In early May 2026, I attended Asda’s Spring/Summer tasting, where the focus this time was on a smaller, more selective showcase of its own-label Exceptional wines.
The Exceptional range is not limited to wine. It now spans all of Asda’s categories, marking a broader shift away from the former Extra Special branding. That transition has taken around three and a half years, and in wine it has given Asda the opportunity to rethink not only the range itself, but also the way the bottles look and feel.
The aim with Exceptional wines is clear: to offer quality at some of the lowest prices in the market. Asda has almost doubled the number of wines in its own-brand premium line. For example, the bottles no longer have uniform capsules at the top. Instead, these now better reflect regional styles, helping the wines feel a little more individual and region-specific.
The range has also been gaining recognition. In 2025, more than 60 wines from Asda’s premium range were awarded silver medals or better across the IWC, IWSC and Decanter awards. Asda was also the only UK retailer to win a gold medal for a red Burgundy, a particularly impressive achievement in such a competitive category.
This was a smaller selection than we normally expect at an Asda tasting, with 45 wines on show, along with a few extras the team clearly could not resist promoting. These are the wines I liked the most:
Louis Bernard Champagne Brut 2018 12.5% £28
A blend of 46% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 24% Pinot Meunier. This IWC Silver winner is pale lemon in colour, with fine, persistent bubbles. Lemon, green apple and pear come through with brioche, biscuit and roasted nuts from extended lees ageing. Brut in style, it has citrus and orchard fruit framed by incisive acidity and deep autolytic complexity. Light to medium bodied, with high acidity and a very long, toasty, precise finish.
Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2024 11.5% £8
By Pierre Chainier from the Central Loire Valley, this is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Fresh and zesty, it has citrus and apricot aromas with a rounded apricot character. There is still plenty of fresh acidity, keeping it bright and lively.
Sauvignon Blanc 2024 13% £10
From Marlborough’s Awatere Valley, this IWSC Silver winner is pale lemon in colour. Classic gooseberry, passion fruit and red capsicum come through, joined by cut grass and citrus. Dry, it has explosive aromatics, crisp citrus and tropical fruit, with a zesty, pungent finish.
Pinotage Rosé 2025 12.5% £6.50
From the Western Cape in South Africa, this 100% Pinotage rosé offers lemon, green apple and floral aromas. Crisp red fruit follows, with a dry style that is thankfully not too sweet. Light to medium bodied, with medium acidity and a clean finish, it is excellent value.
Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023 13% £9
From North Canterbury, this 100% Pinot Noir has been a previous favourite. Partially matured in oak barrels for twelve months, it offers plum, cherry and savoury earthy notes.
Carménère 2024 14.5% £7.50
Produced by Viña Luis Felipe Edwards from Valle del Rapel in Chile. A previous favourite, though it has changed over time, and this latest vintage is one of the best, for some reason with a higher ABV than usual. Deep purple-ruby in colour, with black plum, blackberry, green peppercorn, gentle spice and smoky aromas. Ripe dark fruit is balanced by slight savoury herb and pepper notes, with great mouthfeel. One of the best reds of the tasting.
Great Western Shiraz 2023 13% £9
Mainly Shiraz, with small amounts of Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Viognier. Another favourite, separately reviewed, and impossibly excellent for the price. It has won both IWC Gold Trophy and Great Value Red Wine awards, making it one you really must try.
Cuatro Rayas Four Lines Verdejo 2025 12% £9
Pale lemon in colour, with extreme lemon, lime, fennel, cut grass and white flower aromas. Dry, light to medium bodied and full of flavour, it has a zesty citrus and fennel character with a lightly almond twist. Medium to high acidity keeps it crisp and clean, though it comes across sweeter than it really is.
Looking at the pricing, Asda appears to have managed to keep prices impressively low at a time when many other retailers have seen increases of around £1 to £2 a bottle. There are many great wines still sitting below £10, and the value becomes even more compelling when the 25% off mix-six promotion is running. At that point, some of the wines move from good value to genuine bargains.
It is worth noting that not all of the Exceptional wines were presented at the tasting. One notable absence was the excellent Grüner Veltliner, which remains one of the highlights of the range. The Exceptional line is also still evolving, with more wines to come. Among those in the pipeline are a Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Champagne and an Argentinian Cabernet Franc, both of which sound like promising additions to an already much stronger own-label offer.
View from the tasting, Exceptional branding by Asda
