Berry Bros & Rudd Reserve Red

Only a merchant with a pedigree like Berry Bros & Rudd could consider an £8.45 bottle a ‘house wine’ but if your usual fare is classed growth claret I guess it is.

And they’ve managed to come up with three very appealing wines in their new ‘Reserve’ range. The wines come from their existing supplier, Jean-Luc Terrier who is based in the Limoux area of the Languedoc.

I particularly like the deliciously warm, juicy Rhone-ish red which is based on Merlot with a dash of Syrah and Grenache (the Syrah particularly comes through). It’s hard to think of a type of food with which it wouldn’t appeal but it would be especially good with roasts, grills, pies, sausages and robust pasta dishes.

The Reserve White, a blessed relief from pure Sauvignon, is based on the excellent chardonnay of the Limoux region given an intriguingly musky spin with some Sauvignon Blanc, Mauzac and Vermentino. I immediately thought 'fish pie' when I tasted it.

And the pale, salmon pink Reserve Rosé, mainly Cinsault and Syrah with a smattering of Grenache and Mourvèdre is refreshingly dry with far more 'bite' than the typical Provencal rosé. The ideal wine to drink with seared salmon or tuna.

I also approve of the 13% ABV of all the wines - enough to give them character without being over-alcoholic.

These are reliable, crowd-pleasing but far from bland wines that really show off what the Languedoc has to offer. Given that BBR has the royal warrant I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the Queen didn’t have some in her cellar.

* Although all the wines, as I’ve mentioned, are £8.45 you pay only £7.60 if you buy an unsplit case of 12. Which is a bit of no-brainer.

Montes Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

You’re probably expecting me to recommend a Mother’s Day fizz but I’m going to suggest a great red to pour for the Sunday lunch you’re going to (I hope) treat her to instead. Especially if you’re having roast lamb.

It’s a reserve cabernet sauvignon from one of Chile’s best known producers Aurelio Montes and has all the gloriously, ripe cassis fruit you expect from a Chilean cab without being over-jammy.

The thing that makes it stand out is the price which is £7.49 (at Tesco). £7.49!I thought it was a misprint at yesterday’s tasting but double-checked and that’s right. It’s an insanely good price for a really classy wine.

It also looks rather beautiful with the angel on the label*. (The subliminal message that your mum is an angel won’t do any harm.)

The snag - there had to be one - is that it’s only available in 147 stores which given that Tesco has 2400 odd stores makes finding it a bit of a challenge. I reckon you’re likely to track it down in their larger, more upmarket stores so if you don’t have one of those near you please don’t waste your Saturday looking for it. Or ring one of these numbers to see if they can steer you to a branch that stocks it. If you can't get it this weekend it would still be worth buying some online for Easter.

There’s also an attractive citrussy sauvignon blanc (the 2013 vintage) for the same price.

* though the bottles that are online seem to have a different label

Koyle Costa Sauvignon Blanc, Colchagua Costa 2012

If you’re a Sauvignon Blanc fan but are looking for something a little different try this deliciously fresh, elegant Chilean Sauvignon.

It comes from Paradones in the Colchagua region rather than the Casablanca or Leyda regions that Chilean Sauvignon usually comes from so there’s less citrus and more of a crisp mineral, almost saline character - the vineyards that are only 9 km from the sea. That obviously makes it the perfect partner for fresh shellfish or simply grilled fish. It’s also unusually modest in alcohol for Chile at 12.5%.

Interestingly Koyle is owned by the Underraga family who have apparently sold the wine business which bears their name and devoted themselves to this ambitious new project. The vineyards are farmed organically and biodynamically - there’s an interesting post on this vintage on Chilean wine tour operator Liz Caskey’s blog Eatwine.

The grapes are apparently harvested in three different parcels and vinified three different ways - in burgundy barrels, concrete eggs and stainless steel.

Oviously the family have aspirations for the wine - it arrived wrapped in white paper - but the price of £10.50 is more than reasonable for a wine of this quality. That can’t last so I would take the opportunity to snap up what I suspect will be a future Chilean classic.

If you want to include a Chilean red in your order try the bright breezy 2013 De Martino Gallarda del Itala Cinsault which you should enjoy if you’re a Beaujolais fan though I’m not sure I’d go along with the Society’s food recommendation of toad in the hole with it (sausages baked in in batter for the uninitiated!). A nice rare piece of tuna would suit me just fine*.

* see this post for other recommendations for food pairings with Sauvignon Blanc