lifestyle
Wine - In Search Of Value
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German poet Johann Wolfgang Goethe is often credited with the quote, ‘life is too short to drink bad wine’, but with prices rising everywhere, how much should good wine cost?
This month we take a trip across a good spread of wine varieties and prices in the search for value.
Anaperenna Barossa Valley Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
The Anaperenna is a juicy Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon that makes an impact the moment you put the glass to your nose. It provides a powerful hit of alcohol, a bramble fruit that promises a rich and dense wine.
It offers plum and cassis with a smooth feel on the tongue. The wine is wonderfully rounded with warm spice and a chocolate and pepper finish. It is very good. If you can restrain yourself, it would be worth cellaring this wine for a while.
Sometimes big wines like this one can be overpowering, but it has an excellent balance and crispness to it.
The winemakers moved to the Barossa Valley in 1888, so they have some knowledge of the region. The Glaetzers established themselves in the Ebenezer sub-region, where they produce some serious wines.
Anaperenna is a great example of modern Australian wine.
Available in Harvey Nichols for £52.
Chateau La Roseraie Dumont Puisseguin Saint Emilion
Available in M&S for around £11, this Bordeaux packs a punch for the money. A blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, it’s a well-structured, rich, ripe and robust wine with a long finish that is jam-packed with juicy blackcurrant and red cherry fruit.
It is quaffable with lots of bramble and pepper on the nose. The wine has cherries and blackberries with an oaked and earthy finish.
If you are looking for red wine to drink at a BBQ, this is an excellent choice. It can be enjoyed straight from the bottle and is robust enough to enjoy in warmer temperatures.
Available in M&S or online for around £11.
Bird in Hand Pinot Noir Rosé
Waitrose has a fantastic selection of wine. Its wine-buying team won deserved recognition at the Drinks Retailing Awards, and was named Multiple Wine Retailer of the Year, Multiple Spirits Retailer of the Year and Drinks Buying Team of the Year.
The passion of the team is evident in this well-priced Australian rose. It’s from the Bird in the Hand winery in the Adelaide Hills and offers great value compared to its French counterparts.
The wine is packed with fruit. It has bags of peach on the nose and is rich with stone fruit in the mouth. It has a long mineral finish that makes it fantastic to pair with fish or a salad.
This is a wonderful antidote to the anaemic rose wines of Provence. It offers a greater depth of flavour with high but well-balanced acidity. Enjoy it on its own, or pair it with shellfish or a plate of charcuterie.
Available at Waitrose for £13.99.
Nathan Lane
Our wine enthusiast Nathan lives in Leeds and runs PR and marketing company Campfire PR
https://campfirepr.com/