Tag: Crémant du Jura

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5 of the Best Aldi Wines for Xmas

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The Irish branch of Aldi have an extensive range of special wines released for the festive period. Here we have five which have impressed me: two French fizzes (one a Blanc de Blancs and one a blanc de Noirs), a pair of Loire Sauvignon Blancs and a Tawny Port to finish off the evening. All wines tasted were samples.

Specially Selected Crémant du Jura Brut 2018

Specially Selected Crémant du Jura Brut NV

It’s back! For how long is not known, so grab it while it’s here. Aldi’s remarkable Jura Blanc de Blancs is not always available but it’s one of the best value sparklers on the market. It’s made from 100% Chardonnay in the Jura region on France’s eastern border. Jura is actually one of the few French regions outside Burgundy that does still and sparkling Chardonnay really well – though it is home to other grapes and styles.

The nose is a full on citrus experience, with touches of golden delicious apple and melon to round it off. The palate is bright and creamy with depth and no little complexity. The finish is fine, long and crisp. This could serve equally well as an aperitif with nibbles, with seafood or even on its own. In other times this has been our house fizz at this time of year – there has always been a bottle or two in the fridge to share with any visitors. Given the times we are in, I suppose I’ll have to drink it myself!

  • ABV: 12.0%
  • RRP: €13.99
  • Stockists: Aldi Ireland stores and aldi.ie

Champagne Philizot Blanc de Noirs Brut NV

Champagne Philizot Et Fils Blanc de Noir Brut NV

So here we have a true Champagne made as a white sparkler (Blanc) from only black grapes (de Noirs). In fact both Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – the two main black grapes of Champagne – are used in equal proportions. Producer Philizot et Fils also make Aldi’s staple Veuve Monsigny which has scored very well in recent high profile blind tastings. To be honest I’ve liked Veuve Monsigny when I’ve tried it but wasn’t blown away – which is fair enough for €20 in Ireland. Is this more premium offering any better?

Yes, yes it is.

The nose is wonderful, with yeasty, toasty brioche drawing you in and delicious red fruit notes partiying up your nose. It’s quite a decadent nose, actually, which is a good thing in a quality fizz. In the mouth it’s immediatel creamy and rich, yet balanced by crunchy green and softer red apple acidity. The finish is like tangy, fresh red fruits wrapped in a custard pastry – just delicious!

  • ABV: 12.0%
  • RRP: €13.99
  • Stockists: Aldi Ireland stores

Specially Selected Pouilly Fumé 2019

Specially Selected Pouilly Fumé

The first of our Loire Sauvignons is from the second most famous SB appellations in France: Pouilly-Fumé is on the eastern bank of the Loire (where it runs almost due north) opposite Sancerre on the western bank. It pours as a very pale lemon, but the nose is more expressive; initially it’s more reminiscent of a sweet shop than a winebar, with fruit polos and pear drops. These then give way to aromasof gooseberry and hay, with hints of green pepper. In the mouth this Pouilly-Fumé manages to be quite round yet tangy at the same time; it’s clean and fresh but has some body and plenty of green fruit flavours. This is very good for the price; it’s perhaps a little short but everything else is in order.

  • ABV: 12.0%
  • RRP: €13.99
  • Stockists: Aldi Ireland stores and aldi.ie

Winemaker’s Lot Chasseaux & Fils Sancerre 2019

Winemaker's Lot Sancerre

To the other side of the river now and the most famous Sauvignon Blanc appellation of all. This wine is from Aldi’s new “Winemaker’s Lot” series which consists of just ten premium wines from key regions. Now €14.99 is not a premium price for an independent, but for a low cost supermarket like Aldi this is probably close to twice its average bottle price.

And on opening it proves to be a different beast entirely to the Pouilly-Fumé above. It looks similarly pale in the glass but on the nose it shows  ripe and succulent green and tropical fruits – grapefuit and pineapple, guava and hints of mango. On the palate it’s quite tight and mineral initially, but opens up to reveal both fruit and a certain wild yeastiness. This is top flight stuff! A small word of caution: to a palate with broad experience such as mine this is a very good wine, but there plenty of people who would prefer the cleaner Pouilly-Fumé.

  • ABV: 13.0%
  • RRP: €14.99
  • Stockists: Aldi Ireland stores

Fletcher’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port

Fletcher's 10 Year Old Tawny Port

Laate Bottled Vintage (LBV) was always my go-to style of Port, but in recent years I’ve been beguiled by the charms of good Tawny Port. Tawny Ports are made from black grapes and then aged in wooden barrels for a number of years before bottling. That might be three years for a basic Tawny, seven years for a Reserve or longer with an age statement such as this 10 Year Old. Maturation in barrel leads to both evaporation – intensifying flavours – and oxidisation – giving a different aspect to the wine entirely. I haven’t heard of Fletcher’s outside of Aldi so they might be a private label.

So, onto the wine itself. Whereas a Ruby or Vintage Port might be opaque, this is lighter, and dark amber or light mahogany would be a good descriptor. The nose is heady – it does weigh in at 20% abv after all – and shows a full range of dried fruits and nuts. In other words, it smells like Christmas pudding with a splash of good brandy on it! These aromas flow through onto the palate, which is medium sweetness. It could pair well with those lovely Christmas desserts, with strong hard cheeses or even with some savoury courses that have some sweet elements to them.

And best of all, being a Tawny Port means that once opened it will keep well in the fridge for several months – if you can keep your hands off it!

  • ABV: 20.0%
  • RRP: €13.99
  • Stockists: Aldi Ireland stores

 

 

Tasting Events

DNS host Wilson on Wine (Part 1)

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It has become something of a tradition at DNS Wine Club for one of our events every year to be a fun event based on Irish Times wine columnist John Wilson’s annual book, “Wilson On Wine”.  Here’s the post I did on our first such event back in 2015 which explains how it works in more detail.  If you have a wine tasting / drinking group of six or more people then I highly recommend giving it a go.

John Wilson

For the first time, DNS were joined by the main man himself.  John is a complete gentleman, and was unfailingly polite despite the far-fetched tales told about each wine by the club (which is all part of the fun of “call my wine bluff”).  As I was keeping tight control of the answers he was left to guess the wine along with the rest of the gang, but of course he was spot on every time.

This first article will focus on the less expensive wines which shone on the night – all of course featured in Wilson On Wine 2019.

Aldi Exquisite Collection Crémant du Jura 2014 (12.0%, RRP €11.99 at Aldi)

Aldi Exquisite Cremant du Jura

This fizz will be familiar to many as it’s a reliable, great value for money crémant which is perfect for parties.  So much so, in fact, that it has appeared in every edition of Wilson On Wine to date.  During our tasting it suffered from following a more sophisticated (and more expensive) Champagne, but I’d rather drink this than the vast majority of Prosecco on the market.

Pequenos Rebentos Vinho Verde 2017 (11.5%, RRP €15.50 at Baggot Street Wines and other good independents)

Vinho Verde

For me Vinho Verde usually falls into one of two categories – cheap and cheerful blends of local grapes or slightly more serious varietal Alvarinho, with the latter coming from the premium subregion of Monção & Melgaço.  This is one of the cheap and cheerful types in terms of price and grapes, but for me rises above its lowly origins.  The typical citrus and saline notes are present, but the fruit is so damn juicy!  It has a certain je ne sais quoi which makes it one of the best Vinho Verdes I’ve ever tried.

Bairrada Messias Bairrada Selection 2014 (13.5%, RRP €12.65 at Karwig Wines)

bairrada messias selection family wines tinto

Here we have another inexpensive Portuguese wine which rises above its modest origins.  In decades past Bairrada was mainly a source of rough and ready bulk wine that was sold by the carafe in restaurants, but like many “lesser” European wine regions, quality has increased significantly with modern equipment and a firm eye on quality.  The clay soils here are best known for the Baga grape, but this wine is actually more of a Douro (or Port) blend as it’s made with Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo), Touriga Nacional and Tinta Barroca.  Red and black fruits abound, but again with a nice dash of acidity.  This is a really well put together wine that I’d be happy to drink any time of the year.

Ingata Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 (12.5%, RRP €18.00 at Baggot Street Wines and other good independents)

Ingata SB

Outside of a few brands such as Villa Maria and Brancott Estate, less expensive Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is something I tend to avoid.  It tends to be overly aromatic and intensely acidic – it gets plenty of attention with the first few sips but even a second glass is often too much.  Trading up to the likes of Tinpot Hut, Mahi or Greywacke more than pays back the price differential.  Here is one that breaks the mold -it’s a true but gentle expression of Marlborough Sauvignon, with all its components in balance.  In fact, this is even worth a try for folks who “don’t like New Zealand Sauvignon” -they might be pleasantly surprised

 

Apart from the Aldi Crémant I hadn’t tasted any of these wines before, yet they really shone above and beyond their price tags.  That’s one of the real positives of being able to rely on someone pre-tasting wines for you!

Opinion

Valentines Wines (VI) Bloggers Of The World Unite (episode 3)

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One of the best parts about becoming a blogger has been meeting other bloggers from near and far – from literally round the corner to the other side of the world.  Reading their blogs has been interesting in itself, but has also been very helpful in learning how to make my own blog better.  Everyone I have met has been polite, pleasant and generous.

For some time now I had been meaning to try collaborating with some of my fellow bloggers – and then I hit on the idea of asking them to contribute a recommendation for a Valentine’s Day wine.  A cheesy romantic link to V-Day was optional – it could just be a wine that the writer really liked and so would recommend – and just a couple of lines was requested, though some wrote more.

I was bowled over by the reaction – everyone I asked agreed to join in!  Some even gave the background as to why a particular wine was romanic for them.

So sincere thanks to all who contributed!

Judeka Insolia ‘Angelica’ 2013 & Nero d’Avola ‘Orlando’ 2013 by Richie Magnier (@motleycruwine) of the motley cru

judeka-insolia-angelicajudeka-nero-davola-orlando

The Judeka wines I tasted late last year in the Wine Workshop would be really good Valentine’s Day bottles.  Their Angelica & Orlando wines are named after the characters in Orlando Innamorato (Orlando in Love) by Matteo Maria Boiardo.

The Angelica was a lovely, light, fresh, lemon-and-lime wine with some apricot. It was deliciously refreshing, and I couldn’t get over how light, both in colour and texture, it was, but without feeling insipid.

The Orlando differed so much from Nero d’Avolas I’ve had before which tended to be big, hot and spicy.  This was deliciously fresh and light with bright juicy red fruits.  It had nice integrated acidity: enough to be noticed, and to go really well with food, but not too much to be a major factor.  A touch of dustiness and salinity underneath the juicy fruits added a distant allure to an otherwise delightfully appealing wine.

Here is Richie’s full report.

Both are €14.99 from Sheridans’ Cheesemongers (in store and online)

Masi Costasera Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2010 by Liqueur Plate (@LiqueurPlate) of Liqueur Plate

Masi Costasera Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2010
Masi Costasera Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2010

I have always regarded Amarone as one of the most sensuous wines I’ve ever tasted.

Intense, full bodied wine where rich feminine flavours of red and black cherries are warmed with cocoa and strengthened by the masculine tobacco and coffee character in this extremely seductive wine.

Let it decant for an hour or two before serving.

€39 Available from most off licences and supermarket nationwide.

Philippe Michel Cremant Du Jura NV by SolicitingFlavours (@SolicitingFlavo) of Soliciting Flavours

Philippe Michel Crémant du Jura NV
Philippe Michel Crémant du Jura NV

From the Aldi website: “Made from 100% Chardonnay this wine has a sophisticated subtlety with stimulating fresh citrus notes and a lovely length.  Perfect for any occasion, with hints of apple and lemon citrus.”

£7.29 UK / €10.49 Ireland

Kicks most prosecco’s arse!

 

The full list of 2015 Valentines Wines posts: