Domaine Gerovassiliou Malagousia, Greece 2013
(£13.49, Wine Rack)
Not so long ago, specialist wine merchant chains were a feature of our high streets. But the one-stop convenience of supermarkets and the better range and prices of Majestic’s warehouses spelled the end for the likes of Unwins and Threshers . But a couple of the old names are still clinging on. One is Wine Rack, with 27 stores, mostly in the southeast. Their range is solid rather than exciting, but it does have a handful of gems, such as the classy Cape claret of Meerlust Estate Red, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2011 (£10.99) or Domaine Gerovassiliou’s blistering, juicy apricot-and-pear white from Greece.
Les Grès Viognier, IGP Pays d’Oc, France 2013
(£6.49, Bargain Booze; Wine Rack)
Wine Rack is these days part of a bigger group, Conviviality Retail, which also owns the frill-free Bargain Booze, now the largest offie chain in the country with more than 600 stores. As its name suggests, Bargain Booze tends to specialise in supermarket-matching prices on big-name brands. Its website is a slightly depressing rundown of rock-bottom industrial plonk (Kumala, Yellow Tail). But the tie-up with Wine Rack does yield the odd interesting bottle: this southern French white, for example, is nicely pitched between fresh floral notes and peachy fleshiness.
Quinta dos Roques, Dão, Portugal 2012
(£12.50, Oddbins)
Of all the old high-street off-licences, Oddbins inspired the most affection. Its range, especially in its glory days in the 1980s and 1990s, was always daring, its staff unfailingly knowledgeable. Once on the brink of disappearing, it’s now firmly back on form and the range at its more than 40 stores, thanks to buyer Ana Sapungiu, is once again among the most interesting in the country. Small producers feature strongly, and it’s particularly strong in off-the-beaten-track countries such as Greece and Portugal. This fragrant red blend from central Dão, with its wet-stone mineral kick, is a particular highlight.
