Sunday Magazine – May 26, 2019

S MAGAZINE ★ 26 MAY 2019 47

Jamie Goode

WINE

Our expert celebrates quality Spanish reds at bargain prices

I

’ve often been asked which

country makes the best-value

wines and the answer has to be

Spain – a sunny country with

lots of vineyards. Many of the

vineyards are old and older vines

tend to make better, tastier

wines. And because Spain has an

oversupply of wine, its reds are

often much cheaper than their

quality would suggest. Here are

seven reds well worth sampling.

Campaneo Old Vines Garnacha

2017, Campo de Borja

£8, Tesco, 14% alcohol

This is a great example of an

affordable red from an old

vineyard. Here, the garnacha

grapes have produced a rounded,

sweetly fruited wine with cherry

and plum fruit. It is soft, moreish

and has a smooth texture.

Merinas Old Vine

Tempranillo 2018, Uclés

£7, Marks & Spencer, 14% alcohol

Tempranillo is Spain’s best-known

red and the grapes for this bottle

were picked at night to preserve

freshness. It is lush, bright and

linear with vivid raspberry and

cherry fruit showing a fine purity.

Pizarras de Otero Mencia 2017,

Bierzo £8.99 a bottle or £7.99

each for six, Majestic, 14% alcohol

This is a fleshy, generous and

aromatic red made from mencia

grapes. It has supple black

cherries with a summer-pudding

brightness and a spicy finish.

El Casetero Garnacha 2017,

Campo de Borja, Spain

£7.50, thewinesociety.com

(01438 741177), 14% alcohol

Bright and rich with vivid red

fruits and good precision, this

is simply delicious. The fact it’s

sunny and warm in Spain doesn’t

mean the wine has to be ripe

and jammy, and I love the

freshness and lightness of this

supple red. Very quaffable.

Casa del Duque Monastrell

2016, Yecla £9.99 a bottle or

£8.49 each for 12, laithwaites.

co.uk (0333 014 8198),

14% alcohol,

This is a tasty wine with lively,

sweet strawberry and raspberry

fruit that blend nicely with some

fine spiciness. It is luscious and

enticing with a gorgeous

sweet-and-sour character.

The Cubist Old Vine

Garnacha 2016, Calatayud

£9.99, Waitrose, 14.5% alcohol

This is a big, rich, sweetly fruited

red with lots of blackberry and

black cherry fruit and a smooth

texture. It is made from old

garnacha vines and while it

isn’t cheap at just under a tenner,

you certainly get a lot of flavour

for your money.

Torres Sangre de Toro

2016, Catalunya

£5.50, Asda, 13.5% alcohol

This tasty and gastronomic wine

shows flavoursome cherries and

plums, some bright raspberry and

a touch of damson bitterness. It

is dry, balanced, with a savoury

edge and is great value.

* Ts&Cs Apply: Offer available to new Discovery Club members only. Important – your future cases: Every three months and at Christmas, you will be notified in advance of the next

Discovery Club selection. You will receive this unless you request otherwise, and the appropriate sum (currently £89.99 + £7.99 p&p) will be charged to your credit/debit card. You

have no commitment whatsoever and may opt out from the Discovery Club at any time. All wines supplied by Virgin Wines. Company registration number 03800762. You must be

18 or over to purchase alcohol. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes. For full Ts&Cs please visit http://www.virginwines.co.uk/ex2038

The Express Wine Club, powered by Virgin Wines, is delighted to offer readers a massive £54 saving on this

pick of 12 delicious bottles – the perfect introduction to the Virgin Wines Discovery Club*!

For the equivalent of JUST £4.17 a bottle you’ll enjoy soft and juicy Shiraz, gooseberry-fresh Sauvignon, a full and

fruity South African gem and many more! Stock is strictly limited to just one case per customer!

Call 0843 224 1020 quoting EX2038 or visit http://www.virginwines.co.uk/ex2038

Also available as an all-red or all-white selection.

The Express Discovery Case was £104.88 NOW £49.99 +£7.99 P&P

SSAVEEE OVVERRR 5000 %% when you join the

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●S
MEGAM BRAMLEY