Apparently it is referred to within the company as “the claret offensive” – Lidl’s much-publicised launch of a premium range of Bordeaux this Thursday is part of a £20m promotion to entice the middle classes away from Marks & Spencer and Waitrose.
It’s not, of course, the first discount chain to have focused on fine wines. Arch-rival Aldi introduced a “super premium” range including bordeaux last Christmas, which generated sales of £1.35m (the average spend on a bottle from the range was an astonishing £19.35). And Tesco has been buying bordeaux en primeur (in advance of bottling) for a couple of years now to bring the sought-after 2009 and 2010 vintages to its customers. In a flash sale the other day it drastically reduced a number of bin ends including the 2007 Chateau la Conseillante from £71.50 to £44 a bottle and promises to release the 2010s it bought en primeur this Christmas.
But Lidl’s new additions, part of a 48-strong fine wine range, which has been selected with the help of four Masters of Wine stand out for their affordability, quality and accessibility. A number are from chateaux whose wines are not available elsewhere in the UK, at prices that are only made possible by the company’s sheer size and purchasing power. The 608 branches Lidl has in the UK are just a fraction of the 10,000 stores it has across 26 countries. Apparently the chain is taking 5% of all the wine that’s currently available in Bordeaux.
But why Bordeaux, rather than Burgundy or the Rhône? Basically it carries weight with the public and there’s plenty of it, according to Lidl’s head wine buyer Ben Hulme. “It’s such a famous region that you can’t really not give it good representation. I tried wines from all over France and a huge amount of the Bordeaux wines represented excellent quality and value.” There’s also the fact that the Bordelais are finding it much harder to shift their last three vintages than the stellar 09s and 10s. But that’s precisely why there are bargains to be had, according to Giles Cooper of fine wine merchants Bordeaux Index, who reckons the 2011s and 12s are underrated. “The 11s have freshness and some lovely crunchy fruit and some of the right bank wines [such as Saint-Emilion and Pomerol] are just beautiful.”
That said, it’s not worth going overboard. Although the wines are a good price and available by the single bottle they’re perhaps not as deeply discounted as you might expect, as you can see below. Check the competition on price comparison sites such as wine-searcher.com. Tesco, for example, has the 2009 Chateau Sociando Mallet for £25 a bottle compared to Lidl’s £25.99 for the 2008, though you do have to buy a case. Here’s my pick of the wines that go on sale on Thursday. I’d head for the cheaper ones first. Don’t get trampled in the rush.
Cave Bel Air Bordeaux Rouge 2011, 13.5%, £5.99
Handsomely bottled, everyday-drinking claret from Maison Sichel, the same producer that makes the Wine Society’s own-label claret, though it has its own blend (at £6.50 a bottle) Smooth and mellow, maybe a touch short but who’s complaining at this price?
By comparison: Tesco is selling the 2009 for £78 a case or £13 a bottle.
Chateau Marjosse Bordeaux Rouge 2012 Entre-deux-Mers, 14%, £8.99
Well-regarded minor chateau owned by Pierre Lurton, the manager at Cheval Blanc. Big, rich, plummy and spicy (the wine, not Pierre). Quite precocious – there’s lots of stuffing to it.
By comparison: You can buy the 2012 vintage for £4.56 en primeur and the 2010 for £6.87 a bottle from the French-owned wineandco.com though that’s obviously not as convenient.
Chateau de Panigon Médoc Cru Bourgeois 2011, 13%, £8.99
A modern-style médoc with attractively smooth, ripe well-integrated plum and blackberry fruit.
By comparison: The Wine Society has the more highly regarded 2009 and 2010 vintages for £9.95, so the saving here isn’t huge. Still a good deal though, and last time I checked, you didn’t have to be a member of Lidl to buy.
Chateau Vieux Ferrand Montagne Saint-Emilion 2010, 13.5%, £8.99
Lovely fleshy, supple red from one of the Saint-Emilion “satellites” (surrounding appellations). Drinking beautifully now. This wine doesn’t appear to be available elsewhere in the UK
Chateau Gaillard de la Gorce Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2011, Vignobles Rollet, 14.5%, £11.99
Another one for fans of Saint-Emilion’s lusher style (note the ABV). A lot of wine for the money. Worth ageing. Another one that isn’t available elsewhere in the UK
Chateau Tronquoy Lalande, Cru Bourgeois Saint-Estephe 2007, 13%, £18.99
If I was going to splash out on just one wine this would be it: a beautifully balanced fragrant claret that demonstrates just how attractive - and food-friendly - bordeaux can be. A particularly good deal.
By comparison: The best price I could find elsewhere was online at Cheltenham-based Tom I’anson Wines which is charging £25.95. Many charge a good deal more.
And if you don’t manage to score any of these, there’s a second tranche being released on 16 October. Here’s one I’d pick:
Chateau Taffard Médoc 2011, 13.5%, £6.99
Save a bit of your budget for this incredibly well-priced smooth, almost vanilla-y gold medal-winning Médoc.
By comparison: Le Bon Vin is selling the 2008 vintage for £13.75 a bottle (£12.76 if you buy two or more).
For other non-bordeaux wine bargains from the Lidl range that go on sale this week, see Fiona Beckett’s website matchingfoodandwine.com
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