This is Sale Season for wines. Great news.
Wine sales are not quite the same as Sales in general. Take the current Wine Sale from SuperValu – began yesterday. While prices have been lowered and some very special offers are available there is no question that SuperValu is making space on its shelves by shifting old stock onto us.
Indeed the very opposite happens in these types of sales. Fresh stock and ‘Guest Wines’ are offered to us at very attractive prices. I prefer to look on this as a SuperValu French Wine Celebration or even as a SuperValu French Wine Fair!
Whats on offer? Well across the entire sale there are offers on over 80 wines. That’s a lot, so you will only find all of the wines in a few flagship stores. All of the stores will, however, have a wide selection of regular stock items that have had their price lowered and Guest Wines at very competitive prices.
Guest Wines arrive for the sale and then leave again. This year there are brilliant Guests on board. Louis Latour, Georges Duboeuf, Simmonet Febvre, Gustave Lorentz and a range of Bordeaux wines from the de Mour family.
Quite a few of the Guests carry a hefty price tag. In each case they are worth it. Take the Louis Latour Meursault at €45.00 – it normally retails at €65!! (I’ve even seen it recently advertised at £65.00). What a great Christmas present. It’s a stunningly well made oak fermented and aged Chardonnay from Burgundy. If you’d like an oaked chardonnay at a keener price try the Grand Ardeche Chardonnay – also from Louis Latour. In the Sale for €18.00 down from €24.00.
I love the Louis Latour Chablis (€20.00 from €30.00- lean minerality) and highly recommend the incredibly well priced Gustave Lorentz Pinot Blanc from Alsace (€12.00 from €19.00 – delicous soft stone fruits)
Of the de Mour Guests It is hard to ignore the unique offering of the Chateau Tour Baladoz Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2018 at only €30.00 from €45.00 – tiny 10ha property surrounded by Cru Classé vineyards. Drinking brilliantly and very young. Buy this and age it a few years for a future anniversary!
Which de Mour to drink now? The perfumed entrancing scents of the fabulous Lady de Mour Margaux (€24.75 from €37.00) or the instantly attractive modern expression of excellent fruit and structure (love the label!) in the Chateau Lacombe Cadiot Bordeaux Superieur 2019 (€10.70 from €16.00)? Most likely it’s one for Christmas and one for this weekend!
France, of course, has many other regions and wine styles. Regular favourites of mine from SuperValu include the Guy Saget range from the Loire. Their Sancerre is simply excellent (€13.39 from €20.00).
Listen back HERE to a podcast that I ran from the SuperValu French Wine Fair back in 2019. Many of the producers mentioned this year are talking about their wines. Indeed, you can listen HERE to SuperValu Wine Buyer Kevin O’Callaghan talking all about his French Sale last year.
Best Value? All depends on what ye consider value! If its price alone then I’ve been a long time fan of the Rare Vineyards range. Try the Marsanne Viognier at only €7.00. (With Minimum Unit Pricing due in soon this will most likely be the lowest price we will ever see for this again!).
If its class, quality and exceptional winemaking then try any of the above with the welcome addition of a very classy Cremant de Borgogne from Simmonet Febvre – brilliant bottles of bubbles. Bursting with blossoms, slight austerity on the palate followed by genuinely expressive and generous fruit to the long finish. We really should get behind the Cremant’s of France!
Both Kylie Minogue and Kevin Dundon labels make an appearance as does the very attractive Cotes de Provence Bendel Cuvee Caroline (€10.00 from €15.00).
Something for everyone? I think so. Good Sale. Offers are in store and online for 3 weeks, from Thurs 2nd Sept until Wed 22nd Sept 2021. Enjoy.
Wine Ireland 