Great-value red wine: 20 top bottles to try

Lots of character and nuance in this well-crafted blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot that finishes its fermentation off the skins. Beautiful layering of black fruit, chocolate, coffee, dry sage and thyme. In the background, a moreish, smoky layer of roasted red peppers and tomatoes. Simply delicious.

The poised mineral structure reflects the origin of this wine: hailing from Doña Paula's El Alto site, a vineyard planted at 1000 metres altitude in Luján de Cuyo, this has a distinct elegance and freshness underpinning the red plum, cherry and bramble fruit. These are layered with dark chocolate, fig leaf and violets for great detail and enjoyable complexity.

<p>New to M&amp;S for autumn, this is a good-value example of new-wave Rioja. Made by Bodega Bideona, from vineyards in Laguardia, in cool Rioja Alavesa, it's a juicy and elegant Tempranillo, with bright perfumed cherry aromas and whispers of spice. Lovely freshness and balance on the palate; the smooth black cherry and blackberry fruit supported by precise oak and a lift of acidity. Available in store only.</p>

From the renowned De Martino winery, this is one of 50 Virgin Wines available to Ocado customers. Enjoy crunchy cranberry and juicy raspberry flavours, a hint of candy floss and a lick of stony minerals. Smooth, succulent and silky with a floral finish.

Good extract and density as well as juiciness and drive. Fresh red fruit (cherries, plums, raspberries, currant) mingle with juicy citrus (blood orange, pink grapefruit) for a fresh palate, appealingly complex. Elegant tannic framework, driving the flavours with a refreshing zesty kick. Vibrant yet soft acidity.

Rich, pronounced aromas of red and dark berries alongside cocoa. Velvety and plush in texture, the wine boasts notes of cedary oak, dark cherry, prunes, and dried cranberry well-balanced by bright acidity. Two years of oak ageing impart toasty depth, leading to a woody finish. The 2020 vintage was produced by the Cadis 1898 group.

<p>This Cairanne, one of the 50 Virgin Wines on offer at Ocado, packs a punch. Oozing with ripe red and black berries and a hit of black pepper, it shows typicity of style and would pair nicely with beef wellington or a juicy steak.</p>

Is there a label nod to Sassicaia here? Regardless, this Chianti Riserva (70% Sangiovese) impresses with its elegant cherry-berry and plum flavours, smoky spices and subtle herbal edge. Highly drinkable, tasting far pricier than it is. Shame about the silly heavy bottle.

Greek reds are going mainstream, as evidenced by this juicy blend of mainly Agiorgitiko with a little Shiraz in the mix. It's a fresh and fruit-driven mélange of bitter cherry, blackberry compote and plum, soft and sapid. The suggested pairing of roast lamb would work a treat.

A really characterful Portuguese red that's open and inviting with a cheeky wild side. Full of squashed berries, it's herbal and earthy, a little funky perhaps, and nice and chewy and tactile.

While a great gift for any heavy metal fan, this is not just a gimmick, as it is made for lead singer Bruce Dickinson by Portugal's respected Van Zeller family. The blend of traditional Douro grapes has spent time in Port barrels, giving a rich, spicy wine with appropriately dark fruit.

Made for M&S by Susana Balbo, Decanter's 2024 Hall of Fame recipient, this Malbec is simply brilliant value for money. The latest vintage boasts plush black fruit – damsons, blackberries and black cherry – balanced by spices and a mineral note. Judicious oak use (eight months in used French barrels) ensures enough tannic grip for food: think steak or roasted Portobello mushrooms.

An expressive and lifted nose of red fruit and macerated herbs is followed by a luscious but lively palate of ripe strawberries, preserved cherries, poached plums and bramble. The fruit is topped with sage, mint and marjoram. Deep and fleshy, with robust but very soft tannins. 30% was aged for 10 months in American old adding a thin lining of white pepper and vanilla.

Tesco has two St-Emilion wines at the same price point yet the difference in vintages (2019 and 2014) gives a completely different profile, both worthy of seeking out, it just depends on what you're looking for. This 2019 Tesco Finest St-Emilion has aromas of black plums and blackberries bubbling away inside a pie, with hints of dried cranberry, pine, mushroom, tobacco, smoke and toast and a long slither of blackcurrant coulis on the finish.

I've always thought it's worth trading up from Tesco's Finest Marlborough Pinot Noir to this Finest Central Otago Pinot Noir. For £4 more you're getting much more joy. You get pretty, succulent red cherry fruit, dotted with bright cranberries and more earthy notes of dried leaves, smoke and char. The finish is chewy and textural.