Sainsbury’s Red Burgundy 2011 £7.49 100% Pinot Noir. The grapes grown predominantly in the Côte Chalonnaise are part hand and part mechanically harvested and then pressed in a low pressure pneumatic press. Maceration during temperature controlled fermentation results in maximum aroma and tannin extraction. The wine is first aged in stainless steel vats and then wooden casks. Residual sugar: 0.4g/l. Winemaker: Alain Pierre. New vintage available now 272 stores exclusive natural cork 12.5%

Very pale. Light cherry nose.  Nice and juicy but very light on flavour.

Côte de Beaune Villages ‘Les Abbesses’ 2010 Bouchard Aîné & Fils £12.99 100% Pinot Noir mostly from the village of St. Romain. The grapes were hand-picked in mid September 2010 sorted and then de-stemmed. The grapes are fermented on their skins for 3 weeks. Vinification takes place in wooden vats followed by maturation in barrels (20% new oak) for 12 months. Residual sugar: <2g/l. Winemaker: Antoine Dupré. New available end October 200 stores natural cork 12.5%

Quite a dry aroma. Not very sweetly pinot. Dry and also juicy. Some oak but this is more like a Beaujolais than Cote de Beaune. It may need a little time to develop.

House Corbières NV £3.99 38% Carignan 37% Syrah and 25% Grenache grown in Corbières on sandstone soil under a Mediterranean climate. The grapes undergo traditional vinification followed by 10 days maceration and then thermo vinification. Fermentation and ageing is carried out in stainless steel tanks and the wine undergoes tangential filtration. Residual sugar: <2g/l. Winemaker: Marie Julian at Les Vignerons de la Méditerranée. New blend available now 587 stores exclusive synthetic cork 13.0%

Very very light bottle. Not a great deal of aroma. Dry and spicy with potential for improving a chargrilled steak.

Cellier des Dauphins Merlot Grenache 2011 £4.69
55% Merlot and 45% Grenache. The grapes are grown across the Languedoc Roussillon and Rhône Valley making this a Vin de France blend. Grown mainly on chalky clay soils the grapes are machine-harvested from late August until mid September. Fermentation in small temperature controlled tanks takes place prior to final blending. Residual sugar: <2.5g/l. Winemaker: Thierry Walet. New vintage available now 484 stores exclusive screw cap 13.0%

Some dark fruits on the nose. Very spicy and baked flavour. Quite nice.

House Côtes du Rhône NV £3.99
90% Grenache and 10% Syrah. The grapes are machine-harvested prior to temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Residual sugar: <2.5g/l. Winemaker: Thierry Walet at Celliers des Dauphins. New blend available now 587 stores exclusive synthetic cork 13.5%

Not a great deal on the nose. A very fair taste for £3.99.

La Châsse Côtes du Rhône Réserve 2011 £7.99
55% Grenache 35% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre grown in the Gard Vaucluse and Drôme areas of the Rhône Valley on limestone and clay soils. Grapes are machine-harvested from 25-30yr old vines at the beginning of September. The grapes are fermented in cement tanks under controlled temperatures followed by 3 weeks post-fermentary maceration. Each grape variety is vinified separately. Malolactic fermentation takes place and 35% of the blend is then aged in oak barrels for 8 months. The wine is unfined. Residual sugar: <2g/l. Winemaker: Véronique Torcolacci for Gabriel Meffre.New vintage available now 484 stores synthetic cork 14.0%

Spicy nose. Nice texture and oak. Nice easy drinking Rhone.

TTD Côtes du Rhône Villages 2010 £6.99 60% Grenache 25% Syrah 10% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault from the prestigious villages of the Southern Rhône Valley. The different soils (clay and calcareous alluvial deposit terraces) give this wine richness and complexity. The grapes are harvested at good maturity and are entirely de-stemmed. Vatting lasts around 15 days and provides a good tannic structure. The wine is aged in vats with regular pumping over. Residual sugar: 1.6g/l. Winemaker: Michel Chapoutier. New vintage available now 518 stores exclusive natural cork 14.0%

I can certainly smell the difference.  The first red with any depth of fruity aroma. Spicy woody and with some dark fruit and pretty warm alcohol. Pleasant.

TTD Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2011 £14.99
80% Grenache 10% Syrah 5% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault from a long established vineyard on the left bank of the Rhône 20kms north of Avignon. Each grape variety is vinified separately at 28°C over 15 days in stainless steel tanks. Pumping-over and punching of the cap occurs twice daily then maceration takes place for a few days at 22-24°C. 15% of the wine is aged in French oak barrels for 6-8 months and another 15% in wooden tuns for 4-5 months. The wine is then matured in bottle for several months in the winery’s cellar. Gum arabic is used for fining. Residual sugar: <2.5g/l. Winemaker: Charlotte Fabre at Boisset Skalli. New vintage available now 484 stores exclusive natural cork 14.5%  

Rich and dark aroma. Nice spicy taste.  This is really enjoyable and with Christmas coming up worth considering.

Le Marquis Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2011 £15.99
60% Grenache 20% Syrah 10% Mourvèdre and 10% Cinsault. The grapes are part machine-harvested (70%) and part hand-picked (30%) prior to a long and slow fermentation. The wine is then part oak-aged in large barrels prior to final blending and bottling. Residual sugar: 2.9g/l. Winemaker: Thierry Walet at Celliers des Dauphins. New vintage available now 518 stores natural cork 14.0%

There’s more fruit on the aroma of this compared with the Ttd. Almost floral. Actually the taste is better as well. There’s more vibrancy more brightness. Good.

Clos de l’Oratoire des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2010 £18.99
80% Grenache 9% Syrah 6% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault. The Clos de l’Oratoire estate covers 20ha which are situated north-west of the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The single plot is divided into thirds by the three main soil types of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation; galets roulés eclats calcaires (limestone fragments) and safres (fine gravelly sand). The vineyard has an average vine age of 40 years. The harvest was carried out completely by hand during September under perfect climatic conditions. Following sorting the grapes are de-stemmed crushed and cold-soaked prior to a traditional fermentation at around 27°C for 4 weeks with regular pumping over. Once racked the wine is aged in 30yr old large oak foudres (60-80hl each) for 12 months. Due to the climatic conditions the yield for the 2010 vintage was only 27hl/ha compared to the more usual 35hl/ha the maximum permitted in the AOC. Residual sugar: <2g/l. Winemaker: Didier Couturier at Ogier. New vintage available now 427 stores natural cork 14.5%

A warm woody aroma with some juicy bright fruit.  Dark and spicy taste which needs food.

La Patrie Côtes de Bordeaux 2011 £8.99
85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the vineyards of Castillon la Bataille well-known as the location of the battle in 1453 which ended the Hundred Years War between France and England. The soil is made of clay and limestone thus providing good drainage for the vines. The grapes are picked at optimum ripeness and fermented with natural yeasts for a period of 2 weeks in stainless steel tanks at 16-18°C. Residual sugar: <2g/l. Winemaker: Julien Touboul. New available end October 420 stores exclusive screw cap 13.0%

Woody almost eucalyptus nose. This is OK. It’s claret and it does have some flavour but it has no beauty.  Not sure you can expect beauty from Bordeaux at £8.99.

TTD St Emilion 2009 £9.99
81% Merlot 17% Cabernet Franc 2% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Dourthe’s partner vinegrowers with whom their oenologists have worked closely for many years. The Merlot comes from clay rich soils and the Cabernet from the limestone plateau. Vinification is traditional with a period of up to 5 days pre-fermentation cold maceration followed by alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel vats with regular pumping over. The wine is aged in barrel partially new and all French oak for up to 9 months. Residual sugar: <2g/l. Winemaker: Thomas Drouineau. Available now 273 stores exclusive natural cork 13.0%

Wonderful aroma.  Just one pound more and this wine sings. There’s a wonderful oak and fruit marriage. This carries through onto the palate.  If you’re after claret try and scrape together the extra quid because you’ll get a much much more enjoyable wine.  This is lovely.

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