With the cost of socialising in bars, pubs and restaurants continuing to rise (the reasons for which I will leave for another day), entertaining at home is seeing a corresponding boost. If your tastes in wine are fairly straightforward, then retail outlets have a great selection of well made, tasty wines at modest prices.

Alternatively, if you’re into more complex or premium wines which wouldn’t necessarily be appreciated (or even liked) by “normie” visitors, what do you do? My personal wine tastes wouldn’t be liked by everyone, so I like to have some wines in that both guests and myself can enjoy together.

The selection below fulfills both criteria. They are all fresh, easy-drinking styles which I recently tried in the O’Briens press tasting. The description that O’Briens themselves use for this category is “Everyday friendly wines” which is apt, and a lot more concise that I have been above!

Wildflower Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Wildflower Sauvignon Blanc bottle shot

Old timers such as myself will remember Romanian wines on the UK supermarket shelves back in the ’90s, particularly Pinot Noir from the Dealu Mare region. At that point the country was just emerging from decades of dictatorship, but wine has been made their for millenia. Today the industry has modernised significantly, often with investment from other countries who have already been through the process.

Wildflower wines are made in the Viile Timisului region by Englishman Philip Cox and his wife Elvira. They are generally very clean, fruit-forward and accessible in style (also see my reviews of the Pinot Noir and Merlot).

This Sauvignon Blanc is intensely aromatic, varietally correct but not a fascimile of either Loire or Marlborough styles. On the palate there’s lots of sweet, juicy citrus fruits, but with a crisp, fresh finish. This would be a great wine to convert some who “don’t like Sauvignon Blanc” – and very enjoyable for those who do. It’s not a bargain at the full price, but an absolute steal with the promotional reduction.

ABV: 11.5%
RRP: €9.49 down from €14.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Mistral Belles Eaux Sauvignon Blanc

Belles Eaux Mistral Sauvignon Blanc bottle shot

Another Sauvignon Blanc, but this time from the Langedoc in the south of France. If your French isn’t up to scratch then “Belles Eaux” means something like “Beautiful Waters” and “Mistral” is th name of a major wind which affects the region.

The nose is more restrained than the Wildflower, with mineral notes joining fruity and floral aromas.

The palate is full of juicy grapefruit and gooseberry, ripe but fresh. This is a nicely balanced wine, great for sipping on its own, but would be perfect for seafood and salads at the table.

As with the Windflower, the regular price is a little too high in my opinion, but this wine is great value during the promotion.

ABV: 12.0%
RRP: €10.00 down from €15.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Cave de Lugny Mâcon 3 Litre bag-in-box

Bag In Box wine

Yes this is box wine! No, it’s not a joke! With the cost of glass bottles and corks making up a higher proportion of the cost of inexpensive wines, it makes sense for other packaging formats to be used. Bag-in-box (often shortened to BIB) is popular in France and other European wine producing countries where wine is seen as a part of everyday life rather than a luxury.

If you have the space for one in the fridge then you have chilled white wine on tap – what’s not to like? BIBs really come into play if your home’s wine consumption is irregular over a few weeks – as there’s very little oxygen getting in contact with the undispensed wine then the wine stays fresher than opened bottles which are put back into the fridge after a few glasses are poured. This is the perfect solution for drop in guests during the festive season.

Cave de Lugny is regarded as one of France’s top co-operatives and is the largest producer within Burgundy. Its roots go back several centuries and it now vinifies wines from 200 growers who farm 1,300 across 25 villages of the most southerly Burgundy region, the Mâconnais.

Of course as we’re in the Mâconnais this is a 100% Chardonnay. It’s unoaked and clean, though with a little more oomph than wines from further north. The nose is softly floral and fruity – Chardonnay without oak isn’t often highly aromatic. The palate is lovely and round, with ripe melon and sweet apples, but all brought back together with a fresh, lemony finish.

ABV: 12.5%
RRP: €54 down from €60 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Bougrier Touraine “Les Secrets de Sophie” 2023

The region around the city of Tour – Touraine – offers some of the best value wines of the Loire Valley, though they rarely hit the heights of more illustrious neighbours such as Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. That doesn’t mean that diligent vignerons can’t produce very good wines here, with this wine being case in point.

The Bougrier family have been farmers in the Loire for six generations and make a wide variety of wines. You don’t need to know any French to see that this label means “Sophie’s Secrets”! Grapes are reserved from the family’s best plots. After fermentation the young wines are aged on fine lees (basically dead yeast cells, but no skins) to give added compexity and depth.

On the nose this wine is refined, mineral and elegant – classier than a typical Touraine. The palate is tangy, with grapefuit, gooseberry and green pepper notes, though not as raw as others; it’s the lees ageing in full effect. There’s Sauvignon’s usual fresh, acidic finish which brings the wine back into focus.

ABV: 12.5%
RRP: €13.99 down from €19.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Caves Molière Entracte Piquepoul 2024

Caves Molière Picpoul bottle shot

We’re back into coop territory again, this time from the Languedoc in the south of France. Piquepoul has muscled-in on the fresh, easy-drinking white wine space that Pinot Grigio had to itself for a while. For me they can be somewhat generic, meaning I find it difficult to differentiate one Piquepoul from another, but I’m always willing to try!

Caves Molière is a “super co-op”, meaning it was formed from five existing co-operative producers. It now has 410 growers with a total of 2,200 hectares of wines under its banner. These wines fall under five labels: AOP Languedoc Penezas, IGP Pays Côtes de Thongues, IGP Pays de Caux, IGP Pays d’Oc and Vin de France.

Entracte Piquepoul is one of 13 different wines that Caves Molière make in the Pays d’Oc, of which seven are varietal Entracte label wines. The nose is saline and mineral, which evokes the lagoons close to the coast. Those notes continue through onto the tangy palate, with juicy citrus and hints of melon (only hints, though) on the mid palate.

This is a refreshing wine that is somewhat reminiscent of a Loire Sauvignon, but more restrained. It is definitely more expressive than a typical Piquepoul, so worth a try.

ABV: 12.0%
RRP: €12.99 down from €18.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Domaine Duffour Père et Fils Côtes de Gascogne 2024

Duffour Père et fils Côtes de Gascogne bottle shot

Gascony’s best known beverages are probably its Armagnacs rather than its table wines. Indeed, two of the three grapes in this blend – Ugni Blanc and Colombard – are better known for their use in brandy production. Gros Manseng is the third grape, firmly rooted in the south west. The wine is produced at the Duffour family’s Domaine Saint-Lannes operation, one they have owned since 1955.

The nose is grassy and herby, so much that I had to check the assemblage as Sauvignon Blanc is also permitted in Côtes de Gascogne wines. The palate is vastly different, a revelation of intensely juicy fruit. There’s every kind of tropical fruit you can think of in here, but all bound together by a fresh acidic structure. With so much pleasure in the glass, I’d buy this without hesitation at the regular price, so it goes without saying that it’s a total steal at just €10 on promotion.

ABV: 11.0%
RRP: €10.00 down from €14.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie

Conclusion

If you didn’t already notice, these wines are all fairly modest in alcohol, ranging between 11.0% and 12.5%, making them perfect for a lunchtime tipple during the holidays.

Quality and enjoyment wise, I would be perfectly happy to sup any of these. In terms of drinking pleasure and value for money, there is a clear winner for me. Regular readers will express no surprise when I say that the aromatic blend from Domaine Duffour is the one that’s going in my fridge – it’s a cracker!

Tasting Events

Lidl France 2019 (part 1 – Whites)

October 3, 2019 admin

Lidl Ireland’s annual French Wine event sees several dozen French wines added to the racks in their stores, from 30th September onwards while stocks last. These are some of the whites which grabbed my attention at the press tasting. They aren’t going to be the best examples of their type as the price tags are very modest, but they offer a great introduction to the various styles and represent very good value for money.

Château Petit Mouta “Sélection Les Carmes” 2018 (12.0%, €10.99 at Lidl)

Chateau Petit Mouta Graves AOC, €10.99

White Bordeaux is often overlooked, especially AOC Graves which is generally a step up from Bordeaux Blanc and Entre-Deux-Mers but still offers great value. This “Sélection Les Carmes” cuvée is mainly Sauvignon Blanc (90%) with the remainder (10%) Semillon. The nose shows lots of lovely green aromas – gooseberry, grapefruit and granny smith apples – with hints of tropical fruits. On the palate it is tangy and fresh with those green notes coming through again. It has more body than a Loire Sauvignon due to extra ripeness and the presence of Semillon in the blend. The finish is clean and long-lasting, with no oak evident. Great value for money.

Domaine Deux Vallons Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie 2018 (12.0%, €8.99 at Lidl)

Domaine Deux Vallons Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur Lie AOP, €8.99

As I have opined many times on these pages, Muscadet (100% Melon de Bourgogne of course) has an indifferent reputation which is partially deserved – there are plenty of this, acidic and flavourless examples out there (see those in French supermarkets). However, this example does have some character; yes, it is very dry but it has a very pleasing minerality to accompany the light citrus palate. The finish is mouth-wateringly acidic, so it cries out for shellfish or nibbles.

Wally Touraine Blanc 2018 (13.0%, €9.99 at Lidl)

Wally Touraine AOC Blanc, €9.99

Whether the “Wally” in question is a fool, a pickled gherkin or simply a bloke called Walter is moot. The wine is a 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire; it has the usual gooseberry and grapefruit notes, but also grass…freshly mown grass, and is not too far removed sticking your head into a pile of grass cuttings and inhaling. It’s a fairly simple wine to go with salads, goats cheese or with itself at a party.

Madame Claude Parmentier Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2017 (13.0%, €9.99 at Lidl)

Mme. Claude Parmentier Côtes du Rhône AOP, €9.99

We now move to the southern Rhône, and if the Sauvignons above could be said to be “vertical” on the palate then this is much more “horizontal” – not that you will be on your back after a glass, but rather than it’s broad in the mouth, much more about texture than flavour. Like me you might guess that this is predominantly Grenache and so it is: 70% Grenache Blanc, 15% Roussanne and 15% Marsanne. If you haven’t had this type of wine before then it’s well worth a try – something completely outside the Sauvignon / Chardonnay / Pinot Grigio mainstream.

Collin Bourisset Coteaux Bourguignons Blanc 2018 (13.0%, €9.99 at Lidl)

Collin Bourisset Coteaux Bourguignons 2018, €9.99

“Coteaux Bourguignons” means “Burgundian Hills”, and can be made anywhere in greater Burgundy, from Chablis and Auxerre in the north to Beaujolais in the south. There are red and white variants (the red version of this wine is in the next post) which can be made from several grape varieties, though Pinot Noir and Gamay are most common for the reds and Chardonnay and Aligoté for the whites. This example is 100% Chardonnay and has a ripe, fruity nose which expresses its southerly roots. On the palate it seamlessly blends citrus (lemon and lime), pip fruit (red and green apples) and tropical fruit (melon and pineapple). This is a very well put together unoaked Chardonnay that’s tasty and tangy.

Expression de Saint Mont 2017 (13.0%, €8.99 at Lidl)

Expression de Saint Mont AOP, €8.99

And so to the star of the show, a fantastic white wine from South West France. The blend was not available but I suspect it is predominantly Gros Manseng supported by Colombard, Ugni Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc. The nose is very expressive, full of melon and mango. It’s round in the mouth as they follow through onto the palate, though in a restrained manner. A lovely fresh finish is the perfect ending. I’ve been praising Côtes de Gascogne and Saint Mont for years now, and with wine this good for little money this make a very good case for the region.

Tasting Events

Lidl French Wine Cellars (part 2 – white)

March 25, 2019 admin

As I started in the reverse order from normal, part 1 looked at the red wines in Lidl Ireland’s French Wine Cellars promotion and now part 2 looks at the whites. As with the reds, Bordeaux is well represented, but Burgundy also has some decent quaffing whites for your consideration. Here are my brief notes:

Jean Cornelius Alsace Riesling 2017 (12.5%, €9.99 at Lidl Ireland)

Jean Cornelius Alsace Riesling, €9.99

I’ve tried and liked previous vintages of this wine. It’s straight-up, straight-forward Alsace Riesling – dry, clean and unoaked, with nice lime and lemon freshness. No, it doesn’t have the concentration of the best producers’ wines, but it makes for a nice mid week sip on its own, or with a big tureen of moules marinères.

Les Celliers du Bellay Touraine Sauvignon 2016 (12.0%, €7.99 at Lidl Ireland)

Les Celliers du Bellay Touraine Sauvignon, €7.99 Ask people to name a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley and the chances are they will say “Sancerre” or perhaps “Pouilly Fumé”, but the lesser-know appellations such as Touraine can be the source of very drinkable wines too – without the hefty price tags. At €7.99 this really is a bargain – it has more character than you’d expect for €10, never mind €8. Grapefruit is the theme, clean, fresh, juicy and zesty.

Château La Payrère Bordeaux Blanc 2018 (11.5%, €7.99 at Lidl Ireland)

Château la Peyrère Bordeaux Blanc, €7.99

Both the dry and sweet wines of Bordeaux usually feature Sauvignon Blanc, with or without companions Semillon, Muscadelle or even Sauvignon Gris. This dry Bordeaux Blanc has a lovely fragrant nose with green pepper and gooseberry – all suggesting a large proportion of Sauvignon. Fairly light in alcohol, this is another great sunshine sipper or pair with a fancy salad.

Château Rivière Lacoste Graves Blanc 2017 (12.0%, €9.99 at Lidl Ireland)

Château Rivière Lacoste Graves, €9.99

The Bordelais love drinking white Graves as it means they don’t have to resort to whites from the other place – Burgundy! As with the reds, the best Graves whites are made in the separate sub-appellation of Pessac-Léognan, but the Graves AOC has plenty ot offer. This Château Rivière Lacoste is quite rich for a white Bordeaux – white possibly some Semillon in the blend adding texture and some stone fruit notes.

Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune 2016 (12.5%, €14.99 at Lidl Ireland)

Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune, €14.99

The Hautes Côtes de Beaune – like their counterpart the Hautes Côtes de Nuits – come from the upper slopes of the ridge running down the middle of Burgundy. Most of the “fine wine” is further down the slopes, but climate change and better winemaking has significantly improved the quality of wines from these more exposed areas. The first sniff is greeted with a lovely oaky nose, and a taste reveals great texture and mouthfeel, broad but fresh. It’s very nice now but would benefit from another six months’ rest before being enjoyed.

Collin-Bourisset Mâcon-Villages 2017 (13.0%, €9.99 at Lidl Ireland)

Collin-Bourisset Bourgogne Mâcon-Villages AOP, €9.99

The Mâconnais is the most southerly sub-region of Burgundy proper, and with the more southerly latitude comes more heat and sunshine. This results in wines which are somewhat New World in style – and that’s what we have here. This Mâcon-Villages is quite tropical and broad, but wears no new oak. Swirl this in a big glass and don’t drink too cold.

De Oliveira Lecestre Chablis 2017 (13.0%, €17.99 at Lidl Ireland)

De Oliveira Lecestre Chablis, €17.99

Chablis has a certain cachet so its wines are never cheap. They can be good value, although for me the best value is usually up at Premier and Grand Cru level. AOC Chablis is nearly always unoaked and mineral which this example from De Oliveira Lecestre is, but unlike poor Chablis it isn’t lean or austere. Instead it’s chalky, mineral, and fresh, a great way to try Chablis at a reasonable cost.

Val de Salis Pays d’Oc Chardonnay 2017 (13.5%, €8.99 at Lidl Ireland)

Val de Salis Pays d'Oc Chardonnay €8.99

This is the first Chardonnay in this article which isn’t from Burgundy, and it shows – it’s very different in style from all the others above. It has more body and texture, and a definite herbal edge (not uncommon in Languedoc wines). Try with prawns in garlic and herbs, and save a glass for the chef!

Make Mine A Double, Opinion

A Walk on the Wild Side [Make Mine a Double #25]

October 3, 2016 admin

There are lots of trends in wine which compete for our attention at the moment – orange wines, natural wines, organic, biodynamic, lutte raisonnée, skin contact, wild ferment, pet-nat, and many more. Some are almost interchangeable and some are ill-defined.

Against this backdrop, many producers continue to improve quality by taking care in the vineyard, first and foremost, and allowing the terroir to be expressed in the wine. One of the key ways of doing this is to use “wild” yeast, i.e. the yeast which occurs naturally in the vineyard, rather than commercial or cultured yeast.

Here are two wild yeast fermented wines from France which I tried recently:

Domaine des Chezelles Touraine Sauvignon 2015 (12.5%, €13.85 at Wines Direct)

dom-chezelles

Touraine Sauvignon is a banker for me, always fresh and fruity, great value for money…in a word, reliable. Although this might sound like damning with faint praise, it isn’t; while not hitting the heights of Loire neighbours Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, it’s the appellation I actually buy the most of.

Domaine des Chezelles practises wild yeast fermentation and organic techniques but haven’t been certified (which can be an expensive process). They’re using organic methods because they think it’s the right thing to do, rather than a sales tool.

In the glass it’s recognisably a Touraine Sauvignon, with lots of pleasant green flavours – gooseberry, grapefruit, green pepper and grass – but more exuberantly fruity than the norm. Drink as an aperitif or with dishes containing asparagus or shellfish.

Château La Baronne Corbières “Les Chemins” 2013 (14.5%, €22.75 at Wines Direct)

labaronnechemins

Corbières was one of the first Languedoc appellations that I became familiar with, but quality has certainly increased over the past 20 years or so. The reds (which are over 90% of all Corbières wines produced) are generally a blend composed of some or all of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault – what I call GSM-CC.

Les Chemins (“The Paths” or “The Ways”) is particularly interesting as it’s a naturally-produced wine from Corbières, but can’t be labelled as “natural” because of the sulphur levels – though no sulphur is added, the amount which occurs naturally is just over the threshold. The blend is Carignan, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvère – the Lignères Family who own the Château are particularly fond of Carignan so it is the biggest component of the wine.

On pouring the wine has a wonderfully fruity nose – fruits of the forest in particular. On the palate there are wondrous red and (mainly) black fruits – red and black cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant. It’s the sort of wine that autumn really calls for!

Disclosure: both wines kindly provided for review

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

Tasting Events

Highlights of The Coman’s Silent Tasting Part Three

July 21, 2014 admin

So part one focused on Peter Lehmann’s Barossa gems and included a joke about hand gestures. Part two covered the wines of Lapostolle from Chile and Ochoa from Navarre, with a reference to Björk “It’s All So Quiet” (you all got that, right? right??)

Now part three will showcase a flight of Sauvignons, amongst others, and the disclosure of why this tasting wasn’t as silent as it should have been.

The Sauvignon Blancs

The first flight looks at some of the more memorable Sauvignon Blancs brought in by Comans.

McKenna Sauvignon Blanc 2013

This is an exclusive to Comans as it’s bottled especially for them by Undurraga. The name celebrates the historical connections between Ireland and Chile in the person of Irish-born Captain John Juan McKenna who played an important role in the rebellion of 1810. Take a few minutes to read the details in Tomas Clancy’s post here.

It’s unusual for me to recommend an inexpensive Chilean Sauvignon, but this is well made. You’d never mistake it for Marlborough, but if you find some of those too much then this is a little more restrained. The key word here is grapefruit – fruit sweetness but also acidity, making it tangy and refreshing.

Sablenay Touraine AOC Sauvignon Blanc 2012

In terms of bang for your buck, reliability and availability, it’s pretty hard to beat a Touraine Sauvignon. If I were drawing up a hypothetical restaurant wine list it’s the first thing I’d put on there.

This one has the typical grassy notes of a French Sauvignon, but also sweet tropical fruit and grapefruit. It’s much more expressive that your average Touraine, a better bet than a lower quality no-name Sancerre. Perfect for summer on the patio!

La Rochetais AOC Pouilly Fumé 2012

This is a lovely, pure, almost “Riesling-like” linear wine. It’s also an accessory to an embarrassing incident. Now as you know at pro tastings there’s no swallowing, everything is spat – if you want to taste several dozen wines and remain upright, never mind drive home afterwards, it’s the only way forward. Plus, not having so much alcohol in your bloodstream means your senses aren’t dulled and you can focus more on the tasting.

At the time of the tasting I was still recovering from a nasty chest infection – a colleague semi-seriously asked me if I had tuberculosis. Now imagine a sudden coughing fit when you’ve got a mouthful of Loire Sauvignon that you’re swilling round and trying to interpret. Instinct says spit now…but I wasn’t close to a spittoon, and so almost choked.

Thankfully the assembled members of the press were very kind and didn’t mock me which they would have been entitled to do. Though one kind gentleman did suggest I describe this wine as “one which took me breath away”.

My friends, even wine-tasting can be an extreme sport at times!

Château de Sancerre AOC Sancerre 2012

Chateau de Sancerre 2012 — Château de Sancerre 2012

Forget own label Sancerres in the French supermarkets, this is the real deal.

The Château is owned by the Marnier-Lapostolle family who Chilean operation featured in Part Two. Both properties show the advantages of cooperation between winemakers from different areas; while the French influence can be seen in Lapostolle’s Sauvignon Blancs, for me there is a definite new world aspect to Château Sancerre – a roundness and suppleness to the fruit which make it caress the inside of your mouth.

The vineyards span four different soil types which, when blended intelligently, results in a complex yet focused wine.

Wither Hills Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2012

At the NZ Sauvignon Masterclass before the annual trade tasting this year, Kevin Judd et al. took us through how the marked differences in weather between 2012 and 2013 translated into markedly different flavour profiles. Since then I’ve found it remarkably easy to identify 2012s blind – much greener, especially asparagus, and less tropical notes.

This Wither Hills 2012 wasn’t tasted blind but the asparagus character came straight through (I like it, some don’t), but with a tangy grapefruit finish. Dare I suggest this would be amazing with an asparagus starter?

Undurraga TH Sauvignon Blanc (Single Vineyard) 2013

Undurraga TH Leyda Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2013

So what is this? It’s a premium, single vineyard Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. Given how many Chilean Sauvignons are around £6 / €10 it’s quite surprising to see a producer move upmarket. The first tasting note I wrote was “who’s just mowed their lawn” – it’s that distinctively grassy!

The grapes are sourced from a vineyard in Leyda Valley, which is only 9 miles / 14 km from the cooling Pacific Ocean. There are some great Pinot Noirs coming from that area, but that’s a story for another day. This 2013 vintage wine also belies its age – it has a smoother mouthfeel than one might expect from such a young wine.

So the key questions – is it a success? Is it worth the extra money? Right now I’d be happy to drink it, but I probably wouldn’t spend €24 of my own money in a wine merchants. However, I reckon this will actually evolve over the next few years, so I’d be very interested to taste an example with some more bottle age to see where it goes.

The Best Of The Rest

If you’re all Sauvignoned out, here are some of the other whites which stood out for me:

Dr L Riesling 2010

For those scared or wary of Riesling, Dr Ernst Loosen’s entry level bottling is a great place to start. It’s fairly simple, though it has enough acidity to evolve more complexity over a decade. It’s fresh and fruity with a touch of residual sugar, but it’s pleasant and balanced – so moreish!

Of course Dr L makes more profound and expensive Rieslings, but the true nature of the bargain is that you won’t feel like you’re missing out even if you’re a Rieslingphile.

Also check out this post from Tim Milford.

Salterio Albariño DO Rias Biaxas 2012

Salterio Albarino DO Rias Baixas 2012 — Salterio Albariño DO Rias Baixas 2012

I like Albariños on the whole, but my main beef with them is that they often don’t offer enough bang for the buck. Meet Salterio’s offering which is a great value example from Rias Baixas. It won’t be the best you’ve ever tasted but it’s remarkable at the price.

Protos Verdejo DO Rueda 2012

Not much to add here as I’ve recommended this Rueda several times before – it’s a cracker!

Muga Barrel Fermented White Rioja 2013

Rioja’s Viura (also Catalonia’s Macabeo) is a fairly neutral grape. By neutral, I mean thin and often lacking in flavour. This makes it a good base component for Cava, but can make for an uninspiring dry still white. The winemakers of Rioja have long used two main techniques to add interest to their whites – oxidisation and barrel ageing. As a personal preference I’m not yet a convert to oxidised styles, so such examples from Rioja leave me cold.

Happily for me, this Muga example is clean as a whistle and definitely worth a try. It has 10% Malvasia in the blend and was fermented in new French barriques. Maturation on the lees adds to the creamy texture, but it is tangy and fresh – a great example at a fairly modest price.

Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royal Brut NV

Joseph Perrier Cuvee Royal Brut NV — Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Brut NV

Good Cava and other traditional method sparklers are better than poor Champagne (the type you often see in the supermarkets at 50% off). But good Champagne holds its own, in my opinion.

This is an almost-equal-parts blend of the main Champagne grapes – Chardonnay for lemon and freshness, Pinot Noir for red fruit and body, plus the often unfairly maligned Pinot Meunier for white fruit and floral notes.

The Cuvée Royale has three years on the lees prior to disgorgement – far beyond the minimum for not vintage – and this is where the extra body and creaminess come from. It’s far better value than a special offer Champagne.