Two familiar themes re-surface in today’s selections.
The first is the high quality attained by well chosen red wines in the (otherwise, relatively humble) basic Côtes du Rhône classification.
Second is another drum-banging exercise by the RFS25 (Riesling for Summer 2025) axis – i.e, me!
This one is from Austria – a country that narrows down the main style of riesling it produces compared to the broader spectrum created in Germany.
This result will delightfully enhance many warm, sunny days.
And when everything clouds over, then there is the hearty Rhône red that accompanies it today.
Both represent great value for money.
As is normal here, pictures and hyperlinks are provided where possible to guide you straight to the right wine on shelf or web page.
Let’s start in France though
2023 Leon Perdigal Côtes du Rhône (from £8 in Majestic and 14% abv):
Southern Rhône winemakers are widely praised for their blending skills – and this well-crafted red wine shows you why.
It is a rich combination of grenache and syrah nicely embellished with herbal influences – but watch out for that high alcohol.
Behind a centre-piece of ripe cherry, plum, and loganberry flavours, you can find lively acidity and gentle tannin.
Contrast is provided by an interesting touch of graphite, along with hints of clove, vanilla, and oregano.
And then to that riesling
2022 Extra Special Austrian Riesling (£8.14 at Asda and 12.5% abv):
If, despite all my entreaties, you remain doubtful about riesling from Germany, then give this Austrian version a taste drive.
350 miles separate the main regions concerned – with the Austrian part generally considered to make the more powerful wines and to focus particularly on drier styles.
This one is fresh with only a hint of those trade-mark kerosene aromas and it brings you bold apple, nectarine, and grapefruit flavours.
It also has a gentle texture, zingy acidity – with lime notes and a slight tingle – and the whole thing lingers lengthily on your palate.
After today’s sweep between retailers, Thursday’s post sees our regular look at the most recent Lidl Wine Tour.
11 responses
Morning from the Riesling Year Round (RYA) camp!
Happy to also recommend another Austrian wine, this one from Aldi. An unnamed field blend, probably based on Grüner Veltliner, there’s a definite waft of Riesling in their Unearthed Gemichster Satz.
At £8.99, it’s refreshing, food friendly and ideal for this week’s upcoming sunny weather.
Welcome aboard and thanks for the support. We are on the same page with that Aldi option as it was recommended here on 3 April. As you say, a lovely wine.
Coincidentally I’m hosting an informal wine tasting for colleagues tomorrow evening and the Asda Riesling is one of the two wines I’ve selected. Your tasting notes couldn’t be better timed, the slight tingle sounds interesting, a bit like a more powerful Vinho Verde perhaps.
That was the weekend that was, wine-wise, with open bottles finished and new arrivals sampled from Thursday onwards.
Just to endorse that Asda Riesling that I’ve had but also a heads-up on what you mentioned a while ago Brian about the best step up from Valdobbiadene-Conegliano with Prosecco that comes from Asolo. They have it reduced just now. Frozen Lily Asolo! £8.86. And there’s a rosé version too.
I’d had TWS Duo Des Mers Sauvignon-Viognier, Vin de France 2023 £7.75 around for a while. After last weeks press stuff on Aligoté needed to be reminded of the differences between these two near neighbours in locations off the A9 péage heading south through France towards Perpignan and on to Spain. It’s a trip worth the effort right now especially The Viognier element caught my wife’s attention. Even this SB wasn’t so acidic and the slight sweetness for her (not wholly off dry!) of exotic fruit was a treat and it got consumed pdq!
Aperitif for Saturday was another bottle shelf-bound for maybe a tad longer than I’d like but a rosé like Tavel Arbousset from Tesco normally £13 but I had on a deal, hangs in with such provenance that other lighter rosés don’t have that need to be drunk up earlier. Tavel originates from a domain right next to Chateau neuf’ and Gigondas, bold Rhône reds. Tavel can be the boldest of all rosés and has max body and character. It needs strong salami not just crisps and olives! Two small glasses are quite enough before returning it to the fridge
I got the Aldi WoTW NZ Makaraka Pinot Noir with £5 off at £4.99. Would have been disappointed at full money and without 24 hours opened too, at which point it improved massively from being smelly and acidic. When left it softened, exceptionally translucent brown-red in the glass … small glass again … might well suit more those who enjoy really strong pinot sous bois. Close in some ways to Burgundy style for not much money.
A much better bet came in the shape of a newly arrived 2.25l BAG IN A BOX £22 from TWS of the Societies French Pinot Noir 2023 That’s three whole bottles equivalent ie £7.33 a pop. Sourced From l’Aude at a little altitude again the new styles emerging from the French far south west are becoming contradictory than traditionally French .. more sweetness-less tannic. They may not satisfy the old guard so much but younger drinkers I think will appreciate a tasty, fruity glass that will pair with their Wagyu, heavily marbled, tomahawk steak, perfectly well. Meat styling changes and so does the wine it seems and suddenly such a lot coming out of l’Aude/Carcassonne these days that is attracting attention that isn’t just rustic carignan. (that I actually like a lot!!)
Finished off the last dregs of the TWS Generation Gentil Alsace blend too. More than OK in truth but it had been £12.50 and for something well chilled to sip pre meal that Tesco £5 Trebbiano D’Abruzzo hit the spot almost as well. Just almost … not quite …
The last two wee glasses of The TWS Laborie Grenache Noir/Syrah wine box got drained as well with a rather mouth hot curry for Sunday tea. Perfectly complimentary and that box at 5.50 a bottle equivalent was very acceptable.
The weather is tropical here now … that’s north east coast of England tropical of course … low 20s.The fridge is full of whites and rosés and there’s little to do but sit out, chill, watch the garden wildlife bouncing around … aren’t pigeons naughty, in full view .. and enjoy life in lieu of not being across the Chanel any more…..Salut …
Meanwhile Eddie, while you were basking in a tropical conditions in NE England we arrived on the Costa del Sol to gloom amd despondency due to the unprecedented power outage that really curtailed the mood with limited options to eat. Thankfully things have looked up today and still impressed that you can get a decent Palacio La Poda Ribera del Duero in a restaurant here for less than 20€. The markup may still be getting on for 100% but undoubtedly a 10% VAT helps
Hooray! If you are interested in the health benefits of wine consumption please check out the latest scientific study published today:
“Alcoholic beverages like white wine and champagne may be a surprising way to drive down the risk of sudden cardiac arrest, new research has found.
Thousands of cardiac arrests – where the heart suddenly stops beating – could be prevented by tackling health and lifestyle issues, experts writing in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology say.
The authors found that a higher consumption of champagne or white wine is just one way to protect against a cardiac arrest. Other, more conventional, steps include eating more fruit, maintaining a positive mood, staying a healthy weight and keeping blood pressure under control.”
The researchers also said “ that these findings reinforce the idea that the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption may be more complex than previously assumed”.
I have mentioned before that the anti alcohol brigade use a lot of dodgy science to push their agenda of complete abstinence.This one is different and there are exciting developments on tannins and polyphenols that I hope to address in future
Can you address them quietly please … and somewhere else … , Ranolozine statins and bisoprolol work just as well taken with a glass of Prosecco.
Hello Eddie,
There are good extracts in the Guardian and Independent newspapers and Sky news did decent coverage because so many people are interested in this research and want to know more.
I’m just bringing it here – quietly-to their attention, in case they missed it.
They can choose whether to take it further or not.
Regurgitated stuff that has little to do with enjoying a glass of wine and what we might buy and from where here at MWW.! So there’s no evidence whatsoever that “ so many people are interested” other than the mass media want to you to believe what they talk about to justify their own existence as peddlers of blah blah blah. Try some original thinking eh instead of
science that no one relates to stood in Tesco’s wine aisle choosing a bottle
Seconded on Austrian Riesling – I drank a lot of it when I lived there. Here are two more Tesco Rieslings from classic regions at similar price points worth trying: https://medium.com/@tomsk71/the-cwb-tesco-riesling-off-fd5403f57787
Well I now have had chance to read the above report in full.It is freely available and I would recommend it for anyone who is interested and wants to gain more knowledge of ways to prevent Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).It is a high quality ,large scale ,impressive study with important and newsworthy ,positive suggestions.
I would caution that SCA and myocardial infarctions ( heart attacks) are different entities and whereas it is true some heart attacks can cause the electrical disruption seen in SCA, most cases of SCA are not caused by heart attacks.
The predicted reduction in deaths of 40 to 63 % by some changes to lifestyle is noteworthy.