Joshuari shows the slightly nervy side of Blaufränkisch, with rather tight but elegant berry fruit. Like all of Gut Oggau’s wines, it tastes terrifically fresh, with fruit pips and minerality on the finish.
Wine Type: Red
2009 Gut Oggau Bertholdi, Burgenland
( POA, 13.3%, Dynamic Wines )For me this is the crowning glory of the Gut Oggau range. Single vineyard Blaufränkisch is left on its stems and stalks for 6 weeks, resulting in a structured, complex, yet impressively balanced wine. “Hot”, rubber-tyre character to the nose, very focused ripe yet elegant red fruit. The finish lasts and lasts, staying fresh and slightly saline to the very end.
2008 Bodegas Ochoa, Mil Gracias Graciano, Navarra
( £11.99, 13.5%, Hennings Wine Merchants )Graciano is more readily associated with neighbouring Rioja (and then only in small quantities) than Navarra, but this one from the youthful Adriana Ochoa is superb. It’s almost Italian in style, with marked acidity, some spice and a fair bit of tannin, but there’s some black cherry and bramble fruit to add sweetness and flesh to the bones.
2008 Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia
( £28.99, 14.5%, Slurp, Wine Direct )You could open this impressive Cabernet/Shiraz blend right now, but you’d be missing out on what the wine will do in bottle. This is the top red from Yalumba in most vintages and that’s the case here. It’s rich and deeply coloured, but not over-ripe or blowsy in the slightest. Structured and sweet, with nuances of blueberry, mint, chocolate and vanilla, polished, fine-grained tannins a a long, satisfying finish.
2004 Cune Imperial Reserva, Rioja
( £14.99, 13.5%, The Co-operative )This was a Christmas deal at The Co-op, so the price may have crept back up again in 2013, but this is still one hell of a wine: a Reserva Rioja from a top producer in a legendary vintage. It’s just starting to show its class, so don’t be afraid to tuck it away for a few years. Savoury and sweet with good structure and spice and finely judged oak.
2006 Yalumba, The Octavius, Barossa Valley, South Australia
( £48.99, 14.5%, Harrods, Noel Young Wines, Slurp, Winedirect )Serious, strapping Shiraz, but with a feminine side, this is a seriously delicious Aussie red, which encapsulates the best of the Barossa, both modern and traditional. It’s ripe, soft and sweet, with succulent blackberry and raspberry fruit, a hint of coconutty oak and appealing bottle maturation. Spicy, rich, yet very well balanced.
2011 Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache, Barossa Valley, South Australia
( £11.99, 14%, Ocado, Slurp, Tesco, The Co-operative )Grenache should be all about sun-kissed drinkability, which is exactly what you get in the bottle here. It’s quite pale in colour (as Grenache can be), with notes of Asian spices, red fruits and deftly handled oak. Savoury, peppery and deceptively forward, this is a wine that develops with time in the glass.
2011 Yalumba Running with Bulls Tempranillo, Barossa Valley, South Australia
( £10.99, 13.5%, Auswinesonline.co.uk, Direct Wines, Noel Young Wines, The Oxford Wine Company )Tempranillo ought to be more widely planted than it is in Australia, given its adaptability. Think Somontano and Toro in terms of the diversity of Spanish climates it works well in. This is a very decent, wine bar style red that wouldn’t look out of place in Pamplona, the city to which its name alludes. Brambly and supple, with gentle oak and sweet red fruits.
2010 Mazzei, Fonterutoli, Chianti Classico, Tuscany
( £16.75, 13.5%, Great Western Wine )When it’s good – and 2010 is a very classy vintage in Tuscany – Chianti Classico can still deliver a lot of flavour and complexity for less than £20. That’s certainly the case here, because I can’t remember a better basic wine from this estate. Its texture is almost Pinot Noir-like, but with a nip of tannin to add some extra backbone. On the palate, it’s silky and sweet with subtle oak and notes of dried tea, raspberry and wild strawberry. Essence of Sangiovese.
2010 Montes Alpha, Merlot, Apalta Vineyard, Colchagua Valley
( £12.99, 14.5%, Majestic )Montes is a winery that has mastered the art of delivering flavour and some complexity at affordable prices, as typified by this ripe, deeply-coloured Merlot from the Colchagua Valley. This has some classic Chilean mint, with attractive plum and black cherry flavours, mid-weight tannins and sweet, assertive oak.
2011 Les Jamelles, Réserve Mourvèdre, Vin de Pays d'Oc, Languedoc-Roussillon
( £6.99, 14%, The Co-operative )Mourvèdre rarely gets solo billing in the south of France, even in Bandol, its home from home, so it’s good to see this on a supermarket shelf. It’s minty and rich, with sweet bramble and blackberry fruit and the tannins for which the grape is famous.
2009 Yalumba Shiraz/Viognier, Eden Valley, South Australia
( £11.99, 14%, Harrods, Slurp, Winedirect )The Viognier is more obvious in this wine than it is in most Côte Rôties, but that’s part of the style. It’s ripe, soft and slightly apricotty, with supple red fruits, touches of oak. liquorice and blackberry and medium weight tannins.