Australia’s Barossa Valley is generally regarded as Shiraz country, but can also produce very smart reds from Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon. This textured, well-structured red from winemaker Brett Schulz is a case in point. Plush, glossy and slightly minty, with understated French and Aussie oak, it has ample concentration, supple tannins, cassis and blackberry fruit and undertones of liquorice and dried herbs.
Retailer: Tesco
2024 Famille Bougrier Les Terrasses Cabernet Franc, Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil, Loire Valley
( £11.50, 12%, Tesco )Asked to compile a list of my favourite five red grapes, I’d definitely include Cabernet Franc – and not Cabernet Sauvignon. This fresh, typically medium-bodied example from Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil is wonderfully bright and appealing, with rocket, coriander and graphite aromas and a tangy, unwooded palate of black cherry and red pepper framed by granular tannins.
2021 Tesco Finest McLaren Vale Grenache, McLaren Vale
( £11, 14.5%, Tesco )Aussie Shiraz may be better known, but the country’s Grenaches have a pedigree that is just as long and impressive. This rich, full-bodied, lightly wooded example comes from the Mediterranean climate of McLaren Vale, situated to the south of the city of Adelaide, has appealing flavours of bramble and red fruits, plenty of balancing acidity, smooth tannins and a dab of patisserie spices. Try it lightly chilled.
2023 Devil's Corner Chardonnay, Tasmania
( £15, 12.5%, Tesco )Aussie Chardonnay is increasingly impressive these days, especially if you’re prepared to trade up from the bargain basement. This bright, tangy, very lightly wooded example from the east coast of cool-climate Tasmania is fresh, vibrant and crunchy, with aromas of lemongrass and gunflint, a vivid citrus zest, pear and apricot palate, and a zingy, lingering finish.
2021 Cono Sur 20 Barrels Pinot Noir, San Antonio
( £18, 14%, Tesco )Cono Sur makes a greater range of good Pinot Noirs than any other producer in the world, offering impressive value for money in the process. Like the bodega’s other higher end wines, 20 Barrels is now sourced from coastal San Antonio rather than the Casablanca Valley. Aged in a combination of foudres and partially new oak barrels, this is sappy, bight and well structured, with plum, black cherry and rasperry fruit flavours and a sheen of vanilla spice. Hard to beat under £20.
2022 Tesco Finest Steep Slopes Mosel Riesling, Mosel Valley
( £7.25, 11%, Tesco )On hot summer days – we’re due a run of them soon, surely – there’s almost nothing I enjoy more than a glass of chilled Mosel Riesling. This own-label bottling from Peter Mertes is something of a bargain: crisp, perfumed and refreshing with a hint of sweetness, flavours of lime, peach and fresh grapes and a stony, mouth-watering finish. Appealingly light-bodied.
2022 Ken Forrester Wines The Misfits Cinsault, Western Cape
( £10, 13%, Tesco )Ken Forrester is best known as one of the Cape’s most famous Chenin Blanc producers, but he produces some very decent reds, too. This is made from Cinsault, one of the parents of local Pinotage but also gaining a following in its own right. Think of it as a South African Beaujolais, all strawberries, raspberries and red cherries with some stems adding notes of white pepper and tobacco leaf. Drink it chilled as an ideal wine with a barbecue, or braai.
2019 Tesco Finest Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany
( £10, 13.5%, Tesco )Chianti Classico is one of those wines that it’s easy to take for granted. It’s the kind of thing that often gets overlooked in our scramble to try new things. But when it’s good, you remember why it’s a staple of the wine world. This very lightly wooded Riserva, made by Melini, is a blend of Sangiovese with 15% Canaiolo and Malvasia Negra. Plum, red cherry and sweet spice flavours are completed by bright, tangy acidity, polished tannins and a lingering finish. The perfect treat with a plate of pasta.
2021 Umani Ronchi Fonte del Re Lacrima di Morro d'Alba, Marche
( £15.50, 13%, Tesco )Made with the comparatively rare Lagrima di Morro d’Alba grape, this unwooded Adriatic red is one of the hidden jewels in the sprawling Tesco range. Close your eyes and you could almost be smelling a white wine, as aromas of ginger and Turkish Delight waft from the glass. The palate puts you right, though, as it combines plum and black cherry fruit with plenty of underlying grip and acidity. A perfect wine with a plate of fresh pasta.
2020 Tesco Finest Peumo Carmenère, Peumo, Cachapoal Valley
( £8.50, 14%, Tesco )Something of a bargain within the Tesco range, this is a plush, engagingly scented Carmenère from Peumo, considered one of the best regions for the grape in Chile. Judiciously blend with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s appealingly unwooded, with flavours of rocket, dark chocolate and green pepper, supple tannins and enough acidity to freshen the finish.
NV Tesco Finest Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône Valley
( £21, 14.5%, Tesco )It’s unusual to come across a Châteauneuf-du-Pape that’s a blend of vintages, but this one from Julie Rouffignac uses wines from four different harvests – 2017, 2017, 2020 and 2021 – to weave its magic. Pairing Grenache with 40% Syrah, 4% Mourvèdre and 1% Cinsault, it’s an unwooded delight that’s perfect for an autumn meal, with notes of fig, bramble and red berries, layers of pepper and clove spice and a savoury finish.
2022 Les Terrasses Saint Nicolas de Bourgeuil, Loire Valley
( £11.00, or £9.00 with a Clubcard, 12.5%, Tesco )Is Cabernet Franc getting the recognition it deserves? I think so. As its stock rises in New World countries like Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa, so consumers are also catching on to what this wonderful variety can produce in its home base, France’s Loire Valley. Entirely unwooded, this has engaging freshness, violet and capsicum aromas, racy plum and black cherry fruit, lots of vibrant acidity and finely judged tannins. A red wine that you can chill.