Château Venus 2011, Graves AOC - Wine Review

Mr.R bought a bottle of Château Venus 2011, Graves AOC, from Lidl, it cost £8.99.
He bought this wine a while ago, before Christmas, but I've only just got round to blogging about it.

This Château Venus 2011 is from the Graves region of Bordeaux, its name comes from the gravel-rich soils of the region which are known for producing elegant, perfumed wines.
It's predominantly Merlot, hence the dark juicy plums on the palate, and a slightly tart finish from the tannins.
It's definitely a wine with an enticing aroma that makes you eager to taste it; blackcurrant, cherry, and plums, and a subtle hint of leather.

This wine is one of almost fifty new wines that Lidl now stock as part of 'The Lidl Premium French Wine Collection'. The prices range from £4.99 to £25.99.
Here's is what Lidl say about this wine -
Graves is one of Bordeauxs oldest appellations, producing wines that offer a good balance of flavour and freshness. With dark, plummy fruit and real crispness, this would be perfect with rare steak or fattier meat like duck. 

As soon as we opened the bottle and poured the wine into a glass the gorgeous vibrant violet colour certainly got our attention, closely followed by the beautiful aroma. We got delicious blackberries, juicy plums, ripe cherries, and damsons - our taste buds were tingling.
Château Venus 2011, Graves was quite dry, of medium acidity, and plenty of ripe tannins.
Although it a few years old, it still tastes very young and quite light, it would probably mellow and develop more depth if you kept it for a few years.
But as I'm sure you know if you've read any of my other wine review blog posts, that's not how we treat our wine. We buy it. We drink it. And this was a very drinkable wine.
If you haven't tried it yet, go and get a bottle, now - while stocks last.

So, yep, once again Lidl has done good.
This is, as I've already said, but feel like repeating, a very enjoyable and drinkable wine.
Château Venus 2011, Graves, 13% vol.
CHATEAU VENUS, 3, Pertigues – Brouquet 33720 Illats – France.
Have you tasted Chateau Venus 2011, Graves?
What did you think of it?

Calvet, Limited Release, Merlot, Bordeaux 2013 - Wine Review

Calvet, the French winemaker has been producing Bordeaux wines since 1818 when the company was first created.

A punchy, juicy and fruity red wine from Bordeaux, France.
It's ripe and smooth with flavours of soft black fruit. We tasted black cherry, blackcurrant, damson, and plum. 13.5% Vol.
I can't remember where Mr.R purchased this wine, but I think it cost about £7.

I love Merlot grapes, and this well-rounded wine went down a treat.
A decent tasting claret, that would go well with game, red meat, or hard cheese.
We didn't bother with food, preferring to quaff it on its own.

From the bottle label -
Specialists in the wines of Bordeaux since 1818 and selecting the best ''cuvees'' is a French brand, distributed in more than 100 countries. 

Are you a fan of Bordeaux wines?
have you tried Calvet, Limited Release, Merlot, Bordeaux 2013?
Did you like it?

Claret

Claret. I really like that word.
Not exactly sure why, but probably because I'm a Londoner - Claret - Blood!

Claret always reminds me of when Mr.R and I first got together.
There was a wine bar that we frequently frequented, Balls Brothers, at London Bridge, where we spent many a good evening after work - and lots of money too. Thank God for overdrafts. Hahaha! ;)
The wine bar also sold real ale, which they served in pewter tankards.
Ah, the memories of our youth...........

Claret - Two Bottles Are Always Better Than One.

Anyway, where was I?
Oh yes, Claret!
When we went to Balls Brothers Mr.R usually drank the real ale, and I always had a large glass of Claret. Bloody lovely. :)
So this Claret that Mr.R bought, brought back lots of good memories. Although this isn't exactly the best Claret in the World. It was perfectly drinkable.

Same Photo - Different Edit. Why? Because I can.

From the bottle label -
This excellent red wine originates from one of the most famous wine regions in the world.
The mild Atlantic climate and chalky soil of the Bordeaux region lend this wine its unmistakably rounded and rich bouquet. Whether enjoying this delicious wine now or leaving it to mature for up to two years, it is an ideal accompaniment to meat and game dishes or cheese. Once opened, consume within 3 days. 

Leave this wine to mature for up to two years?
I love reading the labels on wine bottles, they are often amusing.
As you can clearly see from the photo of the empty wine bottles, we did not leave this Claret to mature for two years - or even two hours.
Oh well, each to their own.
We bought it. Opened it. Drank it. Delicious!
Claret. Have you indulged?