A cheap Chateauneuf substitute

Given the current 20% discount on the Rhone at Majestic I tasted my way through half a dozen reds at the weekend and came up with 3 to recommend (not a bad hit rate). One you'll have to wait until my Guardian column of December 4th to discover (sorry!), another is brilliant but, even at the discounted price, beyond the price limit I've set myself for this blog* and the third would make a very decent substitute for a Chateauneuf on the Christmas table for short-sighted relatives who don't look at the label too closely.

It's a big generous (14%) Côteaux du Tricastin 2009 from Delas, normally £8.49 but with the 20% discount down to £6.79 if you buy two which is a steal. A tad tarry on the finish maybe but at that price who's complaining?  You could drink it with the turkey - or a leg of pork and no-one would know you hadn't spent £12 on it. Which in my book is a result. (There does still seem to be some 2007 around which I can't vouch for so make sure you get the 2009.) Rating: ****

Wines I wasn't so impressed by FYI were the Durieu Côtes du Rhone and Jaboulet 'Les Jalets' Crozes.

*OK. You want to know anyway? It's the Yann Chave Crozes-Hermitages 2008 normally £17.49, currently £13.99. Lashings of pepper and gorgeous supple fruit. Everything a Northern Rhone Syrah-lover could wish for.  

PS No more bargains till next week. I'm off to the Lebanon tomorrow.                         

Two £6 wine bargains

Six quid, I can already hear you saying. Doesn't sound much like a bargain to me! But bear with me - they could both pass as wines that cost at least a pound more. What you're getting - and this is useful in the run-up to Christmas - is wines that look and taste posh. Your family and friends will be fooled

Both cost £6.19 from Somerfield - less if you buy six bottles in total which entitles you to 5% off, bringing the cost per bottle down to an even more reasonable £5.88.

Domaine la Tuque Bel-Air, Côtes de Castillon 2006
A smart-looking inexpensive claret from the so-called 'right bank' of Bordeaux meaning it's Merlot-dominated and therefore quite soft, smooth and supple. It'll please traditionalists - it's fruity but not too fruity and has a nice touch of spicy oak without being too oaky. It would go well with simple roasts and grills or with a home-made shepherds pie. Not great with cheese though, despite what the back label says. (These types of reds rarely are). RATING (see top right): ***

Vacqueyras 2007, Vignerons de Beaumes de Venise
Some villages in the Côtes du Rhône region are entitled to have their own appellation - Vacqueyras (pronounced vac-keh-rass) is one of them. This bottles comes from a co-operative better known for the sweet wine Muscat de Beaumes de Venise but it's a cracker with lashings of ripe juicy fruit. At 14.5% it's certainly big enough to take on the turkey but would also be great with a beefy stew or a steak and mushroom pie. Frankly this is as good as many over-priced Châteauneuf-du-Papes (but not the best ones, obviously). RATING: ****