RED SOUTH FRANCE
Domaine de la Clairiège 2011 £4.99
Winemaker and winery: Cédric Jenin, Maison Virginie
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Pays de l’Hérault
Viticulture/Vinification: Mediterranean climate, vines have an average age of 10-15 years. Grapes are fermented at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks.
492 stores
12% alc
Bright, cherry aroma. Seems very young. Fruity and light taste. Fair price.
Le Fleuve Bleu Rouge 2011 £5.49
Winemaker and winery: Philippe Amphoux, Laudun Chusclan Vignerons/Alliance Rhône
65% Grenache Noir, 25% Carignan and 10% Syrah
South East France
Viticulture/Vinification: The vines are planted on gravely slopes with traditional Royal on trellis and Gobelet pruning. 70% of the grapes are vinified by the Thermo Flash process. The juice spends 2 weeks in cement tanks and is fermented at controlled temperatures between 25 and 30˚C.
491 stores
14.5% alc
Not much aroma. Nice and spicy, fairly complex palate. Fair price.
Beau Moulin Fitou 2011 £7.99
Winemaker and winery: Delphine Glangetas, Vignobles Foncalieu
40% Carignan, 30% Grenache Noir and 30% Syrah
Languedoc
Viticulture/Vinification: Grapes are sourced from vineyards in Fitou at an altitude of 110m. The soil is chalky clay with a Mediterranean climate. The vines are aged between 20 and 40 years old. The grapes are machine harvested, then pressed by pneumatic tank press followed by post maceration. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks using selected yeasts at a temperature of 26°C for 3 weeks. Natural malolactic fermentation takes place in tank. The wine is then matured in tank for 6 months prior to bottling.
450 stores
12.5% alc
Very little aroma. Light and dilute palate.
Domaine du Rouge Gorge Faugères 2010 £8.99
Winemaker and winery: Alain and Philippe Scea, Domaine du Rouge Gorge
52 % Syrah, 24 % Grenache, 13% Carignan and 11% Mourvèdre
Faugères
Viticulture/Vinification: Faugères has a hot and dry climate. The average age of vines is 15-20 years. Traditional vinification with temperature controlled alcoholic fermentation.
249 stores
13.5% alc
Dark, plummy fruit. Spicy, rustic flavours. Nice wine to slosh back with something tasty.
Château de Flaugergues 2009 £9.99
Winemaker and winery: Pierre Colbert, Château de Flaugergues
70% Grenache Noir, 15% Syrah and 15% Mourvedre
Languedoc
Viticulture/Vinification: The vineyards grow on chalky-lime soil composed mainly of red pebbles which are the remains of an ancient delta of the Rhône River. Grapes are machine harvested, destemmed and fermented for 3 to 4 weeks. Capping and pumping over takes place during the first 15 days. After pressing the wine is aged in stainless steel vats for 18 months. The wine is light filtered before bottling.
230 stores
14% alc
Farmyardy and herbal nose. Nice. Same on the palate. Just my sort of wine. Herbal and lovely.
Domaine de la Chanade Galien Gaillac Rouge 2009 £9.99
Winemaker and winery: Christian Hollevoet, Domaine de la Chanade
80% Braucol (Fer Servadou) and 20% Syrah
Plateau Cordais
Viticulture/Vinification: No fertilisers are used and the yield is kept low by allowing the grass to grow naturally and thinning leaves by hand. Grapes are hand-picked and pressed in a pneumatic press. Natural yeasts are used for fermentation and no fining or filtration occurs. The wine is matured for 24 months in French oak barriques before bottling.
194 stores
13% alc
Fragrantly oaky. Delicious taste. Ripe fruit, vanilla oak and nice texture. VG
RED LOIRE
Domaine de Briançon Chinon Red 2010 £8.99
Winemaker and winery: Pierre Chainier, Domaine de Briançon
100% Cabernet Franc
Touraine
Viticulture/Vinification: The vineyards are situated on the steep banks of the River Vienne and consist almost entirely of scree and gravel on top of hard Turonion limestone soil. The vines are Guyot trained. Fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel vats for 15-18 days. The wine then undergoes malolactic fermentation in stainless steel vats then bottled.
223 stores
13% alc
Very young red-fruity aroma. Cherry flavour. Savoury and lovely finish. Good.
RED RHÔNE
Côtes du Lubéron Rouge 2011 £7.99
Winemaker and winery: Laurent, Cave Cooperative de Valdeze
90% Syrah and 10% Grenache
South Lubéron
Viticulture/Vinification: Vines have an average age of 25 years and are Royat Cordon trained. Temperature controlled fermentation with regular pumping over. Maceration lasts for around 15 days then the wine is racked.
374 stores
14% alc
Red fruity nose. Sweet, juicy, syrah fruit on the palate.
Cairanne Côtes du Rhône Villages 2010 £9.99
Winemaker and winery: Eric Monnin, Boutinot
Grenache, Carignan, Syrah and Mourvedre
Cairanne
Viticulture/Vinification: The vineyards follow organic and biodynamic principles but are not certified. Vines are grown as bush vines on sandstone, limestone and pebble soil. Grapes were hand-picked, destemmed and fermented for 15 days. A proportion of the wine then spends time in a mixture of old and used French oak barriques.
170 stores
14% alc
Dark fruits on the nose. Spicy taste, very savoury, but with nice red fruits as well. Good.
Gigondas Les Hautes Terrasses 2011 £14.99
Winemaker and winery: Eric Monnin, Boutinot
Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre (touch of Carignan)
Gigondas
Viticulture/Vinification: Vines are grown on two steeply terraced plots made up of limestone and sand. Grapes are hand-picked and destemmed then pumped over. The wine is fermented for 20 days with wild yeasts then 15% is aged in French oak barriques.
125 stores
14.5% alc
Dark red fruits and warm alcohol on the nose. In the scheme of Gigondas, this is quite elegant. It has warm alcohol, but that’s what you’d expect. Nice baked fruit flavours.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Fiole du Pape NV £25.00
Winemakers and winery: Laurent Brotte and Cyril Tisopulot, Maison Brotte
85% Grenache Noir, 10% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre
Viticulture/Vinification: This unique wine bottle was first made in 1952 by Charles Brotte with the help of local Provençale glass and ceramic craftsmen. The bottle shape represents the gnarled and twisted vines typical of this region. The 30 year old vines are planted at an altitude of 100-200m in a rich clay and limestone soil. The grapes are hand-picked in early September, destemmed and crushed before being put into tanks. Each variety is vinified separately with a 20 day maceration period followed by alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. The 4 grape varieties are then blended and matured in 4000-5000L traditional oak foudres for 1-5 years. Following this, final blending occurs using reserve wines of differing vintages to make a Châteauneuf of consistent style and maturity.
75 stores
14% alc
Everyone in the room has gone at this wine with a heavy dose of scepticism. It has mud sprayed onto the bottle and everyone who has picked it up has got brown fingers. The bottle looks like JP Chenet’s evil brother. It’s also £25. I have an arched eyebrow as I pour. It smells of alcohol. The taste, in fact, is smooth and rather lovely. I just can’t give it a star, but if it were £14, which it might be without the special bottle, I would.
RED BURGUNDY
Santenay Les Charmes 2008 £14.99
Winemaker and winery: Alain Servaux, Maison Albert Bichot
100% Pinot Noir
Côte de Beaune
Viticulture/Vinification: Grapes are grown on vines with an average age of 30 years. No pesticides or weed killers are used in the vineyard. Grapes undergo 5 days of cold maceration followed by fermentation in conical oak vats for a further 15-23 days, with daily punching over of the cap. The wine is barrel aged for 14-16 months in French oak (15-20% new).
194 stores
13% alc
Wow, what a wonderful aroma. Savoury and juicy. Mouth-watering acidity. Loving it.
Bourgogne Rouge La Taupe 2011 £14.99
Winemaker and winery: Romaric Chavy, Domaine Chavy
100% Pinot Noir
Côte de Beaune
Viticulture/Vinification: Up until the 1970s this vineyard was classified as AOC Pommard and the vines for this wine were planted in 1935. Winemaker Romaric Chavy uses lutte raisonnée methods, with no herbicides or chemicals. The grapes are hand-picked and the wine is aged for 8 months in oak barrels.
156 stores
12.5% alc
Low on aroma. A little woody and not as lovely as the Santenay.
Volnay Domaine Vaudoisey 2010 £22.00
Winemaker and winery: Christophe Vaudoisey, Domaine Vaudoisey
100% Pinot Noir
Viticulture/Vinification: Vines are an average of 25 years old and yields are kept low (43hl/ha). The vineyards are south facing and have agrilo limestone soils. Grapes are hand-picked, destemmed and fermentation takes place over 18 days using indigenous yeasts. The wines are aged in 20% new oak barrels for 14 months. Only 1200 bottles are produced each year.
65 stores
13% alc
Light and aromatic. Very light in the mouth. Quite simple.
Pernand-Vergelesse 1er Cru Les Vergelesses 2010 £28.00
Winemaker and winery: Vincent Rapet, Domaine Rapet
100% Pinot Noir
Viticulture/Vinification: Grapes are hand-picked, alcoholic fermentation lasts around 15 days with regular punching down of the cap. The wine is then aged in barrel (20% new oak). Minimal chemicals are used in the vineyard and sustainable practices are used to control pests.
65 stores
13% alc
Inviting pinot nose. Savoury, oaky taste. More structure, predictably, than the Volnay. I’d leave this a year to 18 months. It needs to develop.
Gevrey-Chambertin 2010 £35.00
Winemaker and winery: Dominique Guyon, Domaine Antonin Guyon
100% Pinot Noir
Viticulture/Vinification: Grapes are hand-picked then hand sorted at the cellars. There is a long fermentation period for 20 days in large, temperature controlled, open-top wooden vats. The wine is aged in oak barrels (30% new oak) and bottled after 18 months.
65 stores
13% alc
Toasty and oaky nose. Gorgeous taste. Just the right intensity, complexity and juiciness. Yum.
RED BORDEAUX
Château Tour Guillotin 2011 £9.99
Winemaker and winery: Mr Brisson, Château la Roseraie
85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Saint Emilion
Viticulture/Vinification: Grapes are hand-picked from vines aged between 25 and 100 years. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks with 3 weeks of vatting.
223 stores
13% alc
Smells very young. All stalky red fruit. Easy drinking, light, juicy claret.
Château Biré 2011 £9.99
Winemaker and winery: David Camou, Chateau Biré
50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc
Bordeaux Supérieur
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes are harvested green in July and vinified at low temperatures then aged in oak barrels for 12 months.
248 stores
12.5% alc
Some spice and vanilla on the nose. A lot of vanilla on the palate. A pleasant mouthful. Needs some time.
Château de Saÿe 2009 £9.99
Winemaker and winery: Alain Laubie, Château de Saÿe
90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc
Bordeaux Supérieur
Viticulture/Vinification: This small vineyard is located near St Ciers d’Abzac, 15 km north of Libourne. The average age of the vines is 30 years. Grapes are handpicked from high-density vineyards. Fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled concrete vat and oak-aged for 14 months in French barrels.
135 stores
14% alc
Very coffee/chocolate on the nose. Quite a modern style. Very oaky, but with the right food – particularly with hard cheese – it could be lovely. Good price.