Mike Tipping finds the words to describe three fabulous reds (From York Press)

Mike Tipping finds the words to describe three fabulous reds

10:52am Saturday 28th January 2012 in Tipping's Tipples By Mike Tipping

Someone once told me that writing about wine is like dancing about architecture. Despite the surreal image this brings to mind, I find the comparison highly amusing.

Many wine scribes try to sum up what they are tasting, with words alone. They are obviously more articulate than me, which is why I use a 20-point rating system to try to further express how much I have, or haven’t, enjoyed a wine. Although marking wines, in such a way, raises eyebrows in some quarters.

One French winemaker I chatted to made this analogy, “marking a wine out of 20 is like giving former lovers a mark out of 20, you shouldn’t do it”.

Needless to say, I have no intention of dropping the 20-point system I use. Nor will I be put off my attempts to tango with tower blocks.

And the nominations for the best red wine I’ve had in ages are...

Albet i Noya Lignum Negre 2009 is a top-drawer winter warmer from the Penedès wine region in Catalonia. It’s a spicy blend of garnacha (grenache), cabernet sauvignon and syrah that is well balanced and long with flavour. Fine tannins knit together cherry, strawberry, blackcurrant, cinnamon, coffee and pepper. The wine is available from online organic wine specialist Vintage Roots.

Much used in Bordeaux blends, the late ripening petit verdot grape is sometimes used to make single varietal wines in the New World. Virgin Wines has a good example from Argentina, that will rival malbec as a partner for a steak.

Landelia Single Vineyard Petit Verdot 2006 is from the Mendoza region. Powerful and structured, it has ripe bramble flavours, toasted oak notes, violets and vanilla.

Lastly a terrific red made by a Yorkshireman, Jon Hesford, who owns a vineyard in the sunny south of France. Domaine Treloar Three Peaks 2006, Côtes du Roussillon, is unfined and unfiltered, making it a wine wi’ nowt taken out.

Made from syrah, mourvèdre and grenache, it has spicy flavours of cherry, blueberry and blackberry, balanced oak and mouth-filling tannins.

Albet i Noya Lignum Negre 2009, Penedès, £9.75, from Vintage Roots (vintageroots.co.uk) 18/20

Landelia Single Vineyard Petit Verdot 2006, Mendoza, £9.99, from Virgin Wines (virginwines.co.uk) 18/20

Domaine Treloar Three Peaks 2006, Côtes du Roussillon, £9.95, from HC Wines (hcwines.co.uk) 18/20