - a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from well south of Bordeaux in the Languedoc but better than almost all Bordeaux at the price. Good everyday drinking with homely fare like shepherds pie or a hotpot

Gerard Bertrand Syrah/Carignan 2010 Minervois £8.99 down to £6.74 13% (260 branches and online)

A more typical Languedoc red, big, dark and inky with rich brambly fruit. One for a cold night and a steak pie or beef casserole.

Marques de Calatrava Organic Seleccion Reservada Tempranillo 2011 La Mancha £8.99 down to £6.74 (279 branches and online)

A soft mellow Rioja-style organic red at a cheaper-than-Rioja price. Great value for an organic wine. Would be good with roast lamb or hard cheeses like Manchego.

Mount Rozier Merlot 2011 Stellenbosch £9.99 down to £7.49 (247 branches and online)

I picked this elegant Bordeaux-style red out as my wine of the week the other week and here’s another chance to pick it up at a good price. (See the other recommendations in that post for other good buys)

Enira Bulgarian Red 2009 Thracian Lowlands £11.99 down to £8.99 14.5% (20 branches and online)

You might baulk at the idea of paying this much for a Bulgarian wine even on this deal but it’s really quite exciting - the sort of sweet, mellow aged red to drink with some exotic Ottolenghi-ish lamb dish. If you’re a Chateau Musar fan you’ll love it.

FIZZ

Ayala Brut Majeur NV champagne 12.5% £29.99 down to £22.49 (138 branches and online)

Not the cheapest fizz out there but a respected house that’s showing really well at the moment. Elegant and creamy. A good pre-Christmas lunch or dinner party bottle.

SWEET

Chateau Les Sablines 2011 Monbazillac (13%) £8.99 (for 50cl) down to £6.74 (247 branches and online)

Monbazillac is from the same part of France as Sauternes - and made in a similar style - but you’d never get Sauternes at this price.

You may also like to check out my recent post 8 good wine buys at Sainsbury's

 

8 good wine buys at Sainsbury’s

The season of discounting has started again with supermarkets all announcing or due to announce dramatic money-off deals if you buy six bottles or more.

As I’ve said before I have mixed feelings about this. It does indies no favours but on the other hand the majority DO shop in supermarkets, they ARE good offers and they DO help if you’re on a tight budget.

So here to kick off with are eight from Sainsbury’s whose 25% off six deal starts today and goes on until Sunday November 3rd.( Except in Scotland which doesn’t allow multibuys.) If you miss these offers or don’t find them in a branch near you* don’t panic. There will be plenty more over the coming weeks.

Sainsbury’s Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
(368 stores) Originally £22.49 currently £16.86 (until 5/11/13) but £12.64 per bottle if you’re buying 6 bottles
An old faithful in the Sainsbury’s range this attractive creamy champagne is made for the company by Duval-Leroy. An ideal match for smoked salmon and crisp cheesy biscuits and canapés

Yalumba Y Series Viognier 2013 (395 stores) Originally £9.99 but £7.49 but if you’re buying 6 bottles
South Australian winery Yalumba are Viognier specialists and this is a super vintage of this exotically scented white. Lovely with creamy chicken dishes and korma curries. Check the vintage is 2013 when you're buying. It needs to be fresh.

Taste the Difference Hunter Valley Aged Semillon 2006 (266 stores) Originally £9.99, but £7.49 if you’re buying 6 bottles
With its smoky, almost oily flavours Hunter Valley Semillon is definitely a Marmite wine but if you love it, as I do, this is an amazing deal on a 7 year old wine. (It also won a gold medal from the IWC this year). Locally they drink it with oysters and seafood - I’d go for an Asian-style salads with a sesame dressing or smoked fish.

Winemakers’ Selection Portuguese Red (591 stores) Originally £5.99 but £4.49 if you’re buying 6 bottles
If you’re looking for a basic wine for mulling for Hallowe’en or Bonfire Night this ripe, slightly porty Portuguese red would be ideal. It's also a good bottle to chuck in a beef stew. If you can’t be bothered to mull your own Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Mulled Wine (554 stores), originally at £5.79 (on offer at £4.34 and just£3.25 if you're buying six bottles) is actually very good, especially at this price. I like the idea of keeping a thermos of it handy. (see pic))

Winemakers’ Selection Costières de Nîmes 2011 (390 stores) originally £6.99, but £5.24 if you’re buying 6 bottles
If you’re a fan of Côtes du Rhône you’ll love this warm generous red from the neighbouring Costières de Nîmes - a versatile wine that would go with all kinds of hearty wintry dishes from bangers and mash to a slap-up Sunday roast.

Mas de Victor Graciano Rioja 2012 (390 stores) Originally £8.99 but £6.74 if you’re buying 6 bottles
Graciano is a grape variety that's much less frequently used than Tempranillo so this isn’t a typical Rioja but a ripe, exotically scented one (think Mourvèdre if you’re familiar with that). I’d drink it with slow-cooked shoulder of lamb and some Ottolengi-ish salads or venison with a dark fruity compote or sauce.

d’Arenberg The High Trellis Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (174 stores) Originally £10.79 but £8.09 if you’re buying 6 bottles)
Another super Aussie buy - a gloriously smooth, blackcurranty (but not jammy) Cabernet from one of the most colourful producers in the McLaren Vale, Chester Osborn. Delicious now but will keep at least another 2-3 years in good storage conditions. A red meat wine, definitely.

And don’t forget the discount brings the excellent range of Taste the Difference sherries, already a risible £7.99 down to £5.99. I’m stocking up with those.

* Note that some of these wines are only available in a comparatively small number of branches. The ones I've linked to are also available online but the Sainsbury's website isn't the easiest to search.

 

Weekend wine bargains at Waitrose

Having gamely ploughed through 200-odd wines at the Waitrose tasting yesterday here are seven that are currently on offer I’d be happy to put in my trolley this weekend. Prices apply until May 21st:

LaVis Vigneti di Montagna Pinot Grigio 2012 (Normally £9.49, on offer at £6.32 until May 21st)

There’s so much bland, insipid Pinot Grigio around it’s easy to dismiss it altogether but this is a good example - crisp and intense - to drink with light pastas, risottos and raw or lightly cooked seafood.

Montgras Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2012, Chile (normally £8.99, on offer at 2 bottles for £10 until May 21st)

Chilean Sauvignon is quite distinctive - more citrussy/grapefruity in style than the big gooseberry and tropical fruit flavours of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc but I like it. A well-made wine that would be good as an aperitif or with all sorts of seafood dishes

Waitrose 2011 Beaujolais (normally £6.99, on a 2 for £12 deal until 21st May)

I’m not a great fan of Georges Duboeuf, the so-called (self-styled?) king of Beaujolais, but it’s hard to quarrel with this sort of price. A young, fresh, fruity (12.5%) Beaujolais that would be great for a picnic (if we ever get any picnic weather). Give it 40 minutes in the fridge before you drink it

Cuvee Balthazar Syrah 2011, Pays d'Oc (normally £10.99, on offer at £8.79 until May 21st)

A handsome-looking Northern Rhone-style syrah from the Languedoc - big, juicy, ripe and spicy. Good for a steak - or other grilled meats.

Domaine des Trois Pierres 2012 Costières de Nimes (normally £7.49, on a 2 for £12 deal until May 21st)

Situated between the Languedoc and the Rhone the lesser-known Costières de Nimes is one of the bargain areas to buy wine in France particularly at this price. A good, ripe juicy hearty (14%) southern French red to drink with most beef, lamb or robust vegetable dishes.

Baron de Ley 2008 Reserva Rioja (on offer at £8.29 instead of £12.49 until May 21st)

Probably the best bargain on this list. A smooth, deliciously ripe, mature (but not faded) Rioja from a consistently reliable producer. Will easily keep for a couple of years, too. Great with roast lamb or a cheeseboard

Santa Julia Malbec 2012 Mendoza, Argentina (normally £7.49, on a 2 for £12 deal until May 21st)

Not the most spectacular Malbec I’ve ever tasted but should do the job if you're a Malbec fan - smooth ripe and plummy. Spot on for a barbecue

Note not all these wines are available in all stores. And that the 2 for £12 deals are not available online