REDS FOR CHRISTMAS DAY

2016 Irresistible Mount Benson Shiraz, South Australia

(£6.99, Co-op) THERE is no finer Aussie shiraz under the crucial £7 mark in the UK. Drenched in coffee, plum and spice, the flavours here are simply sensational. Ignoring the remarkable value for money for a moment, this is just a downright delicious red wine that will amaze everyone who tastes it.

2016 Taste the Difference Beaujolais-Villages Côteaux Granitiques, Burgundy, France

(£9, Sainsbury’s) THIS is a new find for me and I love it. Not your usual light, strawberry-kissed beaujolais, this wine comes from 50-year-old vines and has a more commanding flavour. It’s a rival for over-priced, more famous red burgundies.

2016 Pizo, Cariñena, Cariñena, Spain

(£9.99, virginwines. co.uk) I THINK this is one of the finest red wines that Virgin Wines has ever listed. It has the distinction of being made from the Cariñena grape and coming from the region of the same name. It destroys any £10 rioja with its soaring plummy flavours and velvet texture. I didn’t just taste this wine — I drank the whole bottle!

2015 Vasse Felix, Filius Cabernet Sauvignon/ Merlot, Margaret River, Western Australia

(£12.99, Waitrose) THIS 75 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 17 per cent merlot, 7 per cent malbec and 1 per cent petit verdot blend is a perfect wine to celebrate Christmas. It is hard to think of an equivalent priced red Bordeaux that comes close to this degree of sophistication.

2014 Ravenswood, Zinfandel, Old Vine, Lodi, California

(£14.99, reduced to £12.99 each on a Mix Six deal, Majestic) A BARNSTORMING red with huge black fruit flavours and layers of cinnamon and pepper spice. Yet there is excellent balance here, too, with no ugly tannins or unwanted oak. Perfect for an indulgent, meaty dish.