The Latest Warehouse Wines Case Review
With changing seasons, new wines in the range and the desire to impress us, Warehouse Wines kindly sent me a selection of wines from their latest intro case to cast my opinion on.
If you don’t know what sets them apart, it is their ability to leverage exceptional value through direct sourcing straight from the winemakers. Their key goal is to get their customers high-quality wines below £10. Yes, there are plenty of £10 and under wines on the market, but most are pretty awful examples of the grape and region, made for mass production and chemically engineered to a point that pushes the meaning of wine. Warehouse Wines on this mission alone have my admiration. And, as this case has once again proved to me, they nail it.
These are some of the wines you’ll be getting your hands on should you be wise enough to claim your first case, especially at a frankly ridiculous £4.99 per bottle. So, if you really needed any more convincing, here’s 6 reasons why you just can’t miss them!
Hailing from Chile’s Central Valley, a warm, fertile plain with plenty of sunshine that is perfectly suited to making ripe, fruity wines.
On the nose, you’ll find classic Sauvignon notes with lime, passionfruit, elderflower and fresh cut grass, followed up by a nice juicy guava. This tropical guava/passionfruit nature comes through more intensely on the palate than the lemon/lime citrus, which is the style of Sauvignon I prefer. So great!
The finish is a good length, culminating in ripe peach and elderflower flavours, with zippy acidity to give it a real uplift at the end.
An Italian Pinot Grigio is always going to appeal as part of a case, providing that easy-drinking mid-week drink or bottle to open amongst friends.
You’ll find aromas of citrus, candied lemon, pear drop, peach and a mixed undertone of cream and minerals. The palate was, simply put, very pleasant. It is brimming with orchard fruits and citrus, harmonising together nicely so that the wine is well balanced. It has a light, crisp mouthfeel and is better than most Pinot Grigio’s out there, particularly at this price point!
This was by far the most extraordinary wine of the bunch. A Romanian wine made from the indigenous variety Feteasca Alba, a textured, aromatic grape variety capable of great complexity and ageing potential.
One sniff of this and you’d surprise me if you didn’t admit you were intrigued. Waxy orange peel, lemon, ripe peach and apricot are the fruit mainstays, but then it gets really interesting. Turkish delight, reminiscent of Gewurztraminer, appears alongside a faint yoghurty, almost blue-cheese like undertone.
Now you know that, you’ll probably struggle to avoid those flavours on tasting it, but they are by no means overwhelming. They provide a textured backbone to the wine and enhance a savoury profile rather than dominate it - I don't even like blue cheese, but this wine is excellent. Stone fruits and rose water are at the fore still, with a marmalade hint on the end. The mouthfeel is relatively weighty, and taking this into account with the wine profile, makes it an excellent food wine.
A Chilean red this time, blended with parcels from three separate harvest years to give the winemakers flexibility to make the best wine they can. And this one was by far my favourite of the case.
First thing that comes to mind once you take the aromas in is quality. A nose reminiscent of good Bordeauxs, that mingles red and black fruits with a subtly herbaceous character. If you like traditional Bordeaux reds, you’ll absolutely be happy with this.
On sipping, you’ll discover blackcurrant, cassis and black plum leading the dark fruits forward. This is complemented by good bit of oak usage, bringing cedar, toasty notes and a vanilla streak on the finish. Tannins are silky smooth and ripe, flavours are hearty and balanced – it’s a great food wine too.
Showcasing the fruiter side of reds is this Rioja-esque blend from Valencia. Garnacha and Tempranillo are typical Riojan varieties, but Syrah is an interesting addition to the mix.
On the nose you get a real sense of lively red fruits, from cherry and strawberry to cranberry and red plums. The Syrah brings a little bit of black fruit and black pepper.
As you might expect by the nose, the palate is juicy and lusciously fruity, enhanced by soft tannins and its smooth texture. There’s a little oak going on as well adding a hint of spice, creating a wine that is both bold and refreshing at the same time.
I imagine a few eyes have lit up about Malbec coming in your case. Whilst Argentina is known these days for Malbec, this takes you back to its ancestral home in France, giving you a more moderated, fine-tuned version of the grape where fruit flavours are much more refined and individually perceptible.
It is unmistakably Malbec. Aromas of ripe blackberry, black plum, blackcurrant, blueberry and oaky, toasty notes are immediately apparent, letting you know you’re in for a sumptuous treat.
The palate takes these plush dark fruits and matches them with silky smoothness, giving you the impression you’re drinking an alcoholic red velvet cake. They also take on a more savoury tone, with mocha and dark chocolate pervading the flavours. Finally, this leads into a rich, warming and plummy finish, readying you quite quickly for your next glass.
The Verdict
When checking my descriptions of the wines and checking their prices, you might think I’d mixed my review notes up. But no, and only one of these wines is £8.49, the rest are £7.99 or less!
Usually with intro cases, you get lured in with an amazing price but then the next time you want the wines you’re looking at £12-£15 or more per bottle. Here, prices start low and they stay low. Quality starts high, and stays high.
There’s also the little club or subscription issue that comes up. Warehouse Wines don’t work like that. You can buy your first case at £4.99 per bottle, and then that’s it if you like. But, given the quality and price of their wines, they suspect you’ll be back without a forced subscription.
Check out all they have to offer today and make the most of your first case!
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