Tenuta Rapitalà Nero d’Avola

From - Sicily, It.
Grape - Nero d'Avola
Alcohol - 13.5% abv
Available from - Waitrose
Price - £8.99 (but £6.74 at the time of writing)

Appearance - Clear, medium intensity, ruby

Nose - Clean, medium+ intensity, red fruits of cherry, plum.

Palate - Dry, medium+ acid, medium+ tannin, medium+ body, medium+ tannin, medium+ intensity.  Long. Red fruit of cherry, plum and raspberry.  Black fruit of blackberry.  Pungent spice of black pepper.

Very good quality.  Drink now, but could age.

Recommended by a colleague, I was very taken by the smoothness and quality of this wine.  It is extremely good for the price, and is a cut above most at that price level, I think.

Manoir du Carra Beaujolais Blanc 2014

From - Beaujolais, Fr.
Grape - Chardonnay
Alcohol - 13% abv
Available from - Wines of Interest, Ipswich
Price - £10.75

Appearance - Clear; medium- intensity, lemon-green

Nose - Clean, medium intensity, youthful.  Green fruit (apples and pears, green plum), floral, sweet spice (vanilla)

Palate - Dry, medium intensity, medium+ acid, medium+ length, medium + alcohol and body.  Pears, lemon, pineapple, stone minerality.

Best drunk young.  Very good quality.

This is lovely.  A classy bottle of wine and well worth the price. Impressive complexity.  Delicious!

Puklavec & Friends Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio 2015

From - Slovenia
Grape - Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio
Alcohol - 12% abv
Available from - Waitrose
Price - £7.99 (although £5.99 at time of writing)

Appearance - Clear, lemon-green, medium intensity

Nose - Clean, medium + intensity, youthful.  Citrus (lemon-lime), herbal (grassy), gooseberries, a hint of stone and tropical fruit, and a touch of minerality.

Palate - off-dry, medium+ acid, medium alcohol, medium+ body, medium alcohol, medium+ length.
Good quality, best drunk now.

In response to reader requests for bargains, this is a cracker.  An unusual blend, which I am reliably informed was first made by accident (the producers discovering the unintentional blend worked well).

Produced on Slovenia's border with Austria, it represents excellent value for money, is surprisingly complex and refined.  If you took this to a party you would leave having more friends than you arrived with.

Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2015

From - Beaujolais, France
Grape - Gamay
Alcohol - 13%
Available from - Waitrose,  Tesco
Price - £10 (currently £7.50 in Waitrose)

Appearance - Clear, medium intensity, purple.

Nose - Clean, medium+ intensity, youthful.  Red fruit (cherries, redcurrants, raspberries); black fruit (blackberries), plus a touch of floral (violets) and earthiness.

Palate - Dry, medium intensity, medium+ alcohol, medium+ acidity, medium body, medium- tannin.  Lots of red fruit and violets.

This is excellent value, even at full price.  It is very smooth and has surprising intensity and more than its fair share of complexity.  I could see it matching up with a whole host of dishes.

De Bortoli Daydream Chardonnay 2014

From - Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
Grape - Chardonnay
Alcohol - 12.5% abv
Avaliable from - Waitrose
Price - £9.99

Appearance - Clear, medium- intensity, lemon-green.

Nose - Clean, medium- intensity, youthful.  Green fruit (pears), citrus (lemon), sweet spice (vanilla).

Palate - Dry, high acidity, medium intensity, medium length, medium+ body, medium+ alcohol.  Citrus flavour of lemon and grapefruit, subtle notes of kernel (hazelnut) and smoky minerality.

Good quality.  Ready to drink now, but may benefit from some ageing.

A very agreeable Chardonnay for food and fine weather, grown in the cooler climate of Australia's Yarra Valley.  It has a subtle nose, but gives more on the palate, and has some complexity.  

Bottega Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore 2013

From - Veneto, Italy
Grape - Corvina
Alcohol - 14.5%
Available from - lebonvin.co.uk (£24.50) Milan airport shop! (20euro)

Appearance - Clear, deep, ruby

Nose - Clean, medium+ intensity, youthful.  Sweet cherries, violets

Palate - dry, medium+ intensity, high alcohol, medium acid, medium+ intensity, medium+ tannin, full body, long length.  Red cherries, raspberries, chocolate, bramble.  Drinkable now, but could be aged.

Delicious, silky Valpolicella.  Really splendid but very expensive at £24.50 so one to drink when in Italy.  The alcohol is very well integrated and it has considerable, and very pleasant, length. 

Valpolicella Ripasso is so called because the wine is re-fermented with the skins of grapes used for 'passito' wines - (for example, Amarone).  This provides greater flavour and character.

 

Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

From - Margaret River, Western Australia
Grape - Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol - 14.5%
Available from - Waitrose, Selfridges
Price - £18/£26

Appearance - Clear.  Deep ruby, legs observed.

Nose - Clean, medium+ intensity, developing, black fruit (cassis, blackberry, cherry), red fruit (plums), herbaceous (mint), sweet spice (cinnamon), Kernel (chocolate)

Palate - Dry, medium+ acid, high alcohol, full body, medium+ length, high tannin.  Particularly cassis, chocolate-mint.

Tasted after two hours decanting.  I thought it was excellent.  Very expressive of Cab Sauvignon varietal characteristics, and great quality.  Smooth, very complex, developing well but it still could get better for a while yet, I think.  It has lots of character and would be great matched up with the right dinner.