Don’t Judge A Bottle By Its Label

Posted on July 18, 2009 by Andrew Barrow in Wine Notes

donnafugata polena 2008This ‘ere bottle of white was brought for one reason only; it wasn’t because the wine was produced in ‘region of the moment’ Sicily, nor was it due to the ‘interesting blend’ of Catarratto and Viognier. T’was the label, Guv’nor.

I admit to being a sucker for a chic label.

Here we have colour and trendy graphics luring me, the punter, to hand over near £11 to the Oddbins counter-man for a bottle of Donna Fugata Polena 2008.
Being from Sicily is a plus point but one negated by that £10.99 price point. After tasting that price becomes an issue – it’s too high. A decent wine mind – green tinged colour, citrus and gravel nose, mineral texture, tropical fruit edge with a citric burst on the finish, a delicate edge – just more impressive at a £6.99/£7.99 price point. That’s the equivalent of two broad-sheet Sunday’s or two tubs of locally grown gooseberries form my local produce shop. All relative I guess. You have to pay for the trendy labelling (and matching yellow plastic cork) somewhere along the chain though.

In comparison this Portuguese red – Qunita de Bons-Ventos – has an incredibly dull, verging on the hideous, label. Just £4.99, also purchased from Oddbins.

A delicious wine though – berry-led, full, rounded, smooth tannins and long, long inky finish. Delicious on its own but highly improved with food. An artisanal steak pie and (oven) chips was a lovely pairing. When matched with this hearty dish a delightful red-berry crispness shines through. Another plus for the grape mix: Castelão (Periquita), Camarate, Tinta Miuda and Touriga Nacional. Perfect for a mid-week slurp.



White Wine Review/Tasting NoteWine Tasting Note: Donna Fugata polena, 2008, Sicily, Italy.

Stockist: Oddbins Price: £10.99 [More: / Snooth]

Scribblings Rating – 86/100 [3.25 out of 5]



Red Wine Review/Tasting NoteWine Tasting Note: Quinta de Bons-Ventos Vinho Tinto, 2007, Estremadura, Portugal.

Price: £5.99 Available from Oddbins [More on / Snooth]

Scribblings Rating – 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

quinta de bons-ventos 2007