Hatch Mansfield is a leading UK wine agency, founded in 1994 by Patrick McGrath MW alongside partners from renowned producers including Louis Jadot, Errazuriz and Villa Maria. The company specialises in representing and distributing wines from independent, family-owned estates across the globe. While many of the wines it brings to market are found in independent wine shops, some of the more accessibly priced options also appear in supermarkets.
At the recent ’25 Autumn Portfolio Tasting held in London, Hatch Mansfield showcased over 300 wines, spanning 25 brands from diverse regions. Principals and winemakers were present throughout the day, offering insight and guidance as they poured and discussed their wines with guests.
With such a large number of wines on offer, I found it necessary to narrow my focus. Having spent much of the summer concentrating on award-winning wines, I chose to follow that same theme here. It was, admittedly, something of an arbitrary decision, especially given that not every wine is submitted to awards in the first place, but it provided a useful framework for exploring a curated and impressively great selection. Here are my highlights with recommended retail prices:
Taittinger Brut Réserve NV, 12.5% abv, £45.00
Made from 40% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 25% Pinot Meunier, this Champagne is always dependable with fine bubbles and flavours of peach, orchard fruits, citrus and brioche, delivering a lively and fresh expression that, I think, offers the best quality-value in the Taittinger range.
Domaine Ferret Pouilly-Fuissé 2022, 13.0% abv, £47.80
100% Chardonnay, this wine is very aromatic with yellow fruit and floral character, dry and balanced with a creamy mid-taste that is round and supported by restrained oak, mineral notes and acidity, persistent and recognised with a Decanter award.
Domaine Ferret Pouilly-Fuissé Tête de Cru Clos des Prouges 2022, 13.0% abv, £65.10
Produced entirely from Chardonnay, this is more oaky and richer than the previous wine, with aromas of hazelnut, lime and honeysuckle, offering a creamy texture and notable persistence.
Esporão Bico Amarelo Vinho Verde 2024, 11.0% abv, £11.00
This Portuguese white, previously reviewed, shows none of the light effervescence expected of its peers but instead offers clarity with bright citrus notes, aromas of lemon in precise harmony with cool mint reminiscent of lemon balm and a drier and more substantial style.
Zuccardi Polígonos Semillón Tupungato 2024, 13.0% abv, £30.00
Made from 100% Semillon grown in the high 1200m vineyards of Argentina’s Uco Valley, this wine carries aromas of citrus such as lemon and lime with green apple, a creamy mid-taste with excellent lees influence, a saline edge and has been awarded high scores.
Robert Oatley The Pennant Chardonnay 2021, 12.5% abv, £42.83
This full-on Chardonnay shows abundant oak matched with fruit to balance, producing a wine that is rich yet harmonious and highly scored by both the IWSC and the IWC.
Robert Oatley Finisterre Chardonnay 2022, 12.5% abv, £26.40
Made from 100% Chardonnay, this is the little sister to The Pennant, more restrained and perhaps more balanced, less likely to offend oak avoiders, available at a better price and still highly rated with multiple awards.
Leftfield Sauvignon Blanc 2024, 13.0% abv, £16.10
Produced from 100% Sauvignon Blanc, this returning Marlborough favourite from last year has aromas of passionfruit and lemongrass and delivers refreshing tropical fruit flavours that are lively and enjoyable.
Domaine Evremond Classic Cuvée NV Edition I, 12.0% abv, £55.00
From Kent, this is a collaboration between Taittinger, Hatch Mansfield, its CEO Patrick McGrath MW, private British investors and friends, producing a Champagne-like wine that is not too sweet and distinctly fresh.
Joseph Mellot Saumur-Champigny Le Boisclair 2023, 12.0% abv, £20.10
This 100% Cabernet Franc red is dry and medium-bodied with aromas of violet and a red fruit taste, slight tannins, full fruit expression, lingering red-berry flavours and a fresh finish.
Cune Organic 2022 Rioja, 13.5% abv, £14.40
Blended from 60% Garnacha, 30% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano, this is a lovely herby and lighter Rioja that remains well balanced.
IDDA Etna Rosso 2020, 14.5% abv, £49.10
Made from Nerello Mascalese grapes in a collaborative project between the Graci family of Sicily and the Gaja family of Piedmont, this wine offers aromas of red berries such as raspberry and cherry alongside darker fruit, smoke, herbs, floral notes, mineral spice and savoury complexity and it has been very highly rated by critics.
Esporão Alicante Bouschet 2015, 14.5% abv, £35.70
Produced from 100% Alicante Bouschet, this wine shows lovely red fruit aromas with a round character, black fruit flavours, full body and persistence.
Quinta dos Murças Reserva 2018, 13.5% abv, £33.29
Blended from 30% Tinta Roriz, 20% Tinta Amarela, 20% Tinta Barroca, 15% Touriga Nacional and 15% other grapes, this wine delivers intense black fruit with balsamic aromas, a dry and deep black fruit taste, great length and smoothness and stands out as excellent and is my ‘best in show’.
Arboleda Carmenère 2022, 13.5% abv, £19.80
Made from 84% Carmenère, 9.7% Petit Verdot and 4.85% Malbec, this wine reveals smoky blackberry and plum aromas with a round combination of fruit and oak, all well balanced and was one of the best wines of the tasting, prompting a return for another taste.
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Pinot Noir 2023, 13.5% abv, £16.00
Produced from 100% Pinot Noir, this wine has aromas of ripe cherries with spicy and herby notes, a red fruit taste with clear acidity, fine tannins, subtle oak influence and good length.
Vidal Reserve Pinot Noir 2022, 12.5% abv, £19.72
Made from 100% Pinot Noir in New Zealand, this elegant wine shows aromas of red berries and floral spice with a slightly earthy savoury taste.
Résonance Découverte Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017, 13.5% abv, £51.83
Produced from 100% Pinot Noir in Oregon, this dry wine has aromas of cherry, blackberry, wild mint, fresh liquorice and fine oak, with amazingly deep fruit character of raspberry and blueberry for a Pinot and a lingering finish.
Conversations with some of the smaller independent shop retailers made it clear just how challenging things are for them at the moment with past and current Governments not championing business in general, especially the drinks industry. One admitted that there is little point in being in the independent retail wine trade unless it is done for the enjoyment, since the financial rewards are minimal. Even so, they were quick to praise Hatch Mansfield’s wine selection, noting that it suits their customers’ tastes extremely well.
