Domaine Joel Delaunay L’Esprit des Dames Touraine Chenonceaux 2014

This was recommended by the manager at my local Oddbins in Bristol and I really love it.

It’s a blend of 50% Malbec and 50% Cabernet Franc from the Loire - more robust than many Loire reds (although still only 13%) with lovely dark ripe cherry fruit. It tastes quite like a natural (though not scarily so) wine.

It’s one of a number of offers that Oddbins has got on its range right now and is reduced from an admittedly slightly toppy £16 down to £13.60 which is a very fair price to pay for an artisanal wine.

I’d happily drink it with duck or simply grilled red meat like steak or lamb but it would also be great with pulses like braised lentils or with a bean dish like cassoulet.

Don’t bother with the Cattin Alsace pinot though despite the good reduction - down from £14.25 to £9.98. Pinot noir can take a while to come round but it's still a bit wimpy.

If I find any other good bargains in the sale I’ll let you know.

See also Should you buy wine in the sales?

Earth’s Essence Shiraz 2016

If you’re someone who is sensitive to sulphur but not convinced by natural wines Earth’s Essence shiraz is for you.

It’s aged by a revolutionary process which has been developed by giant South African wine producer KWV using wood extracts from the native rooibos and honeybush plants. They possess naturally high levels of antioxidants, which preserve the wines from oxidation and spoilage and does away with the need for sulphur.

According to KWV "When the Rooibos and Honeybush plants become too old for further tea production (after five years), the leaves and stems are removed so that only the wooden stem remains. These are dried in the sun, finely milled and roasted, and placed into infusion bags which are inserted into the wine."

The grapes are sourced from Swartland, one of the best wine regions for shiraz.

The net result is an extraordinarily natural-tasting vibrantly fruity red wine which is selling for a highly affordable £6.99 at Aldi (though not currently online). It would be brilliant for summer barbecues, steaks and burgers.

Wine of the Week: Norton Winemaker’s Reserve Malbec 2014

Now that malbec has become the Rioja de nos jours there are so many brands on the market that it’s hard to choose which to buy.

They broadly fall into two camps - the lush, ultra-ripe ones (cheaper malbecs and most Argentinian ones) and the more restrained Bordeaux-like ones you find from Cahors in the south-west of France.

Of course there are crossovers - Argentinian malbecs that are made in a more classic style and French malbecs you could easily mistake from ones from the new world and this is one of the former.

It’s made by one of the older Argentinian producers Norton from 30-50 year old vines from the Lujan de Cuyo and Uco Valley regions - both considered prime areas for malbec - and is aged for a year in French oak and a further year in bottle before release. Treatment that easily justifies its normal price of £11.99 at Waitrose and makes its current promotional price of £8.99 a steal. It should age well too* so it's well worth buying some to tuck away for a couple of years.

It would pair well with any red meat especially (of course) steak. For other pairing ideas read

What food to match with malbec

*though I notice online that they're still on the 2013 vintage which I would be slightly more cautious about. Reckon on 6-12 months.

Santa Julia Innovacion Malbec/Touriga Nacional 2013

So here’s a special for Malbec World Day - maybe a bit of a cheat as it also includes some Touriga Nacional but I quite like Malbec in a blend.

In this case the Touriga Nacional, which Santa Julia was the first to plant in Argentina apparently, provides a dark, exotic element which takes what can be a jammy edge off Malbec at this price while the Malbec gives the Touriga a fragrant lift.

It’s part of a special parcel of wines that is available at Waitrose until May 3rd with an additional 20% discount for myWaitrose cardholders, presumably as an incentive to get us all to sign up. I wouldn’t be rushing to snap up the other wines though. The whites aren’t nearly as interesting or as well-priced.

The discount makes it a great deal at £6.39 but even at £7.99 it’s a good buy* And if you buy six bottles in total you get a further 5% off

Drink with steak (obviously) or lamb. It would also make a good barbecue wine.

For other malbec pairings see What food to match with Malbec.

*though only available in store and apparently through waitrose.com though I can't find it on the website.

I was sent this wine by Waitrose as part of a selection of samples.