Reviews

  • Nero Oro Riserva

    Nero Oro Riserva

    This Sicilian red might catch your eye if you’re drawn to Nero d’Avola, but it’s very different from the usual expressions of that grape. It’s a blend of Nero d’Avola and Syrah from the 2021 vintage, with 14% ABV and a long 18 months spent in oak barrels. The result is a distinctive, deeply flavoured…

  • Villa Maria Marlborough Wairau Valley Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

    Villa Maria Marlborough Wairau Valley Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

    I tried this one as part of my awards25 series after the 2024 vintage achieved an IWC Gold with 95 points. Made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc, the 2024 growing season saw low rainfall and cooler weather which led to a reduced crop yield and consequently more concentrated flavours balanced by fresh acidity. Specific yeast strains…

  • Extra Special Dão

    Extra Special Dão

    Reviewed here as part of my awards25 series, this 2021 vintage picked up a Silver medal at the IWSC with 92 points. Produced and bottled by Falua Sociedade de Vinhos, it comes from Dão in northern Portugal and is made from 60% Mencía and 40% Touriga Nacional. At 13.5% ABV, it opens with a delicate…

  • Extra Special Albariño Rias Baixas

    Extra Special Albariño Rias Baixas

    This 2024 vintage of Extra Special Albariño from Rías Baixas, produced by Bodegas Pazo Cilleiro in Galicia, stands out not just for its gleaming trio of 2025 medals, bronze from IWC, silver from IWSC, and bronze from Decanter, but for offering a genuine taste of its Atlantic homeland. Made entirely from Albariño and bottled at…

  • Heaphy Hill Riesling

    Heaphy Hill Riesling

    This is a distinctive white from Nelson, in the north-west of New Zealand’s South Island, a region known as Nelson Tasman. Made from 100% Riesling, this wine comes from one of New Zealand’s oldest vineyards, which is unirrigated and small in scale. The wine spent eight months resting on fine lees before bottling, adding depth…

  • Finest Sancerre Rosé

    Finest Sancerre Rosé

    I wanted to try this as it recently won a Gold medal at the International Wine Challenge (IWC), which caught my attention since golds account for less than 1% of all medals awarded. It’s made from Pinot Noir grapes grown in Sancerre and bottled at the source in the Loire by Fournier Père et Fils,…

  • Calvet Crémant de Bordeaux Blanc

    Calvet Crémant de Bordeaux Blanc

    This sparkling wine from Bordeaux is a blend of 70% Sémillon and 30% Cabernet Franc, made using the traditional method with the second fermentation in the bottle that lasts for 11 months. This the 2022 vintage and sits at 12% ABV. The bubbles are small and stayed for a very long time, giving it a…

  • Expressions Fetească Regală

    Expressions Fetească Regală

    This is a Romanian white wine produced by Cramele Recaș in Transylvania, a region with a winemaking history that stretches back centuries. The vineyards in this area are thought to be among the oldest in the world, with Roman origins and documented references to the Recaș vineyard land dating as far back as 1447. For…

  • Waitrose No.1 Barossa Shiraz

    Waitrose No.1 Barossa Shiraz

    This wine is part of Waitrose’s premium No.1 range, aimed at those seeking standout quality. Having been impressed by the No.1 La Val Albariño and Margaux, I had high hopes for this Shiraz, which boasts a 2025 IWC Silver medal and a 93-point rating. It’s produced by the seventh-generation Lindner family and aged in a…

  • Co-op Irresistible Cabernet Sauvignon

    Co-op Irresistible Cabernet Sauvignon

    I’m reviewing the 2023 vintage of Co-op Irresistible Cabernet Sauvignon as part of my awards25 series. This particular vintage won a silver medal at the 2024 International Wine Challenge (IWC), so I was naturally keen to try it. It’s produced by Viña Indómita in Chile’s Maipo Valley, with winemaking led by Diego Covarrubias. This is…

  • Esporão Bico Amarelo

    Esporão Bico Amarelo

    This, 2024 vintage, wine has swiftly risen to prominence, securing a remarkable 96 points and claiming both the IWC Vinho Verde Trophy and the Portuguese White Trophy at the International Wine Challenge 2025. Its lineage traces back to Quinta do Ameal, an estate established in the early 1700s, which Esporão rejuvenated a few years ago,…

  • Les Dauphins Côtes du Rhône Rosé Réserve

    Les Dauphins Côtes du Rhône Rosé Réserve

    This 2024 vintage draws inspiration from the lively elegance of 1920s Paris, a time when food, wine, music and art flourished. It also marks a period of transformation in the Rhône Valley, when the first co-operatives, like Les Dauphins, were formed. This rosé is a blend of 85% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 5% Cinsault, with…

  • ¡Hola! Mediterraneo Orange Spritz

    ¡Hola! Mediterraneo Orange Spritz

    As I write this, the UK is in the grip of a heatwave and I’ve been on the lookout for something light, refreshing and a little bit different to help cope with the warmth. This Spanish spritz fits the bill perfectly. Coming in at 8.5% ABV, this spritz comes from Catalunya, in the heart of…

  • Cuvée de Brieu Syrah

    Cuvée de Brieu Syrah

    The Lidl July Wine Tour is now underway. I wasn’t able to attend the press tasting for this release as I happened to be on holiday. Fortunately, Lidl kindly sent over a few bottles from the range for me to try. Lidl’s Wine Tours tend to run for roughly two months, offering a limited window…

  • Ormarine ‘Cuvée Estela Élevée sur Lies Fines’ Picpoul de Pinet

    Ormarine ‘Cuvée Estela Élevée sur Lies Fines’ Picpoul de Pinet

    This 2023 vintage Picpoul is a striking example of the quality now coming out of this Languedoc appellation. Ormarine, based in the heart of Pinet since 1922, is responsible for over 40% of the region’s total production and their expertise shows in this wine. The term ‘Élevée sur Lies Fines’ refers to ageing on fine…

  • Edna Valley Pinot Noir

    Edna Valley Pinot Noir

    Edna Valley Pinot Noir 2022 comes from California’s Central Coast, where the cooling influence of the nearby Pacific Ocean allows for a long, gentle ripening season. This slower process brings depth and elegance to the wine. At 14% ABV, it has a touch more weight than many other Pinots. This is a medium-bodied red with…

  • Duplico Rosso Puglia

    Duplico Rosso Puglia

    The Lidl July Wine Tour is now underway, though I unfortunately missed the press tasting last time around due to being on holiday, ironically, within reach of Puglia, where this particular wine originates. Still, Lidl kindly sent me a few bottles from the range to try for myself. These Wine Tours tend to run for…

  • Laurent Delaunay Les Grappillages Fleurie

    Laurent Delaunay Les Grappillages Fleurie

    I’ve had the chance to be one of the first to try a brand-new wine from acclaimed Burgundian winemaker Laurent Delaunay. Known for multi-award-winning expertise and as a fifth-generation winemaker, Delaunay has just released a Beaujolais under the new Les Grappillages range. It’s a wine that brings together traditional regional winemaking with a distinctly modern…

  • Alain Grignon ‘Grande Réserve Vieilles Vignes’ Carignan

    Alain Grignon ‘Grande Réserve Vieilles Vignes’ Carignan

    This is a striking new arrival at Majestic that’s already turning heads. At a recent store managers’ tasting, it reportedly stole the show, and it’s not hard to see why. This impressive red comes from Château Grand Moulin in the town of Lézignan-Corbières, in the heart of Occitanie. It’s made from old-vine Carignan, with some…

  • Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon

    Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon

    I first came across and liked this wine at the Asda Spring Summer Wine Showcase and just to be sure, I tried it again more recently. It’s an Australian red made by Complexity, a producer sourcing grapes from family-owned vineyards spread across South Australia’s premium wine regions. While Australia is far better known for Shiraz,…

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Did You Know?

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