Something for the weekend:<br/>1997 Valentin Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon<br/>2001 Devil's Pride Chardonnay<br/>1999 Beaumont Jackals River Pinotage<br/>2001 Rosemount Estate Chardonnay
This attractively mature Bordeaux-style red with its vanilla and cedar aromas and dark cherry fruitiness from Bianchi's Elsa vineyard in San Rafael south of Mendoza could easily be mistaken for something more expensive.
Saturday
1997 Valentin Bianchi Cabernet Sauvignon, £5.99, Co-op (down from £8.99)
This attractively mature Bordeaux-style red with its vanilla and cedar aromas and dark cherry fruitiness from Bianchi's Elsa vineyard in San Rafael south of Mendoza could easily be mistaken for something more expensive. Decant first and surprise any posh Saturday dinner party guests. (Admit it: you only invited them in order to impress them.)
2001 Devil's Pride Chardonnay, £6.99, Tesco
With a reputation for its fierce bite, the Tasmanian devil is not a creature you would want to encounter on a dark night. This devil's peachy-flavoured fruit and exotic pineappley acidity has bite but won't sink its teeth into you. A good all-purpose dry white for the weekend.
Sunday
1999 Beaumont Jackals River Pinotage, £10.75, Berry Bros & Rudd, London SW1
Although on the oaky side, the spice and vanilla character in this Cape red from Raoul and Jayne Beaumont in maritime Walker Bay add a dimension of backbone and sweetness to the savoury black cherry and plum fruit of the pinotage grape. It all adds up to a moreishly satisfying mouthful of fruit and the perfect pre-siesta Sunday lunchtime red.
Any day
2001 Rosemount Estate Chardonnay, £4.95, Asda (down from £6.95 until 19 May)
Hunter Valley's pleasantly tropical Rosemount was the first Aussie chardonnay to make it big in the UK. It's still going strong, thanks to a consistent product made for everyday drinking and price promotions like this one.
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