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  • Abbotts & Delaunay ‘Les Fleurs Sauvages’ Chardonnay

    Abbotts & Delaunay ‘Les Fleurs Sauvages’ Chardonnay

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    Simon Judge

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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…

  • La Belle Angèle Pinot Noir

    La Belle Angèle Pinot Noir

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    Simon Judge

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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,…

  • Asquith Gardens English Sparkling Wine

    Asquith Gardens English Sparkling Wine

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    Simon Judge

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    I have to admit that I have a general mistrust of English sparkling wine, and indeed Champagne, when sold by UK supermarkets. When I return to buy one I previously enjoyed at a press tasting, it is rarely as good as I remember and can sometimes be very poor. This is not limited to one supermarket. I have experienced it across several, particularly, for some reason, around Christmas. I suspect it has something to do with these wines being non-vintage, which I will come back to later. I purchased this one from Asda after picking it out at the Asda…

  • Zurriago Argentinian Malbec

    Zurriago Argentinian Malbec

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    Simon Judge

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    Malbec is to reds what Pinot Grigio is to whites. There are too many average mass-market examples around, along with a handful of real stars, and this is one of the stars. I first tried it at the 2026 Sainsbury’s Spring/Summer press tasting, picked it out there, and was determined to investigate it properly afterwards. It comes from Bodega Argento, with Juan Pablo Murgia as head winemaker. He is from Mendoza, but travelled to build his experience in California, Bordeaux and Uruguay. Juan has also been recognised as a pioneer in Mendoza. Bodega Argento’s vineyards and wineries are certified under…

  • The Gathering Storm

    The Gathering Storm

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    Simon Judge

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    The Gathering Storm was my top value wine from the Majestic Autumn Winter tasting and I wanted to take a deeper look. First, I previously, and wrongly, reported that it was non-vintage. It does have a vintage, and this is 2024. It is a 12% ABV blend of Verdejo, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. It is produced by the large Félix Solís Avantis group, well known for Viña Albali, Mucho Más, Castillo de Albai Reserva and The Guv’nor. The Gathering Storm takes its name from the idea that this wine challenges the norms. The front label has some incredible artwork. The…

  • Kleinood ‘De Herder’ Rhône Blend

    Kleinood ‘De Herder’ Rhône Blend

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    Simon Judge

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    This is new to Majestic, and it brings a Southern Rhône-style, a style that has been championed across South Africa’s Swartland and Western Cape regions. These are small-batch bottles from a boutique estate in the Blaauwklippen Valley, with a story rooted in old pastoral tradition. De Herder means “the shepherd”, and the wine takes its inspiration from this ancient practice. The blend is Syrah 67%, Mourvèdre 29% and Cinsaut 4%, though there’s a subtle point of difference here. It uses Rhône Syrah clones rather than the traditional South African and Argentinean Shiraz clones more commonly planted in the Cape. This…

  • Sainsbury’s CVNE Rioja Gran Reserva

    Sainsbury’s CVNE Rioja Gran Reserva

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    Simon Judge

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    Sainsbury’s CVNE Rioja Gran Reserva was previously a favourite of mine and I have followed it over the years because it changes more than you might expect from vintage to vintage. I picked this 2018 vintage at the last Sainsbury’s Autumn press tasting and I wanted to try it again in a more relaxed setting. It is produced for Sainsbury’s by CVNE Winery, and it is distinct to the winery’s usual own-brand Rioja range, which is available at Sainsbury’s and other retailers. For this vintage the blend is 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, although the ABV has dipped…

  • Moillard Brouilly Les Fées

    Moillard Brouilly Les Fées

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    Simon Judge

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    Moillard Brouilly Les Fées comes from Château de l’Abbaye de Saint Laurent d’Arpayé in Brouilly, Beaujolais, the southernmost and largest of the Beaujolais crus, spread around Mont Brouilly. “Les Fées” translates as “the fairies”, although I couldn’t find exactly how that links to the wine. It is made from Gamay, comes in at 12.5% abv and this is the 2024 vintage. In the glass it is pale to medium ruby, light-catching and pretty. The aromas bring red cherry and raspberry, with a lovely savoury edge that keeps it from feeling too simple or sweet-fruited. The taste is all juicy red…

  • Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva Privada

    Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva Privada

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    Simon Judge

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    I purchased this wine because it was on special offer and it worked out well. It comes from Chile’s Central Valley and sits within Lidl’s Deluxe range. The bottle is rather shy about naming the producer, with the winemaker’s signature almost impossible to read, while the back label simply says it was bottled by VLFE Ltda. That turns out to be the well-renowned Viña Luis Felipe Edwards and the difficult-to-read signature belongs to Nicolas Bizzarri, their head winemaker. This is the 2023 vintage, with 13% ABV. It needs at least 30 minutes to breathe in the glass or decanter, so…

  • Taste the Difference Portuguese Lisboa

    Taste the Difference Portuguese Lisboa

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    Simon Judge

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    This wine first caught my eye at a recent Sainsbury’s press tasting, where I picked it out from the line-up and immediately felt it deserved a proper revisit. I went back to it to discover more. It is made by Casa Santos Lima, based at Quinta da Boavista, Alenquer, around 45 km from Lisbon. The blend brings together Syrah, Castelão, Touriga Nacional, Alicante Bouschet and Tinta Barroca and I suspect it may be the same wine as their well-regarded own-brand “Blend Portugal”. This is the 2024 vintage, with 12.5% ABV. Vanilla aroma comes through first, followed by red fruit, vanilla…

  • Château des Sarrins Rosé Grande Cuvée

    Château des Sarrins Rosé Grande Cuvée

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    Simon Judge

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    Château des Sarrins Rosé Grande Cuvée, 2025 vintage, has just arrived in the UK, and I have been amongst the first to taste it. This is a Provence wine from the Saint-Antonin-du-Var region, with the famous Paillard Champagne family having acquired the domaine in 1995. It has been certified Organic Agriculture since 2011. The blend is Grenache 40%, Cinsault 20%, Mourvèdre 20%, Syrah 10% and Rolle 10%. It uses first pressing only, and the “Cuvée” in the name points to that choice, with only the purest juice drawn from the initial press of the grapes. It sits at 12.8% ABV.…

  • Altano Tinto

    Altano Tinto

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    Simon Judge

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    Altano Tinto comes from Portugal, made by Symington Family Estates, in the Douro, a producer I’ve actually visited, though I didn’t get to try this particular wine at the time. Symington is a big Douro name, best known for its Port houses, including Graham’s, Dow’s, Warre’s and Cockburn’s. Altano red arrived in 1999 as part of the family’s move into modern Douro DOC table wines, bringing a fresher, more contemporary side to a region. It’s made from Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Alicante Bouschet, with light oak. The green label is a handy clue too, this wine is Certified Organic.…

  • Cuatro Rayas Four Lines Verdejo

    Cuatro Rayas Four Lines Verdejo

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    Simon Judge

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    Cuatro Rayas Four Lines Verdejo is a wine I picked out in recent tastings at Asda and Morrisons, and I liked it enough that I had to go back to it. “Four Lines” is the English-market rendering of Cuatro Rayas, which refers to the Pago de las Cuatro Rayas, a vineyard area. This is the 2025 vintage, made from 100% Verdejo. It comes from a cooperative winery based in La Seca, Valladolid, right in the heart of Spain’s Rueda Verdejo country. The bottle looks great too, with blue glass designed to stand out on the shelf while also helping protect…

  • W/O Nero d’Avola Rosato

    W/O Nero d’Avola Rosato

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    Simon Judge

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    W/O Nero d’Avola Rosato is made around the idea of a wine made without (W/O) compromise, with sustainability placed front and centre. It comes from Sicilian winemaker Dino Taschetta and is bottled in 100% recycled ‘wild’ glass with no neck foil. The Nero d’Avola grapes are organic, grown in Marsala and Salemi, and the wine sits at 11.5%. It also has a high 4.1 rating on Vivino. In colour, it is light gold and much paler once poured into the glass. There is raspberry and citrus on the aroma, and it is strikingly expressive even when served cold. The fruit…

  • Siglo Tempranillo

    Siglo Tempranillo

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    Simon Judge

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    Siglo Tempranillo Special Edition from Bodegas Manzanos comes covered in a jute sack, which instantly gives the bottle a lovely old-world Spanish feel. The back label explains that winemakers in the past would wrap their best bottles in jute to help preserve them during transport, protecting them from shifts in temperature and light under the hot Spanish sun. This jute saco is hand-stitched by ASPRODEMA, an NGO supporting adults with intellectual disabilities. The wine is 100% Tempranillo from vineyards in Rioja Alta and the Rioja del Reyno area. Unusually, there is no visible vintage. The Rioja label is green, Joven,…

  • Waitui Bay Marlborough Rosé

    Waitui Bay Marlborough Rosé

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    Simon Judge

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    Waitui Bay Marlborough Rosé is made by family-owned Marlborough Valley Wines and this is the 2025 vintage. It is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Malbec, with the Malbec bringing that Rosé colour. Through canopy management and site selection, they have achieved a lower alcohol level of 9.5% abv. It is worth saying upfront, this is not your typical Provence-style Rosé. Sauvignon Blanc Rosé can divide opinion. A Rosé tasting I gave in the past showed just how many people have come to expect Rosé to follow that pale, dry, Provence-inspired path. Personally, though, I enjoy Rosé wines that move…

  • Villemarin Picpoul de Pinet

    Villemarin Picpoul de Pinet

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    Simon Judge

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    Villemarin Picpoul de Pinet comes from Cave de l’Ormarine in Languedoc, France, the leading brand of the Picpoul de Pinet appellation and the only major Picpoul producer to be Terra Vitis certified sustainable. It’s from the village of Pinet, the home of the Piquepoul Blanc grape variety, and is made from 100% Piquepoul Blanc, with 12% ABV. This is classic Picpoul de Pinet. Pale lemon in colour, with lively aromas of lemon, lime, green apple and sea spray. It’s dry, brisk and citrus-charged, with that salty, mineral edge that makes Picpoul so refreshing. It’s great even served very cold, comes…

  • Tenuta Sant’Antonio Scaia Rossa Corvina

    Tenuta Sant’Antonio Scaia Rossa Corvina

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    Simon Judge

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    This is the last, and best, of a few wines I bought on a recent trip to Lombardy. Although Lombardy has plenty of its own wines, it also seems to be flooded with bottles from neighbouring Veneto. Scaia Rossa is a Veneto IGT wine from Tenuta Sant’Antonio, whose vineyards lie between Soave and Valpolicella. The name “Scaia” is a Venetian dialect word meaning a flake of stone, chalk or limestone. The Scaia project was launched in 2006, with the aim of creating wines in a modern style, outside the restrictions of the denomination system. It cannot be labelled Valpolicella DOC…

  • Melpo Valley of the Muses Rosé

    Melpo Valley of the Muses Rosé

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    Simon Judge

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    This is a Rosé, 2024 vintage, from Mount Helicon near Athens in Greece, made from a blend of Syrah and the lemony freshness of Greece’s pink-skinned Roditis Alepou variety. It is a deep dark orange, which immediately sets it apart. At 12.5% abv, it feels nicely balanced rather than heavy. There are red fruit aromas, followed by a full strawberry taste and slight lemon that makes it instantly likeable. The texture is excellent, full-bodied for a rosé, soft and round, with a generosity you do not find in lighter Provence-style bottles. It seemed slightly sweet at first, but testing proved…

  • The Society’s Exhibition “Selección Especial” Rioja Reserva

    The Society’s Exhibition “Selección Especial” Rioja Reserva

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    Simon Judge

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    I first came across this wine at The Society’s recent press tasting, when it was such a new vintage that it did not yet have a label. Wines without labels always make me wonder whether they will feel quite the same once they are actually on sale. For me, this was one of the best wines in the tasting, so I had to give it another try now that it is generally available. First of all, it comes from La Rioja Alta, one of the names best known for traditional, age-worthy Rioja wines, and widely considered one of Rioja’s classic…

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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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