Sub 10€ Loire cabernet franc is such a reliable wine category, I almost always love what I buy. From Central Europe where I leave one of the best, easily accessible selection of such wines can be found on Vinatis – you can find many of them reviewed on this site and here is another one I enjoyed recently.
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Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion 2020
I wanted to put a great Bordeaux into our Hungarian flagship line-up (see previous three posts), for reference and also for fun. Tasted blind I found it a bit Italianesque with its power and warm, Southern character – thought it was from Villány. It came out at second place for me. As a compliment to the Hungarian ones, they were in the same league, at least when it comes to concentration and complexity.
Is there value in Burgundy? Moillard Macon-Villages 2022
This is how cheap white Burgundy looks like in 2025: 15 Euros. It’s not a bad wine at all, but it’s so overpriced. There are just tons of more complex and more interesting white wines out there for less.
Supermarket wines: Les Truffiers Ventoux 2023 from Lidl
Simple (and cheap) wines can be totally delicious. 4,5 € means cheap in the wine world (in Europe for sure), you only get entry level quaffers for that price but when well-made they can be more enjoyable than some more expensive ones lacking balance. And this is pretty solid.
Cru quality Cotes du Rhone: Saint Cosme 2023
I bought Saint Cosme wines every year around 2010 and really loved the producer – I even visited them in 2013 which was a great experience. Then I somehow missed many vintages so I was happy to re-visit them again – and what a return! This basic cuvée was always great value but the current vintage is next level. I need to buy more!
Summer red: Rhonea Les Artistes Rouge 2022, Cotes du Rhone
If you know the red wines of Southern Rhone then this might surprise you. 11,5% ABV? Does not taste like an early harvested wine and it turns out that some of its alcohol was just removed. Sounds weird but the result is appealing.
Outstanding Beaujolais Cru: Chateau Grange Cochard Morgon Vieilles Vignes 2015
Rhone reds from Lidl
I’m a big grenache fan and sadly there aren’t many available on the Hungarian market, so I was happy to see new Southern Rhone reds popping up in Lidl recently. I cannot say they impressed me, though.
Lovely Beaujolais: Domaine du Mont Verrier Villages 2022
Can cheap red Burgundy be good? Doudet-Naudin Macon 2020
