The Spectacular Summer Entertaining Case from Tesco

If you send a case of wines off to be reviewed online, you'd better make it a good one.

This Spectacular Summer Entertaining case from Tesco is something of a mixed bag - a couple of quite pleasant ones, the rest somewhere between middling and disappointing.

A review with the extended CWB family provoked some discussion about who the intended audience might be. The conclusion was summer spectacular = party wines = quantity rather than quality.

Here are my own reviews - the department of brutal truth, I like to call it (some of the family were more inclined to be polite).

Swingbridge Chardonnay, Margaret River, Australia 2010 - lacks complexity and is somewhat unbalanced; tartly acidic with orchard fruit sweetness. Clumsy; extended time on the lees adds something, but does not redeem.

Colpasso Nero d'Avola, Sicily 2009 - suffers much the same stylistic faults as the chardie; harsh acidity and too much primary fruit sweetness. Harsh on the finish. Lacks balance, texture and complexity.

Ch Laroche Viella, Madiran 1996 - greater complexity with developed aromas and more texture on the palate. The tannins are drying on the finish and the acidity is again rather harsh.

Marques de Monistrol Cava Rosé 2008 - pleasant enough and inoffensive, lacks interest or complexity, but no stylistic faults as such, making it the best wine so far (albeit that's not saying much) - sweet red berry fruit, leesiness, some persistence on the finish.

Faustino Rivero Ulecia Rioja Reserva 2005 - IWSC silver; at last, no stylistic faults here: balanced, with ripe tannins.

Red and black cherry fruit, sweet vanilla spice, prominent acidity, mouthfilling texture, good finish, mellowness from aging.

With air, a touch of truffleyness and meaty aromas, but the fruit is gone by the following day, so drink in a single sitting.

Old Renwick Road Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 Marlborough, New Zealand  - good, well-made textbook Marlborough SB; zesty and herbaceous, mineral, linear acidity. Well-made with good structure.

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So, something of a mixed bag and an odd selection with no obvious theme - cheap Spanish pink fizz, yes, but why a 15 year-old rustic French wine for summer entertaining ?

You could almost see this as a case study (no pun intended) - a couple of good textbook wines, a couple of older wines to show the effects of age, a couple of borderline stylistically faulty ones.

Overall it feels more like a random collection of bin ends that needed shifting than a well-thought out case - but there is certainly some enjoyment to be found here and at an average price of £6.25 a bottle, I would happily drink the Rioja and Sauvignon again.

You have the chance to find out for yourself by entering my competition to win this case - here: http://cambridgewineblogger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/mixed-case-from-tesco-to-be-won.html

Links

Tesco Wines - http://www.tesco.com/wine/
Spectacular Summer Entertaining case - http://www.tesco.com/wine/product/details/default.aspx?searchBox=spectacular&id=273581008