As promised, here’s a deal I’ve found, for pre-Christmas deal-hunters back in Blighty.
Rush out and buy a case of this wine!
In fact, don’t rush out – avoid the hassle of having to fight the masses who will inevitably be out at your local Tesco wrestling over the last bottle, and click ‘Send’ to have this wine delivered free to your door by the mega store, who this Christmas appear to be trialing a free delivery per case deal, like their competitors, Majestic Wine.
Upon closer inspection however, it does seem that Ricossa Barolo comes not in what I’d initially (and, I feel quite rightly!) perceived as the traditional twelve-bottle ‘case’ size, but rather a box of six – so, though a clever case of contextomy and marketing, let me affirm – before like me, you start picking up the phone to call everyone in your address book – that you are not getting this for ₤5 a bottle!
Still, without splitting hairs, I have to be honest and say that at ₤10 a bottle it’d still make me do a double take! Piedmont’s Barolo, regarded by aficionados of Italian wine the world over as the wine of kings, and king of wines, remains the powerhouse Italian celebrity it has always been. Made from the sensitive and highly tannic Nebbiolo grape, a bottle of Barolo typically takes a few years to ‘smooth out’ after it has been bottled – that is, to allow tannin integration and thus the wine to drink better. However, since this has already been allowed a few years to do so, it is conveniently ready to drink now, and as such I wouldn’t suggest breaking this out at the Christmas table in another five years!
Like so many Italian reds, this is an out-and-out food wine, so pair with rich pasta dishes, game and meaty stews. I’d almost certainly recommend decanting for a couple of hours if you have the facilities to do so (if you don’t ask for a decanter in your stocking this Christmas!), and it’ll come into its own, releasing primary aromas of plum and anise, with secondary notes of black cherry and spice.
Read the small print! All orders at Tesco of a minimum of a case (twelve bottles!), placed before Midnight on December the 13th are free for delivery.
1 comment:
That wine & vintage is on offer again at tesco for the 6 bottle case price of £72 (£12 a bottle). It was pretty poor value at £10 2 years ago and it is even less good value now. Sadly, even after 2-3 hours decanting, it is light and short on the palate and only a slight step up from everyday good quality wine and definitely not worth £12 and would only *just* be acceptable if it was still a tenner.
NOT WORTH IT!
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