The 2010 tasting season got off to a bad start for me. The Tesco event was the first in the calendar, and I missed it by turning up to the wrong venue and failing to make contact with anyone at Tesco HQ who might know the correct address. they were all, of course, at the tasting.
My wife was kind, in the circumstances, when I got home. 'You'll just have to buy all the wines you would have tasted,' she said. Not all at once, but progressively through the months in the run-up to Best Wines in the Supermarkets 2011's production schedule. and that's what I've done. the good ones have been a treat, and the less-good ones a sorrow, having been obtained at some expense. It's been salutary. When you've paid for wine that disappoints, it hurts. and it's a reminder to me of the responsibility I bear in producing this book.
At the last minute, Tesco saved the day to some degree by announcing a tenth-anniversary tasting of its Finest range of wines. there was just time to attend the event (I went to the right place this time), and it was well worth the journey.
Finally, a word about www.tesco.com. Most of the wines in the stores are available by the case (six bottles as often as 12) and there are many online exclusives. Mixed-case offers are perpetual and numerous, and discounts legion. It is fantastically efficient. Place your order before noon on any weekday, and they deliver the next morning.
Red wines
Argentina
8 Finest Argentinian Mendoza Malbec 2008 £6.99
Near-black colour and brûlée fruit with pruny highlights make for a reassuring winter red with 14% alcohol.
Australia
8 Finest Howcroft Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 £7.99
Pure blackcurranty Limestone Coast wine is nicely defined and clean, and 14% alcohol.
9 Finest Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2007 £13.99
Silky, supple, balanced Pinot of extraordinary charm. I had not a moment's doubt it's worth the money.
Chile
7 Yali Cabernet Sauvignon Carmenère 2008 £6.49
Environmentally correct light blend has pleasant redcurrant fruit.
7 Finest Organic Colchagua Valley Pinot Noir 2009 £7.49
Slinky cherry-peppery chicken-matcher with good ripeness (14% alcohol) and grip, if a tad pricy.
France
8 Finest Beaujolais-Villages 2009 £5.98
Perky and recognisable glugger to serve cool.
8 Tesco Côtes du Rhône Villages Reserve 2008 £5.99
Handsomely presented dark and spicy winter red from prolific Gabriel Meffre; 14% alcohol.
10 Finest Red Burgundy 2008 £6.99
If you want to get to know burgundy, start here. this beautifully expressive Pinot Noir from the villages of Chambolle Musigny, Santenay and Chassagne Montrachet is typically light in colour and weight, but wonderfully firm and defined with its cherry, raspberry and strawberry fruit with a proper burgundian earthiness. a gift at the price.
8 Finest Vin de Pays d'Oc Malbec 2009 £6.99
Bruiser has leathery edge to aroma, lipsmacking black fruit, and could do with a year or two to mellow.
8 Finest Vin de Pays Côtes Catalans Grenache 2009 £6.99
Inky, brambly, grippy monster is attractively packaged and agreeably savoury.
9 Finest Gérard Bertrand Tautavel 2005 £7.99
Muscular Roussillon has liquorice intensity to its mellow but still-tannic black fruit. Special wine from a hugely ripe and mature vintage at a good price.
10 Finest St Emilion 2008 £7.99
Claret as it ought to be: dark and inviting in colour and aroma, with an expensive blackberry-cedary-minty character; mostly Merlot, it is silky and thoroughly well-developed in spite of its youthfulness, and a textbook wine of its kind at a price I find hard to compute.
8 Finest Crozes Hermitage 2007 £8.49
Plenty of weight, for once, in this cherry-with-stone-in northern Rhône red.
8 Laurent Miquel Heritage Vineyards Syrah 2008 £8.49
Healthy bright and spicy Languedoc with rather lavish oak notes.
10 Finest Gigondas 2007 £12.49
This wine is simply gorgeous, hugely dark, concentrated, silky, spicy and opulent, perfectly balanced in spite of 15% alcohol, and ready to drink now - or any time over the next decade. I also tasted the 2008, which was lean and weedy by comparison. Seek out the 2007 while it lasts.
8 Finest Nuits St Georges 2007 £18.99
Peppered-raspberry nose, pale colour and a crunchy fruit somehow coalesce into a scrumptious burgundy that will develop over years to come; expensive, though.
9 Finest Hermitage 2005 £19.99
The point is that this is the real thing. It might just be from the local co-op, the Cave de Tain, but it's proper Hermitage with dense, brooding (and browning) colour, authentic gamey pong and epic Syrah creamy-but-not-sweet fruit.
Italy
9 Finest Valpolicella Ripasso 2008 £6.49
Big, soft but grippy black-cherry Valpolicella variation with plumskin dryness to match meaty dishes. Good value.
9 Finest Nero d'Avola Sicilia 2008 £6.49
Grippingly ripe, dark food red with convincing Sicilian-spice and bitter chocolate centre from a grape native to the island.
10 Finest Barbera d'Asti 2007 £6.99
Consistently brilliant Piedmont blueberry-fruit juicy quencher made by giant producer Fratelli Martini is equally consistently on promo at about a fiver – and it is on this admittedly uncertain principle that I have given it a maximum score.
8 Chianti Riserva 2007 £7.29
Identifiable Chianti with silky fruit and nutty dryness is nicely defined and balanced.
8 Monte Nobile Squinzano Riserva 2006 £8.99
Gaudy heraldic label and endearing Puglian DoC name make this an attractive bottle before the screwcap is even off; inside, it's a sunny-ripe, chocolate-smooth blackberry slurper of huge charm.
8 Famiglia Torraccia Chianti Riserva 2006 £10.99
Insinuating cherry-raspberry mature Chianti with a caramel touch and nifty nutskin finish is far too expensive at £10.99 but one to seek out at regular half-price discount.
9 Finest Barolo 2005 £15.49
Handsomely labelled ascheri Giacomo classic has big tar-and-roses nose, rich colour going orange, and substantial, elegant fruit. Price is forgivable.
8 Ricossa Barolo 2004 £20.00
Online only at wildly fluctuating discounts, this is an unusually dense example with cherries, roses, coffee and grip; a bargain at the £8 I paid as part of a mixed case.
New Zealand
8 Finest Marlborough Pinot Noir 2009 £9.49
Pale, eager, cherry-strawberry lightweight is a serious wine, bright and stimulating; I'd serve it cool.
Portugal
8 Finest Touriga Nacional 2008 £6.99
Endearing jampot label on this Lisbon wine, which has a hint of port about it, with clove and plum amid the dark, savoury fruit.
South Africa
10 Finest Beyers Truter Pinotage 2008 £7.99
This is the Pinotage I've been waiting for. It's pitch dark and very dense but beautifully poised with spicy, plummy fruit, and perfectly weighted. It wears its 14.5% alcohol lightly, and the price seems about half what it's worth.
9 Finest Stellenbosch Shiraz 2008 £7.99
Spicy and dark, long and lush, a superbly weighted Sunday roast red with 14% alcohol and 100% charm.
Spain
9 Gran Tesoro Garnacha 2008 £3.62
Still on shelf, the 08 of this cheapie has mellowed from last year's note of 'lively, spicy young' to inky, spicy, juicy and rounded. A snip.
9 Limited Edition Finest Valdepeñas Gran Reserva 2000 £6.99
Lovely lacy old La Mancha anniversary wine has the fruit well on top of the vanilla oak, and a modest price.
9 Finest Old Vines Tempranillo 2009 £6.99
Full, generous blackberry juice bomb is well defined and finishes crisply. Such a good food red – anything meaty – and 14% alcohol.
9 Finest Viña Mara Rioja Reserva 2005 £7.00
Dense burnt-orange colour and a big, sweet nose with vanilla, coffee and rose petals lead into a lovely toothsome de luxe R ioja at an alluring price.
10 Limited Edition Finest Viña Mara Rioja Gran Reserva 2000 £9.99
Colour of this great anniversary R Rioja by Baron de Ley is still ruby, and the fruit is correspondingly blushing, ripe and vivid with the rich oak firmly in the supporting role. A miraculous Rioja of timeless character and balance, at a giveaway price.
9 Limited Edition Finest Ribera del Duero Gran Reserva 2000 £14.99
Sherry whiff off this gorgeous, insinuating, minty-eucalyptus dense pure Tempranillo with the benefit of bottle age. a rare chance to try the classic style at a defendable price.
Pink wines
France
8 Finest Gérard Bertrand Grenache Rosé 2009 £5.99
Pale but generously fruity dry, soft and easy Languedoc pink.
7 Finest Côtes de Provence Rosé 2009 £8.99
Pale salmon colour, defined freshness with a hint of toffee. Pricey.
Spain
8 Finest Navarra Rosé 2009 £6.49
Shocking pink, and a good impact of strawberry fruit, too, in this robust refresher.
White wines
Australia
8 Finest Dessert Semillon 2005 £6.29
Nicely judged, gold-coloured, elegantly weighted, honeyed sweetie with trim acidity and 10% alcohol.
8 Finest Denman Vineyard Semillon 2006 £7.99
Mature wine has gold colour, canned-fruit-salad nose and insinuating lusciousness, but it is dry and lively, and has just 10.5% alcohol.
8 Finest Tingleup Riesling 2009 £7.99
Broad-flavoured dry style to this grapefruit cocktail with less lime than some Aussie Rieslings, but plenty of refreshment.
9 Finest High Eden Chardonnay 2008 £12.99
Rich in every dimension, an extravagant de luxe wine from grand Mountadam (Barossa) vineyards, this ideally combines fullness and freshness, with 14% alcohol.
9 Limited Edition Finest Hunter Valley Semillon 2000 £15.99
Yellow, petrolly, pineapple-sweet food wine is dry, really, and just 10% alcohol, but a fascinating insight into how well-made Aussie Semillon can evolve. Special.
Chile
8 Finest Tapiwey Sauvignon Blanc 2010 £8.99
Breezily expressive Casablanca wine with long, grassy-fresh flavours.
France
8 Tesco White Burgundy 2008 £5.48
Light, apple-fresh Chardonnay with a fleeting caramel richness. Cheap for burgundy.
8 Finest Alsace Pinot Gris 2008 £6.99
Well-coloured exotic tropical-spicy dry wine has weight and ripeness.
8 Finest Vin de Pays de Gascogne Gros Manseng Sauvignon Blanc 2009 £6.99
Gascony's not famed for fascinating wines, but this one is a peach: plush, fresh, autumn flavours and just 11.5% alcohol.
8 Finest Vin de Pays d'Oc Grenache Marsanne 2009 £6.99
Big, ripe sunny blend is plump with rich orchard fruit, and has decided impact.
8 Finest White Burgundy 2009 £6.99
Good colour and an almondy richness in this creamy-oaked Chardonnay from famed Buxy winery at Montagny.
8 Finest Alsace Gewürztraminer 2008 £7.29
Gold colour, strong lychee-ginger nose on this intense but not overdone spice bomb.
9 Finest Chablis 2009 £8.94
Immediately attractive and identifiable Chablis of steely but easy charm. Stands out.
9 Finest Sauternes 2005 37.5cl £12.29
Deep gold classic Sauternes with honeyed botrytis character and nifty balance is fair value.
8 Finest Chablis Premier Cru 2008 £13.29
Loved this fine, flinty-but-rich wine, which will mellow with time.
Germany
8 Finest Steillage Riesling 2008 £6.29
Light lemony Moselle at 11.5% alcohol has a stony freshness and proper Riesling raciness. Reasonable price.
Italy
8 Finest Trentino Pinot Grigio 2009 £5.99
Nice smoky, flavourful dry example by giant Cavit.
8 Finest Fiano 2009 £5.99
Ideal balance of brassica and ripeness in this Sicilian perennial.
8 Finest Gavi 2009 £6.99
Lots of fruit and blanched almond in this extra-ripe new vintage.
9 Finest Vermentino 2009 £6.99
Brand new Sicilian has a marginally confected nose but delicate, fleeting ripe fruit and a slurp of richness at the centre. Grows on you.
New Zealand
8 Finest Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2009 £6.49
Stacks of grass and gooseberry in this long, easy-drinking refresher at a modest price.
8 Finest Marlborough Autumn Pick Riesling 2009 £8.99
The sweetness comes right through to give a truly authentic autumn ripeness to this racy aperitif, with just 9.5% alcohol.
South Africa
7 Finest Darling Sauvignon Blanc 2009 £7.49
Prominent 'Darling' on label will attract some shoppers to this big, soft, long-flavoured, mild-acidity Sauvignon.
8 Finest Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc 2009 £9.49
Dry but exotic part-oaked aperitif dry wine mixes fresh fruit with sweet nuttiness.
Spain
10 Finest Albariño 2009 £6.99
From prodigious Rias Baixas region, you get a lot of gold colour and intense grassy, green-but-lush seaside freshness for the money. I think these Spanish wines are the most refreshing on the planet.
9 Finest Rueda Verdejo 2009 £6.99
Bright, breezy, brassica-crisp refresher delivers flavours and sensations that linger in the mind.
Fortified wines
Australia
8 Limited Edition Finest 10 Year Old Grand Tawny 2000 £8.99
Cheeky aussie tilt at tawny port from Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro grapes is Madeira-coloured, very sweet, fruitcake rich and fun, with 19% alcohol.
Portugal
9 Finest 10 Year Old Tawny Port £11.99
Rich copper colour, intense spirity-figgy nose and a luscious balance of fire and fruit in this well-married Symington port at 20% alcohol.
8 Finest Vintage Port 1994 £16.49
Would you lay down Tesco port? Either way, this Symington vintage is coming round nicely, with deep ruby colour, coffee and fruitcake aromas and big sweet flavours with 20% alcohol. Will last a decade or more yet.
Sparkling wines
France
8 Finest Vintage Champagne 2004 £18.99
At the same price as the less-inspiring non-vintage 'Premier Cru', a generous, bready, all-Chardonnay fizz with an uplifting lemon-zest style.
9 Limited Edition Finest Champagne Chanoine 2000 £24.99
Soft, creamy but crisply finishing mature anniversary champagne of real appeal.
Italy
8 Bisol Prosecco di Valdobbiadene £9.99
Dry and busily fizzy with a likeable sherbet-fresh, peary fruit, this is bright and refreshing.