This expressive red wine from Bergerac in the Dordogne, just to the east of Bordeaux, is a very good example of the high-quality, good value wines from this appellation.
A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, this Château Bel-Air 2020 is an elegant, well-balanced wine with generous tannins and a long finish. With plum, cherry and black fruits on the nose, and blackcurrant, plum and vanilla on the palate, this is an excellent match for a grilled or roast meat dish, or with roasted vegetables. Perfect for a barbecue!
Château Dasvin-Bel-Air, Haut-Médoc 2019 (Bordeaux)
This smooth, elegant wine is from the heart of the Médoc wine area, just to the north of the city of Bordeaux. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, it has vanilla, blackcurrant and dark cherry on the nose, and blackcurrant and plum on the palate.
A hint of smokiness reflects the oak ageing and there is a slight earthiness in the finish. This is a well-balanced, medium-bodied wine with medium tannins, offering very good value for money.
This is an excellent match for a Sunday roast and will also go well with hard cheese.
Grüner Veltliner, Von den Terrassen, Winzer Krems, Niederösterreich 2020 (Austria)
This Grüner Veltliner from Lower Austria is a perfect apéritif.
It is a fresh, elegant wine with pronounced aromas of blossom, apple and peach, and a touch of white pepper on the nose, leading to a delicious burst of apple, lemon, peach and nectarine on the palate. A tinge of effervescence adds a little sparkle to the mix and the mineral notes and refreshing acidity make for a very well-balanced wine. This is a dry wine with a lengthy finish which will get your Christmas lunch off to a fine start!
Grove Mill, Wairau Valley, Marlborough 2021 (New Zealand)
This aromatic Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is a real treat. Pronounced aromas of elderflower, peach, lychee and guava on the nose herald flavours of lime, nectarine and passion fruit on the palate. The layers of fruit are well supported by the bright acidity and lasting finish, and a hint of minerality adds a further level. A delightful wine offering great value for money.
Available from Co-op (£9.50)
White wines
Paco & Lola Albariño 2021 (Spain)
Year after year, Paco & Lola come up trumps with their Albariño to create award-winning wines.
This is a fresh, crisp wine, high in acidity, with aromas of blossom, lemon and apple on the nose, and flavours of apple, peach and nectarine on the palate. It is a well-balanced, medium-bodied wine with a lengthy finish, which matches perfectly with white meat and fish dishes.
Available from Tesco, Sainsbury’s (£12- £14)
Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc 2021 Awatere Valley (New Zealand)
This elegant Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough’s smaller, cooler Awatere Valley is an ideal wine to go with seafood or white meat. An aromatic wine with notes of citrus and peach on the nose leading to stone fruit flavours and a refreshing minerality on the palate, it has a lively acidity, a creamy mouthfeel and a long finish.
Available from Co-op (£11)
Hazel End Vineyard Bacchus Dry 2014 (Hertfordshire)
This 2014 Bacchus Dry from Hazel End Vineyard in Hertfordshire is a real delight. With aromas of grapefruit, elderflower, lime and a touch of petrol on the nose, leading to a burst of lime and peach on the palate, this older Bacchus has a hint of Riesling about it. It is a smooth, refined wine with good acidity and a long finish, and goes well with a seafood or chicken dish.
This delightful red wine made from Rondo grapes grown in Hampshire is an ideal match for the complex blend of flavours associated with a traditional Christmas lunch. Deep ruby in colour, this is a rich, smooth, medium-bodied, well-balanced wine. With blackberry, plum and black cherry aromas, and notes of cinnamon and vanilla, on the nose, and rich black fruit flavours with savoury notes on the palate, it’s a wine with depth and complexity.
This is a Beaujolais from one of the region’s most experienced winemakers, Georges Duboeuf, and it is a very good wine. It has pronounced aromas of raspberry and strawberry, together with hints of cream and blossom on the nose, and intense red fruit flavours on the palate. A light, refreshing medium-bodied wine, with medium acidity and a long finish, it will go particularly well with cold meats, duck or a plant-based dish.
Available from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Majestic(£11-£13)
Château Caronne Ste.Gemme Haut-Médoc, 2016
This is a well-balanced Bordeaux red from the Left Bank. A Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend, it has bramble, cooked fruit and blackberry aromas on the nose, together with hints of vanilla and spice, and black fruit flavours and a touch of earthiness on the palate. A full-bodied wine which will go well with roast meat or roasted vegetable dishes.
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pedro Ximénez (Spain)
Christmas is a time for indulgence. And this is pure indulgence! This Pedro Ximénez (PX) from Sainsbury’s is a full-bodied, lusciously sweet wine with sufficient acidity to balance the sweetness and create a long, velvety finish. With aromas of honey, raisin and toffee, reminiscent of a mince pie, on the nose, and coffee, caramel and toffee flavours on the palate, this is almost a dessert in its own right.
A perfect match for Christmas pudding or other rich dessert, and mature cheese, it can also simply be drizzled over vanilla ice cream for another-worldly experience!
Available from Sainsbury’s (£8)
Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat (Australia)
The lusciously sweet Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat is another treat. Made from a blend of vintages of Muscat à petit grains rouges (Rutherglen Brown Muscat), it has flavours of fruitcake, dates and nuts, and is a smooth, wonderfully balanced wine. It is a perfect match for cheese or dessert.
Available from Waitrose (£10.49)
Merry Christmas!
Look out for more wine suggestions from around the world in 2023.
The Alexander Valley appellation in north-eastern Sonoma County in California is the county’s largest AVA (American Viticultural Area). Set against the backdrop of the majestic Mayacama Mountains, this is a region with over 15,000 acres of vineyards. The hot, dry summers, early morning fog, and gravelly, well-draining soils are perfect growing conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the dominant grape variety here. Alexander Valley has a reputation for soft-textured, fruit-driven Cabernet Sauvignon wines with balanced acidity, which are dark in colour and elegant in structure.
This Quodammado 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon has been aged in French oak. It is a smooth, velvety wine with medium acidity, medium tannins and a lengthy finish. With blackcurrant, plum and vanilla on the nose, and cherry, cassis, liquorice and smoky overtones on the palate, this was an excellent match for a lamb casserole. It will also go very well with steak.
It is currently very good value at Majesticwith 50% off. (£22.99, Mix Six £11.49)
It’s the time of year when the air is usually filled with the smell of bonfires and the sound of cracks and bangs as fireworks go off. Unfortunately this year, we are all likely to be limited to the back garden with a few sparklers … but that shouldn’t stop us enjoying a warming glass or two of red wine afterwards …. Here are three to consider:
Château Caronne Ste.Gemme Haut-Médoc, 2015
This is a well-balanced Bordeaux red from the Left Bank. A Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend, it has bramble, cooked fruit and blackberry aromas on the nose, with a hint of vanilla, toast and spice. There are pronounced stewed fruit flavours on the palate, together with a hint of earthiness, and this is a medium bodied wine with medium alcohol and high tannins. It is a very good wine, and just the ticket on a chilly autumn night. Majestic Wine £16.99 (£14.99 Mix Six)
Two Hands ‘Angels’ Share’ Shiraz, Australia 2019
This is a very good full-bodied wine from McLaren Vale with high alcohol, medium tannins and a nice long finish. Pronounced blackberry, blackcurrant and blueberry aromas on the nose, with hints of white pepper and chocolate, and a rich black fruitiness intermingled with a light spiciness on the palate. A well-balanced wine which will go well with a beef casserole or other substantial dish. Majestic Wine £21.99 (£17.99 Mix Six)
Casillero de Diablo Reserva 2017, Central Valley, Chile
A straightforward Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon from the warm Central Valley region. Notes of blackberry, red cherry, bell pepper and cloves on the nose, with quite intense fruit flavours of blackcurrant and plum on the palate. A dry wine with high acidity and medium tannins, it has medium alcohol and a medium finish. Not a complex wine, but perfectly fine for mid-week, with or without the fireworks! Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, around £8.
This Médoc blend has an unusually high level of Petit Verdot in the mix which probably explains its spiciness and the richness of the black fruit flavours ranging from plum and blueberry to black cherry and cassis. Although there are signs of developing age in the wine with its overtones of leather, forest floor and oak, its generous fruit flavours dominate. Deep ruby in colour, it’s a well-structured wine with high tannin and high acidity, and a medium finish. It needs something a little salty to soften the tannins slightly – goes well with cheese/charcuterie, or perhaps a lamb casserole. Good value for money.
Château Pierbone 2010 Haut Médoc
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this is a smooth, rich wine with a long finish. The wine is deep ruby in colour, with flavours of blackcurrants, plums and figs, and some leather and earthy overtones. A medium-bodied, fruity wine with medium tannins, it is very food-friendly and pairs very well with red meats or a rich vegetable casserole. A very good wine from a very good vintage.
Château Tour de Laroze 2012 Margaux
A complex and robust wine with dried/ stewed fruit flavours of raisin and prune together with earthy, forest floor overtones indicating the wine has evolved and developed. Full-bodied, with medium acidity and medium tannins, this is a smooth, well-balanced wine with a long finish. A real treat, a wine to savour and enjoy with roast lamb or a selection of cheeses.
