A glass of Piccini Chianti Riserva (2008) for the lady

As a special pay-day treat (to go with the regular pay-day steak) I picked up a bottle of Piccini Chianti from Sainsburys. The bottle caught my eye as it's currently on offer at £4.99 down from £11.99.

Headline response? I'd be cheesed off of I'd spent £12 on this bottle. It's rather tannin-heavy, comprehensively staining all it encounters. It went well with the steak and is generally pleasant, but oddly lacking in flavour. The dark red wine hits the back of your throat, but it is much more sensation that taste. On the other hand, possibly it's our fault; the label tells you it's 'best served at 18c'. Being somewhat unwilling to stick a thermometer in my glass I had to take my best guess (finally giving it half an hour in the fridge before setting the table).

However, it's a very drinkable bottle for a shared mid-week indulgence at this price, and was a welcome treat tonight. I would just recommend keeping an eye out for this on offer and save the plus-£10 price tag for a different bottle.