Naked Wines have been on my radar for a while. I'd never really felt like ordering based on the money off vouchers that came through with every Amazon delivery. But, they are marketing masters! I eventually cracked when I was sent an email with a £40 voucher from a friend. Their "recommend a friend" scheme really is genius. I couldn't believe how my marking a wine as "buy again" resulted in a free bottle for another friend along with another £40 voucher for them. I've since done this 3 times and each time been offered a voucher for a friend.
Fortunately, they are good at more than marketing. Next day delivery as standard is a real bonus and it's free if you spend more than £80. (£4.99 or £6.99 for Saturdays if not). The minimum purchase is 6 bottles and if you become an "angel investor" the wines are discounted by 25%. From the samples I've tasted so far, the angel price is actually what the wines are worth rather than a hefty discount, but let's see... They also claim that if you don't like a wine they'll refund the money in full. I'm hoping you won't need to test that claim but have heard from friends that they've fulfilled this without question, in the past.
Fortunately, they are good at more than marketing. Next day delivery as standard is a real bonus and it's free if you spend more than £80. (£4.99 or £6.99 for Saturdays if not). The minimum purchase is 6 bottles and if you become an "angel investor" the wines are discounted by 25%. From the samples I've tasted so far, the angel price is actually what the wines are worth rather than a hefty discount, but let's see... They also claim that if you don't like a wine they'll refund the money in full. I'm hoping you won't need to test that claim but have heard from friends that they've fulfilled this without question, in the past.
And what of the wines? That's what you're all here for. My delivery arrived on a chilly December day and was left in a safe place as requested. When I brought them inside, the whites were chilled to perfection, so despite the weather (and perhaps because of the vegetable curry on the hob) I selected a Pinot Gris from Hawke's Bay (New Zealand) to start the tasting. It's £11.99 (£8.49 Angel price). It's refreshingly crisp, yet rich and fruity. And, it's good with the spicy food I love so much :-)
If you're looking for something as a change from your usual whites, you could give this a go. It's not perhaps as aromatic as an Alsace version, but it's easy to drink and very refreshing.
If you're looking for something as a change from your usual whites, you could give this a go. It's not perhaps as aromatic as an Alsace version, but it's easy to drink and very refreshing.
Jen Pfeiffer's The Hero Shiraz was my next tipple from the box. Regular readers will know I have a soft spot for Shiraz and as I spent nearly 30 years as a red-head so this one, with its "rock it like a red-head" label, just had to find it's way onto my shopping list. The Angel Price is £10.99 (normally £14.99), putting it in the same price bracket as some of my most frequently consumed wines eg The Hedonist and D'Arenberg's Footbolt. My first taste was a surprise. There was no smack in the mouth that can sometimes come from Australian Shiraz. In fact, this wine was restrained, elegant, and perhaps more aptly named Syrah. There's fruit, and there's the usual peppery spice, but its not in your face in any way. This is a serious wine, despite the frivolous label. It says drink now to 2018 and I'd imagine keeping it would serve it well. My opened bottle was left for 3 days under vacuum seal and I reopened it with some trepidation. Not many wines do well after 3 days. In this case, the pepperiness came to the fore and the flavours a little riper. Not just a relief that it was drinkable, actually very nice!
Lunate Fiano from Sicily was next on the list. It paired perfectly with a lightly flavoured fish pie. Fiano is an Italian grape variety which I discovered only recently and each time I've tasted it, there have been differences. This example has a good citrus backbone, but it's not tart or overtly acidic as other citric wines can be. It's softened by some honeyed notes (but don't worry, it's still dry). There may be some almond in there. It's definitely very ripe as you'd expect from Sicilian wine. It was a resounding "buy again" from us, and we'll definitely take it out of the fridge half an hour before drinking, as the super-chilling seemed to take away some of the complexity and elegance in the wine. I'm sure this would be fabulous as an aperitif on a summer's afternoon. Meanwhile, pair it with fish pie and you won't be disappointed. For those who care about such things, it's 13.5% and you can buy it for £7.99 if you're an Angel and £10.99 for a regular mortal.
The i-Latina Syrah (14% abv) from Colchagua Valley in Chile was an Angel bargain - £9.99 versus £19.99 for those without wings. That probably influenced my decision to buy it. Wine bargains are rare! This is definitely a purple teeth kind of wine. Rich, dark, full-bodied with good black fruit and the lovely oak flavours of vanilla and spice. The 5% Carmenere in the blend means it's definite tongue stainer, but perhaps that's not the only reason why it was good for me to drink it alone... Despite using my favourite, reliable corkscrew, the cork broke. A second attempt broke it again. I switched to another corkscrew, by this stage somewhat more in need of a drink than before I started... Sadly to no avail. I was frustrated and the cork was crumbling. Eventually I decided on the radical solution of an apple corer, but instead of removing the piece of cork I'd imagined, the cork was pushed into the wine resulting in an impromptu wine spa treatment for me and a purple shower for my kitchen. By this stage, I was going to have to be seriously impressed for it to have been worth all of this effort... and fortunately, I was! If you like your wines full bodied, full flavoured and ripe, you will want to try this one, but go gently when opening it.
The full horror of the situation was revealed only the next morning. The wine spray had achieved greater heights than I thought possible and my kitchen walls and ceiling now resemble a bloodbath in an abattoir. Looks like that wine bargain turned out to be more expensive than I thought. How much is a can of paint these days?
The full horror of the situation was revealed only the next morning. The wine spray had achieved greater heights than I thought possible and my kitchen walls and ceiling now resemble a bloodbath in an abattoir. Looks like that wine bargain turned out to be more expensive than I thought. How much is a can of paint these days?
This was my 4th bottle of Naked Wine and they've all been pretty good. I'll definitely buy at least 3 of them again. Should you shop Naked?
If you can answer yes to these questions, then getting Naked is probably going to be good for you.
Cheers!
- Do you spend mind spending £8-10 a bottle?
- Do you spend more than £20 per month on wine?
- Do you prefer something a bit different from the supermarket brands?
- Do you find it difficult to get to a good independent wine retailer?
- Are you happy to buy at least 6 bottles at a time?
- Do you like shopping naked (or at least in your pyjamas?)
If you can answer yes to these questions, then getting Naked is probably going to be good for you.
Cheers!
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