Award-Winning France - Three Wines From The Co-op

Three award-winning, classy French wines from the Co-op - what's more, two of them are all on special offer until 3rd of January 2015.

So whether you are stocking up, or just popping out to replenish stocks, these three will turn any meal into an occasion.

The Champagne continues to impress - it is drinking beautifully even now, but will continue to improve with age and is a bargain compared to many better-known marques.

The Rhone red is a warming, spicy sort of wine for midwinter, whilst the Sauternes is a delightful (and ridiculously cheap) blend of complex sweetness and freshness.
 

Les Pionniers, Champagne 2006 (£24.99) Golden Sandy yellow, ripe orchard fruits and white peach, toasty leesiness, mouthfilling acidity and a fine mousse. Complex, well-structured and assertive.

Very Good. Drink as an aperitif, with seafood starters, mushroom paté or even alongside roast turkey.

 

The Co-op Chateauneuf du Pape 2013 (£13.99 down from £15.99) From the Rhone, Chateauneuf du Pape is a southern powerhouse of a wine.

 

Translucent ruby-purple; ripe, juicy, slightly baked but not jammy black cherry, plum and blueberry fruit with roasted spices. Supple texture and fine tannins.

 

Concentrated and long with savoury underpinnings.

 

Good. Match with roast red meat.

 

Chateau Roumieu Sauternes, 2009 (£7.99 down from £12.99 - half bottle) The four cool years since 2010 have not been kind to red Bordeaux, but the dessert wines have thrived.

 

Apricots, honeysuckle blossom, beeswax and candied lemons; sweet tropical fruits, sherbet, acacia honey, Sicilian lemons and overripe peaches with some musky beeswax.

 

Long, sweet-sour-savoury and complex. And delicious. And an absolute bargain.

 

Very Good. Match with Crème brûlée or lemon torte.

Other related articles
Les Pionniers 2004‏ At A Decade
Four Christmas Wines From The Co-op