Domaine De Oliveira Lecestre, Chablis

Over the past couple months I’ve reviewed a number of wines from the discount supermarket called Lidl and this is yet another wine from their stores. Lidl began opening stores in Germany in 1973 and just this year began opening stores in the US.

I was recently talking with a wine industry insider and mentioned some of the wines I’ve tasted from Lidl. He commented that he thinks they are a big threat to other retailers based on the price/quality ratio of their wines, saying that the retail markup on wine tends to be higher in the US than in Europe but they appear to be pricing wine more in line with the European market — which is a disruptive move in the US.

I don’t know any details on what kind of margins Lidl is making on their wines but I do know after tasting a number of them that what I’ve tasted has consistently been good and very reasonably priced. That makes me a fan.

The wine I’m featuring today is a Chablis, meaning it’s a chardonnay from the Chablis region in France. Stylistically, Chablis differs from much of the chardonnay you would find produced in the US. It tends to be less fruity, un-oaked and in my opinion a bit more elegant. This one from Domaine De Oliveira Lecestre lives up to my expectations for a Chablis.

Orange blossom, elderflower, melon and lemon aromatics provide a soft and elegant nose. Lemon, honey, melon and wet stone flavors make for a really light and delightful palate. The mouthfeel has a touch of creaminess, making it quite nice. The acidity is good. The finish is good too, with salt and lemon flavors lingering.

So Lidl hits another home run with this wine. This one is part of their holiday selection, so it’s only available for a limited time.

Wine: Domaine De Oliveira Lecestre, Chablis
Varieties: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2015
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 88
Price: $12.99
Disclosure: This wine was provided as a media sample.