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.

Le Pierrey Pouilly-Fume 2006

Name: Le Pierrey Pouilly-Fume

Colour: White

Country: France

Region: Pouilly-Fume

Year: 2006

Producer: Le Vigneron Recoltant

Grape Varieties: Sauvignon Blanc

Alcohol: 13%

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Purchase Price: €6.40

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Notes:

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Maker's tasting notes –Made from Sauvignon grapes grown around Boisgibault, on South-West facing flint, clay and chalky soil. It is a dry, white wine with a smoky bouquet and a supple, fresh taste.

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Somnambulist's verdict: An odd nose, which I can only describe as a mix of bananas and elderflowers. This is quickly replaced by the sharp acidity on the palate. There's fresh fruit, oranges I thought, but it's also a touch floral, and the alcohol drives through and pervades far too obviously. Overall, rather a disappointment – so, find another Pouilly-Fume!

Gran Familia White Rioja 2008

Name: Gran Familia

Colour: White

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

Year: 2008

Producer: Castillo de Fuenmayor

Grape Varieties: Malvasia, Viura

Alcohol: 12%

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Purchase Price: £4 (ASDA)

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Notes:Maker's tasting notes – Softly aromatic with hints of fruits and fresh flowers. Fruity and fresh on the dry palate with pleasing citrus notes. White Rioja is a delicious revelation to many wine drinkers. Castillo de Fuenmayor, located near Logroño at the heart of Rioja Alta, uses knowledge and skills passed down through generations together with modern winemaking techniques to make excellent wines widely acclaimed by press and the public alike. The famous vineyards of Rioja Alta are recognised as the finest in the region. The climate of moderate rainfall and long hot summers is perfect for producing high quality wines. The majority of this white Rioja was fermented in stainless steel to help retain the fresh flavours of the Viura and Malvasia grape varieties. 15% of the wine was matured in French oak barrels for 6 months to give body and very light oak flavours.

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Somnambulist's verdict: White Riojas tend to be a bit of a lottery in my experience, but since the Gran Familia Red was such a bargain find, it seemed worthwhile trying the white…and rather pleased that I did. It has a very enticing bouquet, a gentle citrusy mix of grapefruit and mandarin, and a fresh and tangy taste that’s both subtle and full – a bit like sucking on a cube of mandarin jelly (if there is such a thing!). The slight disappointment was the finish. If anyone remembers Parma Violets, they’d recognise that chalky, perfumed flavour in a flash. Nothing that can’t be undone by an olive or two, so don’t let it put you off! Thumbs up to this one…

Ogio Pinot Grigio 2008

Name: Ogio Pinot Grigio

Colour: White

Country: Italy

Region: Venezie

Year: 2008

Producer: Alessandro Botter

Grape Varieties: Pinot Grigio

Alcohol: 12%

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Purchase Price: £4.26 (half-price offer, Tesco)

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Notes:Maker's tasting notes – A crisp dry white with delicious fresh lemon & lime flavours.

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Somnambulist's verdict: It’s getting warmer and the occasional balmy evenings lend themselves to something light and white. Continuing the Somnambulistic search for value wines under £5 a bottle, I took advantage of Tesco’s half-price offer to try this stylishly branded Pinot Grigio.
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It’s got a sweet, fruity nose, like strong orange blossom – or even orange sherbert J - which belies a tart dash of lime on the palate. That first tang of citric acidity is pleasantly washed away by a large dollop of whipped cream. This wine reminded me of a bowl of Key Lime Pie, which is not necessarily a bad thing – I leave you to make the call on that – but it fitted the bill perfectly for watching the sun dip behind the apple trees…

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…