£6.75, Sainsbury's
I thought the price must be an error when I saw it in the tasting booklet. Whoever heard of a red from Western Australia at this price, not least a blend with a Margaret River component? When I tasted it and saw who the winemaker was, I did double-take mark two. It’s bright and pure with spicy red berry fruit, earthy sweetness and a touch of chocolate – easy to drink, unforced and wearing its alcohol lightly. The man behind it is David Hohnen, who in a former life steered Cloudy Bay on to the cult-wine stage wine, and the price is correct, which makes the wine a bargain. Well done, Sainsbury’s.
It’s not a heavyweight Shiraz, but would go well with steak, lamb, pork, merguez, chorizo and plainer sausages. It would also be at home with sweet autumnal vegetables – pumpkin, sweet potato, root veg, cheesy baked onions – or a good pizza. 14.5%
Taste the Difference Western Australian Shiraz 2018, Western Australia
£6.75, Sainsbury’s (more than 1000 stores)