LONDON TESCO WINE CLUB FAIR: EVERY TIPPLE HELPS

The London Tesco Wine Club Fair is a well-established annual event which never disappoints. More informal than the invitation-only events, it’s a great opportunity for all wine lovers, experts and amateurs alike, to discover some great bargains and have a great time while they’re at it. There were about 300 wines and beers available for tasting and everyone got stuck in. The event was superbly organised and the highlight of the day were the master classes run by Charles Metcalfe, Co-Chairman of the International Wine Challenge. Highly entertaining, engaging and informative.

The wine of the day for me was Tesco Finest San Juan Shiraz 2005 produced by Bodegas Salentein (Angentina). Priced at £7.99, it’s currently on offer in a special promotion (50% discount) and with all the discounts available on the day, was being sold for a staggering £3.60 a bottle!

It may not be like the Shiraz you’ve become accustomed to. It’s not a broad-beamed, upfront Shiraz which puts some drinkers off the varietal. Nor will you be overwhelmed by the heady concentration of flavours and body and broad rounded tannin typical of an everyday Australian Shiraz or one produced in a warm climate. Moreover, having the fruit character typical of the varietal, it’s been nicely matched by Tesco with their Finest Mature Blue Stilton. The sweetness of the fruit, spicyness and well-integrated soft but gripping tannin underpinned by a good structure and well balanced acidity make it a good alternative to Port. The wine comes from the San Juan region, the second most important region in Argentina, and is now available in store at £3.99 and on line at £3.79 while the promotion lasts.

The Bodegas Salentein are located high in the mountains in the Mendoza region and the producers are now among the up and coming Argentinian stars. Their wines made from Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay have won many awards in the last few years including Decanter’s (2006), International Wine Challenge (2002 and 2001), the International Wine & Spirit Competition in Bordeaux (2001) and they are highly praised by wine critics all over the world. Their wines are represented in the UK by D&D Wines International Ltd.

2005 Tesco Finest San Juan Shiraz, Bodegas Salentein, San Juan, Argentina, 13.5% alcohol

(Tesco - £7.99; currently - £3.99; or Tesco.com Festival - £3.79)

WHY NOT TRY THIS AT HOME?

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to blend your own wine? Well, it’s something like this.

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a seminar at Somerset House on blending claret given by one of the most respected authorities in the world: top master and true Gallic charmer Patrick Léon*. Over a 40-year career, Patrick has blended wine for some of the top wine makers in Bordeaux, including an 18-year stint at the Baron Philippe de Rothschild estate.

We were treated to a master class in blending the four classics: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, into a Bordeaux. First, we poured 50 ml of Cabernet Franc into a long, thin plastic tube. Then we added 100ml of Cabernet Sauvignon, placed a hand over the top of the tube and gave it a good shake. After this, we poured 50ml of the blend into a glass and got sniffing. The Cabernet Sauvignon did its work, imposing some authority on its little “cousin” Franc.

Now, back to the blend. In went 50ml of Merlot, to create in effect a blend of 22% Cabernet Franc, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot. More shaking of the tube. More wine staining the white cloth. More embarrassed looks. 50ml made its way into a glass. The new blend was fuller and deeper. It had acquired a stronger body, a more colourful fruit character and a smoother tannin. It was perfectly pleasant to drink now. But now it was time for the “icing on the cake”. 4 measures of 2.5ml of Petit Verdot were added – an exaggerated amount for the benefit of novices’ noses and palates. And what a transformation it caused once it had been shaken! More complexity of flavours, a heavenly aroma, and definitely ready to drink. Now there was an authentic Bordeaux in the glass.

After the seminar, which lasted another ten minutes, I tried the blend again and discovered it was slowing evolving in the glass, acquiring even more attractive aromas, whilst what remained of the first blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon was slightly fading.

What fun it was to blend my own Bordeaux. So why not try it at home? Go out and buy a bottle of Cabernet Franc, a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, and a bottle of Merlot. You won’t, of course, fine a bottle of Petit Verdot, but you’ll still have great fun blending the three.

So to recap. Get yourself a plastic tube with measures on the side, first put in 50ml of Cabernet Franc, then add 100ml of Cabernet Sauvignon and give the tube a good shake. Pour out 50ml into a glass. Then add 50ml of Merlot, give it a few finishing shakes then pour it into the glass. You’ll be amazed at the result.

This unique seminar was part of The Everyday Bordeaux tasting event at Somerset House, which gave visitors the opportunity to taste 85 award winning wines priced from £5 to £15. All the wines presented were full of character, affordable and available in Britain.

The wines that most impressed me were, in no particular order:

2003 Averys Prestige, Bordeaux Supérieur, 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% alcohol - £8.50 at Avery’s Wine Merchant;

2000 Chateau Greysac, Cru Bourgeois, Medoc, 50% Merlot 40% Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Cabernet Franc, 12.5% alcohol - £7.83 at Justerini & Brooks;

2001 Chateau de Lussac, Lussac Saint-Emilion, 80% Merlot 20 Cabernet Franc, 13% alcohol - £11.99 at Tesco;

2003 Chateau le Boscq, Saint-Estèphe, 60% Merlot 30% Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Petit Verdot, 13.5% alcohol - £15.00 at On Trade Outlets;

1999 Chateau Petit Bocq, Saint-Estèphe, 65% Merlot 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% alcohol - £15.19 at Justerini & Brooks;

2003 Chateau du Seuil Rouge, Graves, 55% Cabernet Sauvignon 45% Merlot, 12.5% alcohol - £14.99 at Virgin Wines, Big Red Wine Company, The Vintry, Manor House Wines

* Patrick Léon is now retired but he’s been running the Chateau Les Trois Croix together with his youngest son in Fronsac and their wines unsurprisingly are considered to be among the best in Fronsac. They are widely available in France, in the UK Chateau Les Trois Croix is available from Albany Vintners (en primeur at £99), from Fine and Rare Wines Limited and other suppliers.

THE CINDERELLA OF PIEDMONT

The life of a vine is never stagnant. It goes through stages. A vine is born, it’s nurtured like a child, in its “green years”, then goes through adolescence before finally becoming a responsible adult. It grows old, hopefully, gracefully, and dies exhausted and worn out. It shuts down if it’s not comfortable but flourishes when loved. Sometimes it’s a king and sometimes Cinderella.

It’s not a king, well… not yet (or a queen, as the locals would have liked), but Barbera is no longer a step-daughter, poor and despised. Although officially mentioned only in the 17th century, it’s been grown in Piedmont, Italy, since time immemorial. This uncomplicated wine has been quaffed by the locals for aeons but not many outsiders have bothered to notice its modest charms. It used to be acidic, harsh and unclean, albeit very cheap. But the times have changed for outsiders and producers alike. Barbera slowly and surely is creeping into our lives. Now it is one of the top red wine grapes in Piedmont, and… you guessed it, it’s no longer cheap. There are two appellations for this variety in Piedmont: Barbera d’Asti DOC (made in Asti) and Barbera d’Alba DOC (made in Alba). Barbera wines are produced in two styles: to be consumed young and an oaked version which requires ageing.

Low tannic with high but well-balanced acidity and light body, it displays ripe cherry and harmonious oak on the nose; the finish is smooth with pleasant and long sour cherry flavours on the palate. Quaffing and moreish, it goes well with red-sauce pasta, antipasti, risottos and many other dishes.

2004 Barbera d’Asti DOC, De Forville, Piedmont, Italy – 13.5%

(Majestic – £9.39)

Try also Oddbins for Barbera d’Asti Il Monello, Cantina Braida (£7.99) produced in a limited quantity by the company. Il Monello is a sibling of La Monella, also made from the Barbera grape. Cantina Braida is one of the original and best producers of Barbera wines and famous for its quintessential, top quality wines Barbera d’Asti Ai Suma and Barbera d'Asti Bricco dell’Uccellone. Sadly, Il Monello failed to leave a lasting impression on this occasion.

And just a few words on Chianti. Can you really go wrong with it? You can if you rely solely on your own logic, which tells you, commercial as it is, Castello BANFI is your safe option: big name, clean and modern facilities. Well…

BANFI is proud to say that Chianti possesses a “unique personality”. The personality of the Chianti we had was a bit disorientated, poorly structured and seemingly unbalanced – not a wine you’d like to make friends with. Worse still, priced at £8.49, it’s hardly good value for money.

2004 Chianti Classico DOCG, BANFI, Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 12.5%
(Majestic -£8.49)