Have you just set off on your wine journey and not too sure of your style and taste preferences? The iDealwine team is on hand to help! Below, some of our seasoned amateurs share their top bottles for those about to make the jump into the wonderful world of wine. And the best bit? These wines are all available in our Foire aux vins sale!
Faced with the enormous choice of wines for sale nowadays, finding a good bottle can be a bit of a minefield for aspiring wine connoisseurs… To help you in your search, we’ve put together a list of the ideal wines for those starting to familiarize themselves with the wine world.
Elsa (marketing):
Madiran Château Montus-Prestige Alain Brumont 1994, €24,90
This ready-to-drink vintage from Alain Brumont demonstrates the great benefits of drinking mature wines: it will allow you to taste the tertiary aromas that a wine develops, the way the tannins melt into the wine over time… This cuvée of pure Tannat is also the perfect wine to discover the potential of a lesser-known, “secondary” appellation such as Madiran. This appellation may not have the best reputation, but Alain Brumont produces powerful, elegant wines which are a great starting point when finding your feet in the world of wine!
Pierre (logistic team):
Hautes-Côtes de Nuits La Poirelotte Laurent Roumier 2015, €19
In Pierre’s words, this cuvee will please the whole family! Although this wine has a refreshing acidity, the 2015 vintage gave this cuvee a lovely roundness, lending it a nice digestibility. Laurent Roumier is one of those must-know domains, whose savoir-faire is widely recognized by wine enthusiasts. Taste this wine with a fondue bourguignonne or grilled lamb chops.
Justine (sales department):
Bourgogne Pinot Noir Coche-Bizouard 2015, €11,90
Justine recommends this Pinot noir from Coche-Bizouard as an excellent way to acquaint yourself with Burgundy reds. It’s fruity, nicely-rounded and has well-integrated, silky tannins. This fruit-forward cuvée goes perfectly with grilled poultry!
Constance (writing team – Blog):
Riesling Fritz Haag Trocken Weingut 2016, €10,50
This chiseled Riesling is the perfect introduction to this highly-reputed domain’s very wide range of wines. Fresh, delicious, with sweet and citrus fruit notes, and to top it all off, very affordably-priced: what more could you possibly ask for?! Constance recommends drinking this wine at aperitif, with simple, delicate foods, or a good goat’s cheese.
Jean-Baptiste (purchasing department):
Château Chasse Spleen 2008, €32
When starting off with wine, it’s often best to start off with the most classical styles, good starting point. And for Jean-Baptiste, there’s no better place to start than with a classic Bordeaux! This mature cuvée is a synthesis of everything you need to know about Bordeaux. Its secondary fragrances will have started to expand, and it will have developed a wonderful complexity.
Fun fact: Charles Baudelaire and Lord Byron were among the most ardent and famous ambassadors of this wine, which is now one of the most emblematic Cru bourgeois of the Medoc. To be tasted with red meat, naturally!
Cyprien (logistic team):
Chablis 1er Cru Forêts Louis Michel et Fils 2015, €24
Chip has a serious soft spot for Chablis, especially this Premier Cru from Louis Michel et Fils! He highly recommends the clean, pure and precise wines produced by this domain. This mineral wine, with its fruity aromas, is the perfect accompaniment to seafood and fish.
Philippe (special advisor to the team J)
Alsace rouge 2015 – Marcel Deiss 13,90€
Philippe highly recommends this great Alsatian domain, which frankly has nothing to prove both in terms of reputation and quality. This meticulously vinified Pinot noir is therefore a safe bet, as are all of the domain’s cuvées. This fruity wine is eminently drinkable, as is often the case with the Pinot noirs of Alsace, and all the more so given the ripe 2015 vintage.
Angélique (marketing)
Toscane – Le Difese 2015 14,90€
Still dreaming about the summer holidays, Angélique particularly recommends Sassicaia’s second wine. This is a gentle Sangiovese which will whisk you away to Tuscany for the evening; it will elevate all sorts of meats, or, if you want to take the tasting to another level, pair with crostini toscani, typical Tuscan bread topped with liver paté, to be eaten as you would tapas.
Grace (international marketing)
Vénétie Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore Brut Jeio Bisol, €9,90
As we’re sure you know, the English are partial to a prosecco every now and then… Our honorary Brit, Grace, is certainly no exception! She recommends that you taste this prosecco with a charcuterie board; the fruity, floral bubbles will immediately transport you to the sublime, steeply rising hills of Treviso…
There you have it, now you know a few of our favorite wines 😉. We hope that we’ve helped you in your future vinous discoveries; the most important thing is of course that the wines you enjoy are a catalyst for exchanging, sharing and learning.
Bonne degustation!
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