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