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Everyday whites

Special whites


Serious reds

                               HTQI ratings    
A wine to seek out and enjoy as much as you can superbly over 140
A fairly reasonable wine worth trying, certainly better than its price suggests
111  to 140
Sound commercial wine for the price – goodish but no surprises
 90 to 110
A wine you should probably be thankful you didn’t buy, just try to enjoy at a friend’s  place –
65 to  89 points
If someone gives you this wine as a present, use it in the salad dressing or to de-scour  the kettle, or both sadly less than 65
  The HTQI is simply calculated by taking assessed value of wine divided by the actual retail price, so a wine “worth” £7.99 but costing just £4.99, has a HTQI of 799/499 = 160.  A really good buy indeed. 
       
Everyday Reds

 

 Comments Outlet Price HTQI Date tasted
Santa Rita Reserva Merlot 2002 Chile Tons of youthful colour, attractive red berries on nose and not overpowering in the mouth.  A good commercial package Majestic £6.99 114 3rd December 2003
Mont Gras Reserva Carmenere  Colchagua Valley Chile 2000 Good colour, clean fruity aromas with no distinction.  Raedy to drink - ideal for barbeques - a big mouthful Waitrose £6.19 97 15th July
Jeroboams Red Burgundy Bougogne AOC 2000 Pinot Noir

 

 

 Light minerally strawberry flavour, decent body and long fruity finish.  Attractive and stylish for the price, one has often paid lots more for much less from Burgundy.  Jeroboams £6.95 129 12th July
Alamos, Nicilas Catena Malbec Mendoza Argentina 2001 Classy big heavy bottle, simple tasteful label.  The wine itself smells good, is well balanced and lingers on the palate.  Good honest value with no real distinction - but at this prices its just dandy.  Majestic £5.99 117 7th June
Wynns Coonawarra Estate  South Australia  Shiraz  2000 A lush big wine as you'd expect from one of Australia's better commercial wine producers.  Strong aroma of burnt jammy fruit with new oak in the background, a real mouth-filler which will appeal to most folk.  On the right side of over-the-top Majestic £6.99 108 20th December 2002
Premius Bordeaux Claret 2000,
Yvon Mau, France
 After the bizarre labels, you'd expect very little at this price, but it really does deliver. From a decent vintage we almost have something affordable to rekindle some faith in the Bordelais. A decent flavoursome claret, that would even repay keeping 18 months. Unwins
£5.99 145 12th December 2002
Cabernet Sauvignon del Montello e Dei Colli Asolani, DOC Italy  2000 Delicate but attractive cabernet flavours, nothing special but surprisingly smooth for a cheaper Italian.  Pleasing long flavours, and not too bitter. Majestic £5.49 109 10th October 2002
Fairview Shiraz 1999 Paarl South Africa Almost "luscious big mouthful", and not spoilt by too much tannin.  Only criticism at this price is the lack of a plummy or peppery shiraz smell.  Commercially acceptable. Tesco £5.99 117 19th September 2002
Santa Ines Legado de Armida 1999 Reserva Cabernet sauvignon Maipo Valley Chile Rated "Great Value wine of the Year" by wine magazine raised our expectations. This is a sound but fairly dull wine, nothing offensive, but no real reason to seek it out.  A "safe pair of hands" for the unadventurous amongst us. Wine Rack £6.99 86 11th September 2002
Quinta das Setencostas 1999 Alenquer, Central Portugal  Made from a very non-trendy mix of indigenous Portuguese grape varieties, like Periquita, this is a big gutsy chappie. Hints of oak. But not overly alcoholic and surprising approachable.  Nice one. Oddbins £5.99 100 7th September 2002
Anubis 2000 Malbec Mendoza Argentina Hoping to find some different red-fruit flavours here we were disappointed, but it is well made and pleasant enough. Doubtless we were hoping for too much from this popular Argentinian grape Waitrose £5.99 100 1st September 2002