2009-08-14

Buy this before it's gone. Really

The other night someone remarked, "this smells like a good cheap wine - the sort of thing you give people and tell them to rush out and buy some". I'm not going to say what that wine was, since it cost £9. Instead let me tell you about a different, eight quid, wine which you really should rush out and buy.

Les Tourelles de Sipian 2004 smells, well, wonderful. It has that aroma of posh about it which usually means you are way past the £20 mark. The bouquet is a delicate floral back-and-forth between violets and hyacinths, with the true earthy undertone of the Northern Médoc. The true claret nose.

Sadly, the palate can only disappoint. Oh, it's by no means bad (my notes say delicious, savoury, tangy, mineral) if a little short in the finish - but after that wonderful nose it is very hard not to be let down.

But still I say toddle along to your local Oddbins and try a bottle. It truly is worth £7.99 just for the bouquet.