Montagne Saint Emilion, produced by Armand Chaperon, has garnered attention with its impressive awards, including the IWSC Bronze Medal, IWC Bronze Medal and Decanter World Wine Awards Bronze in 2023. With such high expectations, it’s easy to see why I was keen to give it a try.
The wine was even compared to the much-admired Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a comparison that’s particularly enticing given its more budget-friendly price point. A review on Asda’s website suggested that the difference between the two is so subtle that it’s hard to distinguish.
However, my experience with the 2020 vintage was far from what I anticipated. The bottle I tried lacked the rich dark plum and raspberry fruit flavours that are its selling points. Instead of the roasted vanilla notes from barrel aging and the smooth tannins that give it a good aromatic structure, the wine tasted sour.
It seems I’m not alone in this experience. A more recent review on Asda indicated that the quality has dropped significantly, describing the wine as bitter with a bad after-taste. This suggests that it might be less about individual preference and more about inconsistencies in quality over time.
If you’re still curious to try it for yourself, the wine is priced between £7.50 and £9.25 at Asda.
