Philippe Michel (France) Cremant du Jura 2000
The 1998 vintage of this wine made both Wine of the Week and Wine of the Month and represented what I called ‘An absolutely stonking little bargain’ at 4.99. Well what do you know? The 2000 edition is just as good, and the price has stayed the same. 100% Chardonnay, it comes from Jura in eastern France, and is made by the expensive traditional method as in Champagne, spending 24 months in bottle to gain richness and complexity before release. It has a an appetising green apple nose, with creamy, nutty autolytic notes. There are plenty of bubbles, rolling and persisting on the tongue. It delivers plenty of crisp, tingling, apple and pear fruit, broad on the mid-palate with some more nut and sour fig nuances, and plenty of incisive acidity. Beautifully balanced and not at all thin or cheap, this is classic, stylish fizz and I defy anyone to find a better value alternative on the market. Well done Aldi. £4.99
