Wines of the week: 2000 Château de la Gravelle, Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine sur lie<br></br>Matua Valley North Island Red
White
2000 Château de la Gravelle, Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine sur lie, £4.99, Safeway
There's muscadet and then there's muscadet sur lie, the latter an altogether superior product because the time this Loire dry white spends sitting on the lees (dead yeast cells) adds, as in this example, a refreshing spritz, a degree of richness and savoury flavours backed by a tangy, acidic twist. A top match for seafood.
Red
Matua Valley North Island Red, £4.99, Tesco
This stylishly packaged blend of mainly cabernet sauvignon and pinotage with a dash of merlot and malbec is a deliciously soft, berry-like offering, with behind-the-scenes oak adding a nip and tuck of spice and backbone. To get a wine of this quality from New Zealand at under £5 is quite an achievement.
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