Chateau Le Monteil d’Arsac Bordeaux

Producer: Chateau Le Monteil d’Arsac

Region: Haute-Medoc (Bordeaux)

Grape: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc

Vintage: 2004

Price: £4.79 / Lidl Wine

I’m being a rebel, and having a second bottle of wine this weekend, dispite my slightly dodgy blood test results hinting that I should perhaps start laying off the booze before my liver goes the way of George Best’s (all three of them).

I went to do the weekly shop in Lidl however, and a bottle of winecried out to me on the shelf. It was only one of three bottles hidden between boxes of cheapo S.E Ozzy reds. Lidl has just gone right up in my estimation with this delightful Bordeaux.

Chateau Le Monteil d’Arsac is a Cru Bourgeois which is a guidance of quality. Fine; it’s not the best wine from the region, but it doesn’t cost £500+ a bottle either!

This is a deep, ruby coloured wine (with the lightest of garnet tinge); a light nose (I expected a bit more to be honest) with a spicey base. On the palate, the acidity is well balanced with blackcurrent fruits, with the fairly high tannins not standing out of place with the rest of the wine.

This was a fine offering from Lidl, and a good start to my Lidl wine reviews. It really was cracking value for a quality wine, and I challenge TESCO, ADSA, Sainsburys and pals to match this…..I doubt they could. I’m going to give LIDL top marks for this and look forward to the next review!

 I did actually spy a Barolo whilst there, which methinks will be the next one I’ll be reviewing.

With food, this would go well with red meat, but I had mine watching Top Gear and eating Gorgonzola.

Bye for now.

Ile la Forge Cabernet Sauvignon

Producer: Ile La Forge

Region: Vin de Pays D’Oc

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

Vintage: 2005

Price: £4.99 / Aldi Wine

 I’ve fallen in love with Cabernet Sauvignon over the last few months. Admittedly; this was 90% due to a bottle of 2001 vintage from Coonawarra which was just utterly outstanding. It reminded me why Cabernet Sauvignon is such a world renowned grape.

With this fresh in mind, I took advantage of my local Aldi opening till 8pm and dropped in after work and picked up a bottle from Ile la Forge; who’s Chardonnay I quite enjoyed. The producers seemingly supply a range of Aldi wine.

This was a clear, deep ruby coloured wine, with a medium intensity nose which I found quite agreeable, with hints of black fruit and a bit of pepperiness. On first taste, I wasn’t too impressed however. There was a stack of tannins which weren’t really balanced out by as much fruit as the nose first gave the hint of.  Acidity levels weren’t overly high for a French Cabernet Sauvignon.

I decantered the bottle and then poured a glass half an hour later; and it was a different kettle of fish. The oxygen had softened the tannins somewhat, and/or had invigorated the fruit hidden within the wine. It was a decent improvement on the first impression.

Personally, I’ve enjoyed other inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignons more than this, but I suspect that the flavour and mouth-feel would be improved if eaten with some red meats.

In fairness, I’d probably get this again at this price, but I think this would have been better if it was blended with a bit of Merlot to make it a bit easier to drink. Not bad overall though: another Aldi wine reviewed! I promise to add a review few Lidl wines next week!