I like my job...

It is on days like this, I like my job... a lot! I try a lot of wines, am fortunate to get to experience some outstanding wines, but one of the things that gives me the most pleasure is when I find a wine that doesn't cost the earth and beats the living daylights out of other wines at it's price bracket. Today I found one.

A brilliant wine for £7.49 with an interesting story! The Domaine de Montmarin was once a royal estate, and was bought in 1488 by Nicolas de Sarret whose descendants, Philippe de Bertier, and father Paul (who was one of the first in the south of France to plant unusual vines, such as this Marsanne) now own the estate. Lovely fresh fruit, lots of peach, pear and a little tinned pineapple syrup lifting the aroma and adding some sweetness. The palate is nicely creamy, with good pineapple skin, melon skin and peach coming through. A sprinkling of sandstone flavours (and yes, I have licked sandstone) towards the end of the palate, with a long, clean, savoury finish. I’d love this with some tapas! 8.5/10

I also tried a cracking Rose with an equally good story behind it. The 2008 Chateau de Fonscolombe. Owned by the same family for more than 200 years, Chateau de Fonscolombe is a tale of two halves, with the grapes being grown at the two ends of the Trevaresse Hills. A blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, this wine is candy in a glass! Smelling like candy necklaces, with hints of sweet, wild strawberries, this is such an easy drinking rose. It is light, well balanced with sweet fruit flavours being nudged at through the dry, minerally palate. I like this and it only costs a tenner. 8/10

However, for an alternative view, a colleague of mine says, and I quote, “smells like a baby has eaten dried raspberries and then barfed all over the place”. I didn't ask how she knew what that smelled like!