Hardys Crest Brut Rose Sparkling NV

Name: Hardys Crest Brut Rose Sparkling

Colour: Rose

Country: Australia

Region: South East

Year: NV

Producer: Thomas Hardy & Sons

Grape Varieties: Colombard, Sultana, Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol: 11.5%

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Purchase Price: £5.90 (half-price offer, Tesco)

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Notes:Maker's tasting notes –

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Somnambulist's verdict: We’re on the hunt for bargains, and to date it’s fiendishly difficult to find quality and cut-price in a sparkler. Half-price offers always present the chance of some unexpected value and so I cheerily grabbed a bottle of this Ozzie pink fizz, stuck it in the cooler and lit the barbie… While the prawns sizzled away I took some time to try and appreciate the delicate aromas - boy are they delicate. After a few sniffs I ended up with my conk halfway down the glass, inhaling furiously through my nostrils like a spin-bowler in a night-club dunny, just trying to get a recognisable scent. There’s some ‘gentle’ fruits there, let’s call them Summery: melon and strawberries, perhaps. Pleasant enough, but steamrollered on the first sip. It’s drier than an outback waterhole in a drought, and it's got a vicious acid sharpness. The kind that runs off that spin-bowler’s tongue when he’s busy sledging the opening batsman at The Oval, and which leaves a long, sour, pithy after-taste. Only a chilli-dipped giant prawn (or a six knocked straight back over the cocky bowler’s head) can deal with that…

Chuck this one in the bin of bum bargain bubblies and move on.

Asda Portuguese Tinto

Name: ASDA Portuguese Tinto

Colour: Red

Country: Portugal

Region: n/a

Year: NV

Producer: Enoport-DT, Producao de Bebidas, SA.

Grape Varieties: ?

Alcohol: 13%

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Purchase Price: £3.38 (ASDA)

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Notes:

Maker's tasting notes – (ASDA) A full bodied red wine with brambley red fruits and a nice smooth finish.

“A lovely, smooth and fruity red, ripened in the Portuguese sunshine. It's great with spicy food like chilli con carne” Phillippa Carr, Asda's Master of Wine.

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Somnambulist's verdict: OK, let’s be honest, at £3.38 expectations are low. This is basic table wine, the like of which you’d pick up in a Portuguese supermarket for less than a bottle of water. Still, I gave it a full chance, decanting and allowing it to breathe for 30 mins before trying… and it wasn’t dreadful. There’s dark chocolate, a whiff of vanilla and some red fruits in there. These are flavours that can be crafted into intoxicating blends in the hands of a skilled wine-maker. Alas, I think in this case it’s more akin to shovelling everything into a large vat with all the finesse of a greedy schoolkid stuffing random confectionery into a rather acidic paper bag.

There are a lot worse things you can do with £3.38, but I’d suggest making it up to a fiver and going for one of the other superb budget wines available. If you’re going to try it, take Phillippa Carr’s advice and drink it with chilli, or in fact any very strongly spiced food that stands a good chance of masking the flavour…

Daniel Champion Brut Reserve

Name: Daniel Champion Brut Reserve

Colour: White

Country: France

Region: Champagne

Year: NV

Producer: Daniel Champion

Grape Varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier

Alcohol: 12%

Purchase Price: EUR 13 (Direct from producer)

Notes:

Maker's tasting notes – Made with the traditional grapes from our terroir, cellared for 5 years. The pinot noir makes this wine an exclusive reserve for connoisseurs.

Somnambulist's verdict: (apologies if I have brutalised the translation from French above) – I visited Champagne Champion a while back having tried their wine on recommendation, and was made extremely welcome, tasting all they had to offer! Le Millesime is the pick of the bunch, but this Reserve, at EUR 13 a bottle (before bulk discount!) is a steal. It’s smoother than the regular Brut (which is a little too apple-y for me), with subtle fruits, smokey and fresh, with a biscuit finish. I wrote ‘apple crumble’ on my notes, which I assume was either a summary or my dessert option :-)

Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin Brut Yellow Label NV (magnum)

Name: Brut Yellow Label (Magnum)

Colour: White

Country: France

Region: Champagne

Year: N.V.

Producer: Veuve Clicquot

Grape Varieties: 50-55% Pinot Noir, 15-20% Pinot Meunier, 28-33% Chardonnay

Alcohol: 12%

Purchase Price: EUR 155.00 (posh restaurant)

Notes:

Maker’s notes – First, Brut Yellow Label looks beautiful: golden-yellow, with a foaming necklace of tiny bubbles. Next it is so pleasing to the nose: initially reminiscent of white fruits and raisins, then of vanilla and later of brioche. Note the fine balance between the fruity aromas coming from the grape varieties and the toasty aromas following the ageing in the bottle. The first sip delivers all the freshness and forcefulness so typical of Yellow Label with asymphony of fruit tastes following on. Here is a true member of the powerful Brut family, well structured, admirably vinous. The lingering aromas echo and re-echo, with each fruit or spice note distinct. Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label manages to reconcile two opposing factors – forcefulness and finesse - and to hold them in perfect balance. This consistent power to please makes it ideal as an aperitif, and perfect as the Champagne to enjoy with a meal.

Somnambulist's verdict: Err.. a bit humbled by the above verbosity. I think this is probably the best of the big name, mid-price-range NV Champagnes (ignore the premium restaurant price above and use the wine-searcher.com link on this page). “Finesse” is the most appropriate characteristic for this spankingly good wine. A fine and fitting parting gift from a good friend.

Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose N.V.

Name: Brut Rose
Colour: Rose
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Year: NV
Producer: Billecart-Salmon
Grape Varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 12%

Purchase Price: ca. EUR 35.00

Notes:

Maker's tasting notes – Its pale pink colour is adorned with warm glints of gold, and its delicate, slowly rising bubbles give it a persistent mousse. This cuvee unveils a subtle aroma leading to an elegant, delicate bouquet of fine notes of red fruits. A light elegant style, followed by a fresh finish.

Somnambulist's verdict: Probably my favourite Champagne. Frivolous, decadent, awesome.