Anybody paying over a tenner for a bottle of wine has money to throw away
Anyone with more than one pair of trainers , let alone paying more than £50 for them, has money to throw away but it seems to be quite the thing among younger people.
I think you have to look around for decent Margaux which is ready to drink now at that price point (easier at £25-£35) although I've liked various vintages of Wine Society's Exhibition Margaux, generally around £20.
I bought the following Marguax en primeur last year from what is meant to be a very good vintage for claret generally and Margaux in particular. This is without duty or VAT but they should all just about come to under £25. As ColinTat said earlier on the thread, you have to factor in cellaring charges (I'm lucky enough to have a bit of space so it doesn't worry me too much).
Ch Siran Margaux 2015 £100.00 1 Case of 6 £100.00 Segla Margaux 2015 £115.00 1 Case of 6 £115.00 Ch Angludet Margaux 2015 £105.00 1 Case of 6 £105.00 Baron de Brane Margaux 2015 £88.00 1 Case of 6 £88.00
A little story from tonight. Fancied a glass of nice cold white but we had none in the fridge. So Mr W trotted off to the nearest store and returned with a £6.50 Muscadet and £10.50 Sancerre Rose.
Thinking we'd got a wee bargain, I opened the latter. Hmmm. Wine's not meant to smell of Parmesan cheese, is it?! Quick bit of searching to confirm it was sulfur or overdose of sulfites and back Mr W went to get a refund. He said the bottle was fizzing by the time he got there!
That'll teach us to buy wine at Spar...mind you, the Muscadet is just fine!
Just bought the Lidl Barolo 2012. Poured it and doesn't look like 5 year old Barolo, there's a slight chemical smell to it, taste is all cherries all at the front of the mouth no length. Finish is long not too unpleasent, but with a mild sensation similar to that of sucking on a 9 volt battery. In short drinkable not unpleasent, but definitely not like any normal to decent Nebbiolo from Piedmont. More like an £8 Montepulciano with a worse finish. A definite non-buy for me at £4.99 let alone at £9.99. Though equally you're not being robbed for what it is, just not anywhere near what it should be. Stick to a £10-15 Langhe Nebbiolo.
Just bought the Lidl Barolo 2012. Poured it and doesn't look like 5 year old Barolo, there's a slight chemical smell to it, taste is all cherries all at the front of the mouth no length. Finish is long not too unpleasent, but with a mild sensation similar to that of sucking on a 9 volt battery. In short drinkable not unpleasent, but definitely not like any normal to decent Nebbiolo from Piedmont. More like an £8 Montepulciano with a worse finish. A definite non-buy for me at £4.99 let alone at £9.99. Though equally you're not being robbed for what it is, just not anywhere near what it should be. Stick to a £10-15 Langhe Nebbiolo.
Interesting. What with my poor experience of a Tesco Barolo, perhaps the supermarket Barolo is not up to scratch.
Just bought the Lidl Barolo 2012. Poured it and doesn't look like 5 year old Barolo, there's a slight chemical smell to it, taste is all cherries all at the front of the mouth no length. Finish is long not too unpleasent, but with a mild sensation similar to that of sucking on a 9 volt battery. In short drinkable not unpleasent, but definitely not like any normal to decent Nebbiolo from Piedmont. More like an £8 Montepulciano with a worse finish. A definite non-buy for me at £4.99 let alone at £9.99. Though equally you're not being robbed for what it is, just not anywhere near what it should be. Stick to a £10-15 Langhe Nebbiolo.
West wickham was all sold out by 11.30 when I popped in. Don't feel too disappointed now!
To nights bottle of pop is, something I've never tried but just been given, Barefoot californian merlot, you may scoff but don't knock till you've tried it, I'll let let you know.
Pickle onions don't really go with wine for me. But when I have them in the house I can't not eat them when I'm drinking wine. Although I draw the line at my mum's powerful home made ones, a pint of bitter with those beauties.
I went to the Albufeira wine festival on Monday. Lots of great wine on offer, but best in show were the ports from Quinta da Boeira, not a producer I was familiar with. We bought a bottle of the basic tawny reserva at €20, which represented quite a saving. We also tried the 10, 20 and 30 year old bottles, all outstanding but beyond our price range. It's available via Amazon in the UK and occasionally at Harrods (presumably Christmas time?). Their normal Douro reds were none too shabby either. Highly recommended.
I went to the Albufeira wine festival on Monday. Lots of great wine on offer, but best in show were the ports from Quinta da Boeira, not a producer I was familiar with. We bought a bottle of the basic tawny reserva at €20, which represented quite a saving. We also tried the 10, 20 and 30 year old bottles, all outstanding but beyond our price range. It's available via Amazon in the UK and occasionally at Harrods (presumably Christmas time?). Their normal Douro reds were none too shabby either. Highly recommended.
I'm off to Portugal for a week in June so will try and some those recommendations
I went to the Albufeira wine festival on Monday. Lots of great wine on offer, but best in show were the ports from Quinta da Boeira, not a producer I was familiar with. We bought a bottle of the basic tawny reserva at €20, which represented quite a saving. We also tried the 10, 20 and 30 year old bottles, all outstanding but beyond our price range. It's available via Amazon in the UK and occasionally at Harrods (presumably Christmas time?). Their normal Douro reds were none too shabby either. Highly recommended.
I'm off to Portugal for a week in June so will try and some those recommendations
I endorse what @Algarveaddick says about Douro reds, excellent
I will give them another try. Bought a few about 20 years ago and they were absolutely rough. Any recommendations for a decent one that Waitrose might stock?
Comments
So come on, give us the lowdown on the best Brunello producers...
Or is it a case like Barolo - at £25 you are likely to get poor wine.
I bought the following Marguax en primeur last year from what is meant to be a very good vintage for claret generally and Margaux in particular. This is without duty or VAT but they should all just about come to under £25. As ColinTat said earlier on the thread, you have to factor in cellaring charges (I'm lucky enough to have a bit of space so it doesn't worry me too much).
Ch Siran Margaux 2015 £100.00 1 Case of 6 £100.00
Segla Margaux 2015 £115.00 1 Case of 6 £115.00
Ch Angludet Margaux 2015 £105.00 1 Case of 6 £105.00
Baron de Brane Margaux 2015 £88.00 1 Case of 6 £88.00
Thinking we'd got a wee bargain, I opened the latter. Hmmm. Wine's not meant to smell of Parmesan cheese, is it?! Quick bit of searching to confirm it was sulfur or overdose of sulfites and back Mr W went to get a refund. He said the bottle was fizzing by the time he got there!
That'll teach us to buy wine at Spar...mind you, the Muscadet is just fine!
The winemaker (Kevin Judd) who made Cloudy Bay one of the best sauv blanc's in the world, left a few years ago and started Greywacke.
http://greywacke.com/docs/greywacke_north_and_south_april_2010.pdf
Any recommendations for a decent one that Waitrose might stock?
http://www.westlondonwineschool.com/
i thought it was really good. not too stuffy although plenty of Foolham hoorays around the manor.
Have signed up to the Bordeaux one on the 25th, although was tempted by the Napa also....