A great yet affordable Crozes-Hermitage: Emmanuel Darnaud “Mise en Bouche” 2022

Image ~ June 1, 2026June 1, 2026 ~ Zoltán Németi ~ Leave a comment

I don’t think it’s easy to find value in the Northern Rhone, but I actually found some amazing wines in the last few months for fair prices. One of them was this beauty, which is a textbook example of syrah from the region, weighing in at a perfect 12,5% ABV. Highly recommended!

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Supersmooth Languedoc red: Chateau de Caraguilhes “Cochon Volant” 2024

Image ~ May 29, 2026 ~ Zoltán Németi ~ Leave a comment

Never had a wine from this producer before, and what a nice surprise. So refined, skillfully crafted – these are things I love about French wines.

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Superb Cotes du Rhone: Perrin Reserve 2023

Image ~ May 10, 2026May 10, 2026 ~ Zoltán Németi

I looked back and found the tasting note of the 2010 vintage of this wine in my notes, but I think I had tasted even earlier vintages. As far as I can tell, both quality and style are similar these days, making this an absolutely reliable red wine. The current release is as good as the ones back then.

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Great value garnacha: Herència Altés Garnatxa Negra 2025

Image ~ April 28, 2026 ~ Zoltán Németi ~ 2 Comments

A new producer to me, and the first experience could not be more positive. This garnacha blew me away, I did not expected such a vibrant wine – I definitely need to try other bottlings in their range.

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Supermarket wines: Séguret Les Aumoniers 2024 from Lidl

Image ~ April 15, 2026 ~ Zoltán Németi

A named villages Cotes du Rhone from Lidl, and it is great value as usual. It’s even a bit cheaper than previous vintages – at least in Hungary -, I don’t even know how is that even possible. And as I have experience with the wine (see the 2018 here) I can confidently say it can be aged for up to 7 years, and it may improve a bit with time.

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Supermarket wines: can you age an entry level Chianti from Lidl?

Image ~ March 30, 2026 ~ Zoltán Németi

A cheap wine from Lidl that over-delivers in most vintages, I liked this 2018 quite a lot back then (gave it 87 points three years ago, see here), so I stocked up on it. I still have a few bottles and it is almost 8 years old – I bet most entry level wines under 5€ would be way over the drinking window (except Bordeaux and perhaps Rioja reds!). But not this one.

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A great, affordable cabernet franc: Bertrand & Vincent Marchesseau “Ampoule” Chinon 2024

Image ~ December 28, 2025 ~ Zoltán Németi

One of my favourite wines in 2025 is this Chinon called Ampoule from Bertrand & Vincent Marchesseau – and because their Poids Plume 2024 impressed me just as much, I’m gonna name them as one of my favourite producers of 2025 as well. All their wines are organic and well made in a lovely, pure style showing typicity and freshness. They are a pure joy to drink.

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Value in Burgundy: Paul Delane Bourgogne Cote Chalonnaise 2023

Image ~ October 27, 2025 ~ Zoltán Németi

To continue the cheap Burgundy thread, here is another example of something affordable which is actually quite good. Was 12,74 € if you buy one but only 8,90 € if you pick two bottles, no wonder it ran out of stock at Vinatis.

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Three Cotes du Rhone reds

Image ~ October 11, 2025 ~ Zoltán Németi

From the three Cotes du Rhone wines reviewed below, two have an ABV of 15% – hardly a surprise yet I’m still not prepared for it. As the years pass, I tolerate high alcohol less and less, and I crave balance more and more. Check out that Yannick Alléno & Michel Chapoutier bottling, it gets things right – still ripe at 14% yet not heavy or clumsy!

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Rioja’s fresher side – Artuke 2024

Image ~ July 27, 2025 ~ Zoltán Németi

You say Rioja and oak comes to my mind, before anything else. Too much oak. There are exceptions but you know what I’m talking about. I’m not a fan of wines tasting like coconut extract.

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