Tenuta Novarre Valpolicella Ripasso 2013

Tasted 01.05.16, 13.5% abv, cork closure, £9.99 Co-Operative stores. My wine merchant friend says you shouldn't pay less than £20 for a ripasso or amarone, so I guess he will be disappointed with my purchase here!
But for a tenner this co-op wine is altogether not bad. It is quite rich but foursquare though not bad value and a good food wine and certainly needs longer in bottle. Ruby coloured with a nose of dark berry fruits and violets. On the palate, tannins are quite smooth. The fore palate is approachable but the mid palate and finish rather short. No real typicity or sense of place - looks like my friend was right! From 2017. 15.5/20

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Chambolle-Musigny Domaine Hudelot-Baillet 2011

Tasted 3.4.16. Cork closure, 13%. C.£25 from Howard Ripley. Opened 3 hours before tasting, no decanting. 2011 was a problematic year for many Burgundy producers but this wine shows that even at village level, good wine was made. Hudelot-Baillet is a respected domaine and this is an approachable wine that can be enjoyed now. Probably not an absolutely classic Pinot Noir style but lovely nonetheless. Really well made. Actually quite 'rich' for a supposedly thin year. Red fruits and just a hint of chacuterie on the nose. Dry on the palate, with smooth tannins. Long finish of berry fruits. Will improve over the next 5 years. From 2014, 17/20

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Piccini Chianti Classico DOCG 2009

Tasted 29/03/16. Cork closure, 13% abv. Piccini 'green label'. About £8 UK retail. I suppose all expert opinion says you shouldn't expect much Chianti for less than a tenner and this one confirms that. Very disappointing. Piccini are a large company that make commercial wines, normally passably acceptable. This was poor - rather thin and acidic, probably too old for its niche - should have drunk it a few years ago. Not even any decent generic Sangiovese character. 13/20.

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Baron de Ley Reserva Rioja 2010

This wine won Wine of the Year and 94 points in a recent Decanter Rioja tasting.
And at last my local Co-op had it at a bargain of just under a tenner!
It certainly ticks all the boxes. 20 months in new oak, Baron de Ley are very well regarded and this represents a very well made, modern style Rioja that is accessible now but will improve over the next 5 years. 2 hours breathing benefited the wine - a beautiful nose of cherries and oak, very smooth tannins and red fruits and berries on the palate.
An amazing wine for the price. 18/20 from 2016.