August 2010
Stratum Pinot Noir 2009 - £10.99 - Oddbins
From the Waipara region of South Island comes this medium bodied pinot displaying wild strawberry and violets with some plummy delicate notes. Reasonable quality.
Rating: Average 
Margrain Pinot Noir 2008 - £14.99 - Oddbins
I was expecting great things for my money on this pinot from the Marlborough region of South island, and was pleased to say that I was not disappointed. Lovely spice and earthy aromas, with elegant concentrated flavours of cherry and dark fruits matched with intelligent use of French oak adding further complexity. A quality and elegant wine.
Rating: Good 
Oyster Bay Merlot 2009 - £9.44 - Thresher
I was a bit aprehensive about trying this wine as it is widely available in most supermarkets and off licenses and thought that it would be the usual fayre by being rather diluted. However, I was proven wrong. From Hawkes Bay, North island this merlot displays ripe fruit and is reasonably rich with gentle oak influence and spice.
Rating: Good
Paradiso Carmenere 2009 - £6.99 - Marks and Spencer * Wine of the Month *
I was quite taken with this rich and gutsy wine from the Valle Central region of Chile that is why it gets my wine of the month seal. It is smooth displaying quite rich, spicy and rampant red fruits and is unoaked. Great value, especially as it is still on offer at £4.99. 4 stars for offer price. 3 stars for full price.
Rating: Good
July 2010
Domaine des Roches Neaves 2008 - £11.99
I was quite taken with this wine from the Loire region of France produced by Thierry Germain. Made from 100% cabernet franc we have a vibrant bright purple and rich velvety wine displaying pepper spice and blueberries with well structured tannins.
Rating: Good
Reclos de la Couronne 2002 - £18.99
From the Saint Emilion region of Bordeaux comes this rich, dark, full bodied and plummy merlot. Nice gentle spice with firm tannic structure and well integrated oak influence. This is so nice that I bought a few extra bottles to go with the sunday roast.
Rating: Good
Chateau Pomys 2004 - £17.99
From the Saint Estephe region of Bordeaux comes this rather disappointing wine. It has a rich and intense deep red colour with subtle aromas of woodshavings, dark fruits and spice with a minerally/steely flavour but bitterness predominates. Rather too bland for me.
Rating: Poor 
Chateau d'Arcins 2007 - £16.99
I was quite impressed by this rich wine from the Haut Medoc region of Bordeaux. Made from merlot and cabernet sauvignon this full bodied wine has plenty of guts. Rich and ripe red fruits intermingled with spice, pepper and chocolate with nice oak influence. Will be buying more of this.
Rating: Good
June 2010
Chateau Mazeris 2003 - £17.50
Situated on the plateau of Fronsac in Bordeaux comes this fully mature and very easy glugging wine composed mainly of merlot with a dash of cabernet and malbec.
I was rather taken by the smooth, soft red berry fruit interlaced with spice, cinnamon, leather, liquorice and a bit of luxury chocolate finished off with some gentle smokiness. A refined and gentle Bordeaux.
Rating: Good
Domaine Ellul- Ferrieres 2007 - £12.99
From the husband and wife team of Sylvie and Gilles Ellul in the Coteaux du Languedoc comes this lively shiraz and grenache blend.
Wow!! Rampant warm strawberry fruit leaps out of the glass. Lovely deep purple colour, full bodied and rich with smooth velvety spice and pepper with some oak influence.
Rating: Good
Chateau Puy Guillem 2002 - £12.99
Another wine from the Fronsac region which consists of the typical Bordeaux blend predominantly consisting of merlot with a little malbec and cabernet franc.
On first tasting I was not too impressed with the rather firm tannins and limited flavour displaying gentle mixed red fruits and some spice. However, upon the second tasting a few hours later, the wine started to open up to reveal an easy drinking and subtle wine but still not a great depth of flavour. Could just be the style of wine but also that it is fully mature and could be starting to dry out.
Rating: Average
Chateau Rahoul 2004 - £18.99
From the Graves region of Bordeaux comes my wine of the month. The current owner Alain Thienot has ensured that the quality of the wines produced at the estate remain high.
Made from a blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and cabernet franc this wine delivers on all fronts- soft, smoky, minerally, supple, mint, spice, leather and vanilla all well integrated into this quality well structured and rich wine.
Rating: Good
May 2010
Carta Vieja merlot 2008 Nicholas Wine Merchants £6.29
From the loncomilla valley in Chile comes this medium bodied juicy red. With flavours of raspberry and strawberry and oak ageing lends itself to a soft and mellow wine.
Rating: Good
Casa Silva reserve 2007 Nicholas Wine Merchants £9.99
An interesting grape variety is carmenere which in this case has produced a rich and full bodied wine from grapes sourced from the Colchagua Valley, Chile.
Intense black ruby colour, this smooth Carmenere could even be mistaken for a juicy merlot. Plenty of ripe red fruits, orange peel, tobacco and coffee with well-integrated French oak leading to soft tannins.
Rating: Good
Renatto Ratti 2007 Marks & Spencer £10.99
I was quite taken with this impeccably made Italian wine hailing from the Piedmont region. Made from 100% nebbiolo and displaying ample ripe cherry and gentle spice flavours washed down with cream and vanilla. Firm tannin and acidity giving it some backbone.
Rating: Good
Three Virgos 2004 Marks & Spencer £20
From the famous Australian winemaker Geoff Merrill comes this classy cabernet. Rich and powerful offering blackcurrant, chocolate, vanilla, spice etc etc. A wine to impress your friends or family if you feel that you can part with your hard earned twenty quid. I have had better wines for the price, so this gets 2 stars.
Rating: Average
March/April 2010
Grace Falls 2008 - Sainsburys £5.00
Made from 100% shiraz this Californian offering is medium bodied with simple sweet and pepper shiraz flavours with a little spice. A glugging and instantly forgettable fun wine.
Rating: Average
Redwood Creek 2008 Tesco £4.99
From the Rei brothers, Modesto, California this full bodied and smooth merlot offers gentle dark fruits with some spice.
Rating: Average
Fish Eye 2008 Sainsburys £4.69 *** WINE OF THE MONTH ***
This is my wine of the month. Made from cabernet sauvignon offering nice juicy ripe red currants and made in a fresh modern style. Very much a fruit driven wine with its gentle pepper and spice. Very gluggable.
Rating: Good
January/February 2010
Vacqueyras 2007 - Marks & Spencer £9.99
From the sleepy village of Vacqueyras in France comes this reasonable grenache and shiraz blend which offers juicy cherry,bubblegum, soft pepper, spice and chocolate flavours all wrapped together to make a full and warm wine. Ideal for the winter evenings huddled around the fireplace- Christmas in a glass.
Rating: Average
Leon De oro 2007 - Marks & Spencer £9.99
I was quite taken by this wine from the Rapel region of Chile which just goes to show the quality of winemaking emanating from the new world. Made from a blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon we have a rich, dark and velvety wine offering classic juicy blackcurrantiness, leather, chocolate, vanilla and spice. An impressive and reasonably sophisticated wine.
Rating: Good
Zamora 2007 - Marks & Spencer £8.99 [WINE OF THE MONTH]
Made predominantly from zinfandel with some oak-aged Petite Sirah to add further concentration and structure. The fruit was sourced from the Lodi region of California, which benefits from cool breezes from the Sacramento river delta. I was completely blown away by the rampant juicy and jammy sweet blackcurrant and raspberry flavours with gentle spice and pepper rounding off this full and smooth wine. I'm not normally a fan of zinfandel but think that after trying this style of wine that I could be converted. This is the first wine in quite some time that has earned 4 stars.
Rating: Outstanding 
Marques del Romeral 2001 - Marks & Spencer £15 (on offer at £8.99)
One of the least inspiring wines so far. Made from a blend of tempranillo, graciano & mazuelo this medium bodied wine from Spain offers some nice and smooth cherry flavours mixed with gentle cream and spice from the ageing in oak for 3 years. Ideal if you like your wines soft and gentle, however, this only gets 2 stars based on the offer price.
Rating: Average
December 2009
Clos de L'Oratoire Des Papes 2007 - Sainsburys £18.99
As its Christmas I thought it would be ideal to spend a little bit more on some of the wines to be reviewed than usual. This one is currently on offer at £13.99.
Sainsburys say that this wine is from a famous region of des papes by an established winemaker, however on tasting I was rather disappointed. The wine is made from a blend of grenache blanc, calirette and rousanne and displays limited varietal characteristics with an indication of some quality winemaking . It offers smooth and refined gentle red fruits but little else. I would expect much more flavour for my money- I have never paid so much for a wine with so little flavour. I can think of at least 30 wines I have tried over the months costing less than £10 that knocks the socks off this. Come on Sainsburys get your act together.
Rating: Poor
Roc de Lussac 2007 - Sainsburys £13.99
After tasting the l'oratoire I was dreading opening up another French wine from Sainsburys; however I am pleased to report that at least this wine does have a bit more flavour. Hailing from the Dordogne valley from the Lussac vineyards in St Emilion this medium bodied wine shows smooth dark red fruits with well integrated spice and cinnamon with tightly knit tannins giving some backbone. We have the classic blend here of merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon.
Rating: Average
Palacio Del Marques 2008 - Marks & Spencer £5.49
From the central plains of La Mancha in Spain is this delightful modern fruit driven wine offering juicy sweet dark fruits with gentle pepper, spice and vanilla, smooth chocolate and leather wraps up this well made and decent red. This is really a food friendly wine and will go well with pretty much anything from the Christmas table- apart from dessert.
Rating: Good
Sicilia Shiraz 2008 - Marks & Spencer £4.99 [WINE OF THE MONTH]
This is what I would have for guests as a Christmas party wine. Made from 100% shiraz, this is very much a fruit driven wine in the modern style. This is what I call sunshine in a glass. Great glugging fun.
Rating: Good
November 2009
Nos Riqueza 2007 - £9.99 Marks & Spencer [WINE OF THE MONTH]
From the famous Ribera Del Duero region of Spain hails this wine made from 100% tempranillo. It displays ripe red fruit such as cherry and blackberry and has been aged in new oak casks offering smooth vanilla and spice with nice tannins holding everything together.
Rating: Good
Knock on Wood 2007 - £12.99 Marks & Spencer
From the Western Cape of South Africa we have a smooth, smoky wine made from cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and pinotage. The smokiness of the pinotage, sweetness of the shiraz and the structure of the cabernet helps to bind these flavours together. Has enough tannic structure to be put away for 2 years. Refined wine making.
Rating: Average
Saint Clair Reserve 2006 - £13.00 Tesco
This medium bodied wine come from Puisseguin St Emilion which is one of the smallest vineyards in this part of France. Offers warm sweet red fruits and gentle spice being made from merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon.
As this was on offer at £6.99 is gets 2 stars but only 1 star for its full retail price.
Rating: Average (on offer)
Marques De Carano 2001 - £9.99 Tesco
Another Tesco wine on offer but this time from Carinena, Spain. This is a gran reserva wine which has been aged in oak for 2 years and at least 3 years in the bottle. Apart from the soft vanilla, spice and gentle red fruits detected for this wine I found it to be rather dried out.
As this was on offer for £4.99 it gets 2 stars but only 1 star for its full retail price.
Rating: Average (on offer)
September/October 2009
Faustino 1 1996 - £15-20 widely available
This is the 1996 Gran Reserva and is the top of the faustino ladder of quality. As you would expect it displays smooth cherry, violets and bubblegum, smoke and chocolate all enhanced by extended ageing in oak casks. A nice drink in a fancy frosted bottle which is the faustino hallmark but not quite worth the price.
Rating: Average
Blackburn & James 2007 - £7.49 The Cooperative
From the Paso Robles region of California comes this medium bodied wine made from 100% merlot. Some juicy, smooth cherries with some gentle spice but rather a soft and timid wine lacking any discerning varietal character.
Rating: Average
Tinderbox Shiraz 2006 - £9.99 Marks & Spencer [WINE OF THE MONTH]
- This is my wine of the month hailing from the Mclaren Vale vineyards, south Australia. I was blown away by the rampant and intense sweet shiraz fruit that leaps out of the glass. Being full bodied with concentrated fruit from low yielding vines with pepper, spice, chocolate and cassis. I want more of this right now.
Rating: Good
Monepulciano D'abruzzo 2007 - £7.99 The Cooperative
From the Abruzzo region of Italy comes this rather rustic and full bodied wine. Deep ruby colour with cigar box spice on the nose, cherrries on the tasting and berries with quite firm tannins.
Rating: Average
August 2009
Rioja Gran Familia 2003 - £5.99 The Co-op
From the famous rioja region of Spain this light to medium bodied wine fails to please. The wine has some nice bright cherry colour and possesses some soft spicy and delicate cherry and plum on the nose but overall I found the flavours to be diluted. Even though the wine had been aged in oak for 8 months, I found it to be a simple and straightforward wine and detected a steely almost metal tang to the wine.
Rating: Poor
Terre de' Nocenti 2006 - £7.99 M&S
A chianti from the hills near Florence in Tuscany. This is a medium bodied wine with some mild oak influence made primarily from the sangiovese grape. some reasonable bubblegum and cherry flavours and gentle spice, however a slight acidic edge (probably to match with the local cuisine).
Rating: Average
Altos Del Condor 2008 - £6.99 M&S [WINE OF THE MONTH]
This is my wine of the month hailing from the trapiche vineyards of Argentina. Winemaker Daniel Pi has crafted a quality wine made from 100% malbec. Full bodied yet smooth with rich, dark fruit nicely balanced with vanilla, spice and black pepper. A quality wine.
Rating: Good
Piedmont Barbera 2007 - £5.49 M&S
From the Piedmont region in the north west of Italy this wine is made from 100% barbera grapes. On first tasting quite a kick of acidity and firm tannins which soon opens up displaying youthful sweet cherry fruit with pepper and spice but still with lingering acidity and a steeley edge.
Rating: Average
June/July 2009
Zonda 2008 - £5.39 Sainsburys
From Argentina comes this rather uninspiring shiraz/malbec blend. The wine offers some soft cranberry fruit and spice which is barely noticeable on the nose and by tasting. Very little varietal character present and rather bland.
Rating: Poor
Carta Roja 2001 - £10.99 Sainsburys
A Gran reserva from Spain made with 100% monastrell grapes which produces wines with a deep colour and high alcoholic content. This one is no exception, aged for 2 years in oak and bottle it is full bodied, yet smooth and offers gutsy earthy plum flavours with a dollop of spice and gentle vanilla.
Rating: Average
Cono Sur Organic 2007 - £7.00 widely available
Made from a blend of cabernet sauvignon and carmenere from the Colchagua Valley Chile is this bright and refreshing organic wine. Rather smooth carmenere counterbalancing the forward flavours of the cabernet such as gentle blackcurrant, cherries, spice and vanilla. What continues to impress me with these new world wines are their refreshing greeny stalkiness and earthy character which I find much easier and enjoyable to drink than other styles of wine.
Rating: Good
Mariente Hill - £6.99 Marks & Spencer
This is my wine of the month hailing from Valle Central in Chile. Made from a blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot this medium bodied possesses a rich and vibrant plum colour with toasty flavours of plum, liquorice, blackcurrant and spice. This a quality wine offering earthy juicy fruit which I can just drink until I fall asleep on the sofa.
Rating: Good
May 2009
One Chain 2005 - £6.45 Vinopoly
From the One Chain vineyards, South Eastern Australia hails this quality medium bodied shiraz/cabernet blend which offers soft spice, sweet and delicate peppery shiraz fruit which is nicely counterbalanced by the soft blackcurranty cabernet. This is a modern fruit driven style of wine, which is unoaked offering easy drinking.
Rating: Good
Collefrisio 2004 Uno - £8.99 Vinopoly
A rich and full bodied wine from the Abruzzo region of Italy. The wine possesses a nice deep ruby colour offering cherry and red summer fruits which are balanced well with nicely integrated tannins and oak influence with just a nice prickle of acidity to round off this enjoyable wine.
Rating: Good
Casa Defra 2007 - £5.80 Vinopoly
Another wine from Italy but made from the merlot grape. Medium bodied offering sweet cherry fruit with gentle spice and some oak influence. The wine does possess a certain amount of acidity which would be best matched with food. A reasonable wine for the price.
Rating: Average
March/April 2009
Palacio del Marques 2007 - Marks & Spencer £3.99 (offer)
Hailing from the La Mancha region of Spain, this medium bodied wine is made from a blend of tempranillo and syrah displaying reasonable cherry flavours in the modern style.
Rating: Average
Castillo San Lorenzo 2003 - £9.99 Tesco
This is a reserva from the Rioja region of Spain made from a blend of tempranillo, mazuelo and graciano grapes. The wine offers reasonable soft cherry and plum flavours with well integrated soft tannins balanced nicely with gentle spice and vanilla.
Rating: Average
Torre de Ferro 2006 - Lidl £4.49
This wine comes from the Dao region of Portugal and is made from tinta roriz and touriga nacional grapes. I found this rather spicy wine to be bland and difficult to drink.
Rating: Poor
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2005 - £6.99 Lidl
Originating from the centre of Italy this wine is a traditional blend of the prugnolo gentile, canaiolo and mammolo grapes. The wine has been aged in oak for 2 years giving quite a nice ruby red colour while offering reasonable cherry fruit and gentle spice and vanilla flavours.
Rating: Average
February 2009
Vega del Cega 2007 - £3.09 Lidl
An easy drinking and approachable style of wine from the famous Valdepenas region of Spain. A simple, light wine displaying some bright fresh cherry fruit in the modern style. Great with a fry up or with ham, egg and chips.
Rating: Good
Minervois 2007 - £3.15 Lidl
Hailing from the Minervois region in the south of France is a wine which exudes some of the warm climate. Made from a blend of syrah and Grenache it shows some reasonable black fruits and is rather full in the mouth.
Rating: Good
Montecielo 2007 - Lidl £3.48
This is the better made of the Lidl wines from the famous Rioja region of Spain. Made from a blend of tempranillo and Grenache and displaying reasonable cherry and spice flavours. In the modern style without any oak influence.
Rating: Good
Saint Maurice 2007 - Marks & Spencer £5.99
A medium bodied wine from the Cotes du Rhone region of southern France. Made from a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% shiraz, these grape varieties complement each other rather well with the nice juicy and warm Grenache counterbalanced with gentle pepper and sweet spicy fruit from the shiraz.
Rating: Average
Christmas 2008
Cobborah 2007 £4.99 Marks & Spencer
I was rather taken with this value wine from south west Australia for under a fiver. Made from a blend of cabernet/merlot, this wine displays juicy ripe fruit with just a touch of spice. Greta for quaffing Christmas Eve with friends.
Rating: Good
Valdemadera Gran Reserva 2002 £6.99 Marks & Spencer
A smooth warm and juicy full bodied wine from Carinena, Spain. Winemaker Marcelo Morales has crafted a pretty decent wine bursting with ripe; yet smooth cherry flavours, delicate spice and oak. A well integrated and balanced wine, which is ideal for serving with turkey, lamb or duck on Christmas day.
Rating: Good
Secano Estate 2008 £6.99 Marks & Spencer
Made from 100% pinot noir from the Leyda Valley in Chile. An impressive medium bodied wine offering decent cherry and gentle spice flavours with a hint of bubblegum. A rather rustic style of pinot noir but not lacking in quality. This will go well with duck or turkey.
Rating: Average
M’Hudi Merlot 2006 £7.99 Marks & Spencer
This is a modern and fresh offering from the Stellenbosch region of South Africa, which delivers slightly smoky, juicy cherry and plum flavours with just a hint of acidity. This medium bodied wine is rounded off nicely by some oak influence.
Rating: Average
October 2008
Capel Vale Shiraz 2005 £7.99 Sainsburys
Hailing from the Capel Vale winery in western Australia, this is a pretty decent multi-dimensional wine exhibiting peppery/spicy shiraz fruit with a delightful prickle of acidity. A dollop of viognier for subtlety adds to the overall juicy dark fruit flavours rounded off with vanilla.
Rating: Good
Mezquiriz 2006 £3.49 Lidl
Okay, so I am a glutton for punishment and paid another visit to my local Lidl. This really is a food wine, as trying to drink anything more than a glass on its own can be hard work due to its acidity and tannins which naturally balances the cuisine of the region . Made from 100% tempranillo from the famous Valdepenas region of Spain, this simple medium bodied wine exhibits cherry fruit and spice with a hint of woodshavings.
Rating: Average
Los Molles £7.99 Marks & Spencer
Made from the Carmenere grape (which is not my favourite) from the Limari valley,Chile. I was rather impressed by the intense ruby colour. Medium bodied displaying black cherry and spice, with evidence of oak ageing, but did display at first quite bitter tannins but soon opened up after some time.
Rating: Average
Gamay vin de pays £3.99 Marks & Spencer
I was rather surprised for the price, that this wine offered juicy, and classic Gamay characteristics such as red berries, bubblegum and gentle spice.
An easy going light wine which is great for quaffing with any indoor barbecues.
Rating: Average
August/September 2008
McManis Limited Release 2006 £7.99 Widely Available (on offer £3.99)
An impressive medium bodied cabernet sauvignon from the McManis family vineyards California.
Rich and warm sweet juicy cabernet counterbalanced with sublime vanilla and gentle spices from the ageing in oak. A cracking buy for the offer price but still good value at the full price.
Rating: Good
Heritage Road 2007 Reserve £7.99 Tesco (on offer £3.99)
Made from 100% merlot, this is a simple, sweet and light wine, which I found to be rather watery and lacking any discerning character. I find it amazing that its rrp was £7.99. All this wine gets is 1 star as Tesco has a cheek to ask any more for this rather poor and insipid wine from Australia.
Rating: Poor
Gallo Sycamore Canyon 2007 £7.99 Widely Available (on offer £3.99)
A well made cabernet sauvignon from the Gallo winery, modesto, California. Full bodied and smooth with limited cabernet flavours, but on the whole a good buy for the offer price but only really warrants 2 stars for the full price.
Rating: Average
Bordeaux 2006 £2.98 Lidl
I should have known better. A pretty awful wine being watery and acidic. However, great for bleaching the toilet.
Rating: Poor
Viajero 2006 £5.99 Lidl
Made from 100% cabernet sauvignon from the valle del winery, Chile. Curiously called "gran reserva" which is one of those so called marketing gimmicks. There was no evidence of any extended ageing in cask or bottle. Initially there was some harsh tannis which led to limited dark fruit and blackcurrant flavours with some mild oak influence but little else. Lacks any real depth or complexity as I have tasted far superior chilean cabernets at around this price.
Rating: Average
June/July 2008
Colluvia Syrah 2006 £7.99 exclusive to Marks & Spencer
Hailing from the Choapa Valley, Chile, this full bodied wine oozes quality. Rather rich, dense, yet rather smooth creaminess with rich and smoky sweet shiraz fruit with a little cabernet for good measure, and aged for 14 months in French oak makes this a decent red.
Rating: Good
Curico Valley Fairtrade Shiraz 2007 £5.49 exclusive to Marks & Spencer
From the Vinos Robles cooperative, Curico Valley, Chile. What struck me first of all was the vibrant colour of this wine with its sweet shiraz fruit, gentle pepper and spice with some plums and blackcurrants. A reasonable medium bodied red for the price.
Rating: Good
Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Shiraz 2006 £5 Widely Available
The Woodbridge winery, California was founded in 1979 and is well know for producing easy drinking wines for the mass market. This shiraz epitomises this with its simple sweet peppery flavours with notes of berries and plums. Ideal for the barbecue.
Rating: Average
Houdamond Pinotage 2006 £8.99 Marks & Spencer
From the Bellevue Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa comes this impressivley rich, smooth and smoky pinotage with refined black cherry and spice flavours. Not too heavy in the mouth and will go well with the Sunday roast.
Rating: Good
May 2008
Siglo Crianza 2004 - Locally Available £7.89
A well known wine from the Rioja region of Spain and instantly recognisable by its burlap bag. This is a medium bodied wine made from a blend of tempranillo, garnacha and mazuelo grapes. Some simple cherry, spice and vanilla flavours but little else. A rather basic red.
Rating: Average
Fab Dog Red 2005 - Locally Available £3.99
A modern style wine from Sicily made from a blend of shiraz and Nero D'avola. Displaying gentle pepper and spice with cherry fruits but thankfully not too ruff. Ideal for the barbecue.
Rating: Average
Douglas Green 2006 - Locally Available £3.99
A rather decent cabernet sauvignon from the Western Cape, South Africa. Full bodied, yet quite rich and rustic with smoky/ juicy fruit and spice. More enjoyable than the Siglo and at half the price.
Rating: Good
Graham Beck - The Ridge Syrah 2002 - Widely Available £14.00
This wine was given to me recently for my 40th birthday.The wine is from Graham Becks's Robertson's farm, South Australia and is made from low yielding vines. The wine was aged in American and French oak for 14 months and displays rich and ripe peppery shiraz, with smooth oak/spice and chocolate. This is a relatively refined wine, full of flavour and character.
Rating: Good
April 2008
Flagstone Dragon Tree Red 2005 - Tesco £9.99
A wine hailing from the Western Cape, South Africa. Made from a rich blend of cabernet sauvignon, pinotage, merlot,cabernet franc, shiraz and petit verdot this wine hits the mark.
Displaying smooth and juicy fruit counterbalanced nicely by the subtle oak ageing has produced a decent wine with good length.
Rating: Good
Crozes Hermitage 2004 - Tesco £7.99
By all accounts Hermitage is the most famous wine producing area in the northern Rhone; however I think that this wine from Tesco's "finest" range is a real let down. There is some evidence of fruit characteristics such as cherries, plums and damson from this medium bodied wine with a touch of spice but little else.
Tesco's guide on the reverse of the bottle states that the wine "is robust and rich", however I beg to differ. Rather too light and bland for me.
Rating: Poor
McManis Family Vineyards 2005 - Widely available £5.99
www.mcmanisfamilyvineyards.com
This is more like it, and knocks the socks off the Crozes Hermitage. A classic Californian cabernet sauvignon offering rampant juicy and sweet blackcurrant flavours with some chocolate balanced with a nice vanilla edge from the oak ageing.
This is a clean and well made wine, and offers great glugging for under £6.
Rating: Good
Vino de Eyzaguire 2004 - Widely available £6.89
Immediately recognisable from your local off licence or corner shop due to the wine bottle being encased in a burlap bag. But don't worry as this does not affect the flavour. A rustic offering from the Colchagua Valley, Chile which nevertheless displays good quality winemaking. A full bodied wine offering juicy and sweet blackcurrant fruit with a little spice and chocolate.
Rating: Good
March 2008
Raimat Abadia 2004 - Nicholas Wine Merchants £7.50 (part of Oddbins chain)
Made from a blend of cabernet, merlot and tempranillo, and aged for 6 months in French oak and 10 months in American oak. I get cherries, leather, liquorice and some vanilla; however, this medium bodied wine is let down by its rather sharp acidity and diluted flavours. It's a shame as this wine could have been much better if more care was taken during the winemaking process. Rather thin and acidic.
Rating: Poor
Mas de Courty 2005 - Nicholas Wine Merchants £5.99
A reasonable medium bodied wine under the Coteaux du Languedoc appellation. The wine displays delicate cherries and spice with some bubblegum and firm tannins which add some structure.
Rating: Average
Cotes De Saint Mont 2005 - Nicholas Wine Merchants £5.19
This was a rather dull wine, exhibiting limited fruit flavours from its blend of Tannat, Pinenc and Cabernet but little else.
Rating: Poor
Saint Emilion Reserve des Ramparts 2005 - Widely Available £5.99
Saint Emilion is a small medieval town which lies on a limestone ridge overlooking the Dordogne river. Made mainly from Merlot this wine displays simple cherry fruit flavours and some spice but with rather firm tannins; however, the wine opened up rather nicely a few hours later, especially with food.
Rating: Average
January/February 2008
French Full Red - Marks & Spencer £4.99
This is a light and simple red from the Cotes du Roussillon, South of France. There is some faint spice and cherry flavours present from the blend of carignan, grenache noir, syrah and mourdevre but little else. Rather bland and too simple for my tastes but as it comes in a litre bottle and was on offer at £3.99 it just scrapes an average rating from me.
Drink now.
Rating: Average
Lindemans Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - Widely Available £4.35
It is good to see that Lindemans have sent its flying winemakers to the Valle Central in Chile to work their wonders. This is a typically earthy and rustic wine exhibiting the classic blackcurrant flavours of this grape but with a distinct minerally and earthy tone. A far cry from Lindeman's fruit driven cabernet's from Australia; however, this medium bodied and well made wine represents good value at the price.
Drink now.
Rating: Good
Misiones De Rengo Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - Widely Available £4.99
Another rustic offering from Chile but this time from a small town called Rengo in central Chile. The wine exhibits the usual blackberry and supple cherry fruit and is a decent wine for the price.
Drink now.
Rating: Good
Rutherglen Estate 2006 - Widely Available £7.99
This wine hails from the Rutheglen Estate situated in the north east corner of Victoria, Australia. Made from the durif grape, which is a variety which you don't see much of but which normally produces wines that are quite rich and hearty. This is a full bodied wine exhibiting reasonable flavours of blackcurrant and spice but does display some quite firm tannins, which may need to be softened out by putting away for a year or two. Rather too light for me though.
Rating: Average
December 2007
Coonawarra 2005 - Marks & Spencer £7.49
A classic example of a clean and rather refined cabernet sauvignon from Australia which will go great with a roast on Boxing Day. This wine is full bodied exhibiting the obvious varietal characteristics of this famous grape variety, intermingled with spice, a bit of chocolate and creamy vanilla.
Keep for up to 2 years if you have the will power.
Rating: Good
Domaine de la Curniere 2006 - Marks & Spencer £8.19
I found this wine rather ordinary and overpriced for what I tasted in the glass. Rather full bodied, exhibiting warm, smooth and spicy fruit but little else.
Rating: Poor
Sesfikile 2006 - Marks & Spencer £7.19
This is my wine of the month which will be gracing my dining table this Christmas, as I will be having guinea fowl instead of the usual turkey. Produced in the Western Cape, South Africa from a winery owned by three former school teachers. Juicy, sweet shiraz complemented by the smooth and delicate smokiness of the pinotage counterbalanced by some oak ageing.
Drinking now.
Rating: Good
Yalumba 2006 - Spar £6.99
An interesting wine from the Hill Smith winery which is the oldest family run estate in Australia. Rampant sweet/spicy fruit of the shiraz balanced rather well with the rather restrained flavour of the viognier grape variety.
Rating: Good
October/November 2007
Freedom Ridge Shiraz 2006 - Marks & Spencer (on offer at £4.49)
A straightforward medium bodied wine from California. Rather restrained yet refined juicy sweet shiraz fruit with some mild oak influence and gentle spice.
Rating: Average
Crow’s Fountain 2006 - Marks & Spencer (on offer at £4.99)
This is my favourite wine of the bunch made by Jeff Grier and Anton Smal of the Villiera winery, Stellenbosch, South Africa offering an unusual blend of shiraz, merlot and pinotage. A juicy and lively wine packed with red fruits and spice- smokiness of the pinotage, spiciness of the shiraz with the soft influence of the merlot to bind all the flavours together.
Drinking now or keep for up to 2 years.
Rating: Good
Teichert Ranch-Barrel Reserve - Marks & Spencer (on offer at £5.99)
Hailing from California this petite syrah barrel aged offers some spice and pepper that is blended with the souzo grape variety for depth. Even though this is a full bodied wine it does display slightly unusual flavours (must be the souzo grape) but does lack rampant fruit flavour.
Drinking now or keep for up to 2 years.
Rating: Average
August/September 2007
Tim Adams 2004 Shiraz - widely available £9.99
Made from 100% shiraz this full bodied wine from the Clare Valley, South Australia displays classic sweet, juicy and spicy shiraz flavours that are nicely integrated with the smooth vanilla as a result of aging in American oak barrels for one year. Not a complex wine but a good example of a decent and well made wine.
Drinking now or can keep up to 2010.
Rating: Good
Cimarosa Merlot 2006 - Lidl £2.98
A simple medium bodied and delicate offering from the Central Valley, Chile. The wine is well made exhibiting some limited merlot characteristics but that is just about it. No airs and graces just down to earth value.
Great for glugging down with barbecue food – weather permitting!
Rating: Good
Cimarosa Cabernet 2006 - Lidl £2.98
Similar to the merlot but this has less pronounced blackcurrant fruit with a twist of spice and is indeed much lighter.
Both wines are for immediate drinking.
Rating: Average
Turner Road Cabernet/Merlot - widely available £4.99
I was not too impressed with this blended offering from the Turner road winery, California. Medium bodied with some varietal character yet overly sweet for my tastes.
Drink now.
Rating: Average
July 2007
Terres De Galets 2006 - Sainsburys £7.99
A reasonable wine produced in the Cotes du Rhone region by Gabriel Meffre made up of the usual Rhone blend of grenache, shiraz, cinsault and mourvedre grapes. Medium bodied, smooth and offering juicy sweet fruit with well integrated flavours all round. This was bought on offer at £3.99 which represents good value for money; however I have to rate the wine based on its normal retail price, therefore 2 stars.
Rating: Average
Yalumba Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - Tesco £6.99
From one of the oldest family estates in Australia. In my view Yalumba offers wines of consistently good quality and reliability. This cabernet is full bodied, with well-integrated classic cabernet flavours of blackcurrant, vanilla and spice. Another wine on offer at £4.99 and rates 3 stars based on its full retail price.
Rating: Good
Cotes du Ventoux 2005 - Tesco £4.99
A wine from the Bishops selection range from vines growing in the Southern Rhone. This is more of a barbecue red that is medium bodied displaying some warm spiciness of the shiraz and grenache which offers simple yet fun flavours.
Rating: Average
McPherson Family Vineyards 2006 - £6.67 Sunday Times Wine Club
This shiraz was sent to me as a gift from an admirer known only as Jackie.
I was impressed by the maximum amount of juicy ripe and sweet shiraz fruit flavours that was able to be extracted during the wine making process This is a medium bodied and well crafted wine offering delicate spice and vanilla integration coupled with good length.
Drink within the next 2 years.
Rating: Good
June 2007
Cottesbrook Pinot Noir 2004 - Tesco £6.99
For months I have noticed this wine is Tesco’s and was tempted to purchase but never got round to it until now. Unfortunately this is not a wine I would expect from a premium wine producing region such as South Island in New Zealand. A light to medium bodied wine displaying very little varietal character which is rather diluted and acidic with hardly any discernible flavour. This is the first wine in a long time that I have poured down the kitchen sink!
Rating: Poor
Penny Farthing 2005 - Tesco £5.99
An offering from Australia produced from old vines shiraz with a dollop of viognier thrown in for some refinement. A medium to full bodied wine that I thought would be more intense and rich considering that the shiraz was sourced from old vines. However, nice sweet cherry and spice flavours abound with some oak influence thrown in for good measure.
Drinking now or cellar up to 2009.
Rating: Average
Zontes Footsteps 2005 - Sainsburys £7.00 (on offer at £5.99)
This is my wine of the month made from an intense blend of shiraz with yet again a tiny amount (7%) of viognier giving some balance and subtle refinement from Langhorne Creek, Australia. Quite rich, dark and full bodied wine offering oodles of juicy peppery shiraz with a layers of chocolate, spice and vanilla.
Drinking now or keep for up to 2 years.
Rating: Good
Red Burgundy 2005 - Sainsburys £5.49
A light and simple burgundy made exclusively for Sainsbury’s by Antonin Rodet. This is a very light and delicate pinot noir displaying some raspberry flavours with just a touch of spiciness and gentle oak influence. However this style of burgundy is just too gentle and light for my taste.
Drinking now or keep for up to one year.
Rating: Average
May 2007
Sicilian Shiraz 2006 - Marks and Spencer £3.99
A fun wine for the barbecue with its vibrant colour and enough acidity and tannin to cut through most foods. Displaying ripe and cherry flavours, this medium bodied shiraz was made in the western part of Sicily by Gaetune Carron who has aged the wine in oak for 5 months.
Rating: Average
Hardys Nottage Hill Shiraz 2004 - Widely available £6.49
A typical example of a reasonable Australian shiraz displaying juicy sweet peppery shiraz. This is a full bodied wine from a company that produces wines of consistent quality.
Rating: Good
Palo Alto Reserva 2005 - Sainsburys £6.99
I was impressed with this stylish blend of cabernet sauvignon, carmenere and shiraz from Chile. A full bodied wine displaying juicy/chewy blackcurrant peppery fruit rounded off with smooth vanilla. This is too refine for the barbecue so would recommend this for the dinner table.
Rating: Good
Paul Masson California Red - Widely available £4.55
This type of wine has been doing the rounds for years and is instantly recognisable by its carafe shape bottle. I bought this as I was passing the local corner shop and only had a fiver on me. This is a very simple and rather sweet, acidic and delicate red without any discerning flavour. Rather characterless but probably okay to quaff with burnt barbecue food!
Rating: Poor
April 2007
Chateau Fonfroide 2003 - Spar £4.99
A straightforward wine from Bordeaux offering a full bodied blend of rustic black forest fruits accompanied by a reasonably firm tannic backbone.
Rating: Average
Blue Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - Tesco £4.99
I have never been a fan of Bulgarian wines as they have for many years been rather unpleasant to drink with always too much lean and tart acidity with little varietal character present and were not well made. However, I could be swayed by this Bulgarian wine from the Boyar estate produced from grapes sourced from the Thracian Valley.
A rather pleasant quaffing wine exhibiting typical blackcurrant flavours but for me has been aged too long in oak for its medium body structure and would have fared much better if the wine was full bodied to handle the rather chewy oak flavours.
Nevertheless, a decent red for the price.
Rating: Good
Farquharson 2004 Shiraz - Tesco £7.99
A medium to full bodied wine from the 'Finest' range produced by James Farquharson from vineyards in the coastal region of South Africa. A rich smooth wine displaying classic varietal characteristics of pepper shiraz with dark berry fruit.
Rating: Good
March 2007
Beyerskloof Pinotage 2005 - Tesco £6.99
A juicy, smoky and smooth pinotage from the Stellenbosch region of South Africa. Exhibiting lovely Danish blue flavours with rich blackberry spiciness, this rich and full bodied wine is made from vines that are up to 40 years old, therefore giving a wine of good concentration of flavour and colour.
Drinking now or keep up to 3 years.
Rating: Good
Graham Beck Shiraz 2003 - widely available £7.99
I really like this producer who has once more presented a full, rich and smooth sweet/peppery shiraz with dark red fruit flavours. Aged in American and French oak for 12 months has resulted in a rather refined wine.
This style is in contrast to the dense and rather exiting pintotage that I reviewed previously which is my favourite from this producer so far. However, be warned that this shiraz packs a hefty 15% alcohol by volume.
Drinking now or keep up to 2 years.
Rating: Good
Oyster Bay Merlot 2006 - widely available £7.99
On offer at Sainsbury's for £5.99 at time of writing
An enjoyable wine from the Hawkes Bay region of New Zealand offering an intense ruby colour with rather firm, yet well integrated tannins supporting vibrant black cherry fruit with a hint of cassis and oak.
Reasonably rich and full bodied. Drinking now or keep for up to 2 years.
Rating: Good
Inycon Shiraz 2005 - widely available £6.99
On offer at Sainsbury's for £3.99 at time of writing
What a disappointment. A simple medium bodied Sicilian wine from the Vineyard Selection range that offers limited shiraz characteristics that is definitely not up to the standard I would expect. A poor rating at the full price and an average rating at the offer price.
What make this so annoying is that I have reviewed previously a merlot at £2.99 from Inycon which was streets ahead in character and flavour of its much more expensive counterpart.
Rating: Average
February 2007
Marananga Dam 2004 - Marks & Spencer £9.99
Made from a blend of grenache, shiraz and mourvedre from 80 year old vines from the Barossa region of South Australia; this is an impressive and sophisticated wine.
Juicy with subtle flavours of cherries, spice and oak that are well integrated in this medium bodied wine. Great for drinking now or keep for up to 2 years.
Rating: Good
Zamora Zinfandel 2005 - Marks & Spencer £6.99
A rather light and zesty zinfandel from California produced from 40 year old vines, displaying succulent cherry and strawberry flavours intermingled with spice and pepper. However, a bit too light for me.
Drinking now.
Rating: Average
Rosemount Estate Founders Selection 2005 - widely available £7.99
A blend of shiraz and cabernet has led to a full bodied and rather smooth offering from Australia. A well integrated wine offering juicy berry, spicy and sweet fruit flavours in a well integrated wine.
Rating: Good
Lindemans Sangiovese Vintage Selection 2004 - widely available £6.99
There is something wrong here… medium bodied with some cherry fruit but rather diluted and one dimensional. Definitely not up to the usual high standards I have come to expect from this successful company as showcased with their ‘bin’ ranges. Disappointing.
Rating: Poor
January 2007
Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz 2002 - widely available £10.49
A pretty decent red exhibiting classic punchy, yet reasonably refined spice and pepper characteristics of the shiraz grape variety. Full bodied, smooth and well structured with integrated oak influence.
Rating: Good
Inycon Merlot 2005 - widely available £2.99
I was rather pleased with this Sicilian wine at its very modest price offering a concoction of almost stewed winter fruits with a hint of spice. An attractive, medium bodied supple and smooth simple red.
Rating: Good
Reserve de la Condamine 2005 - Sainsburys £6.99 (on offer for £4.00)
A quality red offering a juicy and sweet blend of syrah, grenache and carignan from the Mont Tache cooperative in Fitou, South of France.
Rating: Good
Palacio Del Marques - Marks & Spencer £4.49 (on offer for £2.99)
A spicy, earthy and rustic yet rather dense red from Spain. However, it displayed rather limited cherry fruit.
Rating: Average