Sourced from the Pla de Bages appellation in Catalonia, this is made from the same grape as Picpoul de Pinet, but is somehow weightier and spicier than many French examples. Pear and apple with an undertone of peach, Mediterranean herbs and crunchy, zesty acidity.
Country: Spain
NV Freixenet, Elyssia Gran Cuvée, Cava
( £14.99, 11.5%, Waitrose )Freixenet was opposed to “”international varieties” for many years, but I’m glad it has relented, because this is a very well made blend of Pinot and Chardonnay. Savoury and dry, with a Cava-like twist, it’s palate-tinglingly fresh and long.
2011 Simply Garnacha, Campo de Borja
( £4.59, 13.5%, Tesco )It’s not easy to find really good glugging reds under £5 any more, but the Campo de Borja region in northern Spain would be my first port of call. This unoaked example from Bodegas Borsao is juicy, brambly and full of raspberry and redcurrant fruit. Soft and supple: pure, uncomplicated pleasure.
2011 Palacio de Fefiñanes Albariño, Rías Baixas
( £15.99 down to £11.99, 13%, Waitrose )The website is still showing the 2010 vintage, but both are very tasty, so don’t worry. This is my summer white when I’m on holiday in Spain, but it still tastes good in the autumn and winter, provided the dish is right. Spritzy and refreshing with delicious bite and crunch, this is aromatic and fine with notes of lime, fresh apple and white flowers.
NV Hidalgo Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana, Jerez
( £12.99 down to £9.74, 15%, Sainsbury's )A bottle of my favourite Manzanilla for less than a tenner? Sign me up. This aged style from coastal Sanlúcar de Barrameda is an Andalucian classic. Rich and savoury, with yeasty, baking dough aromas, intense, salty, tangy flavours and a finish that goes on for so long it could outsell Viagra. An incredible wine at a bargain price.
2004 Viña Mara Rioja Gran Reserva, Rioja Alta
( £13.79, 14%, Tesco )Mature Rioja is one of my favourite wines, especially from a top vintage like 2004. This pure Tempranillo from the ever-reliable Barón de Ley winery will appeal to lovers of traditional Rioja, even though it is a varietal, rather than a blend with Garnacha. It’s savoury and sweet, with supple wild strawberry and game-like flavours, lovely vanilla oak and a complex, nuanced finish. At its best with lamb, but it’s a very versatile red.
2010 Lavinyeta Punt i apart, Empordà
( E12, 14.5%, El Celler Petit )There’s no mistaking the main grape here (Cabernet Sauvignon, to the tune of 85%), but it doesn’t taste like a Cab made anywhere else. The closest affinity would be with Tuscany (Bolgheri), but even that doesn’t quite express the wine’s personality. It’s a very polished wine, with well integrated, smoky oak, toasty, great structure, fresh acidity, dark fruits and a fine, savoury, minty finish. The Samsó adds a wild, appealingly rustic note. A bit of rough perhaps?
2007 Marti Fabra Masia Carreras, Empordà
( E18, 15%, El Celler Petit )The first thing you notice about this wine on the nose is the oak. And the impression doesn’t change on the palate. And yet there is a lot of wine behind the staves: a wild, herby, spicy, minerally red based on Samsó with a bit of Merlot for extra padding. I’d be tempted to give this some time in bottle, because it’s got wonderful freshness and minerality and a dense, complex finish. You don’t notice the high alcohol, although this is certainly a ripe style.
2008 Vinyes dels Aspres S'Alou, Empordà
( E24, 15%, El Celler Petit )Sourced from the oldest vines on the property, David Molas’ Grenache-based red is strongly marked by Syrah on the nose and palate. The granite soils and high altitude give the wine real freshness and minerality, despite the high alcohol. Perfumed, with violets and liquorice on the nose, sweet blackberry fruit, supple, grainy tannins and a lift of herbal spice.
2007 Arché Pagès Bonfill, Empordà
( E18, 15%, El Celler Petit )A blend of Grenache, Samsó and Cabernet Sauvignon from Bonfill Pagès’ vineyards in Capmany, with lots of oak and a dense, concentrated palate. The wine is a little too marked by alcohol perhaps, but the tannins are sweet and well managed here. Wild, sweet, herby and minerally with impressiv freshness and a lift of volatility.
2009 Hugas de Batlle Coma Fredosa, Empordà
( E15, 15%, El Celler Petit )Edu de Batlle farms some of the most picturesque vines in Empordà. This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with some spicy Garnacha adding a layer of complexity. The wildness of the vineyard is there in the wine, too: feral, wind-blown, sun-baked. It’s high in alcohol, with a hint of volatility, but the wine is dense and complex with sweet, fig and ripe plum fruit.
2010 Espelt Terres Negres, Empordà
( E13, 14%, El Celler Petit )Espelt is the second biggest winery in Empordà after Perellada. This Carignan-dominated blend from old vines in Rabós is marked by volatility, but it works in a wild, herby Medieterranean sort of way. Medium bodied and fresh, with sweet red fruits, some liquorice, slightly baked fruit and a lifted finish.