CO-OPERATIVE 2010/11 TOP WINES IN PRICE CATEGORY
SUMMARY
Very good in the £5 -10 bracket, particularly the Argentinian reds. All the own brand wines are of a really high standard. As you'd expect there's a good selection of improving Fairtrade wines and a pleasing persistence with well chosen German wines (moreso than any other major retailer).
KEY
The reds are written up in this colour
The whites in this colour
Pink in this colour
The fizz in this colour
Desert wines in this colour
WINE PRICE DRINKER RATING
>£5
Co-operative Bulgarian Chardonnay 2009 (Bul) £3.99 81
Good uncomplicated Wednesday night wine, very drinkable, refreshing.
Co-operative Chilean Chardonnay (Chi) £3.99 82
Tropical fruit nose, good forward fruit balanced with good high acidity
Co-operative Ziel Pinot Grigio-Chardonnay (Ger) £4.79 81
Good full generous mouthful, light, fruity, fresh. Top value
Pasqua Pinot Grigio 2009 (Ita) £4.72 81
A pinot grigio with character, good citrus, lime peel, refreshing acidity
Les Crouzes Cinsault Rose 2009 (Fra) £4.99 83
Good full fruity nose, nice round feel in the mouth, confected cherry, raspberry
Mormari Salice Salentino 2008 (Ita) £4.99 85
Given up smoking? Tobacco, pepper, cigar smoke, stewed plum, good value
Elephant Trail Pinotage Shiraz 2009 (SA) £4.50 81
Fruity, spicy cedar nose, modern style, forward fruit, great value
Silver Creek Petite Sirah 2008 (USA) £4.99 84
Plum jam nose, good bitter bramble, full tannin, intense, top price
Six Mile Road Merlot 2009 (USA) £4.99 85
Cabbage leaf (good) generous stewed fruit palate
>£10
The Frenchhouse Rose 2009 (Fra) £5.29 80
Fresh light raspberry elements, good value.
Boschendal Rose 2009 (SA) £6.49 81
Salmon pink, light red fruit, good acidity, good value
Co-operative Chablis 2008 (Fra) £8.99 83
Greengage and mineral nose, complex in mouth, fruit and stones
Reinhartshausen Riesling Kabinett 2007(Ger) £9.99 83
Low alcohol (9.5%), aromatic, grapey, floral, off dry. Top wine
Co-operative Explorer’s Vineyard S. Blanc (NZ) £7.99 81
Restrained tropical fruit and elderflower nose, good intense fruit
Pacha -Mama Organic Malbec 2008 (Arg) £6.99 81
Good full rich bramble, nice elements of pepper, stewed fruit.
Las Moras Bonarda 2009 (Arg) £5.25 81
Ripe plum and violet nose, full fruit and good tannin
Co-operative Mendoza Malbec 2008 (Arg) £7.99 83
Very intense blackberry and pepper, soft tannins
Co-op Bin 99 Argentine Cabernet Franc 2007 (Arg) £6.99 81
Lots of soft round tannin, full black fruit, brambles and pepper
McGuigan Classic Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (Aus) £6.99 83
Black fruit, black pepper good spice, soft in the mouth, good price
Co-operative Barossa Valley Shiraz 2008 (Aus) £7.99 80
Big ballsy classic Aussie shiraz, lots of big fruit
Santa Rita 120 Carmenere 2008 (Chi) £6.99 81
Forest floor, rich bramble, warm and generous
Chateau de l’Estang 2007 (Fra) £8.99 84
Good open fruity nose, ripe black fruit, warm, developing, soft
Casa Contini Brindisi Riserva 2006 (Ita) £5.99 84
Big, full, generous fruit, black cherry, good soft tannins
Ricossa Barbera D’Asti 2007 (Ita) £5.99 82
Ripe developing nose, hints of leather, good full fruit on the palate top value
Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir 2008 (NZ) £8.49 82
Good farmyard pinot noir nose, complex, generous red fruit, soft tannin
Marlborough Estate Reserve Merlot 2009 (NZ) £6.99 83
Supple fruit, blackcurrant, full mouth feel
Vanderburg Shiraz Pinotage 2009 (SA) £5.49 83
Complex nose, ripe blackberry, rich warm, full
Corte Mayor Rioja Crianza 2005 (Spn) £8.99 83
Full soft ripe black fruit, hints of leather, light grippy tannins
>£15
Nepenthe Charleston Pinot Noir 2007 (Aus) £13.99 81
Spicy pinot noir nose, (cardamom?) good fruit and body
Montes Alpha Syrah 2007 (Chi) £10.99 84
Full, elegant, forward blackcurrant notes, long finish
Chablis Premier Cru Brocard 2008 (Fra) £12.99 86
Complex smoky nose, green apple and minerality
Domaine Magnin Gonon Pouilly Fuisse 2008 (Fra) £13.99 85
Lemon peel notes, rich and generous in the mouth, complex and smoky
<£15
Skilogalee Shiraz 2007 (Aus) £15.99 82
Lots and lots of oak, big blackcurrant cordial and black pepper
Chateau Le Boscq St Estephe 2004 (Fra) £17.99 83
Good complex dinner party wine, cedar and cassis, menthol hints, developed.
