RAISE A GLASS

THIS week, two wines with a long name you should know, and two wines with unusual names you may not know.

Let’s start with the long name: Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The wine takes its name from the town in southern Rhone so-named as it sits in the shadow of a medieval Papal palace. Winemakers are allowed to use up to 18 grape varieties in its famous red wine, with grenache as the powerhouse. Mourvèdre, syrah, cinsault and others take supporting roles.

I poured Extra Special Châteauneuf-du-Pape (£15, Asda, 14.5% abv) for a cluster of friends as we gathered at my home. I asked that they said what they thought as they sipped. It is a light to medium bodied wine but punches with fruit flavour and spice. Black cherries, raspberries and lots of pepper are vibrant in the glass. It is a wine to talk about, a wine to share, and a wine for great company (I didn’t say those last bits, but it’s nice to know my pals like me). By contrast, I sipped The Society’s Exhibition Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2015 (£18.50, thewinesociety.com, 14.5% abv) with my sister and her hubby as the former thrashed us both at Monopoly.

We’d been out to celebrate the said hubby’s birthday and I’d saved this wine as a tasting treat to round off a lovely day.

I didn’t expect to see the Jekyll and Hyde characteristics of my sister emerge as she placed her eighth hotel on the board. Birthday hubby resigned, penniless, but not before he’d helped me consider this wine.

It is medium bodied, as it is still slightly see-through; it is flecked with spice which takes centre stage on the nose. After a couple of minutes, raspberry and strawberry aromas arrive, and then vanilla unveils itself. In the mouth, the tannins aren’t overpowering but they add grip; wood and spice are more pronounced than the fruit as the wine matures and ages in its oaky complexity.

■ Also in my glass...

TXAKOLI is a white wine from Spain’s Basque country and you may have seen tapas waiters pouring it high above the glass. This emphasises the slight effervescence of the wine as it gloops and comes to rest. I saw Txomin Extaniz Txakoli (RRP £14.99, 11% abv) in Ocado and couldn’t resist a wine whose grapes grow overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

It has a deeper lemon hue than I expected, which would normally suggest a complex wine, but this is as fresh as the Atlantic air. It has apple and citrus notes and the slight effervescence tingles on the

palate. It’s an alternative to vinho verde, if you enjoy that style. Kayra Buzbag ÖküzgözüBogazkere Anatolia (RRP £11.56, corkingwines.co.uk, 12.5% abv) is from Turkey, a blend of two grapes Öküzgözü and boğazkere. I found a mix of dark brooding fruits – black cherries and prunes – and juicier, brambly damsons, with a lighter touch of raspberry.

To taste there was green sappiness on the palate, with flecks of wood. The tannins and acidity didn’t bring much to the party but the dark fruits stood firm.