A PLEASANT BLANDNESS OF BLENDS

We picked up these two wines from Aldi in Mortain, Normandy.

They are from two different Appellations and there's a 0.3 Euro price difference. And they are the ONLY differences.

Both are 2015 blends of Merlot and Cabernet weighing in at 12.5% a/v. Both are perfectly pleasant innocuous red wines and are bargains for what's on offer. They're just not very exciting.

Chateau du Puch 2015 Bordeaux AOP   2.99 Euro

Chateau Touraille 2015 Bergerac AOC   3.29 Euro

3.5 rating from me [they get that extra 0.5 for value - and they will appeal if you want a red without any grunt]

Chateau Haut Boutisse 2013 Saint Emillion Grand Cru [Merlot Cabernet]

What a disappointment this was! It opened fine for about a minute and then stewed fruit took over. I'm surprised they managed to achieve that at just 12% a/v and annoyed that a wine I selected as a benchmark was not the quality of wines half the price.

2,5 rating from me

8,49 euro from Aldi, France

LIKE A BIT OF CHARDONNAY WITH YOUR WOOD?

On first tasting this is like being hit over the head with a lump of 4 by 2. And that's a shame because on Day 2 the wood had become so much less overt. Day 3 and we had a wine that even The Bride could enjoy.

So here we have a very cheap wine that I reckon has worthwhile cellaring potential. The fruit is spot on, there's plenty of crisp acidity and unfortunately planks of wood. It just needs time to integrate.

Jean Giner 2015 Pays D'oc Chardonnay 

 

2.99 Euro from Aldi. France

4/5 RATING FROM ME

A BARGAIN GEM FROM WESTERN AUSTRALIA"S MARGARET RIVER

There are some justifiably very expensive Cabernet Sauvignons produced in the Margaret River region. And then along comes this bargain gem. It's a perfect example of why the area is famed for this variety [it and Coonawarra are the regular star areas for Cabernet down under]. It's sumptuous and balanced, dripping cassis fruit flavours. Tannins and acid are all in the right spot. Oak is supportive and restrained with much less than many Aussie blockbusters. 
Drink now with plenty of breathing and over the next ten years.
This is a 5/5 rating at £9 - goes off the scale if you pay any less.
Outstanding stuff.




Ringbolt 2014 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon £6.75 from Tesco on promotion
£9 regular
AUD$22 Dan Murphy Australia

2016 - THE YEAR OF ROSE

In an enthusiastic effort to keep The Bride happy I have embraced and supported her search for the perfect Rose. Never before have I tasted so many in one year and never have I tasted such affordable quality. And on a couple of balmy late October afternoons in Normandy we debated the merits of these two 

Touraine Amboise 2015 Rose [Gamay and Cabernet Franc blend] 12.5% a/v 3.15 euro 

This was my pick although she found it too dry. I loved the crisp delicacy supported by a classy steely spine. 4.5 rating from me.

Moncigale 2015 Provence Rose [Grenache, Cinsault and Mourvedre blend] 13% a/v 3.82 euro

With a dash more sweetness this was The Bride's pick. I found it heavy and cloying on opening but this seemed to disappear after ten minutes or so. 4.0 rating from me

Both from Carrefour

YVON MAU 2015 BORDEAUX SAUVIGNON BLANC

This is a steely dry white that relies more on its structure and balance than varietal intensity. If you find Marlborough sauvignon blancs overwhelming this could be the wine for you. An extreme bargain that is well worth  a try. 
2.73 EURO  from Carrefour France 
4.5/5 rating from me 

IT WAS A HOT TWO BEER DAY IN NUREMBERG

There is an eerie feeling standing where the Nazis paraded their might in the 1930s rallies. It's also an incredibly beautiful, stylish place when you reach the walled inner city. 
We arrived on the first day of the autumn markets and amongst hundreds of stalls met the very hospitable Veronica who just insisted I sample all her beers.

 

But with the temperature well over 30C it was time to continue my infatuation with German wheat beers. As with most German towns the only difficulty is making the selection from so many bars.



We settled on the relaxed Zum Spiess Gesellen [Rathausplatz 4] just off the main square. The 500ml Tucher Hefeweizen Hell was verging on orgasmic. Complex sweet and sour zing! I should have ordered another but in the quest to try as many beers as possible I was drawn to the Spiessgesellentrunk. Maybe it was the name but this was better suited to colder weather with a dark nutty intensity.

And why, oh why, are any beers served in anything other than glass? Please let me enjoy the looking at the stuff as I work my way to the bottom.

Both 500 ml, both 3.9 Euro

NUREMBERG GERMANY 15 September 2016

A TALE OF TWO COTES DU RHONE

While there are plenty of grape varieties used to create the Cotes Du Rhone blend Shiraz and Grenache are the dominant two. It can be an unmistakable taste when funky, briary grenache is leaping out of the glass at you. It's one of The Bride's new favourites during our Europe travels and I reckon we have a few thousand to try. and after we finish those there should be a new vintage to start on.

These were both purchased from Aldi in Mortain, south west Normandy. 

Les 3 Couronnes 2015 Cotes du Rhone 3.49 Euro

Charles Adelin Veilles Vignes Selection 2015 Cotes du Rhone 2.89 Euro

Same vintage, same grape varieties [shiraz and grenache] and same alcohol [13.5%] but a world of difference in quality and value. So much so I wouldn't have bothered stocking the cheaper wine in my retail days. 0.6 euro difference is quite ridiculous.

The Les 3 is beautifully balanced delivering a complex depth of flavour that is a pleasant surprise in such an inexpensive wine. 5/5 rating from me. And it's the wine on the left. The other is perfectly pleasant and scores a 3.5

I'VE NEVER BEEN BREWED BEFORE!

I'd be surprised if one of the world's great beer brands couldn't put on an outstanding show in their home town but I was amazed by how much I enjoyed it.

The Heineken Experience is a tribute to the family history, an explanation of the brewing process and a 
celebration of the marketing genius that's created a beer that appeals to the mass world market.

 
 
 

That you score three small beers for your 15 euro is of minor significance compared to the highlight of "being brewed"  You go into a small theatre and stand on a tiered hydraulic platform which jiggles and shakes along with a few other surprises during a 5 minute video. Worth it just for that.

ANYONE KNOW A DECENT GINGER BEER?

Unfortunately this isn't it.
Yes, there's plenty of ginger but it's overwhelmingly sweet and there's none of the promised back label zing. Some may like it.

2/5 rating

HATHERWOOD The Ginger Grizzly Alcoholic Ginger Beer 4% a/v 
Lidl Own Label 
£1.25 at Lidl [500ml]