Welcome to the final part of our return to Naked Wines. As mentioned in my previous post, these were provided as a preview for their upcoming "meet the winemaker" tasting tours.
No fuss this week; straight into it...
Antoine Simoneau, Sauvignon Blanc, Touraine, 2010
Made in the Touraine winery that has been in the Simoneau family for generation upon generation (since 1790!). Touraine in the Loire Valley is a source of Sauvignon Blanc considered slightly more down-to-earth than the over-hyped Sancerre and heady Pouilly-Fumé but can be a source of great value wines, when compared to those two. This is 12%
The Look: A crystal clear, watery-white with very slight lemon tinge.
The Smell: Grassy, minerally and lots of gooseberry. Slightly floral too.
The Taste: Very fresh, bright acidity with a strong burst of ripe gooseberries and a lemon/lime hint. Backed up by a savoury green pepper and mineral edge. Long tangy finish.
The Score: Not a stunner but a well-made, pleasing wine. 7/10.
VFM: At £9.49 this is on the high-side for Touraine, but still giving good VFM at 0.74. Angels would probably find the price more in line with other Touraines with their 33% off (£6.26). Really the price for this should be around £7.99 - there's a glut of other Touraines about, possibly better than this, at that price.
Very little information regarding this, either on the website or the bottle other than the "passionate winemaker" and it's from Argentina's La Rioja. This is 13%
The Look: Pale but fairly deep lemony yellow with green hues.
The Smell: Intriguing smells; woody, herby, slight smoke, hedgerow and elderflower.
The Taste: Slightly smoky and sauvory on the first sip, that gives way to dry, herby elderflower, then florality, finishing with a flat, very bitter, vaguely grapefruity tang.
The Score: Lacks any sort of Wow. Interesting flavours let down by a poor, way-too-bitter finish. 6/10.
VFM: At £8.99 this gets a reasonable VFM at 0.67. Again, "Angels" would probably find the price a bit more palatable, but I would suggest better Torrontes alternatives in this price bracket with a little effort.
Domaine O Vineyards, Trah Lah Lah, Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
This one was faulty so I can't comment. Did show promise with some smoky plum on the nose but was hot, musty and bitter - faulty.
So, there we have a return to Naked Wines. Some good value wines, especially if you're prepared to commit to the Angels scheme (£20 a month for 33% cashback on purchases) but nothing mind-blowing I'm afraid. Who knows, maybe the next case will convince me that it's worthwhile...
As always, speak to you soon
Cheers
WBFTF
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