To all wine enthusiasts...

[asciwhite]

I'm looking for a red wine with chocolate notes and of which grape to look for, smooth is the order of the day here...

[ttamw]

my wife tells me marks & spencers do that type of wine your looking for but also says its not very nice good luck with your search

[andrea_h]

the M&S wine is called Chocolate Ruby - ttamw's wife is right, its not very nice!!

[waimarie]

If it's any help, the merlot grape variety is often listed with a chocolaty(?) characteristic. A noble soft red Bordeaux grape particularly in the St.Emilions although blended with Cab Sav etc. to form the great classic clarets.

The merlot has been successfully planted in Oz and especially in S.America (Argentina & Chile which I particularly like). The advantage of looking for the New World wines is that they list the grape variety on the label whereas the AC French wines do not. So, unless you know which grapes are permitted in which regions you can be pretty much in the dark Frenchwise.

[asciwhite]

Thank you waimarie, I do love wines with good flavours and I am always looking for recommendations. I love margeaux flavours too, but alas I can only get the one I like in France. I did have a bottle of 96 St.Emilions and, yes it was glorious. We never keep our wines! Mr ascis' dad keeps them for years and then gives them to us as and when.....

Well, ttamw and andrea_h, looks like M+S is one to avoid, not a good pressie then?

[Trotbot]

Penfolds Bin 28 Kahlima Shiraz is like eating Green and Blacks Organic chocolate. Sadly it's not in the fiver a bottle range.

[sense4all]

Try Tesco finest Argentinian Malbec about six or seven quid a bottle.Malbec is grown in small quantities in the St. Emillion area of France but fares better in the new world!

My all time favourite Merlot is from a private cellar in South Africa, called Veenwouden, but at twenty quid a bottle it might not be what you are looking for.

Have you had a look at the performers on the superplonk website?

Is your father in law opening the cellar for tastings? lol

[Trotbot]

Penfolds Bin 28 Kahlima Shiraz is like drinking G&B organic chocolate - but at a price!

[asciwhite]

The Penfolds sounds divine and shall be trying that as soon as... just ordered Green and Blacks ice cream aswell...

I will also try the Argentinian Malbec, and the Veenwouden sounds like the pressie bottle I'm looking for, as well as one for us ;-)

We were given a Grand Listrac 95 and a Vieux Chateau Guibeau puisseguin-saint emilon 98

I will look on the superplonk website, thanks for the tip!

father in law is great at squirreling away cognacs too!!!!!

[stevie-p]

iv tasted a lot of wine..some quite pricey but the one i stick with now is PAUL MASSON california red (3 bottles for a tenner at most outdoors) not a bad drinking wine..smooth and not spicy..give it a go.

[sense4all]

Oooh if you are able to buy a case worth of combines, I can recommend an e tailer based in Bonnie Scotlandcalled greatgrog.co.uk brill choices cheaper than some big boys, they are my new best wine friends!