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savoury, herbaceous red fruit and earthy undertones
2009 Barco Reale di Carmignano, Capezzana £12.79, agwines.compolished black cherry fruit, spice and leather
2009 Vigna Nuova, Colombaia £15, aubertandmascoli.commusk, sour red cherry and delicate spice that is ever-evolving
delightfully succulent cherry and blackberry-juicy malbec
2011 Waitrose Sancerre La Franchotte, Joseph Mellot. £10.79 on offerFresh nettle and herbal aromas; appetising gooseberry-fool opulence
Piper Heidsieck Cuvée Brut NV Champagne. £15.49 on offer Sainsbury'sdelicate aroma of ripe apples; full-flavoured mousse of toasty bubblest
hits that post-snowy walk, by-the-fire spot
Peljesac Plavac Mali, Croatia 2009/10 (~ £10 Vinoteca; Mountain Valley Wines)blueberry fruit and a plum-skin tang
Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay, Aus 2010 (~£21.95, slurp; nywines; thesecretcellar)taut, fresh and layered with minerals, orchard fruit and oak
(from the Languedoc, of course); typically robust southern French red
Fairview Estate, The Goatfather 2010 (£9.29 Dillies; thedrinkshop.com)Italianate blend; terrific red, ideal for hearty pasta dishes
P&I Gordon, Swine Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre 2011 (£7.99, Naked Wines 'Angels')vibrant red; the RRP of £10.99 is a bit toppy for the rest of us
Magnificent Crowing Cockerel Grenache Mourvèdre 2009 (£8.99 Virgin Wines)named after South African winemaker Adi Badenhorst's chickens
Gorilla Grillo 2011 (13% abv £6.49 at Booths)rich, chardonnay-ish white
Gorilla Syrah 2011 (13.5% abv £6.49 at Booths)appropriately heavyweight
Morello cherry and raspberry notes, vivid fresh with an oak undertone
El Pajaro Rojo 2011 Losada Vinos de Finca (£12.49, winesearcher.com)beautifully ripe, voluptuous mencia with a fabulous freshness
Petalos 2010 Alvaro Palacios (£13.99 each for 2, Majestic)refreshing light mencia from slate terraces.
Mencia Ecologico 2010 Abadia da Cova (£12.99, L’Art du Vin; lescaves.co.uk)vibrant raspberry toned, minerally mencia
appealing party pop, with a subtle pear flavour
Ripe and Juicy Spanish Rosé, north-east Spain (£4.99 Waitrose)raspberry fruit and a twist of white pepper
Rich and Intense Italian Red, Puglia (£4.99 Waitrose)notes of chocolate and cherries; fresh, but with a smooth texture