CityLife

New broom at Oddbins may restore the faith

Cheers to new Oddbis regime

AS a teenager Simon Baile worked during holidays in his local branch of Oddbins. His dad ran the one high street chain that made wine cool (and I don’t mean via the chill cabinet).
 

That seems aeons and several changes of ownership ago. Certainly under French giant Castel, who took over in 2002, its cred had further diminished.

Once upon a day there was hardly a duff bottle on the shelves, but particularly in those branches transformed into Francophile Nicolas outlets that was no longer the case.
 

This seems about to change now that Baile, in cahoots with his brother in law Henry Young, has reclaimed the family heritage. They aim to return Oddbins to its days as a clued-up treasure trove defying the blandly corporate.
 

Bite the dust

It is gong to take time. A welcome sign is the prolonged bin-end sales, clearing lines, in the Nicolas shops, like the one on Manchester’s Deansgate.

As the re-energised Oddbins team cull the 2,000 stock lines down to 500, it seems their drab Oddbins Selection range will bite the dust.

Smaller parcels of very individual wines may only be available at larger stores. Hopefully that will include Oddbins in Fountain Street.
 

Oddbins pioneered New World wines back in the Nineties, but their current aim appears to be replenishing the limp French section.

Peppery spice

On succulent survivor, though, should be Etoile Filant Syrah. The 2005 vintage of this 100 per cent syrah from specially selected Languedoc terroirs feels like a top quality Northern Rhone red, a Crozes Hermitage, say, but at the affordable price of £6.59 (or three bottles for £15).

Smooth and long, it reeks of cherries and plums and has the peppery spice on the palate that distinguishes French syrah from Aussie shiraz.
 

The Australians, of course, produce tremendous riesling that are quite distinct from the German Old World examples.
 

Oddbins’ Majella 2005 Riesling (£8.99) from the Lynn family’s 30-year-old Coonawarra holdings, is a stonker. Lots of lime there, with a hint of petrol and a marvellous mouthfeel.

I was just going to have one glass with some coriander grilled prawns and succumbed to another couple.
 

Straw-coloured, minerally

For something less assertive among Oddbins whites, old stager Marques de Caceres 2007 (£6.99, three for £20) is crisp, modern white rioja, straw-coloured, minerally, citrussy.
 

Obviously, in a troubled high street, Oddbins is going have to be leaner and meaner as well cuter and more acute (27 under-achieving stores have already been shut), but I wish them well.
 

Oddbins stock Santa Julia’s Organica sparkling wine (£8.99) from Argentina’s Familia Zuccardi, a long-time CityLife fave.
 

As the name suggests, it is part of the Mendoza-based winery’s organic range, part of a long-term plan to convert all their vineyards to organic production. Made from hundred per cent chardonnay, it is a simple, pure sipping fizz.
 

Organic champions

Santa Julia Organica Bonarda-Sangiovese (Waitrose and www.vintageroots.com, £6.99) is a blend of two Italian red varietals that offers appealing ripe raspberry fruit with a dash of rasping acidity I liked.
 

For the same price, also from organic champions Vintage Roots, Santa Julia Organica Torrontes 2008 is pleasant introduction to Argentina’s white workhorse grape – floral, crisp, citrussy with a distinctive spicy nose.