Yep, you may not be surprised to learn that we have been far from idle in our search to find the ultimate red. We are looking for the best-tasting bottle (or indeed, box) of wine that provides the best value for money. The story so far:
01/11/2009:
Château la Moulière 2006 (Côtes de Duras). Score: 8/10
(13% ABV, €4.50)
Comments: Mum & Dad found this one when they were over here, from a wee town called St. Alvère, which is unfortunately a little too far for us to get to on a regular basis, as we haven’t been able to find it anywhere near us. Anyway, it is a yummy, full bodied and fruity wine with lots going on – and a complete bargain at the price! It is the winner so far.
02/11/2009:
Château le Bouscarel 2006 (Bergerac). Score: 5/10
(13.5% ABV, €3.80)
Comments: An experiment. We have bought several wines for under €4 just to see if there are any little hidden gems out there on the supermarket shelves. This isn’t really one of them. It wasn’t bad – especially for the price, but there just wasn’t that much going on. It was also slightly… edgy. Probably wouldn’t get it again.
06/11/2009:
Haute Abbaye 2007 (Pécharmont). Score: 5/10
(12.5% ABV, €5.90)
Comments: I had high hopes for this one, and it was ok…. Smooth, with a smoky aftertaste, but it really should have been better for the cost so it hasn’t scored as well as it could have. There was a bit of a sharp tang to it – but this did fade once it had breathed for a while.
09/11/2009:
Le Vigneau 2007 (Bergerac). Score: 6/10
(12% ABV, € 3.80)
Comments: A good wine – if not a great wine. I was worried at first that it was a total duffer – it had a nasty, sharp bite at first, but we left it to breathe and this went away completely. Not the world’s most exciting wine, but it has that classic Bergerac taste, and for under €4 is a real bargain.
What’s that you say? “They’ve only had 4 bottles of wines in the whole time they’ve been out there?” Ah… no, it’s been rather more than that – but we weren’t organised enough to takes notes at first, so we lost a few. No matter, there is plenty of time, and indeed plenty of wine, to go yet!