As promised last week, here are five massive wines for fans of blockbusters!
2009 Springfield, Wild Yeast Chardonnay, Robertson, South Africa (£13.99, reduced to £10.99 if you buy 2 bottles until 30 January, Majestic). Lusty, brooding, full-bodied and totally drop-dead gorgeous, this exceptional, honeyed, peachy wine, from the awesome Springfield set up, is sold for between £35 and £40 in restaurants! Grab a serious slice of excellence and reward it with some tiptop cooking.
2010 MontGras, Merlot Reserva, Colchagua Valley, Chile (£8.99 reduced to £6.74 until 6 December, Waitrose). The French and American oak barrels used in the maturation process for this brilliant wine have given the mulberry and damson fruit flavours a hypnotic level of spice and seasoning. Needing an hour in a decanter before serving, this is a heroic wine for beef and game dishes.
2008 Dolines de l’Hortus, Coteaux du Languedoc, France (£9.79, www.laithwaites.co.uk & tel. 0845 194 7720). I have lost touch with Domaine de l’Hortus, the terrific winery in Pic St Loup in the Coteaux de Languedoc, so when I noticed this great wine at a recent tasting I grabbed it! Beautiful in every way, there is a smoky, earthy prune and blackberry flavour which will totally amaze you. Perfect for dense stews and pies!
2009 Penfolds, Koonunga Hill Shiraz / Cabernet, South Australia (£9.98, Asda). Koonunga Hill has a massive following and this shiraz/cab blend is the jewel in its crown. Meaty and robust with tar, leather and cinnamon nuances penetrating the dense black fruit core this is a mighty wine for huge occasions.
2011 Journey’s End, Honeycomb Chardonnay, Stellenbosch, South Africa (£9.99, Marks & Spencer). Another swaggering Cape Chardonnay, but this time a much younger wine with the exuberance and joie de vivre that you might expect from something that was still ripening on a vine earlier this year. With massive apricot and brioche notes overlaying a plush, juicy chassis this is a sensational creation and a true vinous experience.
