Tesco’s Bordeaux bargains

You can tell we’re already in the run-up to Christmas with supermarkets making a pitch for those who like to do their shopping early.

Arguably Lidl were first off the blocks back in September but this week Tesco has announced the start of a 10 day 15% off promotion on fine wines including the range of 2010 Bordeaux they bought en primeur*. To qualify you have to buy 2 six bottle cases. The offer closes at midnight on Friday October 17th.

Much as I like to support the indies this is an irresistible opportunity to get your hands on some top Bordeaux* - for restaurants as well as consumers. I suspect some of these prices are better than you would get from a trade supplier.

Here are some examples:

Chateau Brown 2010 14% £112.20 a case, £18.70 a bottle if you buy 2 cases. Normally £132.00 a 6 bottle case or £22 a bottle. Drinking incredibly well now but will keep

Chateau Lilian Ladouys 2010 13.6% £84.15 a case, £14.02 a bottle if you buy 2 cases. Normally £99 a case or £16.50 a bottle, Brilliant value dinner party claret - as is, cheaper still, Chateau Malecasse 2010 Haut Médoc, recently picked out by Jancis Robinson as a bargain buy. £71.40, £11.90 a bottle if you buy 2 cases. Normally £84 a case or £14 a bottle.

Chateau Phélan-Segur 2010, St Estephe. £169.12 a case or £28.19 a bottle if you buy 2 cases. Normally £198.96 a case or £33.16 a bottle. Huge potential - one for laying down for 5 years at least.

Chateau Sociando Mallet 2010. 13.5% £127.50 a case or £21.25 if you buy 2 cases. Normally £150 a 6 bottle case or £25 a bottle. One of the wines I highlighted in the Guardian feature I wrote about the recent Lidl promotion - they’re selling the 2008 for £25.99 if you just want a single bottle.

There’s also a 'taster' case of 2010s which includes the Malecasse and the Chateau Brown. I’m not normally a fan of mixed cases but at £87 (£14.50 a bottle) it should be of interest to anyone who wants to explore the 2010 vintage.

A note of caution: Not all Tesco’s fine wines are cheaper than elsewhere so it’s always worth checking wine-searcher.com, Googling the wine + UK before you place your order or ringing up a traditonal wine merchant like D. Byrne of Clitheroe to see what they’re selling the wine in which you're interested for. The Chateau Talbot 2009 for example, normally £300 a case, is £255 a case or £42.50 a bottle if you buy 2 cases but that’s the regular price on slurp.co.uk.

*They even have Lafite and Mouton-Rothschild for the Russian oligarchs among their customers ...

More French wine bargains from Lidl

I’ve already made my selection of Bordeaux from Lidl’s heavily promoted new French wine offer on the Guardian website today. Here’s what else I’d pick up when the wines go on sale this Thursday September 4th. (Note they're NOT available before then.)

Domaine du Gourget Côtes du Rhône Villages, Rochegude 2013 13.5% £5.99

A bright, young fruity CdR from the lesser known appellation of Rochegude to the north of Orange. Easy everyday drinking

Gigondas 2013 £9.99

A great price for Gigondas, one of the most appealing appellations of the southern Rhone. Big ripe, powerful and juicy - could pass for a Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Lay some in for Christmas.

P. de Marcilly Haut-Côtes de Beaune 2011 12.5% £7.99

In general I was less impressed by the whites in this offer than I was the reds but this is an absolutely gorgeous elegant, mature creamy white burgundy at a crazy-good price

Bissinger champagne brut £6.99 a half bottle

Who wouldn’t like a stash of half bottles of champagne to dip into whenever you feel like celebrating? Or even if you don't?* Well at this price you can afford to. A really decent rich toasty fizz - amazing for the price.

Nuit de Provence Coteaux d’Aix en Provence 2013 £5.99

If you reckon there are still some summer days to come, a great chance to snap up a classic, pale, crisp, fruity Provençal rosé at about half the price they usually fetch.

Clairette de Die, Cuvée Elegance 7.5% £6.99

Ridiculously delicious honeysuckle-sweet sparkler from the Rhône that will definitely appeal if you’re a moscato fan. Drink with fresh fruit salads and light, airy cream cakes.

Chateau La Sabatière Monbazillac 2011 12.5% £7.99

Gorgeous sweet wine from the south-west of France in the Sauternes style but at a fraction of the cost. (This is the price for a full bottle). Honeyed and lush it would be gorgeous with a classic French apple or pear tart.

*As Lily Bollinger so memorably said of champagne:

"I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it—unless I’m thirsty."

9 good reds to buy from Marks & Spencer

Following on from my pick of the white wines from M & S's current 25% off six bottles promotion here are eight reds I’d recommend from my most recent tasting in May 2014

Note that some wines are available in a limited number of branches and that the online offer, where applicable, is slightly different - you have to buy two unsplit cases of six of the wines that are on promotion - i.e. 12 bottles in all. Both deals run to September 1st.

Loretto Sangiovese Rubicone 2013, 12% £6.49 reduced to £4.87 N/A online

A cheap, cheerful but surprisingly drinkable Italian red - ideal for a takeaway pizza

Chateau Triniac, Latour de France 2012 14.5% £8.99 reduced to £6.74

No, not THAT Latour at this price obviously. This comes from the Roussillon village of Latour de France and is a robust, unoaked blend of old vine carignan, grenache and syrah to line up for the autumn and winter nights ahead. Think beefy stews

Tapa Roja old vines Monastrell 2013, 14.5% £8.99 reduced to £6.74 N/A online

Another big chunky red, this time from Monastrell (aka mourvedre) from Spain’s Yecla region. Lots of juicy but not over-jammy fruit. Ideal for steak.

Domaine de Rosette Chinon 2013 12.5% £9.49 reduced to £7.12

If you’re a fan of Loire reds (which I am) you’ll love this fresh-tasting Chinon with its bright berry and redcurrant flavours. Chill lightly and serve with tuna.

Macon Rouge 2013 12.5% £9.99 reduced to £7.49

If you tasted this blindfold you’d say it was Beaujolais - it’s made from the same gamay grape. A really attractive light red you could drink with charcuterie or fish like salmon or tuna

Underwood Pinot Noir, Oregon 2012 13% £12.99 reduced to £9.74 N/A online

Oregon state to the north of California is noted for its pinots but they don’t normally come at this attractive price. A very pretty wine with delicate sweet fruit that should please any burgundy-lover. Gorgeous with duck.

Frares Priorat 2012 14.5% £12.99 reduced to £9.74. Only in 157 stores

A very good price for a cracking Priorat, one of Spain’s darkest, densest most intense reds. Would be great with an ox cheek or oxtail stew or some braised venison (see these Priorat pairings)

McHenry Hohnen Margaret River Grenache 2013, Western Australia 14.5% £14.99 down to £11.24. 157 stores

A grape variety more usually associated with south Australia but a really gorgeous expression of grenache made with natural yeasts from biodynamically farmed fruit. Warm, generous and spicy - would be good with turkey, guineafowl or flavourful roast pork

Canoe Ridge Vineyard Cherry Tree Red 2011 £15.99 down to £11.99. Only in 171 stores

A glorious ripe red from Washington state made from a crazy cocktail of grapes - about 50% syrah with merlot, grenache, cabernet franc, pinot noir and malbec. Think roast beef or lamb or steak.

12 good white wines to buy from Marks & Spencer

It says a lot about Marks & Spencer’s usual prices that they can afford to run a 25% off deal if you buy any 6 bottles of wine or champagne* for a whole month rather than the usual week but you might as well take advantage.

Their range is pretty strong across the board at the moment but particularly so from France and Italy and in wines that are off the beaten track - they currently list wines from Georgia, Japan, Morocco and India.

Here’s my pick of the white wines I tasted in May 2014. Reds will follow in the next couple of days. Note that some wines are available in a limited number of branches and that the online offer, where applicable, is slightly different - you have to buy two unsplit cases of six of the wines that are on promotion - i.e. 12 bottles in all. Both deals run to September 1st.

Marques de Alarcon Blanco 2013 12.5% £7.99 down to £5.99. N/A online.

A unusual, fragrant fresh Spanish white from Castilla made from Macabeo and Verdejo grapes grown at between 700m and 1000m altitude - that’s high! Ideal for a relaxing glass after work or for seafood.

Tapada de Villar Vinho Verde 2013 10.5% £7.99 down to £5.99

At just 10.5% crisp, fresh Vinho Verde from the north of Portugal makes perfect summer drinking, especially with a fishy barbecue.

Mayne de Beauregard Bergerac Blanc 2013 12% £7.99 down to £5.99

Bergerac is just next door to Bordeaux and produces similar wines that are quite a bit cheaper. This blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon is a classic for the region producing a richer slightly less sharp wine than you get from Sauvignon alone. Perfect for summer salads.

Friuli Sauvignon Blanc 2013 12.5% £8.99 down to £6.74

Regular readers will know I’m not a massive fan of Sauvignon Blanc - mainly because there’s just too much of it about - but the Friuli region of Italy produces some good ones. This is intense and lemony rather than gooseberryish like Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc. See these matches for citrussy Sauvignons

Chateau de Flaugergues Blanc 2013 £8.99 13.5% £8.99 down to £6.74

And here’s what to buy if you’re bored with sauvignon: an attractively smooth handsomely bottled white from Languedoc in the south of France made from Rolle (Vermentino) and Grenache Blanc. Think chicken or salmon.

Tbilvino Qvevris 2011 12.5% £8.99 down to £6.74 N/A online

Admittedly this extraordinary Georgian wine which is aged in amphorae is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea but I love it. It tastes of Hunza apricots and would be delicious with a middle-eastern lamb stew or a tagine.

Mestizo Viognier Marsanne 2013 13% £9.99 down to £7.49

A really lush exotic viognier from Vinedos Emiliana in Chile’s Rapel Valley. (See my viognier pairings here )

Saumur Blanc Les Epinats 2011 13.5% £9.99 down to £7.49 N/A online

Saumur tends to get overlooked in favour of its better known Loire neighbours but this is a really lovely off-dry Chenin that outstrips many Vouvrays on the market. Gorgeous with creamy sauces

Charles Smith The Honourable Riesling 2013 12.5% £11.99 down to £8.99

If you’ve come across maverick Washington State winemaker Charles Smith’s Kung Fu Girl riesling you’ll love this very similar bottling - a dry riesling made in a pretty flowery style. Brilliant with noodle dishes and Asian salads. And see this match with fried chicken.

King’s Ridge Oregon Pinot Gris 2013 13% £12.99 down to £9.74

Pinot Gris is a speciality of Oregon state in the North West Pacific but it’s rarely found at this price. A rich, lush white that’s made in the Alsace rather than Italian style - one for roast chicken, creamy sauces or mildly spiced curries. Another one you’ll like it if you’re a Viognier fan.

Le Clos St Odile Obernai riesling 2011 12% £13.99 down to £10.49

One of the reasons I admire M & S is that they’re prepared to list less popular wines and mature vintages like this classic Alsace riesling. With its slight touch of sweetness it would be ideal for lighter Japanese, Chinese and south-east Asian food. A real bargain.

Domaine Pierre de Préhy Chablis 2010 12.5% £14.49 down to £10.87

At full price this is a touch expensive for a basic Chablis but with 25% off it’s a steal. The vineyards are organically managed and it comes from the very good 2010 vintage. Intense, mineral and creamy - a lovely wine. It’s hard to buy mature Chablis like this.