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We don't have a Lidl in Cambridge, but they got in touch and sent me a couple of their range to review. Since all the wines are tested by Master of Wine Richard Bampfield along with fellow MWs, Ed Adams, Caroline Gilby and Nancy Gilchrist, quality and typicity should not be an issue.
Brauneberger Kurfürstlay Feinherb 2011 Riesling (£4.99)
Classic entry-level Mosel Riesling; pale sandy yellow in the glass, it is ripe and citrussy with sherberty, sweet-sour acidity and lots of ripe yellow fruit (apricots, peaches and pineapple).
Off-dry yet refreshingly, it is light and well-balanced, with a brief hint of a minerally finish.
"Thoroughly pleasant" is perhaps the best summary - not a complex wine, but of its level and style, faultless and very enjoyable.
Match the gentle sweetness with lightly cooked salmon and baby sweetcorn. Or sip on the garden on a sunny afternoon.
2010 Grand Cru St. Emilion (£9.99)
Another textbook classic - this right-bank Bordeaux is a much more ambitious and accomplished wine.
On the nose, there is bramble, cigar-box and spice; the palate is well-balanced, mouthfilling and long with fresh acidity and firm tannins on the finish.
It's still young so will benefit from some aeration - worth decanting an hour or so before dinner.
Match with plain roast beef or a steak.
Conclusions
These days, £5 does not buy you much wine at all, so a really pleasant German Riesling at this price is no mean feat, whilst a tenner for a very drinkable and accomplished Bordeaux is impressive, too.
Definitely worth checking these out.
Other related articles
Dourthe Reserve Montagne St Emilion (Waitrose)
Ch La Tulipe de la Garde Bordeaux Superieur (Sainsbury's)
Ch Borjaud Premieres Cotes de Blaye (The Wine Society)
Aged Mosel Rieslings at Cambridge Wine Merchants
Review of these wines on The Wine Kat: The Great Lidl Taste Test
Links
Lidl - website
Main image credit: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01659/lidl-fashion_1659823i.jpg
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