What Was Your Most Recent Bottle of Wine?

[french frank]

Paul Mas wines are excellent and Southern French Viogniers are mostly very good!

I noticed Tesco also had one (different label, posh embossed bottle à la Châteauneuf-du-Pape [RIP btw], similar price c £8)) so tried that at lunch today - quite surprised that it's only rated as an IGP - Pay d'Oc. But the noble Langres spoke a common language with the IGP and humble homemade crabapple jelly. A lesson to us all, I feel ...

[Roger Webb]

A saunter this afternoon to Morrisons, just to see if they had a 'Wine of the Week' (our Aldi closed today) revealed their 'The Best' Rioja (crianza), Marqués de los Rios 2021 reduced to £5 from £9.50 (a box of 6 bought) - running low on Riojas, so this should be useful. I'll report back after I've tried it with the garlicky prawns with linguine I'm doing.

[Roger Webb]

A saunter this afternoon to Morrisons, just to see if they had a 'Wine of the Week' (our Aldi closed today) revealed their 'The Best' Rioja (crianza), Marqués de los Rios 2021 reduced to £5 from £9.50 (a box of 6 bought) - running low on Riojas, so this should be useful. I'll report back after I've tried it with the garlicky prawns with linguine I'm doing.

It's youngish still, no appreciable oak or tobacco flavours associated with reservado types...I've enjoyed it....a healthy (!) 13.5% gives it good body....I'll get a few more.

[Barbirollians]

Another Aldi bargain - their Makaraka New Zealand Pinot Noir which was recommended in the Times a few weeks back at £9.99 is now the £4.99 wine of the week . I thought it was bright and fruity and ok for £9.99 but a massive bargain at £4.99.

[Belgrove]

A classic accompaniment to roast shoulder of lamb is rioja, so it was to a 2017 Viña-Ardanza Reserva for the tipple with Easter lunch. It’s an example of the more modern style of riojas that are lighter on the oak flavours, but with just enough to provide a warm creaminess without masking the mellow fruit. Deep brambly red in colour, smooth, plumy, with a herb and vanilla scented aroma, and just enough acidity to cut through the richness of the lamb. Even better with the shepherds pie leftovers the next day. It’s in its early middle age, and fortunately there are enough bottles in the cellar to chart its passage over the next few years, for it will improve.