The Organic Vineyard (France) Vermentino
A tough decision this week, as I tasted numerous under-a-fiver wines, finding several I could recommend. In the end it was a toss-up between Riverview Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio 2001 , a deliciously vegetal, tropical fruit-spiked Hungarian wine from Safeway at 3.99 (2.99 until 05/04), and this strikingly handsome, broad-shouldered bottle. The main reason the latter gets the nod, is just that its so nice to see something a bit different. Vermentino is native to the islands of Sardina and Corsica, and it is quite widely grown in southern France (where this comes from). It is beguilingly aromatic, with scents of spring flowers, peach and lemon zest, and just a little marmalade and toast suggestion. On the palate it is fairly straightforward glugging stuff, with a rich, juicy, mouthfilling weight of apple fruit, decent balance and a smidgeon of oak. Aldi, £3.49
