Even we don’t drink crus classés evey night of the week. So which are the best everyday drinking wines for consistently delivering character, reliability, and value? Six of our leading experts, led by STEVEN SPURRIER, each pick 10 best value reds at £5–£15 that do just that��
How do you choose just 10 best value reds between £5 and £15 when this is already your preferred price for daily drinking, and when at any given tasting there may be a dozen such wines in the ‘gosh, that’s good’ category?
They have to be not just the 10 value reds you like to drink most often, but the 10 that stand out for character, individuality and reliability, vintage after vintage. The results from our judges – who worked independently – are quite consistent, which gives ‘best value worldwide red wine’ a certain definition.
Value reds either side of the £10 mark need to be more than just good – they should be very good, even excellent. They must allow for restricted yields, vineyard by vineyard selection, natural vinification, proper oak ageing (no chips) and a little time in bottle before release. But the real reason for the character, individuality and consistency of these value reds lies less in the grapes and the soil than in the minds of the people who produce them. They are made by perfectionists, proud of what they produce and of the pleasure they give the consumer.
Of the 60 nominations (some were nominated by more than one panelist), the Old World took 34 places to the New World’s 26, with France by far the leader with one third of the votes. Three French value reds are from Bordeaux, all Médocs; two are from Burgundy; eight value reds are from the Rhône, with three Crozes-Hermitage (Alain Graillot twice) and five Grenache-based wines from the south; and seven are from the southwest and the Midi. Next came Italy, with nine entries – four from Tuscany, two each from Piedmont and the Veneto and one from Sicily. Two came from Portugal, both from the Douro; three from Spain, all very different. A common denominator? Well-extracted fruit, robust where necessary, balanced and satisfying.
Australia led the New World, with eight value reds– three from 100% Shiraz, three Shiraz blends and two Cabernets. Then came five wines from Chile – four Cabernet blends and only one Merlot; and five from California (a country in itself), showing four Zinfandels and one Pinot Noir. Argentina took four places, all Malbec, two from Norton; New Zealand had two wines, both Pinot Noir; South Africa had two also, both Pinotage. And the common denominator here? Rich fruit, excellent winemaking and blending for drinking on release.
BORDEAUX
Les Fiefs de Lagrange, St-Julien
At 113 ha, Lagrange is the largest of the St-Julien crus classés, but quantity is reined in for quality, making this second wine one of the most reliable and best value reds in the entire Médoc. (SS)
£13.72 (2000); Far, StG
Château Coufran, Haut-Médoc
Bordeaux’s best-sited cru bourgeois can offer compelling value reds. The Merlot-rich Coufran is perhaps the most approachable of these under-appreciated fine wines. (AJ) £12.95 (2001); BBR
Château Potensac, Médoc
This powerful, earthy cru bourgeois, under the same ownership as Léoville Las Cases, is tannic when young, but not especially oaky. It needs a few years to show its complexity. (SB) £10 approx (2003); Aly, BBR, Evy, F&R, Rol, Sec, VgH
BURGUNDY
Nicolas Potel, Cuvée Gérard Potel, Bourgogne Vieilles Vignes
Potel makes this true, pure and intensely flavoured Burgundy from vines over 50 years old across Volnay and the Côte de Nuits. (SS) £8.43 (2004); Gdh
https://www.decanter.com/reviews/volnay/nicolas-potel-champans-vonlay-1er-cru-burgundy-2010/
Domaine Tollot Beaut, Chorey-Lès-Beaune
Tollot Beaut produces delicious, supple, fruity value reds year after year. This wine is my benchmark for reliable, great-value Burgundy. (BB) £10 IB (2004); Bib, Loe
RHONE
Alain Graillot, Crozes-Hermitage
Alain Graillot is the best producer in Crozes-Hermitage because of his patience, attention to detail – and modesty. This wine is lush and explosive when young, and a Hermitage lookalike at five years. (SS)
https://www.decanterchina.com/en/news/rhone-winemakers-bring-awareness-to-chinese-market
Graillot sets the benchmark not just for quality but for reasonable pricing too; his Crozes displays classic aromas and a sumptuous palate combining tarry, blackberry fruitiness with an elegant freshness. (AR) £13.50 (2004); Yap
Domaine de Thalabert, Crozes-Hermitage
Most Crozes-Hermitage is good value, but Jaboulet’s Domaine de Thalabert is outstanding, punching well above its weight. With its dark, brooding and plummy fruit, top vintages can age for a decade or two. (SB) £13.90 (2003); F&R
Domaine le Sang des Cailloux, Cuvée Lopy, Vacqueyras
This outstanding Vacqueyras domaine produces the kind of scented, savoury value reds that makes greater Provence such a mouth-watering prospect. Cuvée Lopy reaches highest, but all are good. (AJ)
£14 (2003); Pip
Domaines Perrin, Coudoulet de Beaucastel, Côtes du Rhône
The Coudoulet vineyard itself is adjacent to the Perrin’s famous Château de Beaucastel, planted to 60% Grenache and Mourvèdre, 40% Syrah and Cinsault, all old vines, the final blend benefiting from some declassified Beaucastel. (SS) £9.51 (2002); Far
Domaines Perrin, Les Christins, Vacqueyras
Fifty-five-year-old vines supply the Perrins of Beaucastel fame with grapes for their Perrin & Fils négociant value reds, including this peppery blend from Grenache and Syrah. (AR) £9.90-11.99 (2003); ADa, BBR, Bib, Cmb, EdS, Mis, P&S
Domaine Richaud Cairanne, Côtes du Rhône-Villages
Sometimes it’s only when things get really bad that the best producers stand out. Marcel Richaud’s grapes barely seemed to register the terrible, sodden vintage of 2002. Richaud makes consistently classy, reliable and individual wine. (BB) £12 (2003); ACh
Domaine du Cayron, Gigondas
Good Gigondas is a winter warmer, a wine for stews and game. Those from Domaine du Cayron remain utterly traditional, unfettered expressions of old-vine Grenache at its most rugged yet satisfying. (SB) £14.50 (2003); L&W
REGIONAL FRANCE
Château Bouscassé, Vieilles Vignes, Madiran
Madiran from southwest France can be as tough as boots, but Alain Brumont has mastered the art of taming the tannic Tannat variety. Of his various bottlings, this is the best and the least expensive. (SB) £15 approx (2003); ThH
Château du Cèdre, Cuvée Prestige, Cahors
The Cahors renaissance is in full swing, and it offers rich pickings for the bargain-hungry. The top wines of Cèdre may be beyond our price ceiling, but not the deliciously dark, smouldering Cuvée Prestige. (AJ) £10.15 (2003); CPy
Domaine Berthoumieu, Tradition, Madiran
These authentic, uncompromising, profoundly satisfying red wines offer magnetic value. Decant a day ahead if you can; otherwise simply enjoy its untrammelled black fire and the sombre fury. (AJ) £6.90 (2002); CPy
Domaine du Cros, Vieilles Vignes, Marcillac
Eighty-year-old Fer Servadou from iron-rich clay in a once-vast wine region, tamed in old oak: taste just how good the past could be. (AJ) £7.90 (2002); Cpy
Domaine La Suffrène, Bandol
Cédric Gravier’s entry level Bandol is dark, generous, close-textured and herby Mourvèdre. (AJ) £10.50 (2001); CPy
Mont Tauch, l’Exception, Fitou
This top blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan from the quality-conscious Mont Tauch coop in Languedoc-Roussillon is a sweetly robust, winter-warming red with scents of garrigue that gives great satisfaction. (AR)
£9.99 (2003); Maj, Thi
Mont Tauch, Les Quatre, Fitou
This is a superb representation of the ancient soils and grape varieties (Carignan, Grenache and Syrah) of Fitou. Les Quatre and its cheaper sibling Les Douze are helping the region gain a new audience. (MJ) £8.99 (2004); Thi
ITALY
Aldo Vajra, Dolcetto d’Alba
This is a perfumed, limpid, enchanting, basic Dolcetto, a perfect match of grape and place. (AJ)
Lush, deeply fruity, undemanding and hedonistic. (SB)
£12.91 (2004); Lib
Allegrini, La Grola
The chalky, stony vineyard of La Grola is the source of this classic food red made from Corvina with a dash of Rondinella, Syrah and Sangiovese, displaying a core of dark cherry fruit polished by lightly spicy French oak: a consistent performer. (AR) £13.95 (2001); F&M, Har, Lib, P&S, V&C
Frescobaldi, Nipozzano, Chianti Rufina Riserva
This flagship estate of the Marchesi Frescobaldi usually produces its cult 100% Sangiovese wine, Montesodi. In 2002 this was declassified into the splendidly briary and spicy Nipozzano, a Chianti quality benchmark. (SS)
£12.49, (2002); Ave, Evy, Odd
Isola e Olena, Chianti Classico
For a pure, savoury, crisp taste of Tuscany, this wine never disappoints. It manages to be supremely drinkable but always interesting. There are different nuances of flavour to enjo, and it’s a perfect food wine. (BB) £12.95 (2003); WSo
Palazzo della Torre, Valpolicella
Valpolicella often disappoints: it’s a fairly light red, but that shouldn’t mean it’s thin. Allegrini’s Palazzo della Torre is a perfect example with complexity and richness. (SB) £13 approx (2001); ACh, Ave, CCF, Evy, Hed, Imb, P&S, ScC
Planeta, La Segreta, IGT Sicilia
It’s cheap, it’s silky, it’s fresh and vigorous, which is all one can ask for from an everyday red. A blend of Nero d’Avola, Syrah and Merlot. (SB)
£7.99 (2004); EnW, WCw
Poliziano, Rosso di Montepulciano
Poliziano is one of the rare Tuscan estates that puts as much effort into its entry level wines as it does into its super cuvées. This rosso is an exact barometer of the character of the vintage, year in year out – it never lets you down. (MJ) £9.99 approx (2004); EnW, HBa
Selvapiana, Chianti Rufina
My favourite, single-vineyard Bucerchiale is justly expensive, but the basic Chianti Rufina from Selvapiana makes a lovely glass of pure, true, refreshing yet mysteriously allusive red wine. (AJ)
£11.69 (2003); Lib
PORTUGAL
Dow’s, 20-Year-Old Tawny Port
I know this is a bit of a cheat, but even if it is only a half bottle, it’s still a bargain. I adore the guaranteed pleasure and enticing aromatics of 20-year-old tawny port. If forced to pick a full bottle for under £15, I’d choose a little brother tawny, such as 10-year-old Churchills. (BB) Churchills – £14.95; L&S.
Dow’s – £10.50 (half bottle); BBR Heathrow
Quinta de la Rosa, Douro Tinto
Year after year this wine shows the other, often much more expensive, red wines from the Douro how it’s done. The 2003 vintage is spectacular with incredible fruit expression and delicious, controlled tannins. (MJ) £11 (2003); FMV
SPAIN
Abadia Retuerta, Selección Especial, Sardón de Duero
Selección Especial is a benchmark blend of the highest quality Tempranillo, Cabernet and Merlot from the 54 different plots at this historic estate. (AR)
£12.95 (2001); Lib
Casa Castillo, Monastrell, Jumilla
If, like me, you have a passion for that wonderfully difficult variety Mourvèdre, or Monastrell, Jumilla is a happy hunting ground. Casa Castillo’s is among the best. (AJ) £8.50 (2003); BBR, HvN, Rés
Torres, Gran Sangre de Toro Reserva, Penedès
This blend of Garnacha, Cariñena and Syrah is pure Mediterranean, with an intensity and smoothness to match the firm spice from the Catalan hills. Impressive and great value for money. (SS) £6.99 (2001); Coo, Fells, Sai, Wai
ARGENTINA
Catena, Malbec
This delivers everything a good Malbec should: dense black cherry, sweet and mouthfilling fruit, round tannins and a rich, warm finish. (BB) £12; Maj, Tes
Norton, Malbec Reserve
Great Argentinian Malbec seems to me to offer the best red-wine value in the southern hemisphere. Norton’s Reserve is consistently satisfying, balanced and deep. (AJ) £8.99 approx (2003); Evy, ScC, Wai
Norton, Privada
This blend of Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet is a meaty, smoky, smooth and richly satisfying wine – typically Argentinian, but with freshness and a long, complex finish. Lots of wine for the money. (BB) £9.99 (2003); Wai
Terrazas, Malbec Reserva
The Malbec Reserva from Terrazas is made by one of Mendoza’s top winemakers, Roberto de la Mota, from very old vines giving tremendous concentration. Brilliant value. (SB) £9.99 (2003); Eag, Evy, Sel, Tes, VtH, Wmb
AUSTRALIA
D’Arenberg, The Footbolt Shiraz, McLaren Vale
Second to none for richness, ripeness and regional character. Big and gutsy, with fresh tannins to support the slightly raisiny fruit. Always completely satisfying. (SS) £9.50 (2003); Wai
Penfolds, Bin 28, Kalimna Shiraz, Barossa Valley
Ancient, heroic and the source of many revered reds, the Kalimna vineyard is very special indeed, and it is a privilege to drink this wine. I am amazed it is still only a tenner. (MJ) £10.64 (2003); Evy
Penfolds, Bin 389 Cabernet-Shiraz
Penfolds’ classic Australian blend, combining sweet black fruit drinkability with cellaring potential, this regularly overdelivers on value. (AR)
£14–15 (2002); Evy, F&R, WSo
St Hallett, Blackwell Shiraz, Barossa Valley
Classic Barossa Valley Shiraz crafted from old vines at Seppeltsfield, Ebenezer and Koonunga Hill with American oak adding spice and sheen to the seamless blackberry fruit. (AR)
£13 approx (2002); Bib, Evy, Wbc
St Hallett, Gamekeepers Reserve, Barossa Valley
Australia’s most consistent, inexpensive red wine is a complex blend of Shiraz, Grenache, Touriga Nacional and Mourvèdre. It is on the one hand a cheery glugger and on the other a complex and fascinating Aussie red. (MJ) £5.99 (2004); Bib, Odd
Tim Adams, The Fergus, Clare Valley
Surely this is one of the most underrated red wines in Australia. Grenache is still regarded as a second-class citizen (to Shiraz), and yet the aroma and texture in this wine are truly heavenly. (MJ)
£9.95 (2004); OzW, Tes
Wynn’s, Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Value and icon status rarely go together, but a recent 50-year retrospective showed just how consistent this Coonawarra classic has been over time. It is maintaining that hard-earned reputation both for quality and value. (AR)
If there has ever been a mediocre vintage of Wynn’s Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, I have yet to encounter it. Deep in flavour as well as colour, this rich blackcurranty Cabernet can be drunk young or aged 10 years. (SB) £10 approx (2001); Ave, Maj, Odd
CHILE
Casa Lapostolle, Cuvée Alexandre Merlot
There aren’t many wines from Chile offering great value at over £10, but this wine justifies its price. It delivers pure, sensual concentration of blackcurranty deliciousness every time. (BB)
£12.90 (2003); Evy, Imb, ScC, WSo
Concha y Toro, Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon
The best-value Cabernet Sauvignon on the planet, and made in staggering quantities to exacting standards. It shouldn’t work but it does. Mass-produced excellence. (MJ) £5.99 (2005); Asd, Boo, Bud, Odd, Sai, Som, Tes, Thr, Wai
Errázuriz, The Blend
Entirely from the family’s Don Maximiano estate in the Aconcagua Valley, this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Sangiovese and Carmenère is a new classic. (SS) £14.99 (2003); Wmb
Viña Hacienda Araucano, Gran Araucano Cabernet Sauvignon
The globetrotting Bordeaux brothers Jacques and François Lurton have ploughed a successful furrow in Chile with this consistent claret-style red. (AR) £19.98 (2001); C&B
Viñedos Orgánicos, Emiliana Coyám
Star winemaker Alvaro Espinoza makes this one of the most thrilling wines in Chile. The variable blend of Syrah, Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Mourvèdre produces a consistently complex, aromatic, robust and enjoyable wine. (BB) £9.95 (2003); VRo, WSo
NEW ZEALAND
Wither Hills, Pinot Noir, Marlborough
Brent Marris and his team spend every waking moment ensuring this wine is as good as it possibly can be. The result is not a £25 Otago gamble, but a £15 Marlborough dead cert. (MJ)
For its heady fragrance and exuberant fruitiness, this wine is a shameless, irresistible crowd-pleaser. It’s not cheap, but for my money it outclasses many pricier Kiwi Pinots. (BB) £14.99 (2004); Bib, BoC, PlG, Wai
SOUTH AFRICA
Diemersfontein, Pinotage, Wellington
Prepare to be blown away by the purity of prune, blackberry, damson and coffee bean flavours in this wine. A beacon in a morass of stinky, rubbery, feral disappointments. (MJ) £7.99 (2004); Thi
Kanonkop, Pinotage
Serious-minded wines from old bush vines with upfront fruit to seduce the wary and redefine completely the profile of South Africa’s native red grape. (SS) £13.59 (2002); Maj
US
De Loach Russian River Pinot Noir, California
From a country where overpriced Pinot Noir is the norm, this is a refreshing alternative: a wine that’s worth more than it costs. It has deliciously delicate, fragrant fruit and a gentle, understated elegance. (BB) £10.50 (2003); Bib, DBy
Ravenswood, Vintner’s Blend Zinfandel
Overseen by Joel Peterson, California’s Zin master, this blend spends 12 months in French oak to tame the lush raspberry, blueberry and blackberry flavours. A zest of tannin further lifts the fruit. (SS)
Why other smart Zin producers cannot make a wine like this is beyond me. Superbly crafted –the intensity and accuracy of fruit is gobsmacking. (MJ) £6.99 (2003); Evy, Sai, Som, Tes, Wai, WSo
Ravenswood, Lodi Zinfandel
‘Zinmeister’ Joel Peterson offers real quality and character in this spice-laden, brambly red from California’s historic Zinfandel-growing region. (AR)
£7.99 (2003); Eag, Sai, Thr, Tes
Seghesio, Zinfandel
Seghesio of Sonoma produces some marvellous single-vineyard Zinfandels, but its basic Sonoma County bottling comes close to matching such quality, since much of the fruit is from old vines. Packs a punch without being overwhelming. (SB) £15 approx (2004); ACh, Evy, Lib, Vll, You
Prices mentioned are for latest vintages.
Written by Steven Spurrier, Beverley Blanning, Andrew Jefford, Matthew Jukes, Anthony Rose
