Decanter had a recent piece about top Co-op wines for winter. I figured I’d give at least one or two of them a try. So, recently I went to my local Co-op, browsed their not very big wine selection, and, since I didn’t remember to make a list of any of the wines that Decanter had recommended, bought a wine that looked ok. It wasn’t on the list. Still, it’s a wine, and I’m going to review it. So, there.
In the glass
Pale ruby. Clear. Not much else to say. It looks like wine. Most probably because it is.
The nose
A vague hint of something. That’s it. Maybe, possibly, a whiff of black cherries. But I wouldn’t want to bet any money on it.
The palate
Light bodied. Thin, sour. Cherries, but dull. They’re not clearly defined. Some raspberry. Some wines have a nice streak of acidity running through them. This one has a thread of sourness instead. The tannins are noticeable. Not particularly grippy, green or harsh, but you can’t avoid them.
During my WSET Diploma, someone one described the finish as the ‘good aftertaste.’ By that standard, this had a relatively short finish, with that thread of sourness lingering on after that.
It’s not bad, per se. More disappointing than anything.
It’s the backing vocals of wine. It adds something when you have it with food, but just doesn’t really work on its own.
Rating
Yum overall, It’s Wine on the visuals. I didn’t expect much from a budget New Zealand Pinot Noir, but I had been hoping for more than this.
Sustainability
Grove Mill apparently takes a number of steps, including the use of solar power, sugarcane-based labels and establishing a wetlands nearby. They also use recycled glass in their bottles. Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand certified. Oddly enough, I can’t find any indication that they are organic, or of their vineyard practices more generally.
The technical info and such
13.5% ABV. Pinot Noir. C. £12 from Co-op, available elsewhere. (I forgot to note the price when in the shop, and didn’t get a receipt.)
The other stuff
I had a difficult time writing ‘Grove Mill’ for this review. I kept wanting to write ‘Grovers Mill,’ where, in the infamous 1938 radio broadcast, Orson Welles relocated the Martian invasion in War of the Worlds to.