Domaine Charles Joguet, Chinon Les Varennes Grand Cru, 2013, Loire, France
The Loire Valley has amazing red wines and this Domaine Charles Joguet, Chinon Les Varennes Grand Cru, is a cug above thd best, truly wonderful. Its dry, well integrated tannins and plenty of red and black fruit aromas and flavours. The length is long and there are notes and hints of tobacco, oak, chocolate, leather and a little earthiness th
Grape Passions, Coastal Reach, Pinot Noir, Rosé, 2021, England
English Pinot Noir is pretty good but when it’s rose it’s even better. Grape Passions is a wind merchant just douth of Colchester znd this is their own brand wine. It’s fresh and crisp with plenty of flavour and good length. You have strawberry and raspberry with red fruit hints all the way through. At about £15 a bottle is not cheap but its pretty good.
Fleur de Lise, Saint Mont Rosé, France
Marks and Spencer does have some good wine and this Fleur de Lise, Saint Mont Rosé, France af £8 a bottle is pretty good. A dry Rosé wine it’s a fairly simple wine with decent strawberry and raspberry flavours. It’s crisp and so easy to drink that it’s easy to finish the whole bottle in one go.
Paul Schneider, Pinot Gris, 2012, Alsace, France
I went to Eguisheim in Alsace and it was one of the most fabulous wine places I have been too. There are maybe 30 producers in a village that takes no more than 5 minutes to go from one side to the other and the people were so friendly with the wines so amazing. This 2012 shows how good they last, it has amazing ripe citrus fruits and a slightly thicker texture that makes you just want a sip rather than guzzle. At about £10 a bottle its super value.
Solomonar Reserve Red 2019/20, Romania
Romanian wine doesn’t always get a good press and this is a shame because it can be actually rather good, in fact it could be said to be excellent and this red from Majestic Wine proves it. Rich and bold this is smooth and has good length. Plenty of red fruit flavours and aromas this is an easy drinking wine. At £10 a bottle it’s good value.
Rupert and Rothschild, Classique, 2018, Paarl, South Africa
Rupert and Rothschild, Classique, 2018 from Paarl, South Africa It’s a truly staggering wine for it’s got so much flavour and depth and balance that it will just blow your mind. There’s plenty of dark red and black fruits with hints of chocolate and tobacco with an undertone of oak with firm tannings to bind everything together. At about £30 a bottle it’s not cheap but then again this is fantastic wine
Duca di Salaparuta Calanica, Syrah, 2020, Southern Italy
This southern this southern Italian red wine is really rather good. It’s dry, bold but smooth. There’s plenty of red and black fruit flavours and works well on its own znd with food such as pasta or red meat dishes. At £13 a bottle it’s not bad value.
The Guv’nor, Majestic Wine, Spain
The Guv’nor from Majestic Wine is wine from Spain that really surprises for it’s an amazing white wine blend. It is fresh and crisp with lots of citrus with hints of pineapple. Great acidity, balanced and at £6 a bottle it’s amazing value too.
Sparkling wine from South Africa has come along way in the last 15 years. This Jacques Bruere, Brut Reserve, 2013 shows how good it can be. There’s a freshness znd ziggyness to it, lots of fruit, peach, grapefruit, lemon and balanced acidity. Pair it with seafood or just enjoy with friends. At £15 a bottle it’s great value.
Calvet, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2020, Southern Rhone, France
It’s hard to get a bad Châteauneuf-du-Pape and this one from Calvet is no exception. This good aromas and flavours of black fruits, oak, vanilla, with notes of licorice and coffee. At £10 a bottle it’s a good and well worth trying. Sure there are better ones but at £10 is very good value.