Twelve wines make up Majestic’s new own-label Definition range – that’s five whites (Chablis, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc), five reds (Claret, Côtes du Rhône, Pinot Noir, Rioja, Malbec), a rosé and a sparkling wine. Priced between £9.99 and £17.99 a bottle (with multi-buy offers bringing this down to £7.49 – £13.49) the range is designed to be “approachable to seasoned wine drinkers and intriguing to new wine lovers” – but are they tasty?
The response to that is ‘Yes very much so’, and, ‘okay but how much?’, with the wines offering either a really nice drinkable example of their type or one where you wonder if you might have been better off popping across to Lidl and buying two bottles for the same price from their new wine range (reviewed here on 14th and 21st September).
Because the Defintion Côtes du Rhône (£11.99, or £8.99 when you buy 2) allows the blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan red grape varieties to lose nothing of the more subtle flavours of Turkish Delight and still come through with the more expected Liquorice Allsort chewiness.
While the own-label Sancerre tastes, in comparison, rather everyday with its strictly two-taste output of lime and gooseberry – which are the flavours you’d expect from a Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc, or pretty much any other Sauvignon Blanc in fact. So paying £17.99 for the French version seems a little steep.
But what are the customers buying in store? The Argentinean Malbec, according to Izzy Assistant Manager at Majestic’s Ludlow store – “it’s easy to recommend as its an easy style” and the Limoux Chardonnay if they want a wine to match with fish (“it’s a gorgeous wine”, and I have to agree).
Majestic’s No Quibble Guarantee makes “it feel a lot safer buying a Definition wine”, explains Izzy, as you can get a refund or replacement on any bottle you find disappointing and you don’t need to return the offending bottle. Now that makes a nice change.
PG Wine Reviews
Defintion Côtes du Rhône 2014, France
£11.99 Majestic
Creamy blackcurrant and damson aromas with flavours of Turkish Delight, foolowed by blackcurrant and liquorice. Chewy ending.
Definition Limoux Chardonnay 2014, France
£12.99 Majestic
Home of the sparkling wine Blanquette de Limoux, this origins of this still version are similar and contain the same principal grape variety – Chardonnay. Made as a still version, this Chardonnay still has some of the deep flavours found in its sparkling cousin, with buttery crumpet and apple jam flavours predominating and hints of hazelnut and golden syrup. The result is a sophisticated wine.
Defintion Provence Rosé, France
£12.99 Majestic
A pale pink rosé that tastes like a white wine with its flavours of apple, lemon and hint of nuttiness. What happened to the usual strawberry flavours?
Definition Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut, Italy
£12.99 Majestic
Tastes of apple dumplings with a hint of steeliness in the background. Everyday Prosecco so why £12.99?
Defintion Sancerre 2014, France
£17.99 Majestic
Lime and gooseberry flavours. Nicely made.
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© Paula Goddard 2015 www.paulagoddard.com
