Reviews
-
Viña Pomal Rioja Gran Reserva
Majestic’s new exclusive (at least in the UK) Viña Pomal Rioja Gran Reserva is made by Bodegas Bilbaínas the longest-established bottling winery in Rioja. With a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano, all grapes are from Bodegas Bilbaínas’ own vineyards. This is the 2015 vintage and this wine is only produced in exceptional years. The wine matures in Bordeaux-style American oak barrels and undergoes an aging process exceeding five years. Viña Pomal Rioja Gran Reserva has earned awards, winning accolades including the Great Gold Bacchus, a 94-point rating from James Suckling, a Master Medal from The Drinks Business Rioja…
-
Champagne Bruno Paillard Première Cuvée
Maison Bruno Paillard is one of Champagne’s few remaining independent, family-owned Houses. They take pride in their ‘Perpetual Reserve’, an impressive collection of reserve wines dating back to 1985, blended with the latest vintage to produce their signature Multi Vintage Champagnes. This blend features 45% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay, and 22% Pinot Meunier, all from the first pressing and sourced from more than 30 of the best crus in the region. Up to 50% of the blend comes from reserve wines while 20% of the blend undergoes fermentation in barrel, lending richness and depth. After three years of maturation on…
-
Asda Extra Special Barossa Shiraz
I often revisit wines I’ve enjoyed at press tastings. Spending days with a bottle rather than seconds gives a fuller picture of its character, especially when comparing with similar wines. This applies to the Asda Extra Special Barossa Shiraz 2022 (£9, 14.5%) that caught my attention at a recent Asda press tasting and I promised to explore in more detail. To recap, the Asda Extra Special Barossa Shiraz has already gained a Bronze Medal at the IWSC 2024 and the IWC 2024, along with a Silver Medal from the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2023. Its made from 3% Cabernet…
-
Cantele Amativo
New from Majestic, this 2022 vintage of Amativo, made by Cantele, is a blend of Puglia’s signature red grapes: Negroamaro and Primitivo. The name “Amativo” merges “AMA” from the amaro in Negroamaro and “TIVO” from Primitivo, symbolising this interesting fusion. This wine has earned an impressive 4.3 rating on Vivino. In the glass, Amativo has a dark, intense colour and a richly layered aroma, evoking notes of raisin, blackcurrant, a festive touch of Christmas pudding and a hint of vanilla. The tasting experience is actually circular, opening with Primitivo’s signature slightly jammy sweetness, which carries through to the middle part…
-
ZONIN Cuvée Zero
ZONIN has a new offering in the increasingly popular area of low- and no-alcohol wines. While many products in this category often taste more like juice than wine, sparkling varieties tend to hold up better due to the appeal of the bubbles. This recent launch from ZONIN, a producer known for premium Prosecco and collaborations such as Kylie Minogue’s excellent Prosecco, caught my attention because it is made from Glera grapes, the same variety used in Prosecco and is promoted as a premium option. ZONIN’s challenge has been to develop a product with wine-like characteristics that can closely replicate sparkling…
-
M&S Collection Poggio Tosco Chianti Classico Riserva
M&S Collection Poggio Tosco Chianti Classico Riserva 2019 is an Italian red from Tuscany, made by the Azienda Uggiano winery. This blend is predominantly Sangiovese (80%) with the remaining 20% likely composed of Cabernet Sauvignon and Canaiolo, given the usual composition of Chianti from this winery. It sits in M&S’s ‘Collection’ range, which features top-tier wines from globally renowned regions, catering to a broad audience of both casual and seasoned wine enthusiasts. ‘Classico’ denotes this Chianti’s origin in the Chianti region, between Florence and Siena. This area, spanning about 100 square miles, produces Chianti wines under the DOCG designation, ensuring…
-
Co-op Irresistible Assyrtiko
Greek wines are enjoying a growing presence in the UK market, with particular popularity around Assyrtiko, a vibrant and flavourful grape variety, with wineries such as Kir-Yianni leading the way. Assyrtiko’s profile is often compared to the boldness of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, though it brings its own distinct blend of mineral, citrus and peach with a lively acidity. The Co-op has introduced a new Assyrtiko under its ‘Irresistible’ range, although a close look at the small-type on the bottle label reveals this wine is actually produced by Kir-Yianni. Having recently sampled Kir-Yianni branded Assyrtiko at a Greek wine tasting…
-
M&S Notte Stellata Rossa Primitivo di Manduria
M&S Notte Stellata Rossa Primitivo di Manduria is made from grapes grown in the San Marzano region of Puglia in Italy, with the new 2022 vintage offering a touch more strength at 14.5% ABV. This wine, which previously won a Silver at the International Wine Challenge. It spends six months ageing in a mix of French and American oak barrels, giving it a nuanced oaky depth. Unlike many wines, the back label of the Notte Stellata actually gives a very accurate description, highlighting rich, dark cherry, plum and chocolate notes. While the wine has a higher residual sugar level, it…
-
Bel Air Parcellaire Merlot
I couldn’t resist trying this new Bordeaux from the Coop. Made from 100% Merlot, the Bel Air Parcellaire Merlot 2023, from Maison Sichel, is made from their select vineyard plots renowned for producing high-quality wines with a distinctive terroir expression, particularly benefiting from clay soils typical of Bordeaux’s right bank. On the nose, it offers abundant raspberry aromas, leading to a soft, rich palate filled with very ripe cherry and rosehip notes. The mouthfeel is medium yet very round, thanks to the 14.5% alcohol content and the tannins remain light to medium and approachable. With no oak ageing, the wine’s…
-
Hacienda Uvanis, Garnacha Old Vines
I often buy wines that have caught my eye during press tastings and I first spotted this one at a Lidl press tasting early in 2024. It has been sitting around for a while, being overlooked as newer wines arrived. However, I decided to open it on a whim and was amazed by how good it turned out to be. This Garnacha comes from Navarra, Spain, with a 14% ABV and from the 2021 vintage. It’s light to medium-bodied with a very light colour. The wine is dry and impressively fragrant, offering raspberry and cherry notes. These aromas evolve into…
-
Taittinger Prestige Rosé
This Champagne, primarily from the 2019 vintage, is a blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, and 25% Meunier, with an ABV of 12.5%. This wine has gained high praise, winning accolades from critics such as James Suckling, Wine Spectator, Decanter and Robert Parker. It has also earned a Gold Medal at the Concours des Vins and recognition from the Revue des Vins de France. The champagne’s striking salmon hue comes from the addition of 15% still red wine made from the finest Pinot Noirs of Montagne de Reims and Les Riceys. The colour is slightly deeper than your typical…
-
Tbilvino Saperavi
Tbilvino, a very ambitious Georgian winery, has set its sights on becoming the country’s leading producer. This wine, Tbilvino Saperavi 2023 13.5%, is made from the Saperavi grape what’s known as a teinturier grape, meaning it has both dark skin and red flesh. From the moment the wine is poured, it commands attention, flowing from the bottle’s curved neck in a deep, inky stream that promises something bold. On the nose, yes you’re greeted with rich, dark fruit aromas that suggest a full-bodied red, perhaps a Cabernet Sauvignon. However, as you take your first sip, the wine reveals itself to…
-
C.V.N.E Cune Rioja Reserva
C.V.N.E Cune Rioja Reserva 2019 is a blend of Tempranillo (85%), Garnacha and Mazuelo grapes and has an ABV of 14%. The grapes for Cune Reserva are sourced from the estate’s own vineyards, known as Caballeros, Santo Tomás and Sarnamoros in the prestigious Rioja Alta region. Grapes are aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels with the wine spending 50% more time in the barrels than legally required. This extended ageing lends the wine added finesse and a softer texture. I would recommend giving this wine some time to breathe, as it initially appeared more restrained than…
-
Chosen by Majestic ‘Greek White’
I stumbled upon this great wine by chance during an evening out at a local amateur dramatics production, set in Greece, where we were also served Greek food. This 2023 vintage is a custom blend made for Majestic by the Kintonis winery in the Peloponnese, predominantly featuring Malagousia, along with Roditis and Assyrtiko, resulting in a truly vibrant and aromatic experience. Aromatically, it is immediately inviting, offering floral notes of rose petals. As you taste, it bursts with delicate flavours of blossom, lemon, lime, and stone fruits such as peach and pear, making it a perfect match for Greek cuisine.…
-
Mayu Carménère Appassimento
After thoroughly enjoying the Mayu Pinot Noir at a recent press tasting, I was eager to try their Carménère. This 2020 vintage comes from the Elqui Valley, one of Chile’s most extreme wine regions, situated nearly 5,000 feet above sea level. With around 300 days of sunshine a year, this climate offers ideal conditions for producing bold, distinctive wines. Winemaker Giorgio Flessati, whose Italian heritage deeply influences his approach, has created the world’s first appassimento Carménère. This technique involves allowing 60% of the grapes to dry, concentrating the flavours and producing an intense, unique wine. The aroma of this wine…
-
Finest Côtes de Provence Rosé
This wine, produced by Castel Frères, stood out to me during a Tesco Summer tasting and I even highlighted it in a roundup at the time. However, it wasn’t until recently that I had the chance to explore this wine in more detail. Now, I’m convinced this is my top pick for the best quality Provence rosé for the price, this year. Great Provence rosés can be quite pricey, often starting at around £15. Despite the cost, many tend to lack flavour, as confirmed by Patrick Schmitt MW during a masterclass I attended. He said that the pressing of the…
-
Errazuriz Max Carménère
The Errazuriz Max Carménère is a wine that honours its heritage, named after the founder Maximiano Errázuriz, and made from the challenging yet rewarding 2022 season, one of the driest in the last century. This resulted in a more concentrated wine, rich in both colour and flavour, which is immediately noticeable in its vibrant deep violet hue. The blend is predominantly Carmenère (85.5%), with Syrah (10.7%) and Petit Verdot (3.8%) adding further complexity. Aged for 12 months in a combination of new and old French oak barrels, the wine offers a balance between fruit and oak. There are aromas of…
-
Hancock & Hancock Tempranillo
I decided to try Hancock & Hancock’s 2021 Tempranillo because Tempranillo is more commonly associated with Spain’s Rioja region, not Australia in this case. However, the grape is increasingly thriving in Australia’s warm climates, including McLaren Vale. The Hancock brothers, Chris and John, established this label in 2015, with Chris bringing decades of experience from his work at Rosemount Estate and Robert Oatley who distribute this wine into the UK. The wine is made up of 85.3% Tempranillo, with the remaining 14.7% comprised of other varietals. After fermentation, it was aged for 12 months in old oak barrels The wine…
-
The Wine Box Porto
In September 2024, my wife and I spent a week in Portugal on an organised tour, exploring the regions between Lisbon and Porto. Throughout the trip, we drank wine in various places, but most of it was average and unremarkable. We were told that the Portuguese, who tend to favour beer over wine, export the majority of their wine abroad. As a result, restaurant wines, though very affordable (usually €4 to €5 for a large glass), offered limited selection and weren’t particularly memorable. To truly experience quality wine in Portugal, you have to seek out specialist places and pay a…
-
Porto World of Wine
In September 2024, my wife and I took a tour to Portugal, including both Lisbon and Porto. During our time in Porto, we had the chance to explore the new World of Wine (WoW), which had opened since our last visit. WoW emerged following a change in regulations that no longer required port wine to be shipped from the Gaia area of Porto. This shift allowed for the renovation of the old port wine cellars, transforming the district into a new cultural hub. WoW now boasts seven museums, including the Wine Experience, Chocolate Story, Pink Palace, Porto Region Across the…
Pick Lists
Majestic | The Wine Society | Tesco | Waitrose | Sainsbury’s | Morrisons | Co-op | Asda | Aldi | Lidl | £7 and Under | Over £20
Did You Know?
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
IMAGE WALL
Tools
Recent
Tags
25% Off Wine Aldi Amarone Argentina Articles Asda Australia Award Awards25 Bizarre Blog Books Bordeaux Bulgaria Bulk Bottling Cabernet Sauvignon Carménère Cava Champagne Chardonnay Chile Climate Change Coop Crémant Decanter Duty English Wine EPR Events Fairtrade Food France Germany Glossary Greece Health Hungary Italy IWSC Jeroboams Laithwaites Legislation Liberty Wines Lidl Low Alcohol M&S Majestic Malbec Merch Merlot Morrisons Natural News New Zealand Non-Alcoholic Ocado Old Vine Organic Past Tastings Photography Pick List Pinotage Pinot Noir Port Portugal Primitivo Prosecco Regulations Reviews Ribera del Duero Riesling Rioja Ripasso Rose Sainsbury's Saperavi Sauvignon Blanc Shiraz Sicily South Africa Spain Sparkling Supermarkets Sustainable Tax Terroir Tesco The Wine Society Unrepresented USA Valpolicella Virgin Wines Waitrose Wanderlust Welsh Wine What to Buy Wine Art WineGB WIne Glasses Zinfandel