It’s press tasting season and I’ll sipping and spitting everything so you don’t have to! Here are my top 10 wines from the recent Sainsbury’s tasting. Comment below if you’re tried any and tell me what you think!
Sparkling Wines
Taste the Difference Cava Brut NV, £8.75
This cracking, pocket-friendly Spanish Cava is a regular in my newspaper columns for good reason. Made with the three, classic local grape varieties (Xarel-lo, Parellada, Macabeu), it gives classic, savoury notes of chalk and smoke, balanced by generous, pineapple and baked apple flavours. Lots going on for not a lot of cash, so it’s great for a party, especially if a selection of canapés are on offer as it is so versatile.
Taste the Difference Crémant d’Alsace NV, £11.50
As far as traditional method (made like Champagne) fizz goes, for this price, it doesn’t get much better. Wine from Alsace is often seriously underrated and this proves the point. A vibrant sparkler that’s crisp and sherbety but also has a gorgeous, red apple tang and a classy, refreshing minerality to it.
Taste the Difference Ellercombe English Sparkling NV, £22
I’ve been tasting this wine for a few years and it is just gets better and better. Made with the three Champagne grapes and left to mature on the lees (dead yeast cells left from fermentation. Mmmm) for four and a half years, this is rich and creamy, like apple crumble in a glass. Classy, but really easygoing too. Just like me, yes?
White & Rosé Wines
Taste the Difference Friuli Pinot Grigio Blush 2024, £9
This wine really surprised me - in a good way. It takes a lot to impress me with Pinot Grigio but this did. The natty, textured glass is quite different for a start but what’s in the bottle is ripe and round with juicy notes of raspberry and berry perfectly balanced with a crisp acidity. The fact it comes from Friuli rather than the Veneto is probably why it has a little more to it. Great alone or with some salty crisps. Prawn cocktail would do nicely!
Taste the Difference Languedoc Blanc 2024, £9.25
In this weather, we often fancy a richer style of white and southern France is a great place to look for these. A blend of the ‘broader’ grape varieties: Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Vermentino, this is pretty and aromatic up front, then all baked apple and white chocolate on the palate with a wonderful, waxy texture, all freshened up by a saline core. Food tip: roast chicken and pasta in creamy sauces.
Taste the Difference New Zealand Pinot Gris 2024, £11
Wow. Fans of more opulent, Alsace style PGs, take a look at this! Nothing like it’s neutral, crisp cousin Pinot Grigio over in Italy, this is full, round and slightly honeyed but balanced with it. Think fleshy greengages and yellow plums with a touch of spice. That teensy touch of sweetness will sing with mild spices and Asian cuisine too. Wonderful.
Taste the Difference Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2022, £17.50
As the world get warmer, it’s harder for leaner wine styles like Chablis to keep their freshness - but this one has done a great job. You have all the chalky, slightly marzipan notes you could want with that quintessential minerally leanness but there is also some generous, melon fruit there underneath. The bottle is very pretty too. A properly delicious, trade-up wine. Ideal with seafood or fish and it can handle a bit of grill.
Red Wines
Taste the Difference Côtes du Rhône Villages 2022, £9.50
If ever in doubt, Côtes du Rhône. That’s what I often say: white, red or even pink. This juicy Grenache and Syrah blend gives you classic Rhône vibes with its notes of rustic strawberry, a bit of brooding, bramble fruit and a few dried herbs for good measure. Nothing super special, but a decent, mid-week drop. Perfect for stews and steak with chips.
Rustenberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, £14 in store
Made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa, this is a fabulous red that’s full-bodied and flavoursome but with a silky, elegant touch so it’s not too in your face. Thnk ripe, black fruit, tobacco, cedar and a touch of leather, all in perfect harmony. If you’re serving steak or smoky, grilled meat, this is the one that you want.
Taste the Difference Brouilly Château de Pierreux 2023, £17
I bloody love Brouilly. It’s one of the 10 posh Beaujolais ‘Cru ‘ and style-wise, it lands right in the middle between the light and airy, super floral Fleurie and the heavier, more savoury Moulin à Vent. Vibrant, dark pink in colour, this has such a pretty nose of dried rose and raspberry, with a tangy, crisp and refreshing, light-to-mid palate. Think wild strawberry, a bit of raspberry leaf and a pinch of spice. This is your festive turkey wine.
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