RED NEW ZEALAND
Saint Clair Estate Selection Pinot Noir 2011
£13.99£13.74 Buy 2 save 20% = £10.99
Very, very rich, oaky nose – incredibly inviting. Lovely, sweet, ripe pinot. Easy to drink and the 13.5% alcohol is a relief when compared to many NZ PNs.
Martinborough Vineyard Te Tera 2011
£17.49 Buy 2 save 20% = £13.99
Very pale colour. This does smell very woody. Like sawdust. Very savoury and lovely taste. Not sure it’s worth £17.49, but grab it at £13.99 and it’s a real bargain.
Peregrine Pinot Noir 2010
£25.00 Buy 2 save 20% = £19.99
Sweet, ripe, dark-fruity nose. Savoury taste. This is altogether bigger than the two previous wines. Meaty, butch and quite long.
Craggy Range Te Kahu Bordeaux Blend 2010
£17.99 Buy 2 save 20% = £14.39
Quite a stinky nose, after a row of fragrant pinots. Not very Bordeaux. It is a nice taste, and has an interesting complexity and savoury oak. Mainly merlot, with cabernet franc and a little cabernet sauvignon.
RED AUSTRALIA
McHenry Hohnen Cabernet Merlot 2011
£13.74 Buy 2 save 20% = £10.99
Deep, dark colour. Eucalyptus on the nose. Spicy, with eucalyptus on the palate and pretty warm alcohol. 14.5%.
Peter Lehman Cabernet, 2009
£10.49£9.99 Buy 2 save 20% = £7.99
Massively cabernet on the nose. Rich, intense blackcurrant and some mint. Gorgeously inviting. Good taste. Again, blackcurrant and mint, with perhaps some liquorice. If you can get this at £7.99 it’s a cracking price.
BVC Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
£12.49 Buy 2 save 20% = £9.99
Have tried and loved the BVS (Shiraz). If this does smell of blackcurrants, they’re very baked. A lot of eucalyptus, mint and rich fruit on the palate.
Jim Barry Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
£13.99£13.74 Buy 2 save 20% = £10.99
Dark and moody aroma. Spicy, massive and with a lot going on for £10.99. Alcohol nicely balanced.
Sexy Beast Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
£22.00 Buy 2 save £8 = £18.00
This gets my vote for worst label. This has some dark aroma with perhaps mango. Spicy, big taste. Pleasant but I couldn’t spend £22 or £18 on a wine with this name or label. Photo taken for its own sake, not the wine’s.
St.Hallett, Alsare Shiraz 2010
£17.49 Buy 2 save 20% = £13.99
Inky dark colour. Really opaque. A baked, toasty nose. The taste, which is dark and spicy, is ruined by 14.5% alcohol. Blah.
RED SOUTH AFRICA
Jordan Cabernet Merlot 2010
£9.99 Buy 2 save £4 = £7.99
Lots of cassis but also some nutty wood. Lovely taste. Long and oaky and with a lot going on.
Vergelegen Merlot 2008
£16.99
£16.99 Buy 2 save £8 = £12.99 Dec Promo
Stinky. Not good at all. Bitter and nasty.
Meerlust Merlot 2008
£19.99 Buy 2 save £6 = £16.99
Green, stalky nose. Carries through to the palate. Savoury and with a lovely aftertaste.
RED CHILE
Santa Rita 120 Cabernet Franc 2011
£7.49 Buy 2 save 20% = £5.99
Ripe, forest fruits nose. Dry and with a bitter aftertaste. Needs food.
Leyda Syrah Reserva 2010
£9.99 Buy 2 save 20% = £7.99
Beautifully aromatic. Spicy and herbal. Very nice indeed.