Petit Bandol. Or something like that. Actually tastes a bit different, which is not surprising when we take a look at the composition: Mourvedre, Grenache and Cinsault, roughly one-third each. Continue reading
Best value – Eje Monastrell 2017, Alicante, Spain
From time to time some extraordinary value appears in supermarket chain Lidl, in the form of Spanish and Italian reds from warmer, less famous wine regions. They don’t pretend to taste like expensive wines, and that’s an advantage – they are pure and honest, and as they are well crafted too, I often find more pleasure in such bottles than in many reds that cost considerably more. Like in this case. Continue reading
Riesling greatness – from Luxembourg, again
After such a fantastic Pinot Gris, it should not come as a surprise that Luxemburg can also excel in Riesling. Yet I was blown away by this wine. Continue reading
Pinot Gris greatness – from Luxembourg
I bet that Luxembourg makes some of the finest Pinot Gris in the World. Here is just another bottle to prove that – it’s not your usual, dilute white wine for sure. Continue reading
A charming and cheap Bandol – Cellier de Cathedra 2016
Drinking in Avignon, supermarket wine #6. Grenache is one of my absolute favorite grape varieties, I love it, and I drink more of it than anything else – but Mourvedre fascinates me even more. The issue with it is availability: while well priced and excellent Spanish versions (the gold standard is Castano’s Hecula for me) are in abundance, it’s not that easy to find French versions. Bandol is probably the most well-known example, but it’s mostly expensive, and only a few big names are available outside France. So to find a Bandol for merely 6 Euros in a local supermarket… I had to try it. And it did not disappoint, in fact, turned out to be better than the majority of supermarket Rhone reds I tasted. Continue reading
A lovely little Rhone red: Domaine Corpet Louvet 2018, Séguret AOP
Drinking in Avignon, supermarket wine #5. After yesterday’s Beaumes-de-Venise, here is another lesser-known Southern Rhone appellation, Séguret. I admit I have never heard the name – but after trying this wine, it’s definitely on my list. Continue reading
Chapelle Notre Dame d’Aubune Beaumes-de-Venise 2017, Rhone Valley
Drinking in Avignon, supermarket wine #4. This is something I really miss at home, in my beloved Budapest: access to lesser known Rhone crus, like Beaumes-de-Venise. It might be just an ordinary, entry level wine for locals, but I’m excited to taste it.
A taste of cheap Chateuneuf du Pape – Domaine Lucien Barrot et Fils 2015
Drinking in Avignon, supermarket wine #3. I can’t exactly remember the price but it falls into the cheap Chateauneuf du Pape territory, which is danger zone – almost always a disappointment. When it’s not, like in this case, it’s a bad value: you better buy wines from less famous appellations, they offer more enjoyment for less money.
Good rosé does exist in the Southern Rhone – Famille Gonnet, Le vin du Pape Rose 2018
When tasting through the wines of Famille Gonnet in their pretty shop in the heart of Chateauneuf-du-Pape (the town itself), their rosé really impressed me. More so, than some of the reds… I had to buy a bottle and try it back in my apartment in Avignon. Those fun nights…
Drinking in Avignon – Domaine de Montfaucon Viognier 2018, IGP Gard, France
Spending a week in a wine region and trying local wines you don’t have access to at home is such a fun. Even if they are far from being top wines – I greatly enjoyed tasting a few from supermarkets in Avignon at the end of May.