Sainsbury's, Winemaker's Selection Merlot, Vin de Pays d’Oc, 2016

(2.25 litre bag in box) The Merlot grapes for this wine have been sourced from the Hérault Valley in southern France. Initial impressions are of heavy-hitting plum and hedgerow fruits backed by a vanilla note, but the fruit fades away quite quickly to leave a trail of gum-tingling acidity in its wake. Disappointing.