Duo of Quatre wines

With being less mobile than normal both in and out of the house I have not really had much to blog about. Just a trip to the supermarket is an achievement although we are taking a short break to Kent and France at the end of June so hopefully my travel blogging will return soon.

It will be interesting and I'm sure very different to travel as a disabled person, I will hopefully be on my crutches by then but will still need a wheelchair. We've already had to think about accommodation and travel changes: Travelodge and Ibis have been super with room facilities and we've decided Eurotunnel is best as there isn't much point struggling on deck for a 90 minute crossing.


Anyway more about the stuff I can manage - wine tasting !! I have been very lucky to have been chosen for Aldi's 14th Tasting Panel and so far have received four very nice wines to taste and review. There are six in each tasting and the final two will arrive soon.

Vignobles Roussellet Pinot Noir : a lovely light red, shimmering with highlights, this Pinot Noir is full of soft fruits. A light cherry nose with a very light white pepper background. 

Strawberries, cherries, summer fruits with that subtle pepperiness and soft tannins makes this a very enjoyable wine, perfect for a meat dinner but equally suited to drinking unaccompanied. 

Exquisite Collection Cremant de Jura : full of fine lively bubbles with a beautiful golden colour making it look very elegant. Plenty of apples, hints of citrus, elements of biscuity yeast and a smooth crisp finish. 

This would stand up to many champagnes, we've been buying this for many years and have never been disappointed.

Exquisite Collection South Australian Shiraz : a lovely dark colour which is very inviting. This Shiraz has a full nose of dark fruits; blackcurrants, dark plums but predominantly black cherries.  

This rich wine has hints of liquorice and traces of spice. A lovely weight with a smooth long finish makes this perfect for steak meals or enjoyed on a winter's night.

Exquisite Collection Cótes de Provence Rosé : such an elegant bottle, instantly bringing Southern French holidays to mind. It's crystal clear rose hue is equally inviting. 

Full of summer strawberries with a fun touch of spice this rosé wine is dry but refreshing rosé  and perfect for outside dining.

Thank you Aldi - I really enjoy being part of #AldiWineClub and having the opportunity to taste and review such lovely wines. 

My first trip out after my fall was to Majestic Wine in Leicester where I discovered their new range ' Majestic Loves'  

There are nine different wines and a bottle of fizz in the range. Each bottle is £5.99 and is the result of 500 blind tastings. The artistic designed labels by Jean Jullien and wrap around the bottle. Unusually the label has no branding or grape variety shown on the front of the bottle, all the information is on the reverse. 

The informality of the labels when stood together did give the suggestion of it being party time so we invited a few friends round to help us try this new range and chose two reds and two whites. To make the simplicity of the labels we didn't take tasting notes, just generally chatted about likes and dislikes - sometimes this is the best way to decide on a wine. The notes on each are Majestic's own. 

Majestic Loves 

Majestic Loves… Shiraz 2014 

You can almost hear the sizzling arrival of BBQ season – so don’t get caught without a suitable wine! 

This juicy Shiraz is stuffed full of dark fruit and a subtle spiciness. 

It’s just waiting to do justice to the mightiest meat platter

Majestic Loves… Pinot Grigio 2016

Pinot Grigio is a smart buy for fans of the thirst-quenching Northern Italian style – but this isn’t from Italy. 

From top vineyards in Romania, it has all the hallmarks of its Italian cousins, with plenty of tangy green apple and a refreshing finish.

Majestic Loves… Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2015

This great Montepulciano is full of juicy red fruit and relaxed tannins. 

Exceedingly approachable, easy going and perfect with pizza – everything that great Italian red should be!

.Majestic Loves…  Grüner Veltliner 2016

Grüner Veltliner has long been the go-to wine for lip-smacking refreshment. 

From top Hungarian vineyards our GV is full of fresh lemon,red apple and a delicate spiciness. Brilliantly versatile.

So there's my duo of quatres, two different suppliers with four lovely wines from each. Over the next two weeks I will be reviewing my final two for Aldi and then at the end of the month we'll be discovering new things in Kent and selecting old favourites to bring home from France - plenty to blog about next time !