Aldi Summer Wine Portfolio – White and Red Wines

In a continuation from my previous post on Aldi’s summer wine portfolio I’m moving on to whites and my favourite, reds. In terms of white wines, as with others there is an extensive range and something to suit all tastes but for me there were a few winners. The Exquisite Collection Clare Valley Riesling at €9.99 is fantastic value for a wine of this quality. A wonderfully refreshing wine with lime zest to the fore I’m reliably informed that this is made by Wakefield/Taylors so excellent provenance here. Extremely palatable with a crisp finish and I encourage you to go forth and enjoy.

Clare Valley Australian Riesling

Keeping with the same theme and crisp white wines my next recommendation is the Exquisite Collection Gavi coming from North West Italy. Priced at €7.79 this is tangy with lemon acidity and would be an ideal accompaniment to fish dishes and light summer salads.

Exquisite Collection Gavi

For something a little different the Vouvray, a Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley in France is well balanced and round. High on fruit and veering on the medium sweet side it’s available at €8.99 and just as enjoyable on it’s own as with food.

Vouvray

Finally for those of you who do enjoy a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, the Freeman’s Bay priced at €8.79 is another high quality wine at a good price. Crisp and zingy with a lasting bite of tart gooseberry and tropical fruits it’s very drinkable and delivers all that you expect from a Sauvignon Blanc from this part of the world.

Freeman’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc

Finally, the red wines also have a huge amount to offer and it’s the Exquisite Collection again that pulls it out of the bag in terms of quality and price. I’ve already recommended the Exquisite Collection Château Gravereau Côtes de Bourg, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet and Petit Verdot, which I think is a superb Bordeaux and highly recommended at €9.99.

Exquisite Collection Château Gravereau Côtes de Bourg

Aldi are really improving on their Bordeaux’s and another winner for me is the Exquisite Collection Château Latour Laguens. The recent trend for Bordeaux’s is much less about the oak and much more about the fruit. This is a 100% Merlot and the fruit really comes through, with enough complexity from the oak to ensure a silkily smooth finish. Priced at €9.99.

Exquisite Collection Château Latour Laguens

It really is all about the French reds here for me at the minute and one that I have championed in the past is the Château De Caussagues Corbières and thankfully it’s still around. This is part of the seasonal range, which means it might not always be available in store but if you see some make sure to pick it up. Priced at €6.99 a bottle this is stonkingly good value.

Château De Caussagues Corbières

The Exquisite Collection Cabernet de Cabernet, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, is another superb wine from the Languedoc. This is a big red, with flavours of dark fruits and vanilla and an excellent match to red meats.

Exquisite Collection Cabernet de Cabernet

Finally, for the lover of the Chilean Merlot there’s an Exquisite Collection Merlot added to the range. The best way that I can explain it is to say that my notes describe this as “typically Chilean” but I mean this in the best possible way. It is distinctly what you’d recognise and expect from a Chilean Merlot but amplified and at €8.99 is again very good value.

Exquisite Collection Merlot

Ed Kerrigan, Aldi’s Buying Director of wines, beers, and spirits, has promised me that the excellent Exquisite Collection Fitou that was recently available in store will be back in at some point in the future, but with no definitive answer as to when. This was not available for tasting but I’ve tried it and if you happen to stumble across this in your own local Aldi store make sure to pick up a bottle. It’s big and brash but with smooth creamy tones and, I believe, astonishing value at €7.99

Exquisite Collection Fitou