One particular Spanish red bargain of mine is Guy Anderson's The Pilgrimage Mencia 2006 from the revived Bierzo region, beautifully made by Master of Wine Norrel Robertson and available from Tesco at £7.19. Mencia is a fascinating, highly individual north-western Spanish grape variety and most Bierzos cost far more than this.

Deep crimson colour. Made from the earthy, yet characterful mencia, this is bright and fruity with good length.

"The Mencia grape and the Bierzo region are new to many wine buffs, but they are fast becoming hot property. This red is fresh, supple and sweetly fruited, with a hint of roast coffee and a nice spicy bite on the finish."

"Plums and black cherry on the nose followed by more cherries and lovely chocolate notes on the palate."

It positively leapt off the table for its brilliance of conception, execution and – what’s that thing again? – ah yes, taste. It’s absolutely delicious and I can only assume that the reason it hasn’t been raved about far and wide is because at £6.99 it’s more expensive than the bottom-feeding shoal of £4.99-ers but in fact it falls into that £6-10 ($12-20) bracket that I feel often offers the best value of all: you pay for superior wine rather than for transport, packaging, duties and taxes. As those familiar with the exploding Spanish wine scene know, Bierzo is a small, recently fashionable wine region in north west, Atlantic-influenced Spain. Here wines are refreshing and tend to be quite a bit lighter than those made in Mediterranean-influenced regions to the east. This wine is just 13.5% alcohol, for example, and the wine’s balance of soft, mulberry fruit, clear-cut acidity and brilliant texture is hugely distinctive. Its uniquely refreshing yet intriguing character depends on the local grape Mencía, so fragrant it was for long mistaken for Cabernet Franc, and on the local terroir, granite/schist on the slopes and alluvial clays and stones on flatter ground. Made with a very gentle hand by talented British Master of Wine Norrel Robertson, who is based in northern Spain and regularly turns out underpriced bottlings for UK retailers.

Taking its name from the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela, this wine is new in Tesco as of autumn 2007. From Bierzo in northwest Spain, it is made from the local grape, a small portion of which was matured for two to three months in new oak barrels. I note that the consulting winemaker is Norrel Robertson MW, an old pal from Scotland who gave up life in the wine trade several years ago to follow his winemaking dreams. It has a bright garnet colour, and a subtle but dense nose of red liquorice, plum and cherry. There's just a suggestion of something floral, and a tiny hint of spices too. This strikes the palate with a good deal of authority, showing plenty of crisp, fresh, juicy red berry fruit and supple concentration. Very smooth and elegant on the palate, there is enough spicy tannin and pert acidity to keep this fresh and moreish, yet it has a certain depth and silkiness too.

This suave Spanish red is a baby but the fruit is so supple and the finish so smooth you open it immediately.