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Take the guesswork out of buying wine

 

For many of us, chosing wine comes down to whether the price is just about right – not too cheap, not too expensive – and whether we like the look of the label.
But price and label are not reliable guides to quality. Some £10 boring-looking bottles are as good (or better!) than some £20 sexy-looking bottles.

The experts might agree it’s great but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll like it.

Happily, help is at hand. The wine world is awash with data. The whole industry revolves around ratings, reviews, critics, awards and points – all of which can help us find the hidden gems that top the ratings but don’t break the bank so you can try them for yourself.

Join for £14.99 a month.

We will send you a nice bottle of wine each month that the experts think is worth twice the price. If you like it and want more, let us know and we will get it for you.
If you don’t like it you don’t need to do anything except wait for the next one to arrive.

 

Graham Beck, The Rhona Rosè NV

June’s wine is the Graham Beck The Rhona Rosè NV, South Africa (£10.00 from www.marksandspencer.com)

[Currently out of stock at M&S but still available for £14.85 from www.vinvm.co.uk].

Jancis Robinson says:

“For many years this has been a fine example of top traditional-method sparkling wine, made by master winemaker Pieter Ferreira. Refined, red-berry fruit on the nose, crisp acidity, fine mousse and good length on the palate mark this out as a very classy sparkling wine. Now, as part of M&S’s price ‘repositioning’, this is priced at £10. At which level it is stunning value. VVGV” (16/20)

Graham Beck The Rhona Rosè NV

Domaine de la Madone, Beaujolais-Villages Le Perreon, 2017

May’s wine is the 2017 Domaine de la Madone, Beaujolais-Villages Le Perreon, France (£10.11 from www.vinatis.co.uk).

Robert Parker says:

“The 2017 Beaujolais-Villages Le Perreon is superb, wafting from the glass with aromas of crushed blackberries, mulberry and licorice. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, ample and concentrated, with fine, melting tannins, juicy acids and a generous and expressive core of fruit. This is a terrific Beaujolais-Villages that would embarrass many crus.” (92/100)

Domaine de la Madone, Beaujolais-Villages Le Perreon, 2017

Campo Arriba Old Vines, 2014

March’s wine is the 2014 Bodega Senorio de Barahonda Campo Arriba Old Vines, Spain (£11.19 from www.vinatis.co.uk).

Robert Parker says:

“This winery, started in 1925 by the Candela family, has really hit pay day with this amazing value. Blackberries, blueberries, acacia flowers, and chalky minerality dominate the aromatics and flavors. It is full-bodied, the price is absurdly low for a wine of this quality, and I suspect it can age nicely for another 5-6 years, although its true value is its exuberance, fruit purity and density.” (93/100)

2014 Señorío de Barahonda Campo Arriba-3

Quinta Nova, Unoaked Touriga Nacional 2016

November’s wine is the 2016 Quinta Nova, Unoaked Touriga Nacional, Douro, Portugal 2016 (£9.25 from www.portugalvineyards.com).

Decanter magazine says:

“Dark, dense, promising black red in colour, with ample fresh elderberry and plum fruits qualified by the distinctive tea-leaf finesse which comes from Touriga Nacional and friends. On the palate, this is a wine of energetic, searching, almost dancing fruit backed by soft, sweet tannins and, for the time being, lent huge charm by its aromatic freshness and complexity.” (97/100)

Decanter World Wine Awards 2018: Platinum – Best in Show: Best Value

Quinta Nova, Unoaked Touriga Nacional 2016-2

Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc, Awatere Valley 2017

October’s wine is the 2017 Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc, Awatere Valley, New Zealand (£9.99 from www.majestic.co.uk).

Decanter magazine says:

“There’s great restraint and purity here, with nothing obvious, sweaty or over-drawn. In the mouth, the wine is fresh, sappy, long and vivid, with those grass and sweet-pea notes balancing clean green apple fruit. The wine is roundly dry but without any cloying sweetness, harvested at (or blended to suggest) the perfect cusp of ripeness.” (97/100)

Decanter World Wine Awards 2018: Platinum – Best in Show: Best Value in Show

Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc 2017 Awatere Valley

J. Vidal-Fleury Cotes du Rhone 2015

September’s wine is the 2015 Vidal-Fleury Cotes du Rhone (£9.99 from www.majestic.co.uk).

Jancis Robinson says:

“Grenache with Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan. Dark mid crimson with a pale rim. Herbs and balsam on the nose – savoury rather than sweet. And then there is masses of sweetness on the palate but a finish that is fresh and dry. Really great balance and nice neat finish. This is better than many commercial Châteauneufs. VGV” (16.5/20)

Côtes du Rhône 2015 Vidal-Fleury-2