Dunnes Stores Mediterranean Wine Sale

Recently Wine+.ie recommended one of the wines in the Dunnes Stores upcoming Mediterranean Sale. It was the white Vina del Vero from Somontano in northern Spain - very good value at €9.00 

 

 Everything about the wine is pure Med. The label, the citrus fruit bouquet, the tangy, crisp, ripe palate and a lovely long juicy finish. Both the red Vina del Vero and the Rose are also worth buying at the same price. The red is Syrah/Tempranilllo/Cabernet Sauvignon blend while the rose is 'full on pink' with loads of rich dry fruit tucked into the bottle. Lets see more from Somontano. Its a region with a lot of to offer.  

The Mediterranean Sale runs from the 7th to the 27th April and has quiet a few very good value and  well made wines in it. Have a look at these:

Leval Vermentino €9.50 

I've always loved this (Vermentino) white grape. It always seems to have a rich tapestry of neutrality! WineSpeak!! What I mean is it has good structure (acid and textural feel in the mouth without any obvious fleshy fruitinesss) This makes it a versatile food wine. Absolutely brilliant with a spiced pizza. 

Poco a Poco Blanco €9.00

My notes here say, 'Love it'. Fine blend of Macabeo and Sauvignon Blanc. Great modern feel to the fruit with loads of freshness and restrained fruitiness. Sunshine wine.

(The red Poco a Poco is a Temparanillo and will sell at only €8.50. It's relatively simple and soft but well worth the money.)

Paco Y Lola Albarino €12.50

Very pleased to see that Dunnes wasn't tempted to try to bring in an Albarino from Rias Baixas at too low a price. (When that happens the wine ends up as a
green and stringy thing) rather than (like here) rich, bracing and distinctly spiced on the finish. This is a fine value example of the queen of Spanish grapes.

6eme Sens €9.00

All three are super wines. Dive in. Spoil yourself. The white has sparkling clean lines to its fruit, the Rose is pointedly dry and rich while the red is all brazen with lush black fruits. 

 

A couple of Great Value For Money reds stood out for me on the day. Marques de Almonicad €10.00 from Carinena in Spain has a very, very dark fruit set into a body that's not so structured as to deflect enjoyment!

I really like the Douro white €11.00 and red €12.00 duo of Vila Real Douro. They both show that we need to explore Portuguese wines more.

My Best Value for Money at the tasting (excllent tasting by the way..) was a tremendous wine from Salice Salentino in southern Italy called Il Tauro. At €10.00 it's a steal.

This is an extensive Sale by Dunnes Stores and its one worth looking forward to. Don't mind the fact that the concept of 'The Mediterranean' is stretched at times to such places as Burgundy which isn't even close to a coastline or Galicia and Bordeaux which by my reckoning face a lot of the Atlantic! Nope its style that counts.