Christine Austin's top 20 wines to try from Tesco

Despite not being able to travel to find new wines, the buyers have still managed to bring a number of new labels into the range as well as fresh vintages.

As always, I looked for flavour for money, not necessarily the cheapest wines, but ones that I would be happy to drink from Monday to Sunday, depending on budget.

Here are my top 20....

White Wines

Tesco Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2020, Italy £3.95: Easy, fresh-tasting crunchy green apple and citrus fruit with herbal overtones. Enough flavour to enjoy while cooking supper. Terrific value.

South Point Western Cape Sauvignon Blanc 2021, South Africa, £6.50: This wine has bags of tropical fruit flavours, good citrus balance and an easy style.

Tesco Finest St Mont 2019, France, £6.50 down to £5.50 until October 25 for Tesco Clubcard holders: Crisp and fresh, with pear and grapefruit tones, and an almost sea-salty finish. Team with fish and shellfish starters.

Planeta l’Amistanza Fiano Grecanico 2020, Sicily, £10: L’Amistanza means ‘friendship’ in old Italian which means it is the perfect wine to open when friends come round. A stand out wine from the tasting.

La Burgondie Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay 2020, France £10: A straightforward white Burgundy with rounded, peach and ripe pear fruit and savoury depth.

Tesco Finest Chablis Premier Cru 2019, France, £16: From the three Chablis wines on show this gives the best flavour for money. From the same UVC co-operative as the straight Tesco Finest Chablis, but for £3 more you get grapes from top class vineyards, 20 per cent oak ageing and a depth and minerally crunch that is lacking in its younger brother.

Tesco Finest Margaret River Brooks Road Chardonnay 2020, Australia £16: Sourced from Howard Park winery where Janice Mc Donald has been making world-class wines for many years. Lifted yellow peachy fruit, balanced by crisp breezy freshness.

Cru Smith and Sheth Wairau Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Marlborough, New Zealand, £17: Master of Wine Steve Smith, who previously propelled Craggy Range to its top-quality position, has joined forces with investor Brian Sheth and they have bought vineyards and are making wonderful wines. Intense, deep and complex, this is seriously good Sauvignon.

Red Wines

Taparoo Valley Shiraz, South Eastern Australia, £3.99: If your working-from-home family is still making inroads into your cellar, buy them a case of this.

Tesco Claret 2020, Bordeaux, France £5: Consistently good and terrific value for money, this has ripe, red berry fruit, soft tannins and an easy, quaffable style. It tastes well above its price point.

Tesco Finest Primitivo Terre di Chieti 2019, Abruzzo, Italy, £7: Dark plum and forest fruits with a sprinkle of spice and soft tannins. Perfect for autumn casseroles.

Tesco Finest GSM 2017, McLaren Vale, Australia £9: A classic Aussie blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, made by d’Arenberg, one of the leading producers in Australia. Packed with chunky, dark plum fruit with just a twist of spice on the finish.

Vergelegen Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2018, Stellenbosch, South Africa £10: From a top-notch South African estate, this is outstanding value for money. Smooth, silky cassis and blackberry fruit, edged with oak and ending with a long, meat-friendly finish.

Errazuriz Max Carménère 2019, Aconcagua Valley, Chile, £12 down to £10 until October 25 for Tesco Clubcard holders: Carménère spent much of its life in Chile being confused with Merlot. Now it is left on the vines to ripen properly, where it develops dark plum and blackberry fruit, layered with spice and chocolate.

Tesco Finest Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020, New Zealand £13: Sourced from Villa Maria in Tesco’s own style. Dark plum fruit, soft tannins and a creamy depth that goes well with duck, lamb and soft cheeses.

La Raison du Château des Fougères, 2011, Graves, Bordeaux, France £16: Juicy blackcurrant fruit with creamy oak and supple tannins providing a wine that is right at its peak. Lighter than many Graves, but perfect alongside roast beef and Yorkshire pud.

Sparklers

De Vallois Brut Champagne NV, France, £14:The French have insisted that there will be no champagne bargains this Christmas, but this Tesco offering at just £14 suggests that there may still be a few deals to be done. This is perfectly decent champagne, with rounded, gentle fruit, a hint of toast and a clean, balanced finish. Good enough to pour for friends and neighbours in the run-up to the festive season. It arrives on shelves at the end of October, so snap some up when you see it.

Bird in Hand Sparkling 2021, Australia, £16 down to £12 until October 25 for Tesco Clubcard holders: Pinot Noir makes up 90 per cent of the blend with Grenache, Merlot and Shiraz adding the palest of pink colour. The fizz comes from the big tank ‘charmat’ method rather than the slower in-bottle method, but quality is good. Lovely gentle strawberry fruit and a smooth finish.

Tesco Finest English Sparkling NV, Kent, £21: England is gradually taking on the sparkling wines of the world.

There is a freshness, a scent of summer gardens and a vibrancy to most English fizz and this one fits the style perfectly. Stylish, crisp and creamy, it makes a terrific aperitif.

Tesco Finest Vintage Grand Cru Brut Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2015, £26: Lined up alongside big name champagnes this own-label Champagne does remarkably well in up-market company. With rounded, toasty aromas, it has a clean, fresh, citrus-edged palate and a harmonious, long finish. Great value for money.