Top 10 wines in UK press

 Viñalta Malbec 2013 Argentina

Victoria Moore, writing for The Telegraph, has gone mad for Malbec this week picking out her best bottles from Argentina.

She said: “The Viñalba (they change a consonant under M & S’s own label) wines made in Mendoza by Frenchman Herve Joyaux Fabre and his wife, Diane, are beautiful, easy, clean, joyous expressions of Malbec.

“This one is unoaked so you get an unblinkered sense of the slight violet smell and sumptuousness of the grape itself.”

Price: M & S – £7.99

 Achaval Ferrer Malbec 2012 Argentina

Another favourite was this “gorgeous” 2012 red from Achaval Ferrer. 

She said: “I keep coming back to this gorgeous stuff, still comforting and cosy but also rather sophisticated, layered with beautiful (French) oak spice mingling through it. Makes me think of devoré velvet.

“The grapes come from young and old vines grown in different locations in Mendoza. If you’re a malbec fan you must try this.”

 NV Gardet, Brut Reserve, Chigny-les-Roses, Champagne, France

A “hotchpotch of sensational wines” were selected by Matthew Jukes this week writing in The Daily Mail, all of which he said were “exceptional and unique”.

Of this NV Gardet He said: ”This beautifully situated, small Champagne house makes some of the most gorgeous wines in the region.

“The juicy nose is inviting with hints of brioche and faint, red cherry nuances.

“The finish is bracing and dry making it the perfectly balanced fizz for genteel entertaining.”

Price: £29.90, or 6 bottles for £161.40 (£26.90 e/a), Berry Bros. & Rudd tel. 0800 280 2440.

2010 Barbera d’Asti, La Vigna Vecchia, Cossetti Clemente, Piedmont, Italy

Also getting Juke’s vote was this 2010 Italian Barbera. 

He said: “Knotted Vine is a new merchant on my radar with a penchant for finely-crafted, artisan wines. 

“This Barbera is a perfect example of a great value, medium-weight, juicy, cherry-themed Piemontese red with trademark tang and liquorice notes that make the palate zing.”

Price: £10.00, Knotted Vine, tel. 07710 598340 and hello@theknottedvine.com. 

Rioja Vega Reserva 2007

Writing in The Independent, Terry Kirby’s wines of the week included this Rioja Reserva, which he said would go perfectly with a Sunday lunch.

He said: “A stylish, warming and  smoothly elegant Rioja Reserva that can fend off January chills.

“Still young, with fresh and ripe fruit and hints of leather and vanilla, this would be perfect with a roast pheasant or guinea fowl.”

Price: £14.99 – houseoftownend.com

2010 The Society’s Exhibition Sauternes

Writing in The Scotsman, Brian Elliott picks out his favourite sweet and white Semillon wines which he says “produces fresh young wines and some top-level superstars.”

He said: “Although Riesling is probably the world’s most versatile grape variety, the silver medal position surely goes to Semillon.

“Not only does it play the key role in most of Bordeaux’s fine dessert wines but, in Australia, it produces both light, fresh, young wines and some top-level, bottle-aged superstars.

“An excellent example of its sweet wine persona can be found in 2010 The Society’s Exhibition Sauternes with its floral, honey and butterscotch flavours and rich texture.

“This is about 85 per cent Semillon (with Sauvignon Blanc providing the rest) but, despite that richness and depth, the wine is kept flexible by its excellent acidity and the sharp lime influences through which that acidity manifests itself.

“As a result, the wine can successfully accompany lighter desserts when heavier sweeties would smother them completely.”

Price: £19 – The Wine Society

2006 Tyrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Valley Semillon

A second choice was this Hunter Valley Australian Semillon which he said illustrates perfectly how sophisticated the Semillon grape can become over a short time.

He said: “There is an orange-centred depth that contrasts nicely with those lime flavours and leads into some characteristic toastiness without diminishing in any way the clean and enlivening acidity that still shines through – and will continue to do so for several years yet.”

“Hunter Valley wines are a minor miracle because the weather conditions there are anything but propitious.

“The climate is subtropical, summers are very hot and much of its rain falls at harvest time.

“Nevertheless, great wines are still made there but it is unsurprising that winemakers now produce excellent wines in other parts of New South Wales.”

Price: £27.50, The Wine Society

Walnut Block Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Marlborough, New Zealand

For Jamie Goode it was all about organic wines writing in The Express this week.

He said: “Made from grapes grown without using synthetic chemical sprays or fertilisers, organic wine has a lot going for it.

“And unlike organic food, it won’t cost you extra.

My selection shows that the organic gospel is spreading around the world, and that’s good news for drinkers.

“From leading organic wine specialist Vintage Roots, this is a delightful Marlborough sauvignon that’s not too over-the-top in style.

“Instead, it has a leaner, more subtle character with a lovely lemony flavour and delicate balance.”

Price: £10.99, vintageroots.co.uk (01189 326566) – 13%

Tesco Finest* Douro Red, Portugal 2012 (£7.99)

Wines from the Douro Valley in Portugal got David William’s attention this week, writing in The Observer.

He said: “If, post-Christmas, the 20% alcohol of Port seems a little too excessive, its natural sweetness a tad too decadent, you could always go for the similar flavours and sun-filled intensity of the dry red wines made from the same grape varieties in the same region – Portugal’s Douro Valley.

“At their best these wines pull off a kind of conjuror’s trick, balancing density, grippy tannin and dark depths with an aromatic lightness of touch, all violets and perfumed fruits of the forest.

“The best tend to be expensive – although as a weekend stay-at-home treat, the sumptuous mulberry and mineral frame of Quinta do Vale Meao’s Meandro 2010 is worth every bit of its £20 (henningwine.co.uk).

“And Tesco’s own-label version, while not the most complex bottle in the region (fortified or otherwise) packs a lot of juicy black fruit in for the money.”