Comments on: Lidl Wine Series – Cru De La Valle Du Rhone 2007

By: slj

slj — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:35:31 +0000

The Cru de la Vallee du Rhone chateauneauf de pape 2008 is now on offer at Lidl for £7.99 a bottle. Would you recommend we buy at this price. Buying it to serve at a 50th Birthday party

By: admin

admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:52:21 +0000

Hey Will

thanks for the great comments on the series and I am delighted that you like it. It was tough work in spots.

While I am sure Lidl wont be to happy with the scores – I have to be totally honest in scoring the wines.

On the aromas of medium bodied and velvety smooth. By smelling medium bodied it smelt more concentration and weighter on the nose then a pinot but didnt have that density of aromas that a massive St Joseph or Cornas would have. Sometimes I find that wine aromas and flavours have different weightings and I try to point that out where this is the case. For example it could be all upfront fruit on the nose and nothing on the palate or vice versea.

With the velvety smooth aromas I am trying to put into words that there is no harshness, bitterness or it doesnt smell out of balance. There was a certain amount of richness and warmth to the nose of the wine. Perhaps I am not quantifying that appropriately when I say velvety smooth on the nose.

The series on the whole was a disappointment especially after there were some finds in the wines the last time.

As regards pricing I totally agree with you at €14.99 that is a chunk of change and a wine really needs to be delivering.Entry level Guigal blows this out of the water and is €2 a bottle cheaper [approx]

Hopefully Lidl will and I can do it again some time.

By: Will

Will — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:43:21 +0000

p.s. Good, interesting series of notes. It’s refreshing to see honest scores in between 60-80 given to wines instead of the usual 80-90 point range.

By: Will

Will — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:42:03 +0000

Your note sounds like a bog standard Cotes Du Rhone, and best avoided at any price over €10. A couple of quick questions, how can a wine smell medium bodied and how can a wine smell velvety? Also, did you try this wine with or without food? Perhaps those bitter tannins would have been more agreeable with a decent stew or something like that?

Around this price range there are too many good wines (Aussie Shiraz, NZ Pinot, Gigondas, Vacqueryas etc..) to be drinking this type of a wine. Sounds like this is the best of a bad lot, and overall would you recommend avoiding the range?