Aldi Cote Du Rhone

The wine is made from a blend of 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and 5% Carignan

Aldi has announced the return of its ‘when it’s gone it’s gone’ côtes du rhône deal for a second year.

The discounter is to offer bottles of its Specially Selected French Cairanne for just £3.49 (down from £8.49) again, after bottles sold out in just four days last year.

The 58% saving will apply between 2 and 8 December, while stocks last.

Scottish and Welsh customers, however, will not be able to purchase bottles for less than minimum unit pricing in their respective nations. Specially Selected French Cairanne would retail for £7.07 per bottle in Soctland and £5.44 per bottle in Wales for the duration of the promotion, Aldi said. 

MUP legislation in Scotland prevents wine from being sold for less than 65p per unit, while Wales’ MUP is set at 50p.

Read more: How is Aldi selling a côtes du rhône wine for £3.49?

Specially Selected Cairanne was a “rich and layered red, bursting with aromas of forest fruits, plums, black cherry, and damsons, and boasting a decadent mocha and spice finish”, said Aldi.

Made from a blend of 60% grenache, 25% syrah, 10% mourvèdre, and 5% carignan, it was “the perfect accompaniment to festive feasts and cosy nights in”, the retailer added.

Aldi’s decision to offer the côtes du rhône red at such a steep discount sparked mass interest from wine enthusiasts last Christmas. The Times wine critic Jane MacQuitty advised shoppers to “set your alarms for Aldi’s festive gift to the nation”.

Others, however, criticised the move as a callback to an era of steep wine discounting the industry would prefer to forget.

One insider told The Grocer the headline-grabbing price was “way out of kilter with what what’s needed to drive a profitable category”.

The popularity of the deal prompted Aldi to introduce a ‘wine of the week’ promotion every week, having previously only offered promotions at seasonal peaks such as Christmas, Easter and bank holidays.