Chateau Negrit 2008, Montagne Saint-Emilion, Avery's

This Avery's Chateau Negrit 2008 Montagne Saint-Emilion is one of six Avery's Bordeaux wines chosen by the Association of Wine Educators for the Good Food Would Choose Bordeaux campaign, based on the following criteria:

- readily available
- priced between £5 - £20
- representative of Bordeaux

Montagne Saint-Emilion is a satellite of the right-bank Saint-Emilion appellation where the Merlot dominates, typically producing softer wines with more perfume and less-chewy tannins than those from Cabernet Sauvignon which is to be found mainly in left-bank blends.

The wine is actually produced by Ballande & Meneret and supplied to Avery's by Direct Wines, aka the online direct sales behemoth Laithwaites.

In the glass, it is dark purple with aromas of bramble fruit, dark spice and a touch of earthiness. The palate shows more dark berry fruit and plums with secondary aromas of coffee grounds and dark spice.

There is plenty of juicy acidity and the tannins are soft, becoming grippy and slightly drying on the finish.

Overall, not a bad quaffing wine, but not as impressive as I would hope given the price tag of well over a tenner, and I'd really like to see more complexity and structure here.

£12.99 from Avery's; provided for review.

Links

Ballande &Meneret - http://www.ballande-meneret.com/
Good Food Would Choose Bordeaux - http://www.goodfoodwouldchoosebordeaux.com/
Avery's - http://www.averys.com/
Association of Wine Educators - http://www.wineeducators.com/