Make Mine A Double

Wine Review: Giulio Pasotti Lugana and Patricius Tokaji Furmint from Lidl

Two Easy Drinking White Wines From The Lidl Easter Wine Cellar

Lidl Ireland are set to release a dozen wines onto their shelves on Thursday 25th March, just in time for Easter.  Consisting of six white and six reds – see the list further down – the wines will be available in limited quantities.

Here are my brief notes on two of the whites which will be included in this event.

Giulio Pasotti Lugana 2019

Giulio Pasotti Lugana

A brief search indicates that this wine may only be available from Lidl stores in various countries, so Giulio Pasitto is quite possibly a private label (though happy to be corrected).  For those not familar with it, Lugana is an Italian wine region in the Veneto on the shores of Lake Garda – see my review of Cà dei Frati I Frati for more details.

This Lidl Lugana pours a pale lemon and has spicy orchard fruits on the nose.  The palate is lithe, easy drinking, with a little bittersweet grapefruit.  It’s perhaps a little lacking in acidity for my tastes, but it serves as a good introduction to the wines of the region.

  • ABV: 12.5%
  • RRP: €9.99
  • Stockists: Lidl Ireland stores from Thursday 25th March 2021
  • Source: Media sample

Patricius “Vicarius” Tokaji Furmint 2019

Dry Furmint is becoming less the exception and more the rule in Tokaji, as climate change has led to far fewer vintages with sufficient botrytised grapes to make the region’s famous sweet wines.

The Patricius estate extends to an impressive 85 hectares and has seven historic first-growth vineyards.  The winery is run by father and daughter team Dezső and Katinka Kékessy who come from long lines of winemaking stock.  They are very proud of their dry Furmint as well as their Aszú sweet wines, with each plot being vinified and matured separately.

The Vicarius appears to be their entry level wine.  It’s made in a fresh, easy-to-drink style but still is a great showcase for dry Furmint.  The nose is very expressive, with stones and smoke drifting over melon and citrus.  These notes continue onto the palate which is framed by intertwining minerality and acidity.

  • ABV: 12.5%
  • RRP: €9.99
  • Stockists: Lidl Ireland stores from Thursday 25th March 2021
  • Source: Media sample

Conclusion

Both of these wines are made in a simple, easy-drinking style; they are pleasant to drink and give a good representation of their respective regions and grapes without reaching the levels of more expensive examples.  At €9.99 both would be fine for a mid-week tipple, though the extra freshness of the Furmint makes it the winner for me.


The full list of wines included in the Lidl Ireland Easter Wine Cellar is below, with links to reviews as applicable.

Whites:

  • Patricius Tokaji Furmint 2019, €9.99
  • Traminer Aromatico Friuli 2019, €8.99
  • Lugana 2019, €9.99
  • Trésors de Loire Pouilly-Fumé 2019, €12.99
  • Camille Meyer Alsace Grand Cru Mambourg Gewurztraminer 2018, €14.99
  • Chablis 2019, €12.99

Reds:

  • Mészáros Pinot Noir, €9.99
  • Casato dei Medici Riccardi Chianti Colli Senesi 2018, €11.99
  • Casato dei Medici Riccardi Chianti Rufina 2018, €9.99
  • Bellanova Primitivo di Manduria 2019, €9.99
  • Duca di Sasseta Ser Passo Toscana Rosso 2018, €12.99
  • La Croix des Celestins Beaujolais Brouilly 2019, €11.99

**Click here to see more posts in the Make Mine a Double Series**