Preview: Tesco’s spring/summer tasting
Decanter has picked out some star buys from the Tesco spring/summer 2022 tasting, all retailing under £17. We've got you covered for the warmer, sunnier days spent outside as well as the odd chilly day here and there.
Decanter attended Tesco’s spring/summer 2022 portfolio tasting at the end of April where over 140 wines were on show, 38 of which are new to the range. In anticipation of the full list of top buys, to follow soon, we’ve rounded up a few of our favourites to get you in the mood for spring.
Tesco’s wine buying team highlighted 24 wines as their must-try buys, and five of these have featured in our initial spring roundup below. We think they showcase the diversity of the Tesco range and the value to be found when you know what you’re looking for.
All of the wines in this selection retail under £17.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top picks of the Tesco spring/summer wines
Perfect spring wines
Spring will undoubtedly bring bluer skies and warmer weather, but might also bring the odd cold snap, so the best way to prepare your spring wine selection is to have a mix of lighter bodied whites and reds along with a few heavier and more intense wines to revert back to when the cloud cover returns.
We found that the Tesco Finest Saint-Mont 2019 was showing particularly well, combining rich and exotic candied lemon peel and tropical flavours with nice texture and grip. At just £7 it’s a real bargain, and a great way to discover the whites of southwest France.
New to the range
For those on the hunt for slightly higher end, classy springtime rosé, we thought the Château Léoube, Love by Léoube 2021 was one of the best of the rosés in its price range, along with another Provence rosé that was already part of Tesco’s rosé line-up, Mirabeau Pure 2021. It’s refreshing to see Tesco branching into rosés beyond the pale pinks of Provence too, with the deep-coloured Arbousset Tavel 2021 a welcome addition to the range for those who prefer a fuller style.
When it comes to light juicy reds, the Ken Forrester The Misfits Cinsault 2021 is a must-try. It replaces the Tesco Finest South African Cinsault, which scooped 93 points and was hailed for its drinkability, juiciness and incredible value at £7 a bottle. The Ken Forrester is a touch more expensive at £9 a bottle, but is well worth it.
South Africa features heavily in the list of star buys, reflecting the high quality of the 2020 and 2021 vintages. Kleine Zalze’s fresh Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2021, launching in early June, is a new addition to the range, as is Stellenrust’s full and creamy Manor Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2020.
Those looking for a perfumed, fruit-forward and floral red should try Umani Ronchi’s Fonte del Re Lacrima di Morro d’Alba 2020. Made from the ancient Lacrima grape in Italy’s Marche region, its aromas are distinctive and intense, reminiscent of roses and violets.
New vintages of old favourites
The Tesco Finest St-Chinian is a gem in the Tesco range that has maintained its pleasure and quality with this 2020 vintage, but not only that, its price too. The chewy but ripe tannins and rosemary and sage freshness lend enough substance to pair well with some heavily-herbed lamb.
Quite how this has remained so cheap and under the radar is a bit of a mystery, but Château de Fougères, Clos Montesquieu La Raison 2012 is a well-priced glimpse into the joys of aged Bordeaux.
The following 10 wines are a snapshot of the standout wines from the Tesco spring/summer 2022 tasting. The full list of star buys will be updated here soon.
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Tesco, Finest, Plaimont Producteurs, Saint-Mont, Southwest France, France, 2019
92
This wine is made for Tesco by Plaimont Producteurs, a large but very important cooperative in the Gers department of southwest France. The Saint-Mont appellation was granted AOC status in 2011, even though wine has been made in this area since the 11th Century. A blend of four local varieties Gros Manseng, Petit Courbu, Arrufiac and Petit Manseng, the wine has quite intense peach and overripe melon aromas, with guava and yellow plum too. Rich and exotic candied lemon peel comes through on the palate. There’s good distinction of flavours here, with clear cut tangy pineapple, confit lemon, peach, apricot and nectarine. Six to eight hours of skin maceration for the Gros Manseng has given nice texture and grip, elongating the finish. A little spicy, with some orange peel and yuzu. Lovely.
2019
TescoSaint-Mont
Kleine Zalze, Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, Western Cape, South Africa, 2021
91
Launching in early June, this accomplished blend of mainly Sauvignon Blanc with 25% Semillon is fantastic value and perfect for summer drinking with fish and seafood dishes. It's a blend found in Bordeaux, but you'd struggle to find a good one from Bordeaux at this price. The grapes for this were given 12-36 hours skin contact, before only the free-run juice was transferred to tank for fermentation. The aromatic character of the Sauvignon is tempered by the Semillon, which adds a warm, lemon peel depth to the aroma and flavour. This is a great buy if you like Sauvignon Blanc but are perhaps tiring of the OTT, pungent New World expressions.
2021
Kleine Zalze
Stellenrust, Manor Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2020
91
Fermented and aged for seven months in 225-litre French oak barrels, there's a lot of creamy oak influence here, creating an immediate and heady impression of vanilla-coated almonds, peaches, and custard. But underneath this lies that honeyed peach character so typical of Chenin. Typified by ripeness and richness, this is big and bold, with dollops of clotted cream. There's a tense line of lime zest and lemon under there somewhere. As well as some marmalade, apricot and stony, flinty notes. The zesty high acidity keeps this all tucked in. A decadent wine, and still under the £15 mark, it would probably stand up to spicy dishes. Try it with a piquant Spanish Paella.
2020
Stellenrust
Vidigal, Porta 6, Lisboa, Portugal, 2021
90
Fairly neutral on the nose, with light blossom and lemon notes. The palate is more intense, zesty and zippy, with upfront pineapple and pear. Ripe, tropical guava and mango notes are well balanced by limey acidity and a dry, puckering finish. A blend of two Portuguese varieties and two international varieties, this is made in stainless steel with no oak used, making for a very pure-fruited, versatile wine. A good option for picky food - like tapas and small plates - it’s easy-going but also good exposure to native Portuguese varieties.
2021
Vidigal
Domaine d'Arbousset, Tavel Rosé, Tavel, Rhône, France, 2021
89
A classic Grenache-Syrah-Cinsault blend, showing potpourri and raspberry aromas then a weighty palate of red fruit and a blueberry-skin, darkly textured streak. Powerful intensity, impressive length, rich but ultimately refreshing – this will stand up to a lot of food matches, and is excellent with a summer steak on the barbecue. Fabulous value. I’ll keep saying it: dark, deep, dry rosé should be absolutely the next big thing.
2021
Domaine d'ArboussetTavel
Château Léoube, Love by Léoube, Provence, France, 2021
91
<p>This well-known Provence château has come up trumps with this affordable, organic cuvée, blended by Léoube's respected winemaker, Romain Ott. A 50/50 blend of Grenache and Cinsault, it's pressed gently to avoid too much colour or tannin, and so is a pretty pale rose colour. There's lovely Provençal typicity here – white fruit, peach and white flowers – and the elegant packaging makes it a perfect choice to take to a summer dinner party.</p>
2021
Château Léoube
Ken Forrester, The Misfits Cinsault, Western Cape, South Africa, 2021
93
<p>The Decanter team enjoyed Tesco's Finest Cinsault earlier this year, and it seems to have made way for this equally delicious Cinsault, also from South Africa. Made by Ken Forrester, famous for his Chenin Blancs, this saw the grapes hand harvested, and fermented on wild yeasts. The grapes were partially de-stemmed with partial whole-bunch fermentation. This is all about bright, vibrant and juicy fruit. Red berries, even a hint of rhubarb, pure and easy drinking with a natural sweetness of fruit (but barely any residual sugar), and modest alcohol. Serve slightly chilled.</p>
2021
Ken Forrester
Château de Fougères, Clos Montesquieu La Raison, Graves, Bordeaux, France, 2012
92
It’s quite a rarity to find wine with some age for under £20, let alone Bordeaux, so it’s great to see the new 2012 release of La Raison performing as well as the 2011. The price has gone up a nudge, but £16 is still excellent value for this wine. Garnet-coloured in the glass, the evolved aromas are immediate. Stewed plums, dried cranberries, cedar, tobacco, mushroom and cocoa all vie for position. The palate is sweetly fruited with ripe black cherries, chocolate, raisins and fruit cake. It is grippy, the tannins are present and dry, but with food this should really work well. This ticks all the boxes, is such a great intro to Bordeaux with a bit of age, and is drinking very accessible now. The winemaking is overseen by top Bordeaux consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt.
2012
Château de FougèresGraves
Tesco, Finest, St-Chinian, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, 2020
92
A gem in the Tesco range that has maintained its pleasure and quality, but not only that, its price too. It’s unoaked, which may explain the under a tenner price point, but it manages to provide lovely spiced blackberries, raspberries and stewed cherries, with pepper and graphite too. The palate is full, perhaps a little thicker and fruit forward than previous vintages, but it’s big on flavour as well as being tangy with zingy acid. Chewy but ripe tannins and rosemary and sage freshness lend enough substance to pair well with some heavily-herbed lamb.
2020
TescoSt-Chinian
Umani Ronchi, Fonte del Re, Lacrima di Morro d'Alba, Le Marche, Italy, 2020
92
You might think from the grape name that this grape is from Piedmont (think Barbera d'Alba), but actually Lacrima di Morro d'Alba is an ancient variety found in a tiny coastal area in the Marche region of Italy. Floral and fragrant, this is a deep purple colour in the glass, and fruit forward in style. Blackcurrant, plum and wild cherry fruit, and gummy / jammy in style, but still dry and with a nice grippiness. Unoaked but full of flavour.
2020
Umani RonchiLacrima di Morro d'Alba
