Opinion

SuperValu Spanish and Portuguese Wine Sale [Wine review]

It’s spring again in Ireland, though you might be forgiven for not believing me given the snow that has fallen recently. Whatever the weather is doing, spring is time for the SuperValu Spanish wine sale, or should I say more properly the SuperValu Spanish and Portuguese wine sale, as wines from both countries are included.

Here are a brace from each country that are well worth snapping up.

Adega de Monção Vinho Verde Alvarinho 2022

AM Vinho Verde Alvarinho 2022 bottle shot

Alvarinho / Albariño’s homelands are both sides of Portugal’s northern border with Spain, i.e. Vinho Verde and Galicia. The cool, maritime climate makes for fresh, refreshing whites from a host of local varieties. On the south side of the Minho, varietal Alvarinho is mainly found in the subregion of Monção e Melgaço, based around the two villages of the same name.

While I am a fan of all the different local grapes, this is a shining example of what a single varietal can do. It’s clean and fresh, but intensely fruity. There’s bright citrus here, with stone and tropical fruit notes riding along. This would work well as an aperitif, with seafood and white fish, or just catching a few rays with friends.

  • ABV: 13.5%
  • RRP: €10 down from €13
  • Source: sample
  • Stockists: SuperValu stores

Paço das Côrtes Fado Friendship Reserva 2021

Fado Friendship Reserva Lisboa bottle shot

Funky bottle, funky wine – but in a good way.  The blend is 40% Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), 30% Alicante Bouschet and 30% Syrah. On arrival at the winery the bunches are destemmed and sorted then vinified separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks.

This is a very approachable and quaffable red, lighter in fruit, body and structure than the Riojas below, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There’s a touch of vanilla on the nose and palate, but otherwise this is all about fresh, ripe red fruits – think raspberry, cranberry, redcurrant and strawberry. Enjoy this with a charcuterie board or lightly chilled in the sun.

  • ABV: 13.5%
  • RRP: €13 down from €10
  • Source: sample
  • Stockists: SuperValu stores and supervalu.ie

Pagos de Labarca AEX 2020

Pagos de Labarca AEX 2020 bottle shot

This is one of Pagos de Labarca’s top wines, though noticeably doesn’t have an age / quality designation on the front – at least not in the normal Spanish way. “AEX” is short for “Alta Expresión”, Labarca’s “High Expression” wine made from vines of 35 years and older. There’s no Grenache here, it’s almost entirely Tempranillo with just a 3% seasoning of Graciano. Alcoholic fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks, but then the must is transferred to a mix of American and French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation, lees ageing and then finally maturation for 18 months.

This is a modern Rioja, with intense red and black fruits, both vanilla and smoky spice. There’s even some quality chocolate spinkled in there. Above all it is concentrated yet super smooth

  • ABV: 14.5%
  • RRP: €20 down from €25
  • Source: sample
  • Stockists: SuperValu stores and supervalu.ie

Conde Valdemar Rioja Gran Reserva 2015

Conde Valdemar Rioja Gran Reserva 2015 bottle shot

This wine isn’t normally available at SuperValu but can be found at some off licence chains and independents – at a significantly higher price than this offer. Compared to the Pagos de Labarca this is definitely a more traditional style of Rioja, both in terms of blend (86% Tempranillo, 8% Garnacha, 3% Graciano, 3% Maturana) and ageing (34 months in oak barrels). Those barrels hail from France (70%) and the USA (30%).

Despite close to three years in oak, the wine is bursting with fruit – blueberries, strawberries and blackberries to name a few. The fruits are just a little muddled rather than super fresh now, but this wine is still in the flushes of youth. so much so, in fact, that I’d recommend decanting this for several hours if you can,

  • ABV: 14.0%
  • RRP: €20 down from €25
  • Source: sample
  • Stockists: SuperValu stores

Conclusion

Just like Vanessa Williams, I saved the best for last. I’d be very happy drinking any (all?) of these wines, but the Conde Valdmar was the most impressive. So much so that I popped in to my local SuperValu and bought myself a few more bottles!

 

 

Opinion

Super Value Xmas Wines 2020 part 2

Here are four more of the wines that Kevin O’Callaghan has selected for the SuperValu Classic Christmas promotion.  If you missed Part 1 you can find it here.

Barão de Vilar Douro Tinto Reserva 2018

There’s the well worn saying that “if something seems too good to be true, it probably is”, so it was with not inconsiderable wariness that I approached this wine as it is on offer at almost half price.  There are some labels which are so regularly on promotion in supermarkets that the “real” price – if there is such a thing – is far from clear.

Some brands are even created with the specific purpose of being listed at a high price then discounted by 50% on a regular basis.  For me this is a cynical and misleading practice.  Happily, the wine reviewed below is emphatically not one of those wines, and it’s even listed with a well established Dublin wine merchant for €19.95!

Anyway, back to the wine itself.  The key grapes are Douro stalwarts Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinto Cão.  After alcoholic and malolactic fermentation the wine spends 14 months in French oak.  This is a dark and concentrated wine with bold black fruits, decent acidity and grainy tannins, but compared to some Douro wines I’ve tried it pulls everything together really well; all the components work together as part of an integrated whole, making for an elegant wine.  Yes, it’s still very young so could happily lay down for a year or ten, but it’s tasty enough that you might not be able to wait.  If you can’t wait, decant if possible and serve with red meat or other rich dishes.

  • ABV: 14.0%
  • RRP: €14.83 or case deal of 6 for €50.00 from 5th Nov to 30th Dec while stocks last
  • Stockists: SuperValu Ireland stores

Pagos de Labarca AEX Rioja 2016

Pagos de Labarca is one of the labels of Bodegas Covila, a well-regarded Rioja co-operative.  The AEX is one of Covila’s signature wines, made in small quantities from old (35 years+) bush vine Tempranillo.   Alcoholic fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks, after which the wine is transferred into new American and French oak barrels with varying levels of toast.  There, the wine goes through malolactic fermentation and matures for a total of 17 months before being blended back together and bottled.

The nose is very expressive; rich red berries (from the Tempranillo) and vanilla (from the American oak) combine with fine herbs and hints of chocolate and coffee.  Succulent, rich red fruits abound on the palate – red cherry, strawberry and raspberry – overlaid with vanilla bean custard.  Darker fruits then emerge, still fighting for your attention with the vanilla.

This is not a Rioja which could be mistaken for a Ribero del Duero or Toro – it’s too refined and bright.  Although it’s not too tight and dense, it would definitely benefit from decanting or a large glass to allow its complex aromas to fully develop.  A real treat of a wine!

  • ABV: 13.5%
  • RRP: €22.62 down to €20.00 from 26th Nov to 30th Dec while stocks last
  • Stockists: SuperValu Ireland stores and supervalu.ie

Château Lacombe-Cadiot Bordeaux Supérieur 2018

The De Mour group is a Bordeaux-based wine company with five Châteaux and a negociant line where grapes and / or wines are bought in from other producers.  One of their properties whose wines I have tried and enjoyed several times is Château Tayet, located in Macau just south of Margaux.  Château Lacombe-Cadiot is situated in the Ludon, the next commune south of Macau and close to the Garonne.

Although we’re in the Médoc, Merlot is still the most important grape (sorry Jim!) in this Bordeaux Supérieur with 80% of the blend and Cabernet Sauvignon the balance.  In the glass the wine has a deep core with the rim turning from purple to ruby.  Initially the nose gives a huge hit of exotic spice then black fruit and a hint of vanilla.  On the palate plums abound, both red and purple, along with brambles and the vanilla again.

The technical sheet for this wine states that fermentation and maturation are in stain less steel tanks, but I could swear that some portion of it has spent time in oak.  It has great concentration and a dusting of light tannins on the finish.  This is a smooth and rewarding wine that is well worth its normal price tag, but represents excellent value on offer.

  • ABV: 14.0%
  • RRP: €15.73 down to €13.00 from 26th Nov to 30th Dec while stocks last
  • Stockists: SuperValu Ireland stores and supervalu.ie

Lady de Mour Margaux 2018

Hopping back up two communes from the Lacombe-Cadiot gets us to Margaux itself, one of the top four appellations of the Médoc.  Margaux wines are nearly always majority Cabernet Sauvignon though a lower proportion than the other three appellations.  I don’t have the precise blend of Lady de Mour but I would guess something like 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc.  It is lighter in both style and alcohol compared to the Lacombe-Cadiot, mainly due to the difference in blend.

The Lady has a mid to dark core in the glass but a very purple rim, indicating relative youth.  It’s quite muted on the nose – you have to search for the dark fruit aromas rather than them leaping out of the glass.  Black fruits delight on the attack, but are then overtaken by graphite, violets and a touch of green bell pepper.  This is a really elegant Margaux, not as juicy as the little brother but a great introduction to proper left bank Claret.

  • ABV: 13.5%
  • RRP: €34.42 down to €25.00 from 26th Nov to 30th Dec while stocks last
  • Stockists: SuperValu Ireland stores