By Lynne Coyle MW, Wine Director
This week sees the last chance to buy some O’Briens classics at reduced prices until these wines go back on promotion again later in the summer. Here is a selection of some of our favourites to fill your wine rack and pair with simple suppers. From refreshing Sauvignon Blanc and Albarino for the warm spring days to warming reds for the cooler evening temperatures, these options will comfortably take you from spring to summer.
Monte Real Rioja Reserva, Rioja, Spain.
Made from 100% Tempranillo grapes sourced from the premium Cenicero vineyards. The wine is aged for 24-30 months in American oak casks before resting in bottle for at least 12 months before release. Traditional Rioja flavours of ripe strawberry and blackberry, a silky-smooth palate with layers of vanilla & sweet spice, before a lovely savoury finish with fine oak flavours. Enjoy with BBQ
Porta 6, Lisbon, Portugal.
This is a perennial customer favourite and it's easy to see why. Working with traditional Portuguese varieties, the winemaking team at Porta 6 have crafted a super-smooth red in the modern international style. It is jam-packed with ripe bramble fruit and a hint of sweet spice on the finish. With its memorable label Porta 6 delivers a huge amount for its price. Enjoy with pasta & risotto
Contrapunto Albarino, Rias Baixas, Spain.
Perfect for the warmer days, Contrapunto Albariño is made by pioneering Galician Bodega Granbazán, located in the Salnés Valley in the heart of Rías Baixas. Fine and fruity aromas, with a pleasant floral note. On the palate it displays vibrant mouth filling fruit (greengage, Granny Smith apple, peach, lemon rind), refreshing acidity and a saline minerality on the persistent finish. Enjoy with seafood
Chateau Belles Eaux, Languedoc, France.
Top quality Languedoc winery owned by Château Pichon-Longueville of Bordeaux is made in the Southern Rhône style from Syrah/Grenache/Mourvèdre grapes. The aromas are of ripe brambly berries, peppery spice and wild Mediterranean herbs. The palate is smooth & full-bodied with black fruit and spice flavours before a long silky finish. Enjoy with lamb or a hearty aubergine dish
Secrets de Sophie Sauvignon Blanc, Loire, France.
Since 1885, 6 generations of the Bougrier Family have been farming the Loire Valley, this Touraine Sauvignon comes from select vineyard plots and aged on the fine lees to give a rich complexity to round out the crisp and refreshing palate with notes of ripe lime & grapefruit flavours on the long finish. Enjoy with goat’s cheese
Marlborough Ridge Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand.
Finally, this Marlborough is crisp and fresh showing plenty of fresh lemon and crushed nettle leaf aromas. The grapes are sourced from premium sites across the Wairau Valley, grown on sustainably managed vineyards. The winemaking processes are kept to a minimum to allow the pure varietal expression. The palate expresses supple fresh citrus and stone fruits, dried herbs before a zesty long finish. Enjoy with pasta & salads.