De Martino, Las Cruces, 2008
£17.99 is a lot to spend on any bottle. For a Chilean wine, this is like spending £20 on a burger. It better be bloody, and it better be bloody brilliant.
This De Martino is a field blend and, at 13.5%, sensibly low in alcohol for a Chilean red. Predominately Malbec with a fair bit of Carménère and other grapes chipped in from various corners of the field, it tastes of rich smooth chocolate, red apples and glacé cherries with pepper. I know what you are thinking and no, it’s a compliment.
Virgin Wines have probably over-priced this. A tenner would be good value. I guess you could commit to one of their discount wine plans, or simply ring up and negotiate (they do barter on many wines). It is definitely worth your effort.