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Everyday Reds

Special Whites


Special Reds

 The HTQI ratings points  
A wine to seek out and enjoy as much as you can superbly over 140
A fairly reasonable wine worth trying, certainly better than its price suggests
110  to 140
Sound commercial wine for the price – goodish but no surprises
 90 to 110
A wine you should probably be thankful you didn’t buy, just try to enjoy at a friend’s  place –
65 to  90 points
If someone gives you this wine as a present, use it in the salad dressing or to de-scour  the kettle, or both sadly less than 65
  The HTQI is simply calculated by taking assessed value of wine divided by the actual retail price, so a wine “worth” £7.99 but costing just £4.99, has a HTQI of 799/499 = 160.  A really good buy indeed. 
       
Everyday Whites Comments Outlet Price HTQI Date tasted
Domaine Galeti, Vin de Pays D'oC, southern France.  Chardonnay-Viognier 2001 Rich honey and bananas/apricots aromas, verging on ripe fruit salad. In the mouth, generous and balanced with long pleasant aftertaste.  This is the real thing - so big it could have been made by an American footballer. Marks & Spencer £3.99 225 25th October 2002
Fetzer Vineyards, California Chardonnay-Viognier 2000 In spite of the horrid yellow label, attractive mix of melons and apricots with no confusing wood, a little short on intensity of flavour but well made, and tons of alcohol!  Sainsburys £5.99 116 24th October 2002
Le Midi Viognier Vins de Pays d'Oc, Southern France 2001 Excellent value for this price, classic deep apricot flavours of viognier grape (which some people will find overpowering)  A little fat, but overall reasonable balance, and better value.   Sainsburys £4.49 178 20th October 2001
Saint Veran, Les Monts, southern Burgundy  2001 Delightfully successful and affordable clean buttery chardonnay form Burgundy - buy it up and enjoy over the next couple of years.  Almost sumptuous and rich - pleasing and mouthfilling.  Old World charm. Marks & Spencer £6.99 129 18th October 2002
Oak aged Bordeaux, Sauvignon Semillon, Dourthe 2001 If you like your Meursault really woody, then here's an affordable alternative - it could be made from just about any grape - all you get is woody flavours (chips!!??), but it will appeal to most people    Marks & Spencer £6.99 114 1st October 2002
Vila Maria Private Bin, Marlborough, NZ Riesling 2001  Better value than Alsace, even though it it so slightly sweet.  Wasted drunk now, will develop more complex flavours going forward, but why wait - enjoy it now even tho the Montana Rieslings are better Waitrose £6.99 100   29th September 2002
Domaine Cazal-Viel Viognier Vins de Pays d'Oc  France Delightful apricot and peach flavours which exemplify the viognier grape's charm. Well balanced and good value, if somewhat unspectacular Tesco £4.29

155

2nd August 2002
Labeye Viognier-Chardonnay  Vin de Pays D'Oc France Attractive blend of buttery melon and apricot flavours, a tad low in acid and shortish finish but still very respectable for the price.  Maybe worth keeping 12 months. Oddbins £5.49 135 2nd August 2002
Merwida Winery 2001 Viognier Worcester, South Africa An incredibly dreary and unappealingly ordinary wine.  No interest whatsoever. Oddbins £4.99 68 27th July 2002
Virginie Vin de Pays d'Oc 2001 Viognier  France Attractive mouthful of apricot - good value; may even be worth keeping 12 months to see how it develops Oddbins £4.99 138 17th July 2002
Inychon Chardonnay 2000  Siciiy A clean enough mouthful of unwooded chardonnay, no pretence towards quality but making a decent white in Sicily is asking a lot.  Not bad. Tesco £4.99 100   2nd May 2002
Boshendal Grand Cuvee 1999 Sauvignon blanc  South Afriica Any wine from the New World which feels the need to market itself as a "Grand Cuvee" has got to be dicky.  This just lacks interest totally, and nothing coming from the wood maturation.  Dull. Tesco £6.99 72 30th April
Tyrells Long Flat Vineyard Chadonnay 2001 South Eastern Australia Pleasant enough commercial drop. Clean unoaked buttery melon flavours, well balanced if a little flat.  Fair enough. Unwins £6.99 96   24th April 2002
Lands End 2001 Sauvignon blanc Elim Vineyards, Southern Cape, South Africa  Really flavoursome mouthful, with plenty of body and not overly acidic.  Will upset no-one, even the attractive tinned-asparagus taste;  truly decent value. Tesco £6.99 128 20th April 2002
Argento Chardonnay 2001, Nicolas Catena, Mendoza Argentina Superb buttery fruit with subtle oak.  Long pleasant flavour, good balance.  Great value - but be careful - lots of bottles at local Tesco were clearly maderised - only buy those that appear pale through the bottle. Tesco £4.97 181 13th April 2002
Burgundy Appellation Bourgogne Controlee Chardonnay 2000  Cave de Lugny, France Any white burgundy for £4.50 has to be viewed suspiciously - especially when producer needs to put "chardonnay" on the label.  This wine was horrible; you'd need to be "lugny" to buy it (sorry, couldn't resist that)  Marks & Spencer £4.50

 

55

12th April 2002
Oxford Landing Limited Release Yalumba 2001 Viognier Eden Valley South Australia   Big solid mouthful of flavours, predominantly peach.  Low in acid, almost oily.  Pleasant but seems to lack some finesse.  Probably worth keeping a year or two  Majestic  £6.99 

95

 

  30th March 2002 
Domaine Mandeville, Vins de Pays d'Oc, Southern France  2001 Viognier  OK, but a little dull.  Attractive fruit flavours, well balanced and totally drinkable.  No oak. Marks & Spencer £3.99 115 25th February 2002
Heemskerk, Sauvignon Blanc 2001 Tasmania, Oz Disappointingly bland, but certainly fresh and inoffensive - but where's the sauvignon flavour that should have appeared.  No excuses as it comes from a good cool area. Marks & Spencer £6.99 82 23rd February 2002
Buitenverwachting, Sauvignon Blanc 2001 Constamtia, South Africa Not a bad wine, good weight and balance and even tho the strong flavours have no finesse at all - shame as everthing else is in place - just needs a touch of class.     Oddbins £6.99

89

 

20th February 2002
Montana Sauvignon Blanc 2001 Marlborough New Zealand Purely commercial, with good balance and long aftertaste.  One is almost suspicious of its intense classic sauvignon flavours.  This wine has effectively become the benchmark sauvignon.  Its increasingly daft to spend £10.99 on a "good Sancerre" to find you've wasted a fiver. Widely available 5.99 125  18th February 2002
Erdener Treppen Spatelese, Staatliche Weingut Sanitatstrat Dr Herman, 1998, Urzig, Mosel Not a trendy wine at all - hence the price.  Most folk will dislike the diesel flavours and sweetness - shame as this is a classy wine which will get even more interesting over the next couple of years.  Surprise yourself and buy a bottle. Majestic £5.99 130  23rd January 2002
Candela Mendoza Argentina 2000 Viognier Trying to cash in on the growing popularity of this difficult to grow grape -  Viognier.  Overall a fairly neutral effort, not offensive.  OK -ish Tesco £4.99 100  12th January 2002
Riesling Vin d'Alsace 1999 Cave de Truckheim, Haut Rhin, France Hints of riesling flavours, well balanced, maybe it will be tasting in several years, but hardly worth the wait.  As dull as the label.   Unwins £5.99 85 10th January 2002
Domaine Perraudin 2000 Vins de Pays de Gard, Southern France Sensational for the money, and surprisingly a "Bin end".  Not stated on label but apparently Viognier grape - classic flavours and lovely length.  A winner - look for the 2001 when it arrives. Oddbins £6.99 135 3rd January 2002
Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Riesling 2001South Eastern Australia A neutral wine without much depth of flavour, well balanced and would slip down without anyone noticing. Shame there is no hint of Riesling flavour. Tesco £4.99 95 6th December 2002
Matua Valley, Marlborough, NZ 2002 Delightfully pungent nettles and
gooseberry flavours. Well balanced and long flavours, just what we've come to expect (and consistently get) from Marlborough. Good wine.		 Tesco £6.99 129 1st December 2002
Semillon 1999 St Hallets Wines, Barossa Valley, Australia Flagrantly bland and innocuous, certainly does not live up to claims of "rich lemongrass and lime blossom aromas". Almost balanced but there is
something fishy about the spritzig sensation. Avoid.		 Marks & Spencer £6.99 71 7th December 2002