After the whites yesterday comes the reds today. I should have mentioned that these wines aren’t going to be on the shelves at Lidl shops until the 26th November. They’ll last as long as stocks do, so get down there early doors!
Anyway, here are my top 3 reds to keep an eye out for…
The Everyday Drinker
Louis Virion, Costières de Nîmes, 2014 (Rhône, FRA) @ £4.99
Not meaning to harp on like yesterday, but £5? How do they do it? Anyway, I’ll leave the economics lesson to another day. For now let’s just say that this little fruit bomb of plums and violet flower is well balanced, easy to drink ,the tannins (the graininess that sticks to your gums in some red wines) aren’t too clingy, and the aftertaste is just fresh and fruity. You won’t remember it on your death bed, but there’s nothing wrong with it at all!
The Special Treat
Brunello di Montalcino, 2009 (Tuscany, ITA) @ £14.99
Selling a 2009 Montalcino is useful. It means that us punters don’t have to buy one and store it in our tiny flats for 6 years before we drink it! Medium garnet colour shows the age, and the cherry, fruitcake, and leather smells are great to have a sniff of. It’s just as intense in the mouth too. The Italians would have this with something like roast boar, but you’d get away with any roast game meat. As I said, defintely for a special occassion!
The Wildcard
Cimarosa, Carmenere Limited Edition, 2012 (Colchagua Valley, CHI) @ £6.99
Reason I call this one the wildcard is that I know some people aren’t a massive fan of this grape. Carmenere to Chile is like what Malbec is to Argentina. It’s a flagship grape variety that that country does well. It’s really dark coloured, and the fruits are powerful dark fruits like blackcurrant and bramble. The aftertaste goes on a lot longer than you’d expect for a wine that only costs £7. I’d have this one with a chargrilled steak.
