Weekend wine with Blake Creedon

IT deserves repetition: the cheaper option isn’t necessarily a bargain, and the dearer choice isn’t always an extravagance.

This is certainly true for wine, and it was underlined again at a recent press tasting of part of Marks & Spencer’s wine range.

For instance, take the accomplished pinot noir made by Corriente del Bío (whose sauvignon blanc is featured below). This is a straightforward delicious pinot noir, and not bad value at all at €10.99. However, it is so far surpassed by the rounded, elegant Tasmanian Pinot Noir 2009 (€14.99) that you wouldn’t quibble with the extra €4.