I don’t drink that much wine from the Napa Valley, partly because I can generally find better value elsewhere, but this Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc from Truchard Vineyards really impressed me at the recent Marks & Spencer tasting. Nicely restrained in alcohol, it’s a subtly wooded, medium-bodied delight with fine, granular tannins, layers of cedarwood, cassis and fresh herbs and a waft of sweet oak spices.
Wine Type: Red
2024 Sangenis I Vaque Garbinada, Priorat
( £17, 14.5%, The Wine Society )Wines from Priorat can be pricey by Spanish standards, so this is an impressive find by Wine Society buyer, Harriet Kinninmonth. Farmed organically and entirely unwooded, it’s a reminder of how well the Garnacha and Cariñena grapes can combine close to the Mediterranean. Aromas of hot stones, rosemary and thyme segue into a palate of plum and summer berries, framed by savoury tannins and supporting acidity. Delicious now but will develop further complexity in bottle.
2024 Co-op Irresistible Douro, Douro Valley
( £8.50, 13%, The Co-op )Portugal’s Douro Valley is still more famous for fortified than table wines, thanks to Port, but it’s much more diverse than most people imagine. This is an equal blend of Tinta Roriz (aka Tempranillo), Touriga Franca and Tinta Barroca with 10% Touriga Nacional that’s all about fruit rather than oak, revealing layers of blackberry and fig complemented by top notes of violet and mountain herbs.
2021 Palazzo Maffei Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore, Veneto
( £15.95, 14.5%, The Co-operative )A Veneto red that tastes as good as it looks, this is a stylish, modern blend of Corvina, 30% Corvinone and 10% Rondinella, with plenty of acidity, a touch of appealing sweetness from the ripasso technique, red cherry, plum and pomegranate flavours, savoury, tea leaf-like tannins and a fresh, balanced, persistent finish.
2022 Thymiopoulos Vineyards Xinomavro, Naoussa
( £15.50, 13%, Majestic, Orlando's Wines )Something to buy now and drink when we shift into autumn perhaps, although I never need an excuse to drink a red from Apostolos Thymiopoulos at any time of the year. This is an intense, fruit-packed Xinomavro from Naoussa, the grape’s Greek heartland, with the spine of tannin that’s a feature of the variety, some clove spice from 25% whole- bunch fermentation, flavours of damson, redcurrant and black cherry and a dusting of Mediterranean herbs.
2023 Domaine de la Croisée Comtoise Poulsard, Côtes du Jura
( £17, 13%, The Wine Society )Part of the joy of the Wine Society’s range is that they champion wines from small, young producers like Louis Bordel and Chloe Nardin in the Jura. This the perfect summer red, sourced from two contrasting vineyards with different aspects. Sappy, juicy and refreshing, it has lovely goji berry and pomegranate flavours, subtle, savoury tannins and a wonderful sense of energy and freshness. The kind of thing I want to order by the case.
2024 Pepe Mendoza Mares de Luz, Alicante
( £10.95, 13.5%, The Wine Society )Pepe Mendoza is one of the most exciting winemakers in Spain. He’d be much more famous if he were based in a more famous region than Alicante, which means that his wines are comparative bargains. This a superb blend of Giró, a rare local grape, and 30% Monastrell. It’s intensely Mediterranean, with aromas of thyme and rosemary, a savoury palate of plum, red berries and tobacco leaf and sinewy, fine-grained tannins.
2025 Luna Beberide Mencía, Bierzo
( £11.50, 13%, The Wine Society )Bierzo is arguably the Spanish region that is best qualified to call itself the “Burgundy of Spain”, assuming it feels the need to do so. The vineyards are often tiny, the wines produced in small quantities, the approach appealingly artisanal. The biggest difference is the price points, which is why I love wines like this unwooded Mencía from Luna Beberida. Crunchy, juicy and tangy, it has some stemmy grip, wonderful energy and focus, stony intensity and a core of pomegranate, plum and goji berry fruit. Lip-smackingly delicious.
2023 Clos de Luz Agras País, Cachapoal Valley
( £13.95, 12.5%, The Wine Society )Agras uses a field blend of grapes from 100-year-old vines in the Cachapoal Valley, combining País and 10% Moscatel de Alejandría. Fermented with 20% whole bunches, it’s refreshingly low in alcohol at 12.5%, with jasmine and rose petal aromas, impressive underlying grip and concentration and a palate of redcurrant, cranberry and rooibos tea.
2024 Domaine Sérol Éclat de Granite, Côte Roannaise
( £15.50, 12%, The Wine Society )It’s not from Beaujolais, the subject of my main piece this week, but it is made from Gamay (albeit the local Gamay Saint Romain clone). This is a stunning red from the little-known Loire Valley appellation of Côte Roannaise that saw me place an order within five minutes of tasting it at the Wine Society this week. Fermented and aged in concrete tanks with 20% whole bunches and not an oak barrel in sight, it’s tangy, refreshing and lightly grassy, with layers of plum, redcurrant and white pepper, granular tannins and a racy, lingering finish. One of the best-value reds I’ve had so far this year.
2024 Villard Le Pinot Noir Grand Vin, Casablanca Valley
( £19, 13.5%, The Wine Society )Given the price of red Burgundy these days, this Casablanca Valley Pinot Noir from Thierry and Charlie Villard is a steal. Made with a 60/40 combination of the Valdivieso and 115 clones, it’s a graceful, scented, refined expression of the grape with succulent raspberry and goji berry flavours and a bright, energetic finish.
2021 Tenuta Terrose Vino Nobile de Montepulciano Riserva, Tuscany
( £16.95, 14%, The Co-op )Based on the Sangiovese grape, known locally at Prugnolo Gentile, with support from 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, this is a very well-priced red from one of Tuscany’s most famous DOCGs. Showing the grip and focus that come with the territory, it has plum, damson and tobacco leaf flavours, sinewy tannins, a waft of black tea and Mediterranean herbs and nicely understated older oak.