40 OFTHE BEST XMAS WINES
Unmissable pull-out by our wine expert Matthew Jukes
2015 Puglia Rosso, Italy
£7, Marks & Spencer
CHEAP, light, ruby-red and joyous, I love this feisty little wine because it leads with a great red berry nose, and this theme doesn’t let up on the palate for a second. Made predominantly from Negroamaro, it’s a superb ‘emergency red’ for all occasions.
2014 Ravenswood, Lodi Zinfandel, California
£11.99, reduced to £9.99 each in a ‘mix six’ deal, until Jan 30, Majestic.
THIS is my favourite ‘Zin’ on the High Street, and it is so classy that I would even say it is my favourite Zin at any price! So balanced and yet so packed with blueberry and cinnamon spice, this is a blockbuster which delivers its flavours with such grace and control it is incredible.
2014 Baron de Ley, Club Privado Rioja, Spain
£9.99, Waitrose
THIS is a wonderfully lush Rioja with the American oak barrels giving the Tempranillo fruit a stunning lick of vanilla. Juicy, plump and heart-warming, I prefer this version over all other £10 Riojas on the shelves.
2012 Château Barreyres, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France
£12, Sainsbury’s
YOU will need to decant this wine because it needs to breathe for about half an hour before serving. Made from 55 pc Merlot and 45 pc Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a beautiful wine with nicely balanced oak and a very long, gentlemanly finish. Easily the match for a fine roast beef or lamb dish, it’s a slice of French class like no other.
2014 Les Voiles de Paulilles, Collioure, Roussillon, France
£12.50, Marks & Spencer
THIS is a huge, brooding, giant of a wine with amazing fruit density, but soft tannins and a gentle finish. Made from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, it has a dense plum and dark chocolate core, with generous dustings of sweet spices and leather. Treat yourself to this heroic wine from a vastly underrated corner of France.
2014 Moss Wood Amy’s, Margaret River, Western Australia
£14.99, 17 branches Waitrose
IN LIMITED supply, this wine comes from one of the most legendary Cabernet Sauvignon producing estates in the world. Amy’s is the ‘affordable’ face of Moss Wood and I drop to my knees in praise of its stunning blackcurrant and cigar box flavours. Drink this instead of virtually any similarly priced red Bordeaux you can find.