I've not been so active posting of late because, having had the pleasure of sampling some of the better wines from the more notable areas of the wine-growing world as part of my education in wine appreciated, I've gone back to buying less starry (and less expensive) bottles. It's interesting to see whether I can use my newfound knowledge to spot bargains - it's certainly been useful in picking good wines for particular occasions.
Anyway, some of the wine I've been drinking recently has been distinctly average and not really worthy of comment and in other cases I've been drinking further samples of bottles I've already posted notes on. But I had a couple of bottles around the £7 price mark which are certainly worthy of a second glance and which represent very good value for money.
Tomero 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (Argentina)
This is a big, punchy wine which will hit you with a face-full of smoke and spice the minute you raise it to your nose. On the palate it is as rich and dense as the smell promises, and it leans almost toward a port level of sweetness in terms of balance which suits the thick flavours. Once the smoke clears you'll find some good layers of red fruit underneath, guiding you gently toward a smooth and satisfying finish. 4/5
Quadro Sei Single Estate 2007 Gavi (Piedmont)
On first consuming this, I was struck by the comparator that it was almost like a Chablis from which someone had extracted all the apple and replaced it with an intense flavour of pears. It has the same level of refreshing acidity, the same clean, mineral rich finish and it makes for a fantastic wine on a hot day. But dig a little deeper and there's more - little hints of pineapple, lime and apricot to add some needed and pleasing complexity. 4/5