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Wines of the week: Boulevard Napoléon Grenache Gris 2011; Paternina Banda Azul Crianza Rioja 2009; Château Gillet 2012
Terry Kirby selects the best bottles to buy
Sunday lunch: Boulevard Napoléon Grenache Gris 2011
Few chefs share their cellar secrets, but one is Fergus Henderson at St John, and this is the first vintage from his own winery at La Livinière in the Minervois, where reds normally rule. Clean, fresh, citric, but full-bodied and with a lovely smoky edge. Drink with shellfish or a roast cod loin with peperonata.
£13.88, stjohngroup.uk.com (minimum order 12 bottles)
Midweek meal: Paternina Banda Azul Crianza Rioja 2009
From the long-established producer that allegedly made the wines favoured by Ernest Hemingway and Robert Graves, this is predictably traditional oak- and bottle-aged Rioja, with classic earthy, spicy, woody notes underpinning sparky red fruits. Good with Mediterranean-style pork dishes, particularly those with chorizo.
£8.95, slurp.co.uk; £9.45, oxfordwine.co.uk
Bargain basement: Château Gillet 2012
Claret at this kind of price should normally be avoided, since there are much better alternatives from other areas available. But as an everyday red, this is great value: cheerful, fruity, fresh and vibrant with just enough complexity to retain interest.
£6.99, Marks and Spencer
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