Carignan


Nearly very good, but suffers from the same problem as many Priorats… Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Priorat 2011, Spain (£11 Sainsbury’s) I like the plump plummy berry notes here, and there’s also a fragrant herb-scented character breezing through the wine. However, some of the fruit seems to have been picked a […]

Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Priorat 2011, Spain


A different style of St Chinian from yesterday’s wine – this is more like good traditional Corbières/Fitou in style, largely due to the hefty dollop (25%) of Carignan Domaine de Montplo ‘Louise’ Saint Chinian* 2008, Languedoc, France (£9.51-£16.99 TheDrinkShop.com, All About Wine, Bibendum) Good old-fashioned rustic style, full and fleshy with […]

Domaine de Montplo ‘Louise’ Saint Chinian 2008, Languedoc, France


Some Priorat can be a bit bloated and plodding: not this one… Torres Salmos Priorat 2011, Spain (£18.99 Waitrose, vintagemarque.com) A lovely combination of exuberance and freshness, packed with plush berry, plum and damson, with an ever-so-slightly rustic raisinny note too, but there’s also an earthy coolness, presumably a product […]

Torres Salmos Priorat 2011



Perfect sausage-friendly mid-week glug Le Petit Chat Malin Rouge Pays d’Oc 2012, France (£5.99 Waitrose, Booths, Nisa, Budgens, Londis, Bargain Booze, Rhythm & Booze) It’s a bit jammy – jammy dodger biscuits to be precise – but alongside the berry and briar jam flavours, there’s some earthy freshness and even […]

Le Petit Chat Malin Rouge Pays d’Oc 2012