House Beaujolais NV £4.49
100% black Gamay from sandstone and granite soils from the right bank of the Saône. The grapes are hand-picked and follow the traditional winemaking process of Beaujolais: the grapes undergo carbonic maceration for 4 to 5 days in whole bunches. The wine then follows a normal red winemaking process. Residual sugar: <2g/l. Winemaker: David Fernez at Pasquier Desvignes. New blend and supplier, available now, 584 stores, exclusive, screw cap 12.0%

Not a great deal of aroma. Quite a nice taste. It's light but there's balance and something savoury. Not bad for the price.

Taste the Difference Beaujolais Villages 2009 £6.99
100% black Gamay from south-east exposure vineyards at approximately 350m above sea level, with a moderate output of 50hl/ha. The soil is composed mainly of ancient rock formations from the decomposed volcanic plateaux. The grapes are hand-harvested in whole bunches at optimum ripeness and then carefully sorted and selected with the supervision of the wine cellar manager. During the 10 day fermentation period, traditional Beaujolais methods are utilised including semi-carbonic fermentation under strict temperature controls. Residual sugar: 2g/l.
Winemaker: Jean-Luc Chagny.
New blend and supplier, available now, 517 stores, exclusive, screw cap 13.0%

Quite a baked nose. Hot and spicy and not at all Beaujolais as we know it. Pretty butch, but I like it.

Georges Duboeuf Fleurie 2010, A.O.C Beaujolais £8.99
100% Gamay from selected vineyards in the Beaujolais Cru of Fleurie. The northern part of the Beaujolais region is characterised by rolling hills of granite and clay soils with the selected vineyards facing south-east for maximum ripeness in a perfect year for Beaujolais. The grapes are harvested manually and fermentation takes place at 28-32°C with an extended period of semi-carbonic maceration in stainless steel tanks to produce deep colour and body. No oak is used in the maturation to ensure the fruit is pure and vibrant. Residual sugar: 1.5g/l.
Winemaker: Georges Duboeuf.
New vintage, available now, 560 stores, exclusive, screw cap 13.0%
           
Very little aroma. Spicy and interesting. Dry, dark and French.

Taste the Difference Languedoc Red 2011 £8.99
35% Grenache Noir, 35% Syrah, 20% Carignan, 10% Mourvèdre from traditional low yielding vines (44hl/ha on average) growing on gravel, clay and limestone soil in the Aude and Hérault Valley hillsides in the South of France. The grapes are harvested at full maturity, vinified in traditional cement vats at 25°C with selected yeasts and aged in French and American oak barrels for 6 months. Residual sugar: 1.5g/l. Winemaker: Jean-Claude Mas - the winery was founded in 1892 and is one of the largest family-owned and managed wineries in the Languedoc.
New vintage, available mid June, 481 stores, exclusive, cork 14.0%

A touch of cherry on the nose. Sweet, fruity and pleasant.


Sainsbury’s SO Organic Shiraz VdP d’Oc 2011 £5.99
100% Shiraz. The grapes for this wine are grown in organic vineyards on clay and limestone soil within the Languedoc region of southern France. The grapes were machine-harvested during September with traditional maceration. Fermentation takes place in cement tanks under controlled temperatures between 22-25°C for 2-3 weeks. Malolactic fermentation occurs in tank and the wine is stored for 6 months. The wine undergoes tangential filtration. Residual sugar: 3.55g/l. Winemaker: Joel Baconin at SA Jacques Frelin Vignobles. New vintage, available now, 481 stores, exclusive, Diam cork 12.5% There's no mention of oak, but the aroma is baked and, well, I'd have said, oaky.Savoury and pleasant taste.

This is very good for the price. It's smooth and interesting, but perhaps a little short. A great little glugger.



Taste the Difference Languedoc Red 2011 £8.99
35% Grenache Noir, 35% Syrah, 20% Carignan, 10% Mourvèdre from traditional low yielding vines (44hl/ha on average) growing on gravel, clay and limestone soil in the Aude and Hérault Valley hillsides in the South of France. The grapes are harvested at full maturity, vinified in traditional cement vats at 25°C with selected yeasts and aged in French and American oak barrels for 6 months. Residual sugar: 1.5g/l. Winemaker: Jean-Claude Mas - the winery was founded in 1892 and is one of the largest family-owned and managed wineries in the Languedoc.
New vintage, available mid June, 481 stores, exclusive, cork 14.0%

Very little aroma, but a little warm. Some grippy tannin and a slightly sweet liquorice aftertaste. Needs food.

Taste the Difference Crozes-Hermitage 2010 £9.49
100% Syrah. Michel Chapoutier has carefully selected spicy Syrah grapes from the best terroirs in Crozes-Hermitage: Chassis, Larnage and Beaumont-Monteux. This wine is vinified in cement vats with daily pumping over. Vatting lasts between 2 and 3 weeks after the alcoholic fermentation has ceased. Ageing takes place in vats. The wine is not fined but kieselguhr filtration takes place. The wine is then bottled the following year to preserve maximum fruit flavours. Residual sugar: 1.2g/l. Winemaker: Michel Chapoutier.
New vintage, available now, 423 stores, exclusive, cork 13.0%

Lovely farmyardy nose. Very inviting indeed. Savoury taste, with some very dark fruit. Nice, juicy acidity. Good.

Taste the Difference Faugères 2010 £7.99
60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10%, Mourvèdre from the foothills of the Cevennes mountains. The grapes are harvested at night to preserve their freshness. The soil is slate with an altitude of 150-205m and average yields of 40hl/ha. This wine is aged in stainless steel tanks for 6 months and fined with vegetable protein and light filtration before bottling. Residual sugar: 0.8g/l. Winemaker: Laurent Miquel, who is based at his family estate in the nearby Saint Chinian appellation. Laurent is the eighth generation winemaker and his signature style is elegance and freshness, even for characterful reds such as this Faugères. New vintage, available mid June, 273 stores, exclusive, screw cap 14.0%

Dark, plummy fruit on the nose and warm alcohol. Nice, spicy flavour. This is good. Some oak, just the right level of fruitiness. Good and a fair price.



Taste the Difference Gigondas 2010 £12.99
50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre grown in the Montmirail area of lower Gigondas on limestone, clay and silex soils. Grapes were harvested from 45yr old vines from 18th September until 25th October, by hand and machine depending on the parcel. The grapes are fermented in cement and stainless steel tanks under controlled temperatures between 28-33°C, followed by 3 weeks post-fermentation maceration. Malolactic fermentation takes place in tank and in barrel. The wine is then aged in oak barrels for 12 months. The wine undergoes tangential filtration. Residual sugar: 2.5g/l. Winemaker: Véronique Torcolacci for Gabriel Meffre.
New vintage, available mid May, 273 stores, exclusive, cork 14.0%

Very little aroma. Oaky and savoury. It's quite a whopper, and good with food, as it's dry and savoury and won't get in the way with fruitiness.

Taste the Difference Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2010 £14.99
80% Grenache, 5% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault from long established vineyards on the left bank of the Rhône, on hillsides 20kms north of Avignon. The soils are made up of clay and limestone with large pudding stones. 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 for a few days between 22-24°C. The wine is tasted every 2 days then de-vatted when the wine is at its optimum level. 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. Residual sugar: 2g/l. Winemaker: Christian Abry.
New vintage, available now, 481 stores, exclusive, cork 14.0%

Nice oaky nose. Good balance between fruit and oak and balanced alcohol. Spicy finish.



Clos de l’Oratoire Châteauneuf–du-Pape 2009 £18.99
80% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 5% each of Cinsault and Mourvèdre. The Clos de l’Oratoire estate covers 20ha which are situated north-west of the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The single plot has parcels of all three main soil types of the area; galets, gravel and sandy clay. 2009 was a hot and dry summer, but cool nights led to ripe grapes that still retained good acidity. The harvest was carried out across all of September, depending on grape variety and maturation, under perfect climatic conditions. The plot has an average vine age of 40 years. The grapes are 100% hand-picked. The traditional vinification of around 14 days is followed by 6 months in oak barrel prior to bottling. Residual sugar: <2g/l. Winemaker: Didier Courtier at Ogier.
New vintage, available now, 422 stores, exclusive, cork 14.5%

Very fruit-led nose, which is unexpected. Spicy, with warm alcohol. I'd rather have the Ttd.

Château Barreyres, Haut-Médoc, Cru Bourgeois 2009 £11.49
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot from a single estate made up of 109ha of vineyards. The grapes are harvested by machines that select only the best grapes. The soil is made up of clay and sandy gravel which gives this Haut Médoc Cru Bourgeois its distinctive soft, appealing character. Nestled between the hamlet of Arcins and the Gironde River, the location of the vineyard is ideal, perched on the gentle slopes leading down to the estuary. The winery uses the periodic déléstage (rack and return) method and a technique of turbo pigeage to allow a slow maceration. Selected yeasts are used and the wine is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation takes place in oak barrels for a few selected parcels. The wine is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, a third of which are new. The wine undergoes electrodialysis and tangential filtration. Acquired by the Castel family in 1971, Château Barreyres has since undergone substantial modernisation and restructuring. Residual sugar: 2.2g/l. Winemaker: Bruno Teyssier, who has been shaping the destiny of Château Barreyres wines for the last 23 years.
New vintage, available now, 136 stores, exclusive, cork 13.5%

A bit stinky. A like a bit of farmyard, but this is stale. The taste, in fact, is quite good. The smell would put me off.

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