THE DRINKER
EAT - DRINK - BE MERRY
Drinks of the Week Past - Jan to Jun 2013
DRINK OF THE WEEK
24th June 2013
Innis and Gunn Canadian Cherrywood Finish Scottish Oak Aged Beer
Innisandgunn.com £2.25 (Tesco from Sept)
Drinker Rating 89
There's a big trend for aged bottled beers and when they can knock them out at this quality why ever not.
It's a pity I missed this one for Father's Day as it would hit just the right note. It comes in a lovely little box, beautifully designed and would make a great present for the old man - affordable quality.
The beers is rich and malty with sweet maple and toasty notes, great stuff, great price, get this in for next Father's Day, bargain.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
17th June 2013
Exquisite Collection Cotes de Provence Rosé
ALDI £5.99
Drinker Rating 89
Having spent the last week tasting as many rosés as I can I have come to the conclusion that there's a lot of pretty mediocre stuff out there, but well chilled and in the garden in the sun pretty much everything tastes ok doesn't it?
This is anything but 'ok', this is on the verge of 'excellent', particularly when factoring in the price. Aldi keep on offering consistently good wines,beers and spirits at fantastic prices. This comes in a lovely bottle and is full of peach and raspberry flavour. Top stuff.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
10th June 2013
Portinho do Covo
Laithwaites £7.49
Drinker Rating 90
Is it 'The Special One' or 'the Happy One'? Jose was special but now appears to be happy to be back. There's something irresistible about the man, and it's good to see him back (I'm not a Chelsea fan by the way, Luton's my team).
So enjoying all things Portugese why not try this brilliant little number from Laithwaites, it's got a really nice developing leathery nose (insert your own Sir Alex joke here), bag of generous black fruit, is elegant and deep.
A fantastic wine and you don't have to be a Russian billionaire to enjoy it.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
3rd June 2013
Lacroix Bordeaux Superieur 2007
Majestic £7.99 (£5.99 each when buying 2+)
Drinker Rating 90
Confession time, for a wine guy I'm not really a lover of Bordeaux. I don't rate the lower priced stuff and I'm sure that the expensive stuff is great but when can we ordinary drinkers afford it? The wines can be angular, over tannic and unapproachable when young and very expensive and a bit of a gamble when old.
However... this is a little belter. It's from 2007 so has had time to develop soft tannins and a really lovely savoury aroma. There's still bags of bramble and blackcurrant so it's extremely generous. And best of all it's only £5.99 (multi buy price), so you're getting good Bordeaux for a really fab price.
My summer house red.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
27th May 2013
Septimo Dia Chardonnay
Majestic £9.99 (£7.99 each when buying 2+)
Drinker Rating 91
So the summer's here, it is isn't it? No? That's right it's still technically spring. So better get the wine in for when the summer does come and this is going to be my summer house white.
It's got well judged but clear oak notes, it's buttery and elegant, you get a lot of wine for the price here. A real bargain.
Cross your fingers for some sun.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
20th May 2013
Waitrose Solera Jerezana Dry Oloroso
Waitrose £9.75
Drinker Rating 89
As we approach World Sherry Day (26th May as if you didn't know) what better than this world class wine from Waitrose. It's a proper dry Oloroso, dark amber in colour, it has a toasted nutty nose and great body and structure, this is the complete wine.
Do yourselves a favour and get into sherry, from the archives of The Drinker, here's my handy Sherry Guide.
Top Stuff.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
13th May 2013
Finest Swartlnd Chenin Blanc
Tesco £7.49
Drinker Rating 89
I think we're beginning to reassess what a well priced wine is, long gone are the days of three for a tenner - and were they any good anyway? We're now more honest with ourselves on the price of a decent bottle.
I think £7.49 or this beautiful chenin blanc is good value. Bags of ripe apple, pear and a hint of honey, it hits just the right note. This will be perfect just as soon as the sun comes out.
Love it.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
6th May 2013
Chateau Capitoul 2010
Co-operative £7.49
Drinker Rating 90
The Co-op have really got their wines from the Languedoc sorted. I tasted this last week, a classy looking bottle reveals a classy drinking red, soft ripe bramble, beautifully balanced tannins, tobacco and black fruit on the palate. Tip top stuff at only £7.49 - lots of wine for the money.
Love it.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
29th April 2013
Orchard Premium Apple Cider
Aldi 99p Pint bottle
Drinker Rating 88
There's still a recession going on and it's down to us hardy imbibers to drink the nation out of it. This is a really good standard 'house cider' great for knocking back at home with a barbie, or if you're like me this May Day weekend drinking at a fancy dress party - I'm going as a Morris Dancer.
With a hay nonny no! Hay ho, the wind and the rain!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
22nd April 2013
Laurent Miguel Heritage Syrah 2008
Tesco £9.79
Drinker Rating 90
Dear Wine and Food Writing Fraternity, not everything has to be matched with something - OK? It is fine to just enjoy a wine for what it is, also I'm annoyed sometimes that some wines actively need food for us to see them at their best.
However, here's a wine for a really specific food match (although it's really good on its own too). Deep chocolate and mellow coffee nose, blackcurrant backbone and medicinal palate, body and depth. Will go really well with the arm of a Serbian defender.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
15th April 2013
Pascual Toso Malbec 2009
Marks and Spencer £10.99
Drinker Rating 88
The 17th of April is Malbec World Day - that always sounds a bit oddto me, like Africa Cup of Nations, the words are in the wrong order. Anyway Malbec World Day is the baby of Wines of Argentina, as I touched on last week Argentina's preferred grape is malbec and it really suits the climate and altitude.
This is a little cracker, real depth and complexity, it's aged really well and is great value at £11.
Malbec World Day Cheers To.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
8th April 2013
Atlantico Sur Reserve Tannat-Merlot
The Wine Society £12.50
Drinker Rating 88
This is a bit of a pricey one for me to recommend but it's worth every penny.
I like it that regions adopt grape varieties, Argentina has malbec, the Aussies have Shiraz and the Californians get Zinfandel (and they're welcome), and so it is with Uruguay, (the next big thing) who've opted for tannat (better known in the wines of Madiran in France). But a good choice for the Uruguayans as it clearly grows well in the climate and their winemakers are making great strides.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
1st April 2013
Folo Prial John o' Groats House Red
www.foloprialdirect.com
Drinker Rating 85
Amazing with the onset of climate change that it's now possible to grow grapes to such a high standard at Britain's most northerly point.
This is a belter, hints of damp boy scout on a Wednesday afternoon on the nose, full on brutish regret with a spiteful mouthfeel. Would suit a beard wearer or indoor picnic.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
25th March 2013
Sainsbury's House Tempranillo
Sainsbury's £4.50
Drinker Rating 85
OK so there's a recession on, but that shouldn't deter you from drinking good wine and it's always been the job of The Drinker to bring you the good stuff at affordable prices.
So get this little Tempranillo (it's the main grape variety of Rioja) at only four and a half quid from the good people at Sainsbury's . It's an uncomplicated wine, but has just enough spice and fruit to be interesting - and it will definately go with your Easter Lamb.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
18th March 2013
St Austell Cornish Stout
www.staustellbreweryshop.co.uk
£2 per bottle £12.95 per case
Drinker Rating 92
We should all drink more stout, and having just had St Paddy's day I don't mean bland corporate Guinness I mean the real stuff like this little belter from St Austell Brewery.
I dare you to take a taste test with this next to a bottle of Guinness, no competition, this has character, depth and intensity with just the right amount of sweetness. Like all things in drink the quality is in the balance and this is perfect.
Yeghes da!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
11th March 2013
The Ned Sauvignon Blanc
Waitrose £7.99
Drinker Rating 88
Waitrose are one of a number of retailers who take part in Wine Relief for Red Nose Day (Google Wine Relief for the full list), and this is one of their fab Wine Relief offerings this year.
This is a strange one for me as I'm recommending a wine that I don't much like. This sauvignon is big, ballsy, grapefruit and elderflower floral, not my cup of tea at all but it's clear that some people really go for this style, so in the interest of balance buy this wine!
10% of the retail price is donated to Comic Relief, the more you sup, the more you give.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
4th March 2013
Dr L Riesling
Majestic £7.99
Drinker Rating 88
Majestic are one of a number of retailers who take part in Wine Relief for Red Nose Day (Google Wine Relief for the full list), and this is one of their fab Wine Relief offerings this year.
We really do need to get into riesling and this is a lovely little wine, off dry, wonderfully aromatic with a slight spritz to it, and at only 8.5% alcohol it's a real belter for an aperetif at your first spring lunch in the garden.
10% of the retail price is donated to Comic Relief, the more you sup, the more you give.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
18th Feb 2013
Tesco Finest Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc
Tesco £7.99
Drinker Rating 89
Chenin blanc will be the new pinot grigio,which was the new sauvignon blanc which, in turn was the new chardonnay. This is a beauty from Tesco and properly priced.
As a point of order there won't be a Drink of the Week next week as I'm away in Milan, it's Milan Fashion Week, so I'll be looking for a bit of casual cat-walk work. There must be a market for a big fat balding model? Maybe the big fat balding model will be the new size zero model?
DRINK OF THE WEEK
11th Feb 2013
Estevez Cabernet Sauvignon Carmenere
ALDI £4.99
Drinker Rating 89
So winter's back again, I thought we'd seen the last of the snow, but I guess February is proper winter after all. So what we need is a little drop of sunshine to cheer us up, preferably something that would go well with a hearty stew, and this is just the ticket.
Ripe damson and plum, a little hint of wood smoke, very warming, good full body. Lovely full fruit and enough complexity to keep your interest at under a fiver.
Great drop for a retirement party.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
4th Feb 2013
Chapel Down Flint Dry
Waitrose £9.99
Drinker Rating 88
I once saw a sign in a camping shop for their January Sale which read 'Now is the winter of our discount tents' and with Richard III in mind it's an English wine for Drink of the Week this week.
Chapel Down have a great reputation as one of England's finest wine makers, Flint Dry is exactly that, bone dry and austere with a lovely hint of English hedgerow herbaceousness.
Cheers to the return of the King.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
28th Jan 2013
Side Pocket For A Toad
Drinker Rating 88
The excellent Tring Brewery keeps churning out top quality beer and as far as I can tell they are the closest brewery to Luton. So this is terrific pint to raise your glass to the heroic Luton Town who beat Norwich in the FA Cup.
Side Pocket For A Toad is a great session ale at 3.6% and can be bought direct from the brewery in bottles or in pubs local to Beds and Herts. You'll also be able to sample other Tring Brews at the Luton Beer Festival at the end of Feb.
Altogether now, "Come on you Hatters..."
DRINK OF THE WEEK
21st Jan 2013
Taste The Difference Languedoc White
Sainsbury's £8.99
Drinker Rating 90
So we can't eat mackerel any more. I had the vision that it should be compulsory to put mackerel, pigeon and rabbit on every menu in the country. All abundant, all organic, all free range, all sustainable. But now it appears that the mackerel is off.
Well sod that, the next time I get the chance I'll be eating fresh mackerel, right out of the sea that morning.And what would go well with it? How about this little beauty from Sainsbury's. Lovely light fruit, a hint of minerality and fresh zippy acidity to cut through the oily fish.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
14th Jan 2013
Barbadillo Obispo Gascon Palo Cortado
Master of Malt £30.17
www.masterofmalt.com
Drinker Rating 92
Don't you just love birthdays? It was mine last Friday, and no, not miserable at all - ok 43 is a bum of an age, but I'm alright with it - mainly because I got a bottle of Palo Cortado, back in 2010 this was the best wine I tasted. Rich, nutty, luxurious, good acidity, complex, elegant - everything you need from a sherry. Still tastes as good now.
Yes it's expensive, but this is world class wine - and it's my birthday!
DRINK OF THE WEEK
7th Jan 2013
Marlborough Tukituki Sauvignon Blanc
ASDA £4.98
Drinker Rating 89
Have we got to the day when very lazy journalists write about the most depressing day of the year yet? It happens every year in January, there's some lame press release from a holiday company after some cheap PR.
Well if indeed we are in the midst of the most depressing time of the year you must first get hold of a little drop of sunshine in a glass and this Tukituki S-Blanc is the ticket, and second, just remember that some people have their birthday at this time of year (slippers please if you're buying, size 10) - so not depressing at all really.
DRINK OF THE WEEK
2nd Jan 2013
Prosecco Superiore Valdobbiadene 2011
ALDI £6.99
Drinker Rating 91
Now just because it's the start of a new year it doesn't have to mean total abstinance, on the contrary we all survived Christmas, the New Year and the End of The World so we should all continue to celebrate - hence a lovely little Prosecco.
This one's from the good people at ALDI which means not only is it really well made with a lovely peachy nose, it's also fantastic value (if they've still got any left after New Year's Eve). Fingers crossed they have, it's a lovely drop.