Off the Shelf: Desconocido 2013

The first of my random wine finds in this new series* is a young Spanish red called Desconocido #1 Tinto Joven 2013 from Alicante which is made from bush-vine Monastrell (or Mourvèdre as they call it in France).

It’s made by one of Spain’s most talented winemakers, Telmo Rodriguez, and is a rich, spicy, but at 13.5% not overly alcoholic red - at least not for that part of the world. The idea behind the range, which is called ‘unknown’ is to feature wines from less well-known wine regions, grape varieties or blends. The word 'desconocido' means 'stranger'.

As the blurb on the back label puts it it’s “an artisanal red that would be difficult not to enjoy with a variety of red wine foods”. It was perfect with the pot roast of pork with orange, fennel and olives that has been my recipe of the week this week but I think would go with other robust pork dishes too and costs a modest £7.99 from the Co-op.

* where I pick a bottle that appeals to me randomly from a wine store. See my blog post for the thinking behind this.

Verus riesling 2013, Slovenia

I’ve been dithering about which of the Verus range to recommend as my wine of the week because frankly they’re all delicious but if you haven’t tried them before the riesling is a good starting point

Although it’s dry(ish) it has a floral character I haven’t quite come across anywhere else. I’m wondering if it’s a special Slovenian strain of the variety that makes it especially charming. Or maybe it’s just the ripeness (at 13% it’s relatively high in alcohol for a riesling.) It would make the perfect aperitif but would also be lovely with light food like a chicken or prawn salad.

The slightly out-of-date website doesn’t state whether it's organic or biodynamic but I’m suspecting it may be as it was still as fresh 4 or 5 days on as when we first opened the bottle.

Verus is a joint enterprise from three winemaker friends who come from winemaking families. If you’re ordering some do also try the slightly drier Furmint and gorgeous grapey Muskateller too. They’re more than reasonable for the quality at £11.99 online from the Real Wine Company or by the bottle from Field & Fawcett of York (£12.60) or Butlers Wine Cellar of Brighton (£12.99)

Vidonia Suertes del Marques 2013, Valle de la Orotava Tenerife

Some of the most exciting wines in Europe right now are coming out of Spain as this glorious white from Suertes del Marques in Tenerife proves.

I came across it by the glass in Lyle’s in Shoreditch last week. It’s really fruity but in a delicate way, lush without being blowsy and just a lovely partner for food, particularly the plate of calçots, Burford Brown egg and buckwheat with which it was recommended.

Apparently it’s based on old vine Listan Blanco (better known as Palomino Fino according to Jancis Robinson et al’s Wine Grapes) grown on volcanic soils between 350 and 500 metres above sea level. The wine is aged for 10 months in 500 litre casks. Given the soil it’s not entirely surprising that it reminded me of Assyrtiko but has a white Bordeaux-style elegance this Greek wine lacks.

If you, like me, want to get your hands on some it’s imported by Indigo Wine but you can buy it over the counter for £22.70 a bottle from Theatre of Wine in Greenwich and Tufnell Park and for £21 online from Vintrepid (enter launch15 at checkout for 15% off.) Save some for me!

Macedonio Finca del Regajo Monastrell Joven 2012

Those of you who read the Guardian will have spotted that I’ve devoted this week’s column to independent wine merchants but here’s a slightly different business model from a firm called Dashing Wines which bills itself as offering ‘estate wines at everyday prices’.

Instead of holding regular stocks they select a range of wines every two months which get shipped direct from the producer which obviously keeps costs down

The current offer which ends on March 30th (with wines shipped during the week beginning April 20th) includes selections from Bordeaux and south-west France and Spain. I tried some of the Spanish ones and picked out this absolute bargain monastrell (mourvèdre) from Castilla which is selling off the site for £47.70 a case of six or £7.95 a bottle + £4.95 delivery if you order fewer than 12 bottles*. With its smart contemporary label it looks a lot more expensive than that.

Interestingly I discovered that the winemaker had spent time in Chile, Argentina and New Zealand - and it does have that new world generosity of fruit and polish but without being at all jammy. The vines are grown at 700m which lends a real freshness to the wine. The vineyards are in organic conversion.

Unusually for Spain the oak isn’t overdone - the wine was aged on its lees in French and Hungarian oak for 4 months which adds richness rather than tannin.

A generous full-bodied (14.5%) red to take you through these last nippy days of spring and into the barbecue season. I’m not a big one for the term 'lipsmacking' but this wine certainly is.