So pale it could almost be a rosado, this is a refined, ethereal Garnacha from vines planted on granite soils at 500 metres. Fermented with stems for texture and perfume, it’s a subtle, layered, haunting red from young winemakers Aitor Paul and David Villamiel, with aromas of ginger, Turkish Delight and forest floor, graceful, caressing tannins and a savoury finish of wild strawberry and clove.
Wine Type: Red
Famille Guerin Moulin à Vent La Vigne de Mon Père, Beaujolais
( £18, 13.5%, The Wine Society )Unfined, unfiltered and fermented and aged in concrete, this is a stunning Beaujolais Cru from Elisa Guerin, the kind of wine that showcases the brightness, energy and vivacity of the best Gamays from the northern part of the region. Elegant, nuanced and hauntingly perfumed, it combines aromas of rose petal and violet with a racy raspberry and pomegranate palate and a spicy undertone from whole bunch fermentation.
2023 Olifantsberg Grenache Noir, Breedekloof Valley
( £16.50, 13.5%, Tesco )Proof that you don’t have to source grapes from Piekenierskloof to make great Grenache in South Africa, this Breedkloof red from Elizma Visser uses comes from a densely planted parcel at 400 metres. Redcurrant and blood orange flavours contribute acidity and a touch of bitterness here, with top notes of rose petal and summer pudding and fine-grained tannins. Ludicrously good value.
2024 Pisano Progreso Tannat Reserve, Canelones
( £9.95, 13%, The Wine Society )Sitting around the table with the Pisano family is one of my favourite wine experiences. I haven’t been to Progreso for a while, but this great-value Tannat is the next best thing. Combining four different iterations of the country’s signature grape, it’s fresh, perfumed and well-structured, with understated oak, bramble and black cherry flavours, a hint of graphite and textured tannins.
2021 Rupert & Rothschild Classique, Western Cape
( £16, 13.5%, Majestic )Producing 1.2m bottles of a wine as good and consistent as Classique isn’t easy, so hats off to the winemaking team of André Roux and Kayla Oertle-Morse at Rupert & Rothschild. Blended across the Cape, it’s a cuvée of more of less equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec. Smooth, floral and precise, with subtle oak and bramble, plum and blackcurrant flavours. The perfect early autumn red.
2004 Bodegas Urbina Gran Reserva Blue Label, Rioja
( £26, 14%, The Wine Society )Based in Cuzcurrita, one of the coldest parts of the Rioja Alta sub-region, the extended, super brainy Urbina family makes some of the longest-lived and best-value reds in Spain. This blend of Tempranillo and around 10% Graciano and Mazuelo is a mature, scented delight, offering aromas of cured leather, coconut and tobacco leaf and dill and wild strawberry flavours framed by granular tannins and a balsamic finish. Ludicrously cheap.
2022 Marquês de Borba Vinhas Velhas, Alentejo
( £13, 14%, Majestic )Something to drink while you’re listening to my recent podcast with João Portugal Ramos, who makes this wine alongside his son, João Maria, Marquês de Borba is a wonderful, richly flavoured southern Portuguese blend from the Alentejo region, produced from a medley of Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez (Portuguese Tempranillo), Castelão and Syrah. Foot-trodden in traditional fashion before ageing in older wood, it’s a plush, ripe, inky delight that would work equally well with a summer barbecue or a winter stew, showing flavours of blackberry, bramble and plum, smooth tannins , stony intensity and well-integrated tannins.
2022 Terrazas de los Andes Organic Malbec, Mendoza
( £16.50 or 25% off if you buy six, 14%, Sainsbury's )There are cheaper Argentinian Malbecs on the market, but this one only uses grapes from the high-altitude Uco Valley regions of Eugenio Bustos, Los Chacayes and Paraje Altamira, so it’s especially vibrant and refreshing, even in a hot vintage like 2022. Perfumed and engaging, it has textbook top notes of violet, liquorice and Andean wild herbs, glossy tannins, tangy minerality and juicy plum and blackberry fruit embellished by subtle, toasty oak.
2022 Carinus Family Vineyards Syrah, Polkadraai Hills, Stellenbosch
( £14.95, 13.5%, The Wine Society )Over the last decade or so, the Polkadraai Hills in Stellenbosch have emerged as one of the best places in the world to grow Syrah. It’s a region that produces wines that can go toe-to-toe with the best of the northern Rhône. This wine from Danie Carinus’ own vines, vinified by superstar winemaker Lukas van Loggerenberg, is crazily good value for money. It has enticing clove, lavender and white pepper aromas, tangy blackberry and tapenade flavours and a whisper of oak. Delicious.
2023 Tesco Finest Sancerre Rosé, Loire Valley
( £16, 12.5%, Tesco )So many French rosés are are uninspiring – white spot on a white wall material – that it’s great to come across something with as much personality as this Pinot Noir pink from Fournier Père et Fils in Sancerre. Savoury, perfumed and appealingly bronze-hued, it has layers of wild strawberry, hibiscus and rooibos tea, a nip of tannin and a bone-dry finish.
2022 Peter Lehmann Portrait Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley
( £15, 14%, Tesco )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.
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.