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Simon Judge

  • Finca Lalande Organic Cabernet Franc

    Finca Lalande Organic Cabernet Franc

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    This wine, from Domaine Bousquet pays tribute to the winemaker’s French roots. The Bousquet family comes from the Languedoc, where it owned Domaine Lalande, a winery and vineyards based in Pennautier. The property was sold to fund the purchase of the family’s Argentine estate in the 1990s. Made from 100% Cabernet Franc with no oak influence, the wine is certified organic. The vineyards were planted on untouched land from 1997 onwards and have been certified organic from the very beginning. The 172-hectare property sits in Gualtallary, in Mendoza’s Uco Valley, at a dizzying altitude of 1,219 metres, or 4,000 feet.…

  • Forrest ‘Fumé Blanc’ Sauvignon Blanc

    Forrest ‘Fumé Blanc’ Sauvignon Blanc

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    This is a new arrival at Majestic, and it is something a little different. It is an innovative Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, but not in the style you might expect. It comes from the winery behind The Doctor’s, the pioneering lower-alcohol Sauvignon Blanc. This one is not lower in alcohol, though. Instead, the difference comes from its oaked style. Fumé Blanc was originally created by the famous Napa Valley winemaker Robert Mondavi. At the time, Napa Sauvignon Blanc had developed a reputation for being sweet and rather dull, so Mondavi invented a new name for the variety in…

  • The Best Gran Reserva Pinot Noir

    The Best Gran Reserva Pinot Noir

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    I picked this one out at the last Morrisons press tasting and knew I had to take a deeper look. It comes from Ventisquero Wine Estates, named Wine Enthusiast New World Winery of the Year 2024, and one of the founding wineries behind Chile’s sustainability movement. Award-winning winemaker Felipe Tosso is at the helm. Made from 100% Pinot Noir, it is partly matured in French oak for added depth. It is 13% ABV and from the 2024 vintage. In the glass, it is pale to medium ruby in colour. The aromas are intense, with red cherry, strawberry, rose and coastal…

  • Understanding Tannin

    Understanding Tannin

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    Tannin is one of the most interesting forces in wine. As a wine geek, I have always been fascinated by the way one bottle can glide across the palate while another seems to grip the gums and cheeks with almost physical force. That curiosity sent me deeper into the research, into papers on phenolics, saliva, astringency, extraction, serving temperature and the strange chemistry of how wine asserts texture. In wine, the word “tannin” usually refers to a family of phenolic compounds, especially condensed tannins or proanthocyanidins. These come mainly from grape skins and seeds, while stems can also contribute tannin…

  • How Climate Change Could Reshape the Wines We Drink

    How Climate Change Could Reshape the Wines We Drink

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    A great recent paper, Future viability of European vineyards using bioclimatic climate analogues, examines how Europe’s wine map could change as the climate warms. It compares the future climate of established vineyards with places experiencing similar conditions today, while considering not only temperature but also frost, extreme heat, humidity, rainfall and three major vine diseases. The researchers analysed 21,076 vineyard sites and considered conditions around 2040, 2060 and 2080. They adjusted their calculations for elevation, slope and exposure, which can make an individual vineyard considerably warmer or cooler than the surrounding area. The main conclusion is that European wine production…

  • Majestic French Wine Showcase

    Majestic French Wine Showcase

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    As there are no press tastings during the summer, I sought out a consumer tasting at my local Majestic. In July, I attended a French wine showcase at Majestic in Woking. All prices quoted are based on the Mix Six offer. Devaux Blanc de Blancs Champagne NV 12% £28From the Côte des Bar and made from 100% Chardonnay, this Brut Champagne benefits from long lees ageing. Light floral and citrus aromas lead into lighter fruit than I expected, but with richer autolytic character and a pronounced almond note more commonly associated with aged vintage Champagne. Dry, crisp and refreshing, with…

  • Tread Softly Pinot Noir

    Tread Softly Pinot Noir

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    This is a wine I first picked out at the Waitrose Spring press tasting and I’ve now returned to it for a closer look. It comes from South Australia and is made entirely from Pinot Noir. The vines are dry grown, with minimal intervention in the vineyard, while the wider approach focuses on sustainable production. A native tree is also planted for every six bottles sold. This is the 2025 vintage. Let’s talk about the packaging first. The bottle is made from 100% recycled glass, with a minimal front label that feels in keeping with the low-intervention growing and the…

  • Low-to-Moderate Wine Consumption Might Be Beneficial

    Low-to-Moderate Wine Consumption Might Be Beneficial

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    Nutrition Journal reports findings from a study of 340,924 UK Biobank participants, who were followed for an average of 13.4 years to assess links between mortality and the consumption of wine, beer, cider and spirits. Compared with people who never drank or drank only occasionally, those with high overall alcohol consumption had a 24 per cent greater risk of death from any cause, a 36 per cent greater risk of cancer death and a 14 per cent greater risk of cardiovascular death. In the statistical analysis, low-to-moderate wine consumption was associated with lower mortality, whereas similar levels of beer, cider…

  • Mar de Frades Albariño

    Mar de Frades Albariño

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    This is the new 2025 vintage of the classic Mar de Frades Albariño, from the Valle del Salnés in Rías Baixas, Spain. Mar de Frades was founded in 1987 by a Galician entrepreneur in the Val do Salnés, shortly before the Rías Baixas denomination was formally established. The name means “Sea of the Friars” in Galician, referring to an inlet around the mouth of the River Umia and the Ría de Arousa. Pilgrims or friars were traditionally said to have come ashore here before continuing their journey towards Santiago de Compostela. The wine is made by Paula Fandiño, one of…

  • Villa Borghetti Lugana

    Villa Borghetti Lugana

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    I brought this one back from a trip to Italy. Villa Borghetti is a wine label owned by Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine. Lugana is a white wine appellation and geographical area on the southern shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy. This 2024 vintage is made from 100% Trebbiano di Lugana, also known as Turbiana and comes in at 12.5% ABV. In the glass it has a pale lemon colour. The aromas bring together lemon, green apple, melon and honeysuckle. On the taste, there is plenty of crisp citrus and stone fruit, followed by a touch of almond, with no…

  • How Alcohol and Acidity Shape Red Wine Flavour

    How Alcohol and Acidity Shape Red Wine Flavour

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    A new paper from researchers in Naples, Italy, asks a practical question: as climate change makes some red wines higher in alcohol and alters their acidity, does that also change how strongly certain aromas are released and perceived? The researchers focused on two naturally occurring aroma compounds, γ-nonalactone and massoia lactone. At noticeable levels, these can contribute sweet, cooked-fruit aromas such as prune and dried fig. In some dry red wines, these notes may be interpreted as over-ripeness or premature ageing rather than desirable fruit development. They took one red wine, removed most of its original aroma, and rebuilt it…

  • Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz

    Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz

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    I first came across this wine at a Waitrose tasting and decided it deserved a closer look. As it turned out, only the 2023 vintage was available on the retail shelf rather than the 2024 vintage I had tasted at the press event. That made for an interesting comparison because, when this happens, the older vintage is often a shadow of its former self. This wine comes from Padthaway in Australia. Jip Jip Rocks is a striking pink-red rock formation around 350 million years old, surrounded by iron rich soils and regarded as sacred in Aboriginal beliefs. It is produced…

  • Maison Giambagli ‘Côté Aix’ Organic

    Maison Giambagli ‘Côté Aix’ Organic

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    This is a new wine at Majestic, one I picked out at their last press tasting. I wanted to try it again in a less rushed setting. From AOP Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence in Provence, France, Côté Aix is a new brand exclusive to Majestic. It is supplied by Maison Giambagli, founded in 1925 and now guided by Bordeaux-trained oenologist Onur Yildizli. The blend is 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache. This is the 2025 vintage, at 12.5% ABV. It is a very pale salmon colour in the glass, with strawberry, redcurrant, pink grapefruit and white flowers coming through with the aroma. Red…

  • Abbotts & Delaunay ‘Les Fleurs Sauvages’ Chardonnay

    Abbotts & Delaunay ‘Les Fleurs Sauvages’ Chardonnay

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    Laurent Delaunay is a talented winemaker and fifth-generation Burgundy wine producer who moved to Languedoc-Roussillon. This wine is made by rising talent Jeanne Delaunay, the sixth generation of the family. Les Fruits Sauvages refers to the wild plants that grow along the edges of the vineyards. The grapes come from the foothills of the Cévennes, the Aude Valley, the Limoux region and the plains of the Hérault. This is the 2023 vintage, with an alcohol level of 13.5%. It is clearly popular on the Majestic website, where 100% of, many, reviewers said they would buy it again. It has a…

  • New Wine Infographics

    New Wine Infographics

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    This site contains many tips spread across reviews, tasting notes and articles. I have brought them together, added further guidance and presented them as a series of easy-to-follow infographics. There are currently six infographics in the series: Wine Buying TipsWine Menu Ordering TipsWine Label TipsWine Drinking TipsWine Storage TipsWine Pairing Tips

  • 25% Off Wine at Asda

    25% Off Wine at Asda

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    Asda has 25% off wine, on £5.50 per bottle or more, 6 bottles or more, from 23 June 2026 until 29 June 2026. See the latest press tasting and pick list for tips on what to buy.

  • La Belle Angèle Pinot Noir

    La Belle Angèle Pinot Noir

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    La Belle Angèle is out with a new 2024 vintage of Pinot Noir that I have reviewed previously. As a reminder, it is named after a celebrated muse of the Belle Époque, known for inspiring French Impressionist painters with her beauty and spirit. Its roots are in the Languedoc, with fruit from the sun-drenched plains near Béziers and Valras-Plage, as well as the higher ground of the Minervois. As before, you get red berries aromas from the glass, with cherries coming through and perhaps a little raspberry too. On tasting, it is a fruit-forward rather than savoury or oaked Pinot,…

  • 25% Off Wine at Tesco

    25% Off Wine at Tesco

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    Tesco has save 25% off wine with Clubcard when you buy 6+ bottles that are £6 and over (£7 in Wales) from 15 July 2026 until 27 July 2026. See the Tesco Pick List for tips on what to buy.

  • 25% Off Wine at Sainsbury’s

    25% Off Wine at Sainsbury’s

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    Sainsbury’s has 25% off wine for Nectar loyalty card holders, sparkling and Champagne, 6 bottles or more, £6 or more (£7 in Wales), from 15 July to 21 July 2026. See the Sainsbury’s Pick List for tips on what to buy.

  • Tim Atkin’s Portuguese Value Wines of the Year

    Tim Atkin’s Portuguese Value Wines of the Year

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    Beth Willard has written Tim Atkin MW’s first Special Report on Portugal, based on 15 days of travel and tastings across seven Portuguese wine regions. The report covers 672 wines from 91 producers, with 302 wines scoring 93 points or more, underlining the current strength and depth of Portuguese wine. It also recognises leading figures and projects, naming Luís Duarte as Legend of the Year, António Maçanita as Winemaker of the Year, Luís Pedro Cândido da Silva as Young Winemaker of the Year, Filipa Pato as Grower of the Year and Adega de Borba as Cooperative of the Year. The…

Pick Lists


Majestic | The Wine Society | Tesco | Waitrose | Sainsbury’s | Morrisons | Co-op | Asda | Aldi | Lidl | £7 and Under | Over £20

TipS – Infographics


Buying | Menu Ordering | Labels | Drinking | Storing | Pairing

Did You Know?

Nearly a third (32%) of UK consumers say they have already used AI for alcoholic drinks advice. More

Among socially active wine buyers, 37% have bought a wine recommended online. More

In 2026, 72% of consumers now think wine knowledge is essential to appreciation, up 20 percentage points on 2025. More

Rías Baixas wines reached more than 107 countries in 2025 and exports represented 31 per cent of the denomination’s total sales. More

Light Strike Can Cause Wine Degradation in Just One Day. More

People actively adjust their wine choices depending on who might see them. More

In the UK, 73% of Alcohol is Bought From Retail Rather Than Hospitality. More

UK wine production reached 124,377 hectolitres that year, meaning the UK accounted for roughly 0.05 per cent of world output. More

For Crémant, grapes must be harvested by hand and the wines must undergo at least nine months’ ageing before release. More

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More

Local UK bottling of wine represents about 40% of imported wine. More

Around 1% of people, typically severe asthmatics, have a sulphite sensitivity. More

A large 80% of Australian wine arrives in the UK in bulk. More

Only about 0.02% of Australia’s landmass is dedicated to vineyards. More

In 2024, New Zealand produced only 1% of the World’s wine. More

In 2024, the US imported 37% of World production of Pinot Grigio and the UK was is in second place at 27%. More

In 2024, the UK was South Africa’s largest export market, with 40% of total exports. More

In 2024, the United Kingdom imported 22.3 million bottles of Champagne, a decline of 12.7% compared to the previous year. More

Larger Champagne producers source grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards throughout Champagne. More

Champagne houses and growers collectively produce around 300 million bottles annually. More

In 2025, the Champagne region was home to about 2,124 Champagne houses and approximately 19,000 growers. More

Provence is one of the leaders in the conversion to organic viticulture, with 61% of vineyards certified. More

8% of the South Africa’s grape production is Fairtrade-certified. More

Up to 80% of wine aroma compounds come from grape skins. More

Glycerol is the third-largest component of most dry wines after water and alcohol which is why they so often feel ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ in the mouth. More

Humans are more than 400 times more sensitive to bitter than sweet. More

Humans can detect the earthy molecule geosmin at about 100 parts per trillion and camels are so sensitive to it they can locate damp ground from roughly 50 miles away. More

During the phylloxera crisis of the nineteenth century, 90% of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. More

In 2025, for La Vieille Ferme, also known as “The Chicken Wine”, sales surged by 49.4% to £110.8 million. More

In 2025, in the UK, Yellow Tail held the top position with sales, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. More

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest wine importer in volume and value. More

In 2024, the UK was the fifth-largest wine-consuming country globally. More

In 2025, global wine consumption continued its downward trend, estimated at 214.2 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1961. More

In 2025, online alcohol sales had a 20% increase in value over five years. More

In 2025, the number of UK vineyards rose to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. More

Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the Champagne market, with the top three producers together holding about 61%, and the top five controlling over 72%. More

In 2024, the Champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. More

In the marketing year 2023/24, white wine accounted for roughly 55% of Spain’s output, whereas red and rosé together made up about 45%. More

In the UK, 92% of wine is consumed within 48hrs of purchase. More

The majority of wines, 95%, use commercial rather than wild yeast. More

Between 0.5 and 10 litres of water, per litre of wine, are needed for cleaning during winemaking. More

Machine harvesting can achieve up to 100 tons of fruit per day vs 1 ton for a human. More

In Germany, 2025 was the smallest wine vintage since 2010. More

The majority of vineyards, 90% in 2019, are farmed with heavy chemical interventions. Only 6% are organic. More

90% of low and coastal areas in south Europe and California will no longer be able to produce good wine by the end of the century. More

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