This is the Spring Into Summer Case from Tesco Wine By The Case which I’ve been sent to review. It’s £54 for one of each of the bottles, the estimated bottle prices below are those where the wines aren’t available individually.
Valtier Utiel-Requeña Reserva 2009, Spain (~£9 Tesco)
Some mature toffee aromas alongside the lightly jammy/cooked red berry and plum, a touch of spice but now fading. C(-)
Most Wanted Malbec 2015, San Juan, Argentina (£8 Tesco)
Quite pale for Malbec, with again a jammy/baked edge to the red berry flavour, also gentle, earthy chocolate and raisin notes, OK but could be tangier. C+
Las Cometas Carmenère Reserva 2014, Valle Central, Chile (£7.50 Tesco)
Dark red and black berry with herbal tinge, aromas improve with each swirl, ripe, not huge concentrated, but all the more drinkable for that B
The Regions Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, Australia (£12 Tesco)
Touches of mint and liquorice liven up the blackcurrant, blackberry and plum fruit, but then there’s a strange aspirin/Alka Seltzer flavour that lets it down. C
Château Desclau Bordeaux Supérieur 2010, France (£12 Tesco)
Nicely mature, relaxed style, with a touch of cedar alongside the gentle cooked blackcurrant and ripe plum flavours, tasty and subtle, but it’s not going to improve so tuck in now. S-
Higgovale Heights Shiraz 2013, Western Cape, South Africa (£9 Tesco)
The initial waft of bold rich berry and plum plus hints of spice and toasty oak augur well, but there’s a baked edge to the fruit. And it could be a little more concentrated. B(-)
OVERALL VERDICT. Hmm, a (mixed) case of could do better. I liked the Bordeaux, but most of the others were a bit lacklustre. If I had to pick a set of Tesco wines from different countries to put into a six-pack, this is what I’d choose:-
Tesco finest* The Trilogy Malbec (Argentina) £11.00
Ringbolt Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon (Australia) £10.00
Cono Sur Reserva Especial Pinot Noir (Chile) £7.00
Chateau Camplazens Syrah (France) £10.00
Tesco finest* Marlborough Pinot Noir (New Zealand) £8.50
Tesco finest* Vina del Cura Rioja Reserva (Spain) £8.50
Total price £55, but I’m sure they could shave £1 off costs somewhere…