Nigel Tufnal's wine

I thought I was about to tuck into another big old Shiraz as I popped the cork but the FRUIT on the nose told me straight away that I should have paid more attention when I pulled it from the rack; another misconception about Australian wine burst - not all red is Shiraz. And boy, was this a fruity wine!

STELLA BELLA CABERNET-MERLOT, MARGARET RIVER 2005

The Wine Society £11.50 (tasted 1.ii.,09)

Comes in at 14.0% behind the screw-cap. A clear deep velvety viscose red with lots and lots of fruit and some leather in the background all make this a very inviting wine. But the fruit gets turned up to 11 once you get a mouthful: blackberries, black current, black cherries and plums all jostle for position. Its dry, with little acidity, plenty of tannin (it spent two years in french oak) and a proper length.

This is a very, very, good red wine. It doesn't pretend to be a Bordeaux - its an Aussie Cabernet Merlot which knows exactly what it is doing.

Highly recommended.