This is a comparatively unusual southern Italian red, given the presence of one third of Nero di Troia alongside the more widely planted Primitivo and Negroamaro in the blend. It’s also quite light by the toothsome standards of some of the region’s high octane reds, but certainly not lacking in flavour. Plum and damson fruit are underpinned by sweet toasty oak and a refreshing, peppery finish.
Score Range: 86-90
2012 Waitrose Reserva Carmenère, Rapel Valley
( £7.99 down to £5.99, 14%, Waitrose )USP or liability? Depending on your view of Carmenère, you will either love or loathe this wine because it’s very true to its grape variety. Plush and sweetly oaked, it’s a ripe, malty, vanilla-scented red with flavours of green pepper and chocolate and plenty of texture. Impressive winemaking from Chile-based Kiwi, Brett Jackson.
2012 Loosen Brothers Grey Slate Dr L Reserve Riesling, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
( £9.99 down to £7.49, 10%, Waitrose )This is a step up from Ernie Loosen’s widely available (and very drinkable) Dr L Riesling, made exclusively for Waitrose. The result is a classic Mosel Riesling, with sappy, sweet and sour flavours, notes of lemon and lime and a finely-judged interplay beween acidity, fruit and residual sugar. Long and refreshing.
2012 Astrolabe Province Pinot Gris, Marlborough
( £17.99 down to £13.49, 13.5%, Waitrose )Both of my regular readers will know that I am not the greatest fan of Pinot Grigio/Gris when it’s watery and doesn’t taste of much. But this Kiwi example from the Awatere and Wairau Valleys is a very smart wine indeed. It’s just off-dry, with good texture and weight and beguiling flavours of pear and stone fruit. The wine finishes fresh and long on the palate. A really good food wine, too.
2012 Joseph Drouhin Rully, Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy
( £14.99 down to £11,25, 12.5%, Waitrose )2012 was on the smallest vintages on record in Burgundy, but quality was high, even in “lesser” regions, such as the Chalonnaise. This lightly oaked, harmonious Chardonnay is fresh and crisp, with notes of nutmeg spice and citrus peel and a tangy, chalky undertone. Great value. And it will age well, too.
2013 Valdo Oro Puro Porosecco Superiore NV, Valdobbiadene
( £12.99 down to £9.75, 11%, Waitrose )There’s an ocean of chearp Prosecco on the market at the moment, but it’s worth trading up a bit to get hold of something with more concentration and flavour. This is light and fruity (as you’d expect), with peach and pear fruitiness, but there’s some appealing spice in the background, too, supported by a cushion of soft bubbles. Very gluggable.
2012 Chartreuse de Mourgères Le Pèlerin Blanc, Pays de Caux
( £6.25, 12.5%, The Wine Society )The grapes for this blend of Sauvignon, Vermentino and a hint of grapey Muscat come from land formerly owned by a Carthusian monastery in the Languedoc. It’s certainly an unusual wine with notes of wild herbs and flowers and a slight sweetness that reminds you of acacia honey. The Muscat adds an oily richness to the crisp frame.
2012 Esprit de Labaside, Le Perlé, Gaillac
( £5.95, 12%, The Wine Society )Made by the local Gaillac co-op, this all Mauzac white is slightly sparkling – hence the perlé name. It’s a fresh, medium bodied white that’s a little like a Spanish Albariñon in flavour and texture. Tangy and fresh with flavours of pear and apple and a hint of tangerine. Very quaffable.
2011 The Curator, The Swartland
( £6.95, 13.5%, The Wine Society )By the hot house standards of the Swartland, this is a light and comparatively elegant red blend of mostly Shiraz with some Mourvèdre, Cinsaut and Viognier. It’s a scented, unoaked style with some pepper spice, raspberry and red cherry fruit and refreshing acidity.
2012 Fairtrade Argentine Malbec, Famatina Valley, La Rioja
( £6.99, 13%, The Co-operative )Stop press! This is the best Fairtrade wine I’ve had yet from Argentina and one of the best I’ve had from anywhere, too. Sourced from La Rioja (nothing to do with the Spanish region of the same name), it’s very, very aromatic, with wafts of liquourice and violets, a hint of spice and deeply coloured, textured bramble and blackberry fruit. The tannins are plush and sweet, with subtle use of oak. Bravo!
2011 João Portugal Ramos F'Oz, Alentejo
( £9.99, 14%, Waitrose )The Alentejo is becoming more and more impressive with each vintage as a source of southern Portugal’s best red wines. This great value, under-a-tenner blend of Aragonez (aka Tempranillo), Trincadeira and Castelão is a case in point. It’s aromatic and refreshing, with no sign of sun-baked, raisiny flavours, fine tannins, notes of chocolate, black cherry and plum and a firm, but well balanced finish.
2011 Tanners Douro Red, Douro Valley
( £7.95, 13%, Tanners )Produced for Tanners by the impressive winemaking duo of João Portugal Ramos and José-Maria Soares Franco (who used to make Portugal’s most famous red, Barca Velha) this is an impressively well balanced Douro red at an attractive price, with subtle, spicy oak, good minerality and acidity and tarry, brambly fruit. Half bottles at £4.45.