The Lidl fine wine sale, full notes on all the wines

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The Lidl fine wine sale, full notes on all the wines

Lidl Wine Cellar Magazine - Google Chrome 07092014 210921

Lidl have just launched a fine wine offering. Titled the ‘Lidl Premium French Wine Collection’, they have purchased a large quantity of decent French wine and are selling it at very competitive prices, in a bid to entice more middle-class shoppers into their stores. The scale of the offering is impressive: Lidl bought 5% of Bordeaux’ entire production this year, and it’s Bordeaux wines that dominate the sale.

I have a conflict of interest to mention: I was hired to write the copy for the brochure, of which they’ve printed 6.5 million copies to use in store and as newspaper inserts. So it’s by far the largest circulation my writing has ever had! You can read the brochure online here.

The ratings in the brochure are decided by a panel of four MWs. My ratings and notes for all the wines are as follows.

Cave Bel Air 2011 Bordeaux
A really easy-drinking, lighter style of Bordeaux red with bright cherry and plum fruit, and a smooth, perfumed personality. Very attractive and supple, with no rough edges. 82

Chateau Marjosse 2012 Bordeaux
Pierre Lurton. Full colour. Lively, focused berry fruit aromatics lead to ripe, juicy flavours in the mouth. This is rounded and attractive with lovely texture and seductive sweet fruit. But there’s a hint of seriousness, too. 86

Château Galès 2011 Graves
Sweet, ripe and accessible with bold, sweet cherry and berry fruits. Nice depth here, with a slightly jammy richness and hints of gravel. 84

Château Venus 2011 Graves
A lovely example of Graves with some grippy, gravelly notes providing a backbone for the sweet, ripe, juicy cherry and plum fruit. Has some sweetness on the finish. So drinkable. 87

Chateau Sociando-Mallet 2008 Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux
13% alcohol. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Attractive cedary, spicy, plummy aromatics are very classic. The palate is savoury, spicy and quite grippy with textured red berry and cherry fruit. There’s real depth here with a lovely smooth, sweet core. 92

Chateau Barthez 2009 Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux
13.5% alcohol. Assertive, bright plummy fruit with nice grip under the sweet cherry and plum fruit. Finishes with some grainy, spicy notes. 86

Chateau Laborde Cru Bourgeois 2011 Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux
13% alcohol. Smooth, pure and vivid with perfumed black cherry and plum fruit. There’s a linear purity to the fruit, which is really smooth, but finishes with a bit of grip. 87

Champion 2011 Médoc, Bordeaux
Fresh with an almost chalky, mineral undertone to the sweet blackberry and plum fruit. Fresh with some sweetness to the fruit. A very supple, drinkable wine. 86

Chateau de Panigon Cru Bourgeois 2011 Médoc, Bordeaux
Really seductive style with soft, open, sweet cherry and plum fruit as well as some spiciness on the finish. No rough edges here: very soft and approachable. 87

L’Escargot Sauvignon Blanc 2013 IGP Côtes de Gascgogne, France
Lively, slighty stony aromas of pear, citrus and green pepper. The palate has a fresh, stony character with herbs, citrus and pear fruit, with keen lemony acidity. Very attractive. 87

Camillet Bordeaux Blanc 2013 Bordeaux, France
Lovely balance here with nice bright lemony fruit as well as some pear richness. Some appealing grapefruit pith notes here. Drinkable and appealing. 86

Domaine Chatelain Les Vignes de Saint Laurent l’Abbaye Pouilly-Fumé 2013 Loire, France
Lively and bright with a citrussy core and lovely direct, grassy lemon and herb flavours. Some pithy notes too. 88

Domaine de la Vieille Cure Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2013 Loire, France
Fresh, bright and really lively with lovely citrus and pear fruit, a stony core and some bright tangerine and grapefruit notes on the finish. Lovely delicacy here, and so well balanced. 88

P. de Marcilly Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune 2011 Burgundy
12.5% alcohol. Crisp and focused with bright citrussy flavours, as well as a hint of pear richness. Clean, direct and pure with nice precision. 87

P. de Marcilly Mâcon-Villages 2011 Burgundy, France
Deliciously balanced with a subtly creamy, slightly buttery edge to the ripe white peach fruit. Lovely pear and spice notes add interest. Classy white Burgundy at a good price. Very stylish. 89

Philippe de Bois d’Arnault Montagny 1er Cru Les Bouchots 2013 Burgundy, France
Lovely balance here, with a subtly creamy, vanilla edge to the pure, open citrus fruit, with some richer melony notes, too. Very stylish wine. 90

Philippe de Bois d’Arnault Chablis 1er Cru 2013 Burgundy
Very attractive, textured, stony, mineral Chablis with lovely bright citrus fruit and some pear richness. Really delicious, and beautifully balanced. Classy. 90

Marechal Chablis 2012 Burgundy, France
Stony, slightly flinty aromas and flavours of lemons, grapefruit and herbs, with keen acidity. Slightly smoky, too, with a savoury core. 87

Mignot Fleury 2011 Beaujolais, France
Bright and juicy with fresh cherry fruit and a sappy, slightly green edge that’s really attractive. Very juicy and drinkable. 85

Domaine de Grangerie Mercurey 2012 Burgundy, France
Juicy and fresh with some grippy, savoury, cedar and spice note under the fresh red cherry and plum fruit. Shows some elegance, with nice fresh fruit and acidity. 88

Domaine Condorcet Chateauneuf du Pape 2013 Rhone, France
Lovely sweet, pure red cherry and berry fruit with some lovely texture and a fine, grainy structure with sweet herbal overtones. Very stylish. 90

Saint-Joseph 2012 Northern Rhône, France
Really fresh, vibrant raspberry and black cherry fruit with a hint of black pepper and some fine herby notes. Nicely typical. 88

Domaine du Gourget Rochegude 2013 Côtes de Rhône Villages, France
A supple, fresh Rhône red with juicy, grainy cherry and raspberry fruit. Nice purity and has a savoury, peppery bite on the finish. Really focused and appealing. 88

Réserve de Fonsalis 2011 Fitou, Languedoc, France
Ripe and direct with attractive blackberry fruit and some cherry stone freshness. Hints of liqourice, herbs and pepper add interest. Finishes spicy and a bit grippy. 87

Gigondas 2013 Rhône, France
Sweet, ripe and textured with distinctive peppery, spicy notes complementing the cherry and plum fruit really well. Finishes quite warm. Robust and food friendly. 88

Serabel Vacqueyras 2012 Rhône, France
Really attractive, ripe, perfumed wine with lovely textured cherry and blackberry fruit, a hint of spicy, earthy savouriness, and real depth of flavour. Quite a serious effort that will develop nicely over the next few years. 90

Nuit de Provence Rosé 2013 Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, France
Pale pink colour. A fresh, fragrant, dry rosé with flavours of cherries and herbs. Delicately fruity with lovely focus. 87

Fleur des Templiers Rosé 2013 Pays d’Oc, France
Bright pink in colour, with really nicely judged red cherry and raspberry fruits, as well as some lemony acidity. It’s dry and well balanced, and highly food friendly. 85

Sancerre Rosé 2013 Loire, France
Pale orange/pink in colour. Mineral and stony core to the strawberry fruit with a distinctive savoury, herbal character. Dry and savoury in style, showing some restraint, this would be best with food. Intriguing flavours. 85

Chateau La Sabatière Monbazillac 2011 France
12.5% alcohol. Just beautiful, with honey, lanolin and wax notes as well as peach, apricot and citrus fruit. Lovely balance between the sweetness and freshness – a serious dessert wine. 91

Chateau Mauras Sauternes 2010 Bordeaux, France
13.5% alcohol. Rounded and fruity with lovely fresh citrus and grapefruit notes complementing the apricot, grape and pear fruit. Lovely hints of tangerine and cabbage add complexity. 90

Chateau Siaurac Réserve de la Baronne 2007 Lalande de Pomerol, Bordeaux, France
Dense, firm, grippy and quite spicy with ripe berry fruits and some tannic structure. This has nice weight and a chalky, mineral edge to it. It should age well. 88

Chateau Haut-Chaigneau 2011 Lalande de Pomerol, Bordeaux, France
Nicely structured and quite firm with sweet berry fruits and a chalky, gravelly edge. Pure and quite stylish, this needs some time to come together. Classic style. 89

Chateau Haut-Chaigneau 2009 Lalande de Pomerol, Bordeaux, France
Dense, ripe, gravelly blackcurrant fruit with a hint of tar and spice, and an attractive sweetness to the fruit. Lovely seductive style with a chalky, mineral core to the lush fruit. 90

Chateau Vieux Ferrand 2010 Montagne Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France
Beautifully fresh, pure blackberry and blackcurrant fruit with nice acidity and good structure. There’s a chalky, mineral edge to the fruit. Very stylish wine. 90

Chateau Larcis Jaumat 2012 Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France
Dense but supple with lovely cherry and raspberry fruit. Youthful and tight with good acidity, but also lovely purity of fruit, and some tight, spicy oak playing a supporting role. 91

Chateau de Cauze 2011 Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France
14.5% alcohol. Ripe, warm and spicy with sweet blackcurrant fruit and some tannic grip. A seductive style but with a savoury bite to it, too. 87

Chateau La Tour de Pin Figeac 2006 Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France
75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc from an 11 hectare estate. 13% alcohol. Mellow, textured blackberry and cherry fruit with a fine, chalky, spiciness and subtle hints of undergrowth. Developing nicely and ready to drink now. 89

Chateau Gaillard de la Gorce 2011 Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France
Fresh, ripe berry fruits with a savoury, cedary spicy edge from the oak. There’s a bit of grainy structure, too. Needs time to settle down. 86

Chateau Haut-Bergey 2003 Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France
Sweet, herby and mellow with a bit of spice as well as ripe berry fruits. Warm and inviting with some evolution, and drinking well now. 89

Chevalier de Lascombes 2011 Margaux, Bordeaux, France
Ripe, sweet and broad with lovely supple blackberry and cherry fruit. Very seductive and forward with good definition and a sweet fruit core. 90

Chateau Haut de la Bécade 2008 Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
Supple, sweetly fruited and very drinkable, with nicely balanced cherry and plum fruit supported by some spicy oak notes. 88

Chateau Tronquoy-Lalande 2007 Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France
Warm, sweet, ripe and berryish with nice freshness and grip, alongside smooth, pure, almost liqueur-like fruit. Seductive style. 89

Weiber Crémant d’Alsace Blanc de Blancs
Crisp, focused and bright with pure citrus and pear fruit. Very lively and focused with lovely fruit. 87

Champagne Comte de Senneval Rosé NV France
Pale pink. Fresh, slightly herby with bright citrus and apple flavours. Nice taut acidity with a bit of structure. 87

Champagne de Senneval Premier Cru NV France
Powerful, lively and appley with keen citrus fruits. Bold and edgy with lots of presence and a sharp finish. 85

Champagne de Vallois Brut Millesime 2007 France
Aromatic, herby, taut and structured with lemony acidity and some savoury pithy notes, too. Quite grippy finish. 85

Clairette de Die NV Rhône, France
7.5% alcohol. Lovely, pretty off-dry fizz with delicious grapey flavours and some floral, lychee hints. Very pure and attractive. 88

Champagne Bissinger NV France
12% alc. Half bottle. Lovely balanced fizz with citrus fruit, a bit of ripe apple and some nice toastiness. Nice precision here. Fresh and expressive with clean flavours. 89

7 Comments on The Lidl fine wine sale, full notes on all the wines
wine journalist and flavour obsessive

7 thoughts on “The Lidl fine wine sale, full notes on all the wines

  1. On that 5% of Bordeaux’s production – they told me that’s what they’d bought for this promotion too.
    But worth pointing out that Lidl has a total of 720,000 bottles of wine across all French regions to sell in the UK for this promotion.
    And that 5% of Bordeaux’s annual production (averaged over the last five years) is 34.65 million bottles.
    So presumably the other 25 countries are getting a bigger share.

  2. Wouldn’t worry too much Victoria; most are rated by JG at well under 90 points which is pretty poor by his standards (never normally mentions a wine at that level on his site) so probably not worth getting out of bed for!

  3. I had though the offer would be limited to some stores only, but no mention of that here or on their website. All stores?

  4. Well they have most of the range at the Blaydon store up here in the NorthEast, so I guess that means pretty much full UK coversge!

    I see that the in-store scores differ from Jamie’s, not too much but by a few points on some. I decided to go for the JG scale in the 4 bottles I plumped for. As they say, “in Goode we trust”.

    … 😉

  5. I’m researching a Portugese wine Lidl are selling and I have a question about it if you have any information on these.
    The Azinhaga de Ouro 2013 is a red wine made from Touriga National, Touriga Franca, and Tempranillo, but it also has a sticker on it suggesting it won a gold medal at the 19th Berlin Wine Trophy. When I looked at the results of this competition it suggests that the Azinhaga de Ouro which won the gold medal was a white wine. Are Lidl contravening the trades description act here or did this wine win a gold medal in Berlin?

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