THEY used to be known as the "magical fiver" wines - bottles that cost less than £5 yet contained surprisingly delightful tipples for which you'd usually pay more.

Now, due to pesky inflation, currency movements and even peskier taxes, we can probably call them the "magical small octopus" wines - in other words those under six quid. (Geddit? Sick squid! Sigh.)

Anyway, give or take £1, the concept is the same: the delight of finding good quality wines at entry-level prices.

And it would seem Majestic is now trying to provide the magic.

For the first time in its 30-year history, the specialist wine retailer has launched an own-label range aimed squarely at the entry-level market, with bottles priced £5.99 when bought in the Mix Six promotion (else £6.99 a single bottle).

What's more, a survey of the British public carried out via blind-tasting sessions suggests these are arguably among the best out there.

A press release from Majestic says that "more than 1,000 wine reviews were collected from the British public in a blind tasting against the major supermarkets’ below £6 ranges"... and "over 65 per cent of those in the blind tasting preferred the Majestic £5.99 wine".

The wines are in the new Majestic Loves range. Of the 1,101 people polled according to the press release, 717 preferred them to rival wines of a similar price.

There might of course be branding risks involved here for a wine specialist which prides itself on supplying nothing but quality, but it is probably no bad thing for the average punter that Majestic are dipping into entry-level prices given that 80 per cent of wines in the the UK off-trade are sold for £6 or less, according to various market data.

It is certainly no bad thing when they are not bad wines.

The Majestic Loves range was picked by Majestic’s buyers from over 500 samples from

around the world and was launched in stores last month - complete with some quirky cartoon-like labels created by French artist Jean Jullien.

Of them, the new Romanian Pinot Grigio polled well, with 75 per cent of tasters preferring it to an Italian supermarket Pinot Grigio at the same price. The aromas of red and green apple and deceptively fresh palate make it a better easy-going white for any old day than many others you'd find.

The Majestic Montepulciano D'Abruzzo polled well, too, with 71 per cent of people preferring it to the supermarket equivalent, although we found it a bit too tangy especially when compared to pricier examples.

Our favourites included the Shiraz, which avoided becoming overly jammy like many counterparts of a similar price, and the fresh and zesty Gruner Veltliner, full of green apple and lime, which is satisfying to drink on its own, especially in the knowledge you haven't broken the bank.

John Colley, managing director of Majestic Wine, said: “We set out to create the best possible range at this price point and we’ve created something completely unique. Our buyers tasted over 500 samples to create something special that won’t blow your budget, and it’s fantastic to see so many people agree.”