McGuigan Bin No. 578 Merlot 2010

Appearance: Bright purpley red.
Aroma: Simple and clean black fruit.
Flavour: Medium-bodied merlot with smooth tannins and nice savoury oak. The hot climate has produced flavours of caramel and stewed plums.

This is currently sitting on the end of the isle in my local Sainsbury's along with others in the same £4.00 - £5.00 price range. Not worth the £9.99 SRP but at the moment £4.99 gives you a reasonable, no-thrills wine.
 

Wine Name: Bin No. 578 Merlot

Producer: McGuigan

Grape/Blend: Merlot 
Vintage: 2010 

Alcohol: 13% 
Country: Australia (South Australia)

Bought at: Sainsbury's

Price: £4.99 (Half Price)

Value for money: ♦♦♦ Good
Over all rating: ♦♦ Average

Torretta di Mondelli Nero d'Avola 2010

Appearance: Light purple.
Aroma: Juicy plums and smoke.
Flavour: Lean and dry medium-bodied red with a fresh green character and simple tannic finish.
Black pepper, redcurrants and bitter greens.

This is a youthful red wine and is perfect with meaty fish, pasta or other tomato-based dishes where fuller-bodied red wines are not wanted. I was surprised by the quality of this wine and recommend it.

Wine Name: Torretta di Mondelli Nero d'Avola

Producer: CS Birgi, Italy

Grape/Blend: Nero d'Avola

Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 12.5%

Country: Italy (Sicily)

Bought at: Sainsbury's

Price: £4.49 (50% off £8.99)

Value for money: ♦♦♦♦ Very Good
Over all rating: ♦♦♦ Good

Kumala Western Cape Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2010

Appearance: Murky black-red 
Aroma: Black fruits. 
Flavour: Throat-catching and acrid. Lingering numbing finish.
Aluminium foil, bark chips and burnt pans.

Despite being under screw cap, this wine tasted out of condition and oxidised. Not great. 
 

Wine Name: Western Cape Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

Producer: Kumala

Grape/Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 13.5%

Country: South Africa

Bought at: Sainsbury's

Price: £4.00 (3 for £12.00)

Value for money: ♦♦ Average
Over all rating: ♦ Poor

Viña Maipo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Appearance: Scarlet.
Aroma: Fruity candy and tobacco.
Flavour: Bitter, underripe berries. Soapy off-dry finish. Not very nice.
 

Wine Name: Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Producer: Viña Maipo Reserva

Grape/Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 12.5%

Country: Chile

Bought at: Sainsbury's

Price: £3.99 was £8.99...

Value for money: ♦♦ Average
Over all rating: ♦♦ Average

Sainsbury's House Côtes du Rhône NV

Appearance: Mauve-tinged, dull red.

Aroma: Light, unidentifiable 'fruits'.
Flavour: Acidic and sugary, a bit like strong blackcurrant and apple squash. A bit of mustiness hangs on after swallowing.
Blackcurrant, pepper, fungus.


I've decided to try as many of the Sainsbury's House wines as I can over the next few weeks.
I thought this Côtes du Rhône was OK. There wasn't anything particularly exciting about it though it's no reason not to buy it. As with the other House wines, it's very competitively priced and is great for stocking-up on for parties, cooking or whatever you like.

It's almost Summer. Why not make up a big jug of Sangria?

Wine Name: House Côtes du Rhône

Producer: Sainsbury's

Grape/Blend: Grenache, Shiraz

Vintage: Non-vintage
Alcohol: 13%

Country: France

Bought at: Sainsbury's

Price: £3.99

Value for money: ♦♦♦ Good
Over all rating: ♦♦ Average

Sainsbury's House Cabernet Sauvignon NV

Appearance: Light red.
Aroma: Black fruits.
Flavour: Young, green taste, low tannin with a pleasant savoury and dry finish.
Blackcurrant, dried spices and violets.

Light to medium-bodied rounded wine. Nothing to fault at this phenomenally low price.
 

Wine Name: House Cabernet Sauvignon

Producer: Sainsbury's

Grape/Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage: Non-vintage 
Alcohol: 13%

Country: Spain

Bought at: Sainsbury's

Price: £3.99

Value for money: ♦♦♦♦♦ Outstanding
Over all rating: ♦♦♦ Good

Sainsbury's House Torla Rioja NV

Appearance: Light peachy red.
Aroma: Cherry and damp leaves; a lot like old, stewed tea left in the pot.
Flavour: Soft, light-bodied red. Terribly low acid, flabby mid palate and grimy soap finish.
Red berries, soap and anaesthetic throat spray.

This Rioja has a very generic flavour, really struggles with acid and is, quite honestly, boring.
Yes, Rioja is an Olde Worlde wine and one shouldn't compare it to 'New World' wines and expect big, explosive flavours. However, what is expected is some elegance and subtlety, on which this doesn't deliver. The chemically whiffs coming from my glass worried me and I really couldn't enjoy it, despite the low price.

Sainsbury's House brand does have some good wines on offer, only this isn't one of them.
 

Wine Name: House Torla Rioja

Producer: Sainsbury's own-brand

Grape/Blend: Tempranillo

Vintage: NV
Alcohol:  12%

Country: Spain

Bought at: Sainsbury's

Price: £4.29

Value for money: ♦♦ Average
Over all rating: ♦ Poor

Torretta di Mondelli Pinot Grigio 2010

 Appearance: Very pale lemon yellow.
Aroma: Pear and green apple.
Flavour: Sharp and steel-edged. Very fresh acid and short dry finish.
Think lime, pear, greengage and granny smith.

Clear-cut and very simple, this is a typical Italian pinot grigio. For £4.00 I was expecting it to be a bit bitter and nasty - which many cheap pinot grigios are - and was pleasantly surprised. The mouth-watering acidity makes it a natural aperitif and it will go down well with most light foods.

Wine Name: Pinot Grigio

Producer: Torretta di Mondelli

Grape/Blend: Pinot Grigio

Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 12%

Country: Italy (Veneto)

Bought at: Sainsbury's

Price: 3 for £12

Value for money:♦♦♦ Good
Over all rating: ♦♦ Average

Hardy's Crest Cabernet-Shiraz-Merlot 2009

Appearance: Bright crimson.
Aroma: Tarry oak, ripe berries and pepper.
Flavour: Sharp fruit and oak take centre stage, supported by plummy sweetness with a herbal twist. Feisty mouthfeel, fresh finish. Juicy!
Fruits of the forest, mint and fennel.


This blend is focused on what Australians do best: Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz and has the effect of softening the wine and filling out the body. Here however, it doesn't really achieve this and is dominated by the other two grapes. The wine is also a little too sweet, though this probably isn't noticed when it's gulped down with a big meal.

Whilst it's not the best buy at the full price of £9.99, I really recommend buying this when it's on offer. It's young, vibrant and juicy and at the same time pretty powerful and serious - qualities which will make this wine appealing to a broad range of people. There's plenty of weight on the palate and it packs a powerful alcohol punch so it's best to enjoy it with a fat-laden meaty dinner. This bottle is a safe gift for a dinner host!

Wine Name: Crest Cabernet-Shiraz-Merlot

Producer: Hardy's

Grape/Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot

Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14%

Country: Australia

Bought at: Sainsbury's

Price: £4.99 (50% off 9.99 SRP)

Value for money:♦♦♦♦ Very Good
Over all rating: ♦♦♦ Good

35° South Latitude Chardonnay Sémillon 2010

Last night my family and I sat down for a meal and chose to drink this Chardonnay Sémillon, made by Viña San Pedro, Chile's second largest wine producer. We bought it just before Christmas 2010 from Sainsburys for £3.99, half of the usual price of £7.99. Bargain!

The fancy-looking white label invited us to Take a journey to a new Latitude and then described the tropical fruit aromas we would find such as pineapple, banana, peaches and melon as well as notes of ripe grapefruit and vanilla in the mouth. We couldn't wait!

Unfortunately, we found out that behind the label is a bog-standard wine, cleverly marketed to the public.

Appearance: The wine looks absolutely fine; in the glass it is light yellow, clear and bright.
Aroma: On the nose however, it seems flat and dull though there's nothing particularly wrong to point out - I just expect more.
Flavour: Agressively bitter. The wine doesn't show off any of the individual characteristics of Chardonnay or Semillon. It is unbalanced and is dominated by fermenting over-ripe fruit flavours. It's possible to discern some grapefruityness though everyone around the table agreed on the lingering bitterness and solventy finish (one mentioned nail varnish remover) once it is swallowed.

Although the full price in Sainsburys is still £7.99, this wine seems to be constantly on offer. In fact for Christmas 2009, it was reduced to £2.99 per bottle. At this price, it is a fairer reflection on the quality of the wine.

Wine Name: 35° South Latitude Chardonnay Sémillon

Producer: Viña San Pedro S.A.

Grape/Blend: Chardonnay Sémillon

Vintage: 2010
 Alcohol: 13%

Country: Chile

Bought at: Sainsburys

Price: £3.99

Value for money:♦♦ Average
Over all rating: ♦♦ Average