£12, Tesco
I'm posting this a day early in case anyone is still looking for a red wine for Christmas Day. I've chosen a full-bodied, approachable, barrel-aged Spanish red that could accompany beef, lamb, pork or game, as well as goose, turkey or duck, or vegetarian dishes such as mushroom and chestnut Wellington and vegetable and cheese pies and gratins. It could also stand alongside hard cheeses such as cheddar and Manchego, but I would spare it the stilton.
It's made from Tinto Fino, the local name for Tempranillo, Rioja's main grape variety, but in the more intense sunlight and cooler nights of the high-altitude Ribera del Duero region it produces darker, more intense and powerful wines than the average Rioja.
The grapes for Ebeia, which is made by Bodegas Portia, come from vineyards at 850m within the so-called 'Golden Triangle' and the wine, matured for seven months in French and American oak, is packed with blackberry, blueberry and damson fruit and has a ferrous liquorice note, supple tannins, spicy oak and cedary freshness.
One last thing: if you don't want to see the silver Tesco Finest label, it can be peeled off. 14.5%
Tesco Finest Ebeia Ribera del Duero 2018, Spain
£12, Tesco (365 stores and online)
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