My last post waxed lyrical about 2 bottles that are out of my price range for regular drinking, so I thought I'd redress this balance this time around with 2 wines I've enjoyed lately that were much cheaper than they tasted.

The Wine Society Fino
I know Sherry isn't everyone's choice, but if you like a very dry wine style, and enjoy an olive or two, then Fino could be for you.  I won't drone on about how it's made. I've done that in past articles.  In a basic screwtop bottle, this isn't an attractive serve, so it's perhaps not one for entertaining unless you serve discreetly in another room. But it is a stunning bottle for the price. Served ice cold with inexpensive olives, and some very expensive Jamón Ibérica, it transported me to an evening in Spain.  In fact, we booked flights to Madrid as we sipped.  You have been warned.  

At just £6.25 from The Wine Society, it's around £4 cheaper than a standard bottle of Tio Pepe, and yet so, so good, with all the salty tang, bready, yeasty notes and almond flavours we love in a Fino.  
Jancis Robinson rated it "very, very good value", while 3 separate reviewers (including 2 Masters of Wine) gave it 5 stars in February's Decanter magazine. We rate it one of the best Finos we've drunk in the last 2 years (including time spent in Jerez!)  Give it a go. We drunk ours over the course of 4 nights by maintaining it's freshness with Vineyard Fresh.  More on that coming soon.  

Membership of The Wine Society is £40, lasts for life, and you get £10 off your first order.

Casa Lia "Rag Doll" Pinot Noir

In a very different style, this bright red, is new in and priced at £7.82 from Wine Cellar Club's online store. 

It's got all the structure you'd expect from a Pinot Noir (great acidity, integrated tannin, medium body), and lots of fruit.  A lighter style red for those who don't like heavy red wines.  You can read more about my love of Pinot Noir here.  Although the back label refers to smokiness, this is a fruit forward wine made without use of oak, great for those of you who tire of the "taste of trees".  Juicy strawberries and raspberries with some fresh red cherry, perhaps, and a hint of complexity on the finish.  I'm relying on a 2 month old memory, but the first thing that came to mind was that the fruit and structure was similar to the £13 bottle I'd had recently. 

Unlike some top Pinot Noirs, it's light on the truffle, undergrowth and mushroomy flavours sometimes associated with this grape variety.  For me, this makes it approachable, easy-drinking and easy to pair with home-cooked food.  I had it with chilli, but it might work just as well with seared tuna, a venison burger, or simply on it's own. 

Burgundy winemakers will sleep easy in their beds. This wine appeals to a broader audience, though, and reaffirms my growing belief that Chile represents great value.  For a wine at twice the price in a more oaked style, but still representing Chile, try Cono Sur's 20 Barrels, if you've got a spare £20 for a bottle.

Wine Cellar Club sells in cases of 12 with free delivery, and customers can mix from their selection in any quantity.
I'm told that ordering in 6s will soon be available, with a delivery charge likely to be around £5

If you've enjoyed a wine available for under £8 without a special offer, why not let other readers know about it by sharing on our Facebook page, or on the blog comments below.

ABC?  Look away now.
This is a homage to Chardonnay at it's finest.  

Many years ago, when the Australian winemaking industry started making waves in the UK, Chardonnay was a prime export. Over-oaked by adding cheap oak chips to stainless steel vats, or worse, oak essence, the wines sent many running from the grape. 
The ABC now drinks anything but Chardonnay because they don't want to risk such poor quality wine again.  And they're missing out.

Chardonnay is a classic and noble grape variety.  It's the base of many Champagnes.  It's home is Burgundy in France. It's here, perhaps not in the village which gave the grape it's name, that it finds it's classic and finest expressions.  It also travels well.  Now it's one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. And it's a varietal which expresses, more than most, the wine maker's style and the terroir, or climate in which it's grown.
So if you've not tried Chardonnay for a while, it really is worth trying another one.  

Even within Burgundy, styles can differ greatly.  On Saturday night, at Soho's The French House, a friend and I chose a northern Chablis and a southern Macon.  Same grape, both Burgundy, both the same year.  And yet, so different.
One steely, green apple, cold and minerally austere; the other rounder of body, and with a touch of cream on the slightly tropical fruit notes.

The real meat of our comparison was inspired by opening a bottle of Catena Chardonnay 2012 on Thursday night.  We've sampled this one several times this year, since enjoying a bottle of another vintage in Ecuador.  To keep returning to a bottle is unusual at Purple Teeth HQ since we are all about exploration.  This one keeps us coming back for more.  This time, we noted almost savoury umami notes on top of round, almost candied citrus, with some hints of nectarine, pineapple and subtle vanilla.
Mr Purple Teeth renewed his proclamations of affection. I wondered, how would this compare with his all time favourite Chardonnay Puligny-Montrachet?  A plan was born.  
The Catena was hastily re-corked and for once, with no Friday night obligations, we decided to open a bottle of Ropiteau Puligny-Montrachet 2008 we'd received as a Christmas gift.
It can be difficult to buy a wine gift for a wine professional.  I'm grateful to the friends who get it right!

The challenge: what to cook to bring out the best in these fine wines?  The Catena is around £13.99  from Waitrose, though I bought mine during the 25% discount event, and the Puligny, at a guess was around £50 from Marks and Spencer.  Although not a top class "grand cru", this is still a wine at 3 times the price of the Argentine example. As our Catena probably breaks the budget for many Purple Teeth readers at more than double the UK average price for a bottle of wine, the goal here is not necessarily for you to go buy these wines, but rather to inspire you to make your own comparisons, experimentations, and at the very least, to give Chardonnay another chance.
If you want to read more about what makes Puligny Montrachet so special, there's a lot of background detail here, at Wine-Searcher.com which there's no point in my repeating.
One day, I hope to sample the ultra premium Batard-Montrachet, but for now, I'll dream.

Regular readers will know I'm no cook, so I decided to let great ingredients speak for themselves: fresh crab, pure and simple, without butter or mayonnaise; white crusty bread; Jamon Iberica Bellota (an amazing 3 year aged ham from Spain); and cheese.  Lots of cheese.  
Many people instantly think of red wine with cheese.  Not me.  My cheese preferences tend to the stinky end of the spectrum, and the acidity in white wines cuts right through this, where the red wine fruit can be dulled, flattened and ultimately become tinny.
Of course, we sampled both wines before adding food.  The Catena remained strong.  The Puligny was quite different.  While the body and acidity were similar, there was a more viscous, silky mouthfeel.  Mr Purple Teeth went quiet.  Was he disappointed?  No. He'd just gone into his happy place. Silently savouring every droplet, before announcing judgement.  He remains a fervent fan of the French.  

Of course, we sampled both wines before adding food.  The Catena remained strong.  The Puligny was quite different.  While the body and acidity were similar, there was a more viscous, silky mouthfeel.  Mr Purple Teeth went quiet.  Was he disappointed?  No. He'd just gone into his happy place. Silently savouring every droplet, before announcing judgement.  He remains a fervent fan of the French.  
Although there's smoke and spice on the palate here, the more obvious flavours were dairy based.  Creamy, buttery,  rich, like an unsalted Charentes butter on a toasted Brioche, there was fruit, but it played second fiddle to these wine-making flavours.  Apple, pear, and perhaps some membrillo, this was a sipping wine worthy of considered attention.  So much, that I didn't actually take any notes.
The chances of you going out to buy a bottle are slim.  So the point of the exercise was to show how different even great Chardonnays can be from each other rather than to provide in depth descriptions.
With the meaty Spanish ham, the Catena Chardonnay jumped to attention.  Almost steak-like in intensity, the meat really shone with the savoury notes in the Argentine wine.  Fresh, delicate, unadulterated crab, though, put on a song and dance routine with the Puligny.  As food pairings go, it's probably one of my favourites of the year so far.  Had the crab been tampered with, it might have been a different story, but freshness all the way made this chilly September evening feel more like spring.
When it came to the cheeses, Gorgonzola Piccante (Italy), Cornish Cruncher 3 year aged Cheddar (M&S), cave-aged Gruyere (Swiss), traditional Comté (France) and Burgundian Epoisses, we were not making it easy on any wine.  Most came with a rating of 6 or 7 out of 5 on the strength scale.  Still, again, they worked.  The French and Swiss Cheeses worked best with the Burgundy, while the southern wine fared well with the Cheddar and Gorgonzola, enhancing that umami, savoury character.  
In the end, I wouldn't really recommend putting an expensive wine up against Epoisses, but I'd certainly favour a white over a red.

t's hard to capture the character of the evening.  We'd intended to sip a side-by-side glass then move on to relaxing with one or other wine, but the fascinating interplay of the different flavours kept us enjoying both wines simultaneously until our Argentine bottle ran out.
If you've never drunk 2 wines side-by-side to compare with each other, or with food, it's worth doing sometime.  You'll discover a lot about what works, what doesn't, and you'll gain a deeper understanding of what you love and why.  I urge you to make a comparison, whether north and south, inexpensive versus pricey, or oaked versus unoaked, or simply 2 different wines from the same grape and region.  It's a great way to see what is really "varietal character" (that which makes the grape identifiable, and wines made from it similar), and to understand the influence of region, soil, climate and wine-making style - or at least see how the wines differ from each other.  
Opening your eyes in this way, can give you more confidence to explore in future.

If you'd like to organise a Purple Teeth wine tasting, to be guided through some taste comparisons, get in touch. There's still some availability in the lead up to Christmas and it makes a great event with your team mates for office celebrations, or even a lovely gift. 

Otherwise, keep exploring wines at home, and remember to let us know what you're enjoying via Twitter or our Facebook page.

Cheers!

Mr Purple Teeth's reaction was instant. Mmmmmmm! He guessed upwards of £15. Damn, that boy is good. He loved the complexity, the weighty mouthfeel, the almost sweet taste of pineapple and the way the dry crisp flavour came in behind the front notes.  He wanted to know more, but I am cruel.  I made him try to guess.

He had no chance. In fact, I reckon most people would have no chance!  A blend of several grapes including lesser known Symphony, Arneis, Classic Chardonnay, Albariño and Viognier, it's not one I'd like to have in a blind tasting exam.  But I'll happily face it any other time. I will definitely be buying another bottle.  

It's my first taste of Symphony which is a pretty rare Californian cross breed of Grenache and the highly aromatic Muscat. According to Jancis Robinson's Wine Grapes, it's often used in sweet wines, and plantings are likely to grow since it makes a great blending grape.  I'll be keeping my eyes open for it.
It may not be my first taste of Arneis, but I've never reviewed it here.  Traditionally from the Piemonte area of north-west Italy, it's most famous home is the town of Roero where it produces full-bodied and highly scented dry white wines.  I will probably be on the look out to try more of these now, as I continue my quest to gain some knowledge of Italian wines.  Much like Viognier, one of the other grapes in the blend, it was almost extinct as recently as 35 years ago, but has now been saved.  

The nose is reminiscent of Riesling, despite the utter lack of that aromatic grape in the mix. Citrus and mineral notes abound, aromas that leap out of the glass. The acitidy is as biting as Hannibal Lecter. The body as voluptuous as Annie Wilkes in Misery, but the flavours are as edgy and complex as Norman Bates.

A complex and intriguing wine that will surprise and impress your friends and one that might just drive you insane with desire for another glass.

Cheers!

Footnote
We decided to go out this Tuesday as the weather was brighter.  We sat outside a local Italian restaurant and had a bottle of Roero Arneis (I stick to my plans!)
It felt a lot simpler than the Lunatic blend, less tropical, more apple, pear and some grapefruit.  It was a good match for our mainly fish based dishes. The food improved it.  It felt a little to simple to enjoy on it's own.  I'd love to hear if you've drunk Arneis, what you think of it.

Firstly, apologies for the delay in publishing this article.  It's been a hot summer, and I've been consulting with a local wine company, and I've been injured, sick and traveling, and excuse, excuse, excuse.  It's taken me a lot longer to drink the 3 remaining wines sent for review by the Hungarian Wine House than I'd thought. When I organised a group tasting to help me do justice to describing the wines back in April, I never foresaw it would be September before we got to read the rest of the results.  So, feel free to refresh your memory with some of the finer points about Hungarian Bor (wine).

If you're intrigued by this, or any of my other articles about Hungarian wines, Bálint Takács of The Hungarian Wine House will be pleased to advise you on where to start your tasting journey.  You can order as little as one bottle to start with, and you'll find a rich variety of unexplored flavours and varietals to liven up your palate if you're becoming bored of the same old, same old...  Finally, then, here's my round up.

On England's last night in the world cup, we watched the footy from the Garden and needed an aperitif.  We went for a blended dry white: Hagymási Egri Csillag 2011 (£12.50 13% abv)
From Eger (home of the famous Bull's Blood, Hungary's iconic red wine), the Csillag or "Star of Eger" is blended according to regional regulations and must contain at least 4 grape varieties.  Other stipulations insist on <30% muscat and >50% of the blend must come from grape varieties originating in the Carpathian Basin.
This particular example is a gold medal winner in the French competition "Les Citadelles du Vin" 2012.  It was blended from 40% Olasz Rizling (Welschriesling) 32% Leányka (Little Princess), 15% Szürkebarát (Pinot Gris) and 13% Cserszegi Fűszeres (Cserszeg Spice). Most of these are not grapes we drink every day.

I didn't really know what to expect, but with barrel aging, I'd expected some wood notes of spice, clove, vanilla or toast.  The natural cork came out cleanly, but I detected a hint of taint.  Full-bodied and golden in colour, there's a a good weight in the mouth and the wine has a feeling of some age.  Rather than crisp and refreshing as I'd have wanted from an aperitif,  this was more of a food white, so I served some nuts with it.  These enhanced the nutty, woody flavours in the wine, along with some peppery spice.  The orchard fruit flavours are baked rather than fresh, and my over-riding impression is that this was an interesting wine rather than an enjoyable one.  Given the medal winning form of this wine, I suspect my suspicions about cork taint were justified. Sometimes a wine can be just on the edge, other times the fault is unmistakable.  Judging at the International Wine Challenge showed me how the trained nose can detect something most of us would happily drink without giving it a second thought. The Hungarian Wine House prides itself on good service and customer satisfaction, and cork taint can happen in any bottle with a natural cork, sadly.  An efficient seal for many centuries, it's not full-proof. 
For the uninitiated, bits of cork floating in your wine does not imply a fault or that the wine is corked.  Smells of musty wet cardboard or wet dog, however, do.

As the first wine was not a resounding success, I decided to try another.  

Off-dry or "semi-dry" as it's described on the label, the Pannon Tokaj zsomBor Furmint 2011 LIMITED EDITION (£11.70 14.5%) has 10g/l of residual sugar and is a limited edition white wine made with the Furmint grape.  Each bottle from the 575 produced is numbered. Mine was number 175.  Hungarian Wine House only had an allocation of 60 bottles so you'll really have to hurry if you want to try it.  I'm honoured to have been sent one.  

A really unusual bottle, flute-like German wine bottle shape, it was my first ever glass cork!  What a surprise and no chance of a corked wine here.  The wine is a really golden colour and looks like a luciously sweet wine although it's only just not dry.  

You have to tune your head into this wine because it's unlike any other. Furmint is used in dry wines, but more famously in the royal Tokaji dessert wines, which can age for many years, and rival Sauternes as the world's finest sweet wines.
This had some really interesting characteristics - a good body, an appealing side effect of the residual sugar content. Mr Purple Teeth declared it a good aperitif.  The flavour profile was stewed red apple, and with great acidity, as you'd expect from the grape that gives us some of the world's best sweet wines, you can also detect mango, apricot, and maybe even some membrillo (the quince paste that goes with Spain's Manchego cheese).  I think it would pair that cheese very well.  Sadly, I didn't have any at home.  It's got the complexity of a sweet Tokaji wine and shows the potential of that noble Furmint grape variety.  After a few sips, Mr Purple Teeth announced, the more he drunk it, the more he liked it.  Thank goodness for that.  This really is a fascinating wine, and we sipped it over a couple of nights, being disappointed when it was gone.

The technical bit: "zsomBor is a semi-dry Furmint with 10gr. of residual sugar, at 14,5 alc./VV. The grape was harvested at the end of October 2011, fermented 28 days long on marc, macerating and cooling permanently. After the maceration the wine had been ageing for 3,5 months in Hungarian oak barrels.  Bottled in March 2012"

My final wine came last Thursday which, according to Twitter, at least, was Cabernet Day.  When better to taste the Gere Tamás & Zsolt Cabernet Sauvignon 2009  (£21.40 13.5%) from the region of Villány?

The official description: "Dark, intense color, promises great wine. The mushroom and earthy notes from the characther of the terroir are dominant. With the fruits (plum, cherry) cocoa and dark chocolate come up too, which makes a nice round off the barrel use. Mainly the notes of terroir can be felt on the palate rather than the notes of grape. Although still in its youth, ageing will surprise you."

As for me, I'm still no Cabernet lover, with only new world styled able to win me over easily.  I guess that means I'll continue to be regarded as an amateur by some.  But as I told my friend as she sipped her glass, the single most important piece of wine knowledge is "do I like it?".  After that, determining why you do or don't like a particular wine can lead you to explore more with confidence.  There are no right or wrongs.  Your favourite wine might not get a place at my table and vice versa. And that's okay.  Wine is a hug in a glass, and there's something for everyone. I'm very much enjoying exploring the whole world of wine, and I'm looking forward to trying more and more wines, and bringing them to you.  Do let me know if you've discovered something interesting, or, get in touch if you supply unusual wines, and would like to make my readers aware of them.


Cheers! Egészségedre!  (As they say in Hungary)

You may have heard, if you follow any wine press, that Lidl are planning an update to their wine range.  48 new French wines will be launched across the group on Thursday 4th September, at around double the current average price point for Lidl wines.
In general, wines at the German discount chain are in the sub-£6, low cost price range.  Now, in an effort to raise their game, a range of fine French wines, peaking with a Bordeaux at £26, will be on offer.  That should be good news for consumers as in a £5 wine, the true cost of the wine within could be as little as 20 pence at the winery.

Lidl kindly sent me some samples ahead of the release date. Here's what I think of them.

My first sample had to be Rhone's Saint Joseph 2012, a 100% Syrah.  At £8.49 it's a reasonable price for a northern Rhone wine.  But is it any good?

The colour is deep blood red and the nose is quite intense and deep, with almost meaty notes. Gushing acidity floods the mouth lightening the feel, but this is no lightweight wine.  Medium bodied but with a depth of flavour that makes it feel fuller, and hefty tannins, it's not quite as elegantly full of violet notes as I'd hoped, but there's plenty for a Shiraz fans to chew on.  The flavour description on the back suggests blackcurrant, raspberry, leather and liquorice.  For me it's more blackberry than blackcurrant.  The fruit is dark and with the spicy, meaty notes, it's almost not fruity enough.
This is a wine to enjoy with food, rather than to quaff a glass of to unwind.  It's robust and would benefit from some protein on the side.  
For the money, it's a decent wine, to be enjoyed now rather than in a few years time.  Would I buy it?  Unlikely.  The finish is a little harsh, perhaps with a hint of rubber. Mr Purple Teeth didn't finish a glass.I'd probably spend a bit more to get a more elegant and violet noted Syrah.  On the plus side, it was not too hight in alcohol, at just 12%, and with the intensity rendering it sippable rather than slurpable, it might be just the ticket if you're trying to cut back. 

We received 4 wines from the Bordeaux region, known for being complex and expensive, with the low end wines often disappointing.  We spanned the range here from £5.99 to £26 and with remarkably positive results.  Sure, you can't expect a great deal of complexity from a £7Sauternes, but when compared to other similar wines, and of similar prices, these wines really held their own with my blind tasting panel.  You can read the whole story here.

Next came a Burgundy (Bourgogne in French).  The Hautes-Cotes-de-Beaune caught my eye for a number of reasons:

• I enjoy good Burgundy Chardonnay
  
• I've visited Beaune many years ago
  
• It's a reasonable price, £7.99
  

It couldn't quite deliver what I was looking for, but  white Burgundies I've been sipping recently have been closer to double this price point, so perhaps that's a little unrealistic in terms of expectations.  

It's a simple and uncomplicated white 100% Chardonnay, with a light and pleasant flavour, and a reasonably short finish.

It's a simple and uncomplicated white, 100% Chardonnay, with a light and pleasant flavour, and a reasonably short finish.
This is a wine for drinking in large glasses with friends, rather than studiously sipping.  There's good acidity but it doesn't taste sharply acidic, medium body and some ripe fruit notes with a very subtle hint of vanilla and tropical fruits.
Subtlety isn't a byword for wine success at Chateau Purple Teeth.  We tend to like concentration and aromatics rather than neutrality, but that's not everyone's style.
It would make a great base for Burgundy staple, the Kir.  If you fancy a change, this works well with Violette as well as the traditional Creme de Cassis.
We describe this as a wine for people who don't really like wine.  It's inoffensive, pleasant, soft, easy to drink and not too strong on any dimension. 
Only you can decide if that's worth £8 of your cash.  I'd probably choose something else, or save for a more expensive bottle.

My final hope for a bargain was the Alsace Riesling.  This being an aromatic style should be much more Purple Teeth's bag.  Was it?

Riesling is a grape variety that's gone in and out of fashion over the years.  Much maligned as a sweet German wine, it can produce sweet and dry wines of exceptional quality, and with price tags to match.  It's also seen some success in Australia's Eden and Clare Valleys and in parts of the USA.  

If you've never had Riesling before, you should expect a very acidic white - meaning it's really mouthwatering and refreshing - and flavours of lime.  It's often said that Riesling has "petrol" and "mineral" notes of wet stones.  To the uninitiated, these terms can be very unhelpful, as they don't sound particularly appealing.  However, Riesling can be wonderful, and these strange flavour notes are what gives it a unique and intriguing character. 

At £5.99 a bottle this may be the cheapest Grand Cru on the market. But what exactly does Grand Cru mean in Alsace?  Among other things like vineyards at altitude between 200 and 300m, Grand Cru vineyards must produce lower yields (55 hectolitres per hectare), and wines must be from a single vineyard named on the bottle.  Lower yields tend to mean better quality fruit, but higher prices as bulk production is less prominent.  Rosacker, in the village of Hunawihr is just over 28 hectares and became a grand cru vineyard in 1983.

There's no back label here to give us any information, and this alone could lead to problems for Lidl shoppers.  The point of sale information will doubtless inform customers that this is a dry wine, but I fear the traditional French labels on many of these wines may be a barrier for many cost-conscious wine shoppers.

It's a lively dry wine with a medium body, with some oiliness. The expected spiced  and mineral Riesling aromas leap out of the glass, and it's lively on the palate too, thanks to that acidity which cuts through anything in your palate.  This would be a great pairing with fish and chips or perhaps a mackerel salad, or perhaps even a Thai curry.
It's not as complex as some Alsace Rieslings, being predominantly citrus and green apple with those unmistakeable petrol/mineral notes.  
Simplicity can be a good thing.  At this price, you get an introduction to what a great wine dry Riesling can be, and it's affordable enough to serve with even your most mundane midweek meals.   
If you enjoy a dry Riesling, you'll find this suitable for it's price point. If you've never tried it before, but fancy the sound of something that makes your mouth water as much as yellow & green Starbursts, it's a low risk starting point.

Lidl's new range contains 41 wines I haven't yet tasted. I will try more.  My local wine club is having a "Battle of the German discounters" Aldi/Lidl taste-off next week, and I'm now looking forward to it much more than I was when it was first announced some months ago.

If you're in your local Lidl branch later in the week and pop a bottle in your trolley, do let me know what you think of it.  My top pick goes to the bargain basement Sauternes at £6..99 with the £5.99 Riesling a close second.  They're at the simple end of their types, but at these prices, who cares? I look forward to hearing about your Lidl  favourites.

Cheers!


FOONOTE!
I didn't finish the Riesling and put it back in the fridge with just the cork pushed back in.  Two days later I went back to it (today).  It was still fresh and vibrant and paired brilliantly with my tomato/chilli pasta with chorizo, prawns and peas.  Riesling is the food wine to end all food wines in my view - goes with lots of hard to pair things.  For £5.99, you can't fail with this one for your mid week summers.  Thank you Lidl