Sunday Magazine – August 18, 2019

S MAGAZINE ★ 18 AUGUST 2019 49

,

Jamie Goode

WINE

Our expert toasts the last of the summer wine with seven brilliant bottles

A

ugust is one of my

favourite months.

Summer has been

with us a while and

the transition to

autumn is approaching, which

makes the remaining warm days

ever more precious. So while

the sun is still with us, here are

seven satisfying bottles that are

perfect for those final few weeks

of summer.

Rosé Méditerranée IGP 2018,

France £7, Spar, 12.5% alcohol

This southern French rosé is pale

in colour and has attractive

flavours of strawberries, cream,

table grapes and red cherries.

There is a zesty brightness on

the finish, too, with just the

tiniest hint of spritz to keep

things fresh.

Domaine De La Meynarde Plan

de Dieu 2017, Côtes Du Rhône

Villages, France £10, Marks

& Spencer, 14% alcohol

Grenache, syrah and mourvedre

grapes combine here to forge

a richly textural, slightly meaty

wine with sweet cherry and berry

fruits and a warm spiciness. It is

an extremely smooth, pure and

reassuring red.

Muga Rioja Rosé 2018, Spain

£12.99 a bottle or £10.99 each

for six, Majestic, 13.5% alcohol

Pale pink in colour and nicely

packaged, this is a bright,

fruit-driven rosé with gorgeous

citrus, plum and watermelon

notes. It is juicy and brisk with

good acidity.

Petit Perdigal Méditerranée

IGP 2018, France £7.99

a bottle or £6.74 each for six,

Majestic, 14% alcohol

I like the combination of a sweet

fruit core with grippy tannins

and fresh acidity that appears

in this southern French red.

A blend of syrah and grenache

grapes, it has fine bright cherry

and raspberry fruit with a bit of

gravelly crunch.

Tenuta Fertuna Droppello

2017, Toscana Bianco, Italy

£15.99, virginwine.co.uk

(0343 224 1001), 13% alcohol

A brilliantly vivid wine, with crisp

melon, lemon and tangerine fruit

and some grapey richness, this

one is dry but fruity and full of

personality and flavour.

Les Jamelles Syrah

2017, Pays D’Oc, France

£7.25, Co-op, 13.5% alcohol

Sweetly fruited, this soft red wine

with sweet strawberry, a bit of red

cherry and some creamy vanilla

notes is smooth and accessible.

With moreish soft fruit, it is a real

crowd-pleaser.

Cepa Lebrel Rioja Blanco

2018, Rioja, Spain £4.99,

Lidl, 12.5% alcohol

This lively white rioja is juicy

and intense, with apple and pear

richness as well as a lemony fruit

core. It is zesty and bright with

a vividly fruity personality.

* Ts&Cs Apply: Offer available to new Discovery Club members only. Important – your future cases: Every three months and at Christmas, you will be notified in advance of the next

Discovery Club selection. You will receive this unless you request otherwise, and the appropriate sum (currently £89.99 + £7.99 p&p) will be charged to your credit/debit card. You

have no commitment whatsoever and may opt out from the Discovery Club at any time. All wines supplied by Virgin Wines. Company registration number 03800762. You must be

18 or over to purchase alcohol. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes. For full Ts&Cs please visit http://www.virginwines.co.uk/ex2038

The Express Wine Club, powered by Virgin Wines, is delighted to offer readers a massive £54 saving on this

pick of 12 delicious bottles – the perfect introduction to the Virgin Wines Discovery Club*!

For the equivalent of JUST £4.17 a bottle you’ll enjoy soft and juicy Shiraz, gooseberry-fresh Sauvignon, a full and

fruity South African gem and many more! Stock is strictly limited to just one case per customer!

Call 0843 224 1020 quoting EX2038 or visit http://www.virginwines.co.uk/ex2038

Also available as an all-red or all-white selection.

The Express Discovery Case was £104.88 NOW £49.99 +£7.99 P&P

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●S
MEGAN BRAMLEY