Another week, a new set of three supermarket wines for £30. Like my first post (which you can find here) I've chosen a sparkling, a white and a red, this time from Marks and Spencers.
Sparkling - Prestige Cava Brut at £10
White - Tblvino Qvevris for £10
Red - Valdemadera Gran Reserva (2013) for £9
Total £29
I was really happy with this selection, it probably topped my Ocado trio, but I'll give them another chance in a few more weeks. To be honest, if I have to buy supermarket wine (ha, yes I'm such a wine snob) I would go to M&S so it wasn't unexpected.
Sparkling - Prestige Cava Brut £10
Being someone whose not very keen on Cava, I was really surprised at this wine. Beautiful crisp acidity, not too rich but with plenty of flavour. Definitely a step up from your bog standard sparkling Spanish. It's a blend of Macabeo and Parellada that's been bottle fermented, the same way as Champagne, so expect a bit more quality in this wine.
Tasting Notes: Crisp, delicate bubbles, lemon, lime, apples and pears. A slight savoury character too with some nutty notes and a bit of toast as well. There's a lot more going on than you would normally expect from a Spanish sparkling.
Positives: Price V quality. A bargain for something so tasty.
Negatives: If I'm being picky, I'd say the label is a bit tacky!
Food: Nibbles or nothing. Perfect for roasted almonds and some olives.
White - Tblvino Qvevris £10
I've wanted to try this for a long time. It's great to see supermarkets stocking wines which are out of a lot of peoples comfort zones. This Georgian orange is really fantastic and a great introduction to wines which are a bit different. It's aged in large amphora (clay jars) called Qvervi which are buried in the ground. This brings complexity, richness and some really interesting flavours too. It's not as weird as I would have liked, but that just makes it more enjoyable for more wine drinkers I suppose, but a great introduction for someone who wants to broaden their horizons.
Tasting Notes: Quince! So much juicy quince, a bit of ripe pear, baking spices and some nice acidity.
Positives: It's great to see M&S offering something so interesting at a very approachable price.
Negatives: Again, another wine I couldn't fault.
Food: This wine hold up really well with rich foods with some spice.
Red - Valdemadera Gran Reserva (2013) £9
I tried to find a wine with a bit of age, and this 2013 was exactly what I was looking for. A great alternative for those who love Rioja. A very smooth wine, with plenty of red and black fruit, a hint of oak too. Pretty simple if I'm honest but definitely a crowd pleaser and very quaffable.
Tasting Notes: blackberries and blackcurrants, cherries, vanilla, a bit of toast.
Positives: Does what it says on the tin. A nice bit of age which softens the wine. Definitely a wine to enjoy with food.
Negatives: A bit simple, but I'm being picky.
Food: A wine perfect for slow roasted leg of lamb.
Do let me know if you have tried any of these wines, or any of Marks and Spencers offerings which you think I should try!
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Heard in London