Here are my favourite rosé and reds from Tesco's brand new extended upmarket range described here. If I worked in Waitrose's wine department I'd be very concerned.
PINK
Tesco Finest Côtes de Provence Rosé 2006
Tesco obviously put a lot of work into choosing this cuvée from Skalli (Caves de Saint-Pierre), which is commendably drier and fruitier than most wines selling under this arguably overpriced appellation.
£7.99 ??% (726) SC
REDS
Pilgrimage Mencía 2006 Bierzo
Clever prospecting in this fashionable Galician wine region by Guy Anderson of Fat Bastard fame and clever winemaking by Norrel Robertson MW. From the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela. Brilliant texture and excellent value. Definitely Bierzo – cf the Palacios’s wines at two to four times the price…
£6.99 13.5% (434) Nomacork
Tesco Finest Napa Merlot 2004
Eat your heart out Miles of Sideways, this is great value. Why aren’t other European importers taking such advantage of the weak dollar and wine glut? From Winery Exchange, sweet and slightly minty but not bland.
£7.99 13.4% (726) Diam cork
Marq The Fatted Otter 2006 Monterey
Another Winery Exchange wine, a Bordeaux blend with 10% Syrah and very nice too. It looks and tastes £10-15 – very thick and ripe. A slight outbreak of Bonny Doon virus in the naming though.
£7.99 13.5% (547) synthetic cork (boo)
Dom Marguerite Carillon 2005 Côtes de Nuits-Villages
Buy into the superb 2005 burgundies at your local supermarket. Correct, crunchy fruit from JB Bejot. Could be enjoyed already.
£8.99 13% (432)
J P Dubost 2006 Brouilly
Excellent attack from Lartignié via Signatures et Domaines. Not underpriced though.
£9.99 12% (28)
Ch Tronquoy Lalande 2003 Saint-Estèphe
Good example of how easy the bordeaux 2003s are to drink now. Sappy and well balanced.
£12.99 13.5% (28)
Villa Maria Reserve Pinot Noir 2005 Marlborough
Exclusive to Tesco, where Pinot lovers are clearly welcome. A burgundian from New Zealand? Not much of it though.
£14.99 13.5% (15)
Fonterutoli, Ser Lapo 2003 Chianti Classico Riserva
Excellent choice – very seductive and ripe from a vintage that Chianti survived better than most. Quite widely distributed too. I’m very tempted to order a case from the website.
£14.99 13.5% (222)
Belland, Les Cras 2005 Pommard
More hard work on 2005 burgundies (and there are lots out there to be snapped up). Lively and authentic. Keep at least two years.
£21.99 13% (28)
