A hit of anis-scented Saké. Fresh and crunchy with good acidity, it's chalky on entry, opens easily and closes with a delicately phenolic rim, inflected with wild strawberry and a pink grapefruit-pomelo dollop. Herbs and flowerssomewhere between thyme flowers and gardenia stem - run a line throughout.

The wine's appearance shows intense red cherry with purple edges. The Joven opens up with aromas of ripe clean red fruits, moreish and balanced with a silky finish.

Serious wine for not-so-serious people. That’s what I think of the wines of Bodegas Baigorri, nestled amongst the foothills of the Sierra de Cantabria mountain in the illustrious Rioja Alavesa sub-region. What does that mean for the wine, you say? We’re talking smaller parcels of vineyards at higher elevation than most of La Rioja, assisting in keeping freshness in the grapes, while providing them with all year round sun exposure on the south facing slopes. This showcases the best elements of grenache with super bright raspberry and cranberry fruits, balanced with chewable tannins and a full-force body. This is a ripper wine now, but will guarantee happy ageing in your cellar, under your bed, or at your friends house for safe keeping (as we suspect you’ll find it difficult to keep your hands off at easy reach).

BODEGAS Y VINEDOS ARTAZU Santa Cruz de Artazu Tinto Grenache, Navarra

Typical Roda descriptors on the nose: red bean paste, forest mulch, tobacco and violets. Red and black fruits on the palate, very good acid based freshness and balance. Rodas trademark amazing velvet fruit tannins, fine oak, and purple florals.

Grenache has always been a cornerstone of d'Arenberg's red wines and this is one of the benchmarks of the variety. Produced from old low yielding vines it is a wine of great character and intensity. Showing none of the sickly confectionery characters that can plague this variety, it's all about elegant, savoury spice.

The McLaren Vale can be considered the true home of Grenache blends here in Australia witho some of the oldest vines in the world being dry grown there. Steve Maglieri's Serafino label provides a rich and delicious GSM blend a nose of rose petal and tobacco. The palate flows on with dense coffee and cedar notes that glide across the tongue.

Marqués de Riscal Próximo is a new addition to the Marqués range and is a bright and fruit driven Rioja style sourced from slightly younger Tempranillo vines. Very strict parcel selection along with traditional picking techniques, this Rioja is bursting with dark blackberry fruit with notes of rich, ripe plums. Hints of liquorice and star anise also give the wine a superb backbone that is perfectly suited many Mediterranean cuisines.