Lidl French Wines: Really a Bargain?

Tasting: Bourgogne Gamay 2013 Pasquier Desvignes

We've already talked about Private Label wines, and in particular about the Assieme Coop wine, as well as having taken you by the hand guiding you through supermarkets and wine storage with Pasquale Testardi for the abc del vino guide; today instead we'll talk about something that has recently been gaining more and more interest: LIDL wines!
The German-origin discount chain, which has always carried both Italian and French wines, recently decided to launch a project aimed at increasing the visibility and sales of the latter, with numerous spots on radio and TV.
There is even an online catalogue, also replicated in print, that briefly explains the organoleptic profile of the wines and the history of the producers.
The cost of the products is obviously very reasonable – the highest price does not exceed 20 euros and the average hovers around 3–6 euros.
Wine experts and winelovers would hardly buy wine from LIDL except out of curiosity; but there is also a good portion of the public that, enticed by advertising, decides to purchase these bargain wines under the illusion of taking home a great deal – which is not necessarily something to rule out. We at Wineatwine have decided to shed some light on the matter by starting to taste a bottle purchased for €4.99, the Bourgogne Gamay 2013 Pasquier Desvignes.

It really is a stretch to associate such a price with a wine of that kind…
Ruby red in colour with violet reflections: clear, bright, typical!
Fresh and clean on the nose, it reveals aromas of red fruits, among which raspberry stands out. On the palate it opens acidic but then fades quickly; the tannin is immediately assertive but suddenly drops off, leaving in the mouth a slightly bitter aftertaste and not delivering the freshness one would have expected after the olfactory examination.
In summary: beautiful colour, flat nose and a "thin" palate – but let's remember what we paid for it! Non-experts would not be displeased, just as it would work well on the table for a casual evening without great pretensions.
A wine made more in the cellar (and not even particularly well) than in the vineyard, which is all in all drinkable.
It probably doesn't live up to the label it bears, but at that price it is all things considered an honest product.
An interesting fact: Lidl has purchased 5% of the entire Bordeaux production – it seems they are seriously aiming at this category!