Majestic Pick List

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17 September 2026

Welcome to my Majestic pick list, updated every April and September. Over the course of the recent Majestic Autumn and Spring press tastings, I have tasted over 200 wines. To help you easily navigate the wine aisles on your next visit, I have selected my favourites from these events.

The wines below are grouped by country, complete with their vintage, price, and a quick summary to help you find the perfect bottle.

Prices are subject to change and not every wine will always be available in every store. However, Majestic can usually find bottles in other branches if needed.

Argentina

Alamos Malbec 2024 12.5% £9.00: A plush, easy-drinking Mendoza red filled with dark cherry, plum, and cocoa flavours supported by soft tannins.

Australia

Tenacity Cabernet Sauvignon 2024 13.9% £14.50: A beautifully balanced, slightly lighter Cabernet Sauvignon offering fruity black cherry flavours with a fresh, woody finish.
Chaffey Bros ‘Pax Aeterna’ Old Vine Grenache 2025 14% £18.00: A perfumed, light-to-medium red with raspberry, strawberry, and rose aromas sourced from 93-year-old Barossa vines.
Chaffey Bros ‘Omnia Nova’ Syrah 2023 14% £18.00: A concentrated, dark-fruited Shiraz showing intense blackberry, plum, graphite, and pepper with a mineral drive.

Chile

Luis Felipe Edwards ‘Signature Series’ Viognier Reserva 2025 12.5% £8.50: Zingy and refreshing, this Viognier bursts with prominent pear, peach, and apricot characteristics.

England

Sandridge Barton ‘Dart Valley Reserve’ 2023 10% £14.00: A deeply aromatic, lower-alcohol Devon white displaying petrol, tropical fruit, peach, and lemon character.
Urban Press Bacchus 2025 11.5% £16.00: A textured, artisan English white boasting vibrant grapefruit, melon, green apple, and pineapple notes.
Roebuck Estates Rosé Reserve 2019 12% £39.00: An extremely pale sparkling rosé delivering aromas of lemon, green apple, and brioche with crisp acidity and rich leesy complexity.

France

M. Chapoutier Collines Rhodaniennes Viognier 2024 11.5% £19.00: An extreme expression of Viognier filled with intense apricot, floral, honey, and almond flavours that pair brilliantly with food.
Rijckaert F. Rouve ‘Sur le Marnes’ Côtes du Jura 2023 13% £20.00: A creamy, wild-fermented Jura Chardonnay layering citrus, stone fruit, and hazelnut with a generous mouthfeel.
Château Méaume Matured Bordeaux Supérieur 2019 14.5% £17.50: An approachable, matured Bordeaux with a core of dark fruit layered with softened tannins, cedar, and chocolate.
Château Peyrassol ‘XIIIE’ Organic Rosé 2025 13% £22.00: A delicate organic rosé combining bright red fruit notes with zesty citrus and a light, refreshing finish.
Montaudon Réserve Première Brut Champagne NV 12% £27.00: A crisp, citrusy Champagne delivering orchard fruit flavours layered with bread and biscuit complexity.
Côté AIX Magnum 2025 12.5% £28.00: Very pale salmon in colour, this fruity dry rosé magnum offers lovely strawberry and white flower aromas.
Billecart-Salmon Le Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Champagne NV 12% £76.00: An elegant Grand Cru Champagne with deep citrus, apple, and pastry aromas balanced by autolytic creaminess and a dry finish.

Germany

Vereinigte Hospitien Riesling Trocken 2025 11.5% £15.00: A crisp, mineral-driven Mosel Riesling bursting with green apple, lime, and white blossom aromas.

Hungary

Tűzkő Kékfrankos 2022 13% £14.00: A distinctive, flavoursome red offering fresh sour cherry, blackberry, and a gentle hint of Hungarian paprika spice.

New Zealand

The Ned ‘Noble’ Sauvignon Blanc 2024 10.5% £13.00 (Half bottle): A rich dessert wine bursting with botrytised apricot, tropical fruit, marmalade, and honey flavours.
Rapaura Springs ‘ROHE’ Dillon’s Point Sauvignon Blanc 2025 13% £18.50: A bold, premium Marlborough white packed with crisp citrus, passionfruit, cut grass, and punchy tropical fruit flavours.

Portugal

Papel Encruzado 2025 12.5% £12.00: A full-bodied, White Burgundy-style Dão white featuring lemon, ripe pear, peach, and subtle oak integration.

South Africa

Thelema Sutherland Cabernet Sauvignon 2024 14% £15.00: Deep ruby in colour, this fresh red brings dark fruit flavours with a slight herbal edge and a spicy finish.
Simonsig ‘Kaapse Vonkel’ Cap Classique Brut 2024 12% £16.00: A zesty and refreshing traditional-method sparkling wine offering citrus, green apple, and brioche complexity.
Thelema ‘The Mint’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 14% £32.00: A rich, structured Stellenbosch red delivering dark fruit notes with a distinctive eucalyptus and cedary finish.

Spain

Raimat Organic Albariño 2025 12.5% £10.50: A zesty, bright organic Albariño bringing together lemon, lime, peach, and a mouth-watering saline edge.
Bodegas Franco-Españolas El Siete Rioja Reserva 2019 13.5% £11.00: An elegant, great-value Rioja Reserva offering mature red fruit, leather, tobacco, and sweet spice.
Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Reserva 2020 14.5% £16.00: An expressive, balanced Rioja showcasing red fruit, oak spice, subtle caramel notes, and an extremely woody finish.

Pick Lists

TipS – Infographics

Did You Know?

Australian wine exports to China have collapsed from around $1.2 billion to less than $10 million. More

Wine’s aroma is not determined solely by which flavour compounds it contains. More

Low-to-moderate wine consumption is associated with lower mortality. More

Moderate water stress can be part of what creates flavour and terroir expression. More

Wine appears less frequently online than other alcoholic drinks. More

Independent retailers had 9% fewer customers in March 2026 than two years earlier. More

Average spend per bottle in independents has risen by 23% since 2019, compared with 21% in supermarkets. More.

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