Vina Albali Reserva 2000 - Felix Solis

From 100% Cencibel grapes, at least 18 months maturation in wooden barrels. Full aroma, fresh and nuances of vanilla, spices and fruits.

Alcohol Percentage : 13% Vol.

Bottle Size : 75cl

Price : 3.49 GBP (on offer) Normal price 4.99 GBP

Where to buy : Sainsbury's

Personal Opinion : As usual, you can't go wrong with Vina Albali. I've tasted the crianza, reserva and gran reserva and everyone of them is worth buying. Good value for money.

When this wine is on offer, you should stock up.

Personal score : 9.5/10

Ramon Lopez Murillo - Rioja - Reserva 2003

The wine is aged for at least three years with a minimum of 12 months in oak barrels before blending and bottling. Full, but not overpowering, this rich, ruby red Reserva shows all the ripe, juicy fruit character of the Tempranillo grape, with just a hint of spice and buttery toffee on its long finish. It is an Old World wine with a touch of New World ‘up front fruit’ style.
Serious meat-eaters will find it a perfect companion to beef, game and lamb. Serve it with venison sausages and mash and be instantly transported to Alfaro, in the south east of La Rioja, where it was created.

Alcohol Percentage : 13.5% Vol.

Bottle Size : 75cl

Price : 3.49 GBP (on offer) - normal price 4.99 GBP

Where to buy : Aldi

Personal Opinion : Well, this was a surprise. You think, Aldi?, Reserva?, but as soon as you taste this wine, you forget where you bought this. Aldi is usually associated with cheap stuff, but never associated with top quality. This is where Aldi has proved everyone wrong. Buy this now and experience a top quality wine at a fantastic price. Nothing more said.

Personal Score : 9.5/10

Castillo de Calatrava Reserva 2000 - La Mancha

Calatrava hails from Vinícola de Castilla, the largest privately owned wine producer in La Mancha and is entirely focused on producing quality bottled wines. Vinicola owns or manages 500 hectares of vineyards and boasts state of the art vinification, storage and bottling facilities. Underground cellars at the winery have the capacity to store 10,000 barriques of American and French oak as well as 2 million bottles of Reserva and Gran Reserva wines for bottle ageing, ensuring that the resulting Calatrava wines are of comparable quality to the very best Riojas.

Alcohol Percentage : 12.5% Vol.

Bottle Size : 75cl

Price : 4.99 GBP

Where to buy : Sainsbury's

Personal opinion : I did expect something totally different, but I was still impressed. There is a clear difference between La Mancha and Rioja, but both wine-regions are by far the best Spain has to offer, in my opinion. This wine confirms this. If you want to try this out, buy the Gran Reserva as well, it's a great way of comparing the two wines. You will immediately understand what I mean.

Personal Points : 8.5/10

Chateau Peyrabon - Cru Bourgeois - 2000

Château Peyrabon

A Cru Bourgeois property whose vineyards are divided between the appellations of Haut-Médoc and Pauillac, is now considered one of the rising stars in the Haut-Médoc. This is largely due to the stewardship of its current owner, Patrick Bernard, who has invested heavily in the property since buying it in 1998. He is notoriously fanatical in his attention to every detail and has thus raised the wine to new heights. 2000 is arguably its finest wine to date.

Dark, deep purple with aromas of stewed fruit and cherries. The wine is rich and chewy with a hint of chocolate—good balance and weight. A delicious, full claret without being over extracted or concentrated. Delicious—and very good drinking now.

Wine data

Grape variety: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

Appellation: AC Haut-Médoc

Alcohol: 13.0%

Bottle Size : 150cl (Magnum)

Price : 29.95 GBP

Personal Opinion : This is one of those wines that you should try. Easy drinking, a little bit too expensive but it is definitely worth a try. I thouroughly enjoyed this.

Personal Score : 8.5/10

Alaia Roble - Castilla Y Leon 2006

Region: V.D.T Castilla y Leon

Vintage: 2006

Grape: Prieto Picudo, Tempranillo, Merlot

Alcohol: 13.5%

Bottle Size : 75cl

Price : 5.99 Euro

where to buy : Online

Maroon red, bright, medium head. Clean and intense with aromas of red fruit, woods, mushrooms and powdered cocoa. Fruity in the mouth, of medium structure, palatable, soft tannicity, good acidity and a long, red fruit persistence. Easily drunk.

Personal Opinion : try it, you won't be dissappointed. Equivalent to 4.20GBP, not a bad price. Very good value for money.

Personal Score : 7.5/10

Famatina Valley - Fairtrade Argentine Reserva - Malbec

La Riojana Co-operative is the world's largest maker of organic Fairtrade wines: its 510 members produce some 4.7 million cases a year. This fantastically full-bodied, smooth, chocolaty 100 per cent Malbec from Famatina Valley - made especially for the Co-op - is best enjoyed with a juicy chargrilled sirloin steak.

Bottle Size : 75cl

Alcohol Percentage : 14% Vol.

Price : 4.99 GBP (Co-op)

Personal Opinion : I'm not a fan of New-World-Wines, but this was ok. I would probably buy this again, if I couldn't find anything else.

Personal Score : 7.5/10

Lagunilla Rioja Reserva 2003

Intense ruby in colour, the wine has toasted aromas of dark berry fruits with hints of vanilla and a slight reminiscence of leather. On the palate, the wine is very aromatic; it is round and velvety with flavours of strawberry and plums."

Bottle Size : 75cl

Price : buy 6 for 27 pound (Tesco) or 4.99 GBP (Morrisson)

Alcohol Percentage : 13% Vol.

Personal Opinion : I was very impressed with this particular wine, however I would not pay the normal price that Morrisson's had stated. This wine is supposed to be on offer (half price), but I wouldn't pay 8 or 9 pound for this. 5 pound makes this wine very good value for money. Get it while it's on offer.

Personal Score : 8/10

Warre's Warrior Special Reserve Port

Warre's Warrior Port - Special Reserve.

Bottle Size : 75cl

Price : 4.99 - 7.99 GBP

Personal Opinion : Ideal drinking port. No need to keep it lying in your cellar, it won't get any better. So drink and enjoy. Ideal with cheese and salami's. Try it, you won't be dissappointed.

Personal score : 9/10

Tyneside Blonde - Hadrian & Borders 3.9%

Tyneside Blonde

Light hoppy and refreshing

Alcohol Percentage : 3.9% Vol.

Bottle Size : Comes in a pint-glass in your local pub

Where to buy : Tankerville Arms - Eglingham - Northumberland (I think it was a guest-beer)

Personal opinion : I was hugely impressed with this beer. I don't always drink real ales, but I just fancied trying something different. And that's exactly what it was. Try it, you won't be dissappointed.

Personal score : 8.5/10

Vina Decana Crianza 2000 - Utiel - Requena

Utiel Requena, west of Valencia

Varietals : Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker comments : Requena is a small village which has been producing wines for more than 200 years. Located 50 miles west of Valencia the vineyards culminate at 600 meters altitude.Description of the wineVina Decana is medium-bodied with juicy red fruit flavours supported by soft tannins and a toasty wood character. Food : Red meat, roasted chicken, paella, cheese or by itself.

Where to buy : Aldi

Price : 3.99 GBP

Bottle Size : 75cl

Alcohol Percentage : 13% Vol.

Personal Opinion : This wine is one of the better selections from Aldi. It doesn't always happen that you find something really exciting in the wine-section at this store, but this is simply fantastic. They also have the same wine in Reserva, which can be bought for about 1 pound more. Keep up the good work.

Personal Score : 8.5/10