I started this column about 2 years ago and it got as far as... well, one store, which was Lidl. So I thought it would be a good idea to bring it back and relaunch it with the biggest supermarket in the UK - Tesco.
Here we are going to rate six bottles of wine from a wine retailer. There are a few rules to this, all of which aim to make sure we do the customer and the retailer justice.
1. The wines have to contain words on the label that even the most extreme wine novice has probably heard of. Words like Cabernet Sauvignon, Rioja, Bordeaux, Jacobs Creek, Penfolds are the sort of thing that have to be on the label.
2. There have to be an equal number of reds and whites, so if there is an appealing looking sparkling wine, we have to have only 2 red, 2 white, 1 fizzy and something else.
3. Where possible, we will get someone with bugger all wine knowledge to venture into the retailer to buy these, just to keep things fair.
4. The total cost of all six bottles cannot exceed forty pounds (for Lidl it was £30, but we have changed it to give independent retailers a chance.)
We will give marks out of ten for each wine, and bonus points for them performing well above their price point. If a bottle of plonk costs three quid and tastes like it should be a fiver, it beats a wine that costs and is worth a fiver. Not very scientific but we don’t give a stuff….
1. The wines have to contain words on the label that even the most extreme wine novice has probably heard of. Words like Cabernet Sauvignon, Rioja, Bordeaux, Jacobs Creek, Penfolds are the sort of thing that have to be on the label.
2. There have to be an equal number of reds and whites, so if there is an appealing looking sparkling wine, we have to have only 2 red, 2 white, 1 fizzy and something else.
3. Where possible, we will get someone with bugger all wine knowledge to venture into the retailer to buy these, just to keep things fair.
4. The total cost of all six bottles cannot exceed forty pounds (for Lidl it was £30, but we have changed it to give independent retailers a chance.)
We will give marks out of ten for each wine, and bonus points for them performing well above their price point. If a bottle of plonk costs three quid and tastes like it should be a fiver, it beats a wine that costs and is worth a fiver. Not very scientific but we don’t give a stuff….
2009 Jacob’s Creek Sauvignon Blanc £4.95
If you can imagine what lemon flour would smell like, this is it! It has a dusty citrus aroma but then with an aggressive lemon curd element. The palate is violently acidic, a great big swift kick to the nads, lots of sweet citrus – Swizzles lollipops – and then another acidic kick to the gentleman’s area. 3/10
2008 Tesco’s Finest Chablis Cuvee Claude Dominique £6.35
Off lemon yogurt on the nose and that is about it. The palate starts of fat and sweet, ok, but not what Chablis is about. Then it has searing acidity that just strips your mouth out. This is horrible. 0/10
2008 Tesco’s Finest White Burgundy Chardonnay £4.98
Very little aroma, melon pith and just a hint of apple. The palate is ok at first, with acceptable fruit, although again, a bit sweet, and then it has a load of acid kicking in. It is the least offensive of the three whites. 3.5/10
2007 Piccini Gran Selezione Oro Chianti Riserva £7.11
A savoury element at first but then parma violets come through, a bit of cherry drops on the nose too. The palate is more savoury, it does have sweet fruit but it is definitely Italian, although the gitload of coffee liqueur on the finish is a bit off putting. 4.5/10
2005 Berberana Reserva Rioja £7.11
Sweet jam, creamy, lots of chocolate and a bit of oranges stuffed with cloves. The palate is ok at first, but then rapidly deteriorates to a flabby, meaty mess. Tannins aren’t overpowering though, but the sweetness is. This could be labeled as “generic red wine” for all the sense of place that it shows. 3/10
2008 Hardys Crest Cabernet Shiraz £7.11
Cassis – lots of overly sweet cassis. Then you do get a little bit of green pepper. This is horrifically sweet, but you do get the spicy black pepper element. It is horrible. 1/10
TESCO SCORES 15/60
The Chart
1. Lidl (20/60)
2. Tesco (15/60)
Comments
BTW, what are "jacobs creek" or "penfolds" im not an extreme wine novice but ive never heard of these varietals...