Angela Mount's Top Recommendations From Morrisons Cellar Wines

There has been a major reshuffle in terms of the buying team at Morrisons in the past year, with a complete revamp of their wine selection as well; out with the ‘the Best’ and in with ‘Signature’, a range of wines that the wine buyers have personally selected. These wines have only been in the stores since October, but are well worth a try; it’s early days, but there are some cracking wines to try. I have mixed views on the labels, some are classic and spot on, others just don’t work for me. But top marks to the team for putting QR codes on all the bottles, which will let you scan directly to the online site for more information; even more clever for busy shoppers are the little pull off stickers on the back label, which you can keep for your next visit, to remind you of the wines you liked.

In addition to the Signature range, Morrisons have just launched a range of under £5 wines - simple, easy-drinking wines; I haven’t tried many of them, but the Cabernet Sauvignon, as one of those I did, was a very decent, inexpensive bottle for a midweek supper.

Morrisons Signature Pouilly Fumé

Made by one of my favourite, and also most award-winning producers in the Loire, Fouassier, this is a cracking Sauvignon Blanc. Pouilly Fume is a region directly opposite the river from the more famous Sancerre region, but produces wine at least equal in quality and interest. With the current fashion for New Zealand Sauvignon, it’s great to see a supermarket championing Sauvignon Blanc from its French home, the Loire Valley, and this is a great example. It’s fresh, it’s zesty, and it has a perky vibrancy; as well as freshly-cut green apple, basil and lime on the nose, it has a hint of newly harvested hops, which adds an element of intrigue. Taste it, and it’s a mouthful of deliciously fresh, tart, citrus-streaked green apple and gooseberry fruit, with hints of fresh herbs, and a crisp, lingering finish. Sassy and delicious – just try it with goats cheese salad, lemon sole, and the freshest seafood.

From £8.92 | Click here to see the best price for this product

Morrisons Signature South African Chenin Blanc

Simply a glorious medley of ripe, juicy, apricot and cantaloupe melon fruit - a real explosion of aromas. Look no further for a fantastic, food-friendly wine. This is South African Chenin Blanc with real character and intensity, and it’s great to see the newly arrived 2013 vintage on the shelves. An exuberant wine with depth and flavor, it’s brimming with super-ripe nectarine and peach fruit, a hint of ginger, and a twist of lime zest. It’s opulent, it’s delicious, and it has a warm, silky, voluptuous texture. Perfect for this time of year, it’s the white wine version of a ‘hug in a glass’! A great food wine, it’s a natural match for roast pork with apple sauce, fruity chicken couscous, and also most Chinese seafood and chicken dishes. It also delivers a superb glass of wine for the price!

From £6.79 | Click here to see the best price for this product

Morrisons Signature Viognier, Vin De Pays D'Oc

I’m not wild about the label, but I love what’s in the bottle. It’s an exotic, rich feast of bold, voluptuous, sensuous aromas and flavours. It’s not subtle, but it packs a punch in terms of flavor and character- a riotous mash up of heady aromas and flavours of nectarines, apricots, honeysuckle and ripe white peach. It really packs a punch for the price on the tag, and delivers, bold, spicy, exotic character. From southern France, it has a gloriously rich fruit character, with floral honeysuckle, acacia honey, soft peach and sweet spice on the palate, yet with a zestily dry, citrusy finish. This is unashamedly rich, opulent and makes a statement. It’s the perfect wine for turkey, as it will cope with all the rich, fruity stuffings, but apart from that, it’s a fair bet with spicy Indian dishes, Moroccan tagines, pan fried fish with orange and lemon zest, and washed-rind cheeses.

From £5.94 | Click here to see the best price for this product

Morrisons Signature Montepulciano D'Abruzzo

An absolute delight from central Italy, this is definitely near the top of my list as a good value, Italian red for weekday suppers. Check out the warmth and softness of this delicious red, with its gloriously smooth, ripe, black cherry and blackberry fruit. It beckons with attractive aromas of sage, ripe figs and mocha, and is an absolute bargain, given what it delivers in the glass. It’s not a blockbuster, but more of an inviting, medium-weight red, which offers up exuberant, mellow fruit flavours, streaked with fresh herbs. Try it with all manner of dishes, including meaty pasta, home –made burgers, rib-eye steak, lamb chops, or just a slab of aged parmesan. A great all rounder.

Morrisons Signature Vina Eneldo Rioja Reserva

This is a treat; a silky, velvety, mellow treat. The Morrisons wine team have cleverly given this lovely Rioja sufficient time to slumber and grow up, before unveiling it, which means that it has hit the shelves at its best. With a beautiful damson colour, enticing aromas of berry fruits, sweet vanilla and toast waft out of the glass. Many Reserva Riojas are too oak dominated, but this one delivers, lovely, vibrant raspberry and mulberry fruit, mingled in with the traditional oak character, which, in this instance, has hints of toasted coconut, and sweet spice. Silkily smooth, with the attractive softness of maturity, this would be a great wine to partner with roast lamb, game casserole, chorizo and chicken stew, and also spicy roasted vegetable dishes.

From £8.49 | Click here to see the best price for this product

Cono Sur 20 Barrels Pinot Noir

The sheer weight of the bottle goes against all the rules of ‘lightweighting’ in terms of packaging, and is a bit showy in its efforts to preen, but the contents of the bottle are impressive. Cono Sur, one of the leading wine producers in Chile, are making this sumptuous Pinot Noir, in the cool climate, coastal region of Casablanca, also famed for its Sauvignon Blanc wines. The location and climate means that it’s well suited to growing the temperamental Pinot Noir grape; this particular wine is made from a blend of the top 20 barrels from the 2011 vintage – it’s not a subtle, delicate Pinot Noir, but it’s sassy, and bold, with voluptuously rich flavours and intensity. No doubt about it, it oozes charm and richness, with sweet violet and blueberry scents wafting out of the glass and flavours packed with ripe plums, figs and fresh thyme. It’s not the most subtle Chilean Pinot Noir, but it has a decadently rich attraction, and would be a perfect foil for the festive turkey, rich game dishes, venison, and the very top of spicy ethnic cuisine.

From £14.02 | Click here to see the best price for this product

Morrisons Signature Pedro Ximenez Sherry 37.5cl

You can tell the richness and intensity of this lusciously sweet and powerful wine, as you pour it. It’s thick, it’s unctuous, it’s toffee-coloured, and it is very intense. This is about as sweet a sherry as you can get, but it’s glorious and a million miles removed from the old-fashioned perception of the dusty bottle in Grandma’s cupboard. This is without any doubt, one of the best dessert wines around. Made from the Pedro Ximenez grapes, which are left to dry and ripen in the searing heat of southern Spain, like raisins; the wine is then aged for 8 years in oak barrels – made with passion and care, this is an sticky, highly concentrated glass of indulgence – it smells of figs roasted in honey, and toffee coated raisins; it tastes pretty similar, with a glorious richness coating the palate. It is Christmas in a bottle, and has an enveloping warmth which will draw you in. if you think you don’t like Sherry, think again. I can think of few better wines with mince pies, or a slice of Christmas cake, as you relax at the end of the Christmas feast.

From £5.99 | Click here to see the best price for this product

If any of the wines take your fancy, Wines Direct has negotiated an exclusive 15% off wine promo code, for you to use at Morrisons Cellar.

*This article is showing the prices and stock available on 03/12/2013.