Made by the same team that produces the world famous St Julien second growth, Château Léoville-Las-Cases, this is a Médoc that really punches above its supposedly lightweight status. It’s a Merlot-dominated blend with 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot for company. Elegant and well balanced, it shows the poise that is typical of the best 2010s, with subtle oak, sweet raspberry and cassis fruit and well-defined tannins.
2012 Domaine de la Meynarde Plan de Dieu, Rhône Valley
( £8.99 down to £6.75, 14.5%, Marks & Spencer )If you’re only going to buy one red from this offer, this one delivers the best value for money at its 25% off price. It’s the kind of southern Rhône red that reminds me of my student days in Avignon. It’s a ripe, but not over-ripe Grenache-based blend, made from old vines on the Plan de Dieu plateau, showing serious tannins, backed up by flavours of wild herbs, plum and tapenade. Vibrantly delicious.
2011 Perez Burton Rioja
( £9.99 down to £7.49, 14%, Marks & Spencer )Telmo Rodriguez is a brilliant interpreter of the Tempranillo grape, producing wines that are modern, yet appealingly traditional at the same time. This varietal number from high altitude vineyards around the village of Lanciego, is a very serious red for less than a tenner. Juicy, structured and sweetly oaked, with tannins and concentration that will enable the wines to age further in bottle.
2012 Palatia Pinot Noir, Pfalz
( £8.99 down to £6.74, 13%, Marks & Spencer )I’ve described this as the best value Pinot Noir in the UK before and I have no reason to change my mind, especially when it’s on a deal. It’s soft and fragrant with attractive strawberry fruit sweetness, supple tannins and fresh acidity. A hint of oak (from barrels, not staves) adds to the sense of a wine that is over-delivering. Well done, Gerd Stepp! If only Burgundy could do this under £9.
2010 Catapult Shiraz, McLaren Vale
( £13.99 down to £10.50, 14.5%, Marks & Spencer )Wirra Wirra makes some of my favourite South Australian reds, wines that are ripe and full of fruit, but not ponderous or over-oaked. This is an Aussie take on a Côte Rôtie with 2% Viognier adding extra fragrance to the Shiraz. Dense and sweet, with plush tannins, good texture, well-judged oak and a savoury note. Ripe and well balanced with sweet bramble and blackberry fruit.
20 Year Old Tawny Port, Douro Valley
( £33 down to £24.75, 20%, Marks & Spencer )Made for M&S by Taylor’s brilliant winemaker, David Guimaraens, this is the kind of Tawny Port that makes grown men (and women) cry. It’s a very fine fortified, with a delicious balance between nutty, figgy fruit, added spirit and mature, barrel-aged rancio notes. Very sweet and very long on the palate, it would make a perfect Christmas treat.
Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, South Australia
( £15.99 down to £11.99, 14%, Waitrose )Australian Shiraz tends to get a lot more attention than Australian Cabernet Sauvignon, but at its best, the latter is more than a match for the former. This one from the Bordeaux varieties-focused region of Coonawarra is delicious, showing subtle use of oak from winemaker, Sue Hodder, lovely blackcurrant purity, appealing vanilla spice and fine-grained tannins. Long on the palate, this will reward further cellaring.
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.
2004 Waitrose Brut Special Reserve Vintage Champagne
( £30.99 down to £23.25, 12%, Waitrose )Waitrose doesn’t source its Vintage Champagne from P&C Heidsieck any more, alas, so get hold of this amazing fizz while it’s still on the shelves. It’s toasty and rich, with layer upon layer of flavour, fine bubbles, incredible length and just enough dosage to balance the acidity. A complex, savoury bubbly that’s a steal under £30.