Lalande D'Auvion Medoc 2001: Mature claret at a bargain price

Aged claret at under £15, you can't argue...

Working today in deepest Suffolk, UK, I found a wonderful little wine shop, with the help of a friend.

The owner has some absolute gems on his shelves.

His shop is called Wattisfield Wines in a lovely village called Walsham Le Willows. 

One these gems is this Lalande D'Auvion Medoc 2001.

At £13 this is a steal.

Mature, aged claret that opened up beautifully after an hour.

Critics seem to score it in the late 80's. For value and taste, it's fabulous.

The reviews, as always, seem to pick up things that I could never taste. But I can tell you it's delicious. I can't swear that: "This tawny-hued wine is beginning to reveal secondary aromatics of smoky bacon, caramel, leather and earth"  but for under £15, it is superb.

The grapes are harvested mechanically, according to the research I've done. But for the price you can't expect them individually caressed by an experienced picker.

This is what I love about learning about wine. You can find hidden gems in the least expected places, such as Walsham Le Willows. Here's where you can buy it. For value, it's hard to beat.

Wine Society Vacqueyras 2010: A bargain of 2012 under £10

This Wine Society Vacqueyras 2010 is definitely one of the buys of 2012.

It's not surprising that the society has sold out of the 2010.

At £9.99 a bottle it's one of the bargains of the last twelve months.

Their description of it's "power, boldness and rustic red-berry charm" is right on the money.

2010 was of course an outstanding year for most Rhone wines. I've not had a bad one yet, and have reviewed a few others. 

Given it now seems to be hard to get at the price, this wine is probably a decent alternative. I had a case of it last year and it's wonderfully balanced. Not for the faint-hearted though.