Lovely wine to waft in the faces of those whose Spanish wine explorations begin and end with Rioja

El Pajaro Rojo Bierzo 2013, Spain (£10.97 Asda)
Needs a little time to shake of the slightly rubbery edge of reduction – or in English, slosh it round a jug, it’ll taste better – and then the bold, bouncy fruit emerges, berries, plums and damsons, boosted by slightly savoury/salty tar-like notes. Maybe a bit oaky at the moment, but there’s freshness and life here, and anyone prepared to keep a bottle for a couple of year should have a gem on their hands. S(-)