It took me a while to work out what the famous bon viveur André Simon’ was on about when he said there are no great wines, only great bottles. Investors who depend on a wine to increase in value might point to an objective standard of greatness, but the weight of expectation is a heavy burden. Many an anticipated ‘great’ bottle turns out to be a disappointment, many a no-expectations a lovely surprise, all the more so when the ambiance is right and the conversation flowing. Maybe your experience of delicious bottles doesn’t chime with mine, but I can confidently say that these are a few bottles that have delivered satisfaction in spades.

Ever since I bought a case of the enduring 2003 Le Soula, this nine-way fruit salad blend from the Fénouillèdes in the Roussillon where France and Spain meet has been a personal favourite. The 2008 Le Soula, £20.78- £23.95, Cambridge Wine Merchants (01223 568993), Roberson (2073712121), Berry Bros (0870 9004300), shows complex herby aromas of basil and bayleaf while the rich honeyed stonefruit flavours are leavened by a refreshing saltiness that walks a tightrope between fruit and minerality. I had always been less impressed with the red until the 2008 Le Soula Rouge came along, £23.95, Berry Bros., Harrogate Fine Wine (01423 522270), Worth Bros (01543 262051), but the 2008 is a delicious drop of thyme-tinged black cherry fruit and damsony succulence.

One of the great advantages of southern reds is their capacity to bring a little liquid central heating into our lives. The southern Rhône packs a punch though the grenache grape in wines like the powerfully red-fruited and peppery 2010 La Bastide Saint Vincent Gigondas, £18.74 and the vibrant, blackberryish cockle-warming concentration of the 2008 Lirac Rouge, Cuvée de la Reine des Bois, Domaine de la Mordorée, £19.95, Lea & Sandeman. The South of France is responsible for some broad-shouldered rugby types, not least the 2010 Château L’Hospitalet La Clape La Réserve, a blend from broad-shouldered ex-rugby player Gérard Bertrand that wears its heart of red fruits and garrigue herb on its muscular sleeve.

Venturing further south still, to the Iberian peninsula, Lea & Sandeman’s recent well-timed southern offering contains a vivid red from Montsant by the euphonic Acústic, Vinyes Velles, £14.75, whose intense opulent strawberryish fruit and juicy lipsmacking quality is made to accompany a robust daube of beef. Portugal is particularly good at such powerful reds, both at the affordable level of the 2010 Quinta do Crasto Douro, £9.99, Majestic, a sweetly ripe and bramble-spicy Douro Valley blend, and, with greater refinement and richness, the excellent 2006 Quinta Vale D. Maria £19.99, Waitrose, all spicy black fruitiness steeped in vanilla oak spiciness yet etched with refreshingly juicy acidity. Just great bottles.

something For The Weekend

Something for the Weekend 16 February

Night In

2010 Jacobs Creek Reserve Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia

A notch above the basic Jacob’s Creek shiraz, this Reserve red is full of opulent dark blackberry fruitiness infused with a smooth sheen of spicy oak and chocolatey richness. £6.99, down from £9.99, Tesco, also at Asda.

Dinner Party

2010 Cerro del Masso Poggiotondo Chianti, Italy

A modern Tuscan blend based on the sangiovese grape, this bright chianti shows herb and cherry aromas and a typical twist of sour cherry for a supple, fresh and zingy aftertaste. £8.99, Waitrose Wine Direct and 220 branches.

Splash Out

2010 Salmos, Priorat, Torres, Spain

Endowed with a sweet garrigue-herbal, cherryish fragrance, this fine Catalan blend delivers smooth-textured, spicy damson plum fruit with a richness that turns lipsmackingly savoury. Around 16.99, Peake Wines (01329 822733), Templar Wines (01202 300331), Vintage House (020 7437 2592), Waitrose.

Ends