My final supermarket press tasting of the Autumn/Winter season took place with Morrisons. Held in mid-October 2025, the event was hosted at the usual London venue, where a pianist played gentle background music, lending a touch of elegance as we tasted our way through the selection.
Among the highlights were some wines from the upcoming wave of Morrisons’ Wine Block Series, two of which I’ve singled out below. This limited-edition, numbered collection sits within the retailer’s The Best range and focuses on wines made from distinctive single vineyard ‘blocks’ or particularly expressive sites across the globe. The aim is to capture a stronger sense of terroir and provenance than is typically found in supermarket blends. Availability is deliberately restricted, with the intention that these wines sell out, rather than form part of the permanent range.
Here are my picks from the 100 or so wines I tasted:
020 Vacqueyras 2023 15.5% £20
Coming soon to the Block Series, this wine is made from 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah by Cave des Papes in Garrigues Sud, France. The name translates to ‘southern scrubland’, reflecting the dry, arid terrain filled with wild herbs. Deep in colour, it opens with a herbal red fruit aroma and delivers flavours of cassis, strawberry and violet. The wine is full-bodied, partly due to its high alcohol, yet retains balance through its lively acidity and gentle tannins that keep it fresh and structured.
016 Manzanos Graciano Rioja 2023 13.5% £16
Also coming soon to the Block Series, this wine from Bodegas Manzanos stands out for being a red Rioja made using 100% Graciano and no Tempranillo. It is grown at the highest altitude for Graciano in Rioja, pushing the vines to produce concentrated fruit of excellent quality. The result is a wine with deep floral and red fruit aromas, soft black fruit and violet flavours and a gentle touch of spice on the finish. A pure and distinctive expression of Graciano that captures the essence of this grape.
Le Relais du Roi Principauté d’Orange 2024 14% £13
Produced by Boutinot France in the Rhône, this blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah offers lovely, intense strawberry fruit both in aroma and flavour. The texture is smooth and elegant, with very low tannins that give the wine a soft, delicate finish. It’s a graceful red with a charming freshness and balance that makes it a French wine drinkable now.
The Best Organic Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2024 12.5% £8
Made by Citra Vini from 100% Montepulciano grapes, this long-time favourite of mine seems even better this vintage. Deep in colour with an enticing dark fruit aroma touched by caramel, it has rich flavours of dark fruit, chocolate and subtle spice with a hint of earthiness. It feels smooth and rounded, offering impressive depth for the price. A real bargain and my favourite red of the tasting.
Las Dos Caras, Ribera Del Duero 2022 14.5% £11.50
From Bodegas Valdecuriel in Spain, this 100% Tempranillo is also a returning favourite. The wine has a deep ruby red colour that is almost opaque, with a cherry-led aroma. The flavours are centred around ripe cherry, complemented by gentle blackcurrant notes. It’s more approachable than most typical Ribera del Duero wines, with far fewer tannins, making it an easy and enjoyable red.
Gran Reserva Chilean Pinot Noir 2024 13% £12
New to Morrisons, this Pinot Noir is produced by Viña Ventisquero in the Casablanca Valley, named New World Winery of the Year 2024 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Made from 100% Pinot Noir, it is partly matured in French oak, adding subtle depth. It has a lively red cherry aroma and delivers flavours of soft cranberry and violet, creating a refined and fruit-forward style.
Champagne Charles Clément Brut NV 12.5% £25
Comprising 70% Pinot Noir, 18% Pinot Meunier and 12% Chardonnay, this Champagne has a pleasant brioche and apple aroma that continues through to a fuller, brioche-driven apple flavour. The finish is lifted by fresh acidity, keeping it crisp and lively. Well-balanced and not too sweet, it offers good value for money in this category.
The Best English Sparkling Grand Reserve Brut NV 11.5% £25
A returning favourite from last year, this edition has slightly less alcohol and perhaps a touch more sweetness. Produced by the anonymous ‘Rolling Green Hills’, widely rumoured to be Nyetimber, it’s a blend of 54% Chardonnay, 37% Pinot Noir and 9% Pinot Meunier, aged for over six years. The flavour is complex and layered, with notes of baked pastry, apple, butter and a hint of citrus, offering depth and richness with fine bubbles and excellent length.
Bolney Classic Cuvée NV 12% £32
This English sparkling wine offers deep brioche and apple notes on both aroma and taste. It stood out as the best sparkling wine of the tasting, showing superb balance and intensity. Slightly drier than The Best English Sparkling, its restraint allows the fruit and texture to shine through beautifully, creating an elegant, harmonious finish.
Collezione Privata Rosato 2024 12% £8
A new rosé addition to Morrisons, made by Piccini in Veneto, Italy, using 85% Pinot Grigio and 15% Garganega. The aroma is strikingly distinctive, reminiscent of pear drops, which continues through to the flavour. Rounded and gently sweet with a long finish, this rosé is full of character and flavour. Excellent value for money and sure to be popular.
The Best Côtes de Gascogne 2024 11% £7.50
Still the same vintage as before, this past favourite of mine from France remains as zesty as ever. Made by Plaimont, it combines 60% Colombard, 25% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Gros Manseng. The aroma bursts with tropical and citrus notes, while the taste delivers grapefruit, pineapple and sharp citrus flavours backed by very high acidity that keeps it lively and fresh. Its intensity may divide opinion, but I find it vibrant and enjoyable, especially, as I found, with roast chicken.
Kurstenstein Riesling 2024 9% £5.50
New to Morrisons and produced by Reh Kendermann in Germany, this Riesling has a bright citrus and tropical aroma followed by a sweet apricot flavour. With its low alcohol and refreshing sweetness, it offers excellent value for those who enjoy sweeter wines. A genuine bargain at this price.
The Best New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2025 13% £10
A new vintage of a wine I’ve enjoyed before, made by Kingsland Drinks. It’s composed of 95% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% other permitted varieties, which, as I previously discovered from asking, surprisingly includes Riesling. This adds texture and body to the wine. It shows the classic grassy, tropical character of Marlborough but with extra depth and a subtle musky edge. A clever twist on the familiar New Zealand Sauvignon style.
De Bortoli Botrytis Semillon NV 9% £7 (half bottle)
From Australia’s De Bortoli, this 100% Semillon dessert wine offers a lovely apricot and almond aroma and a very smooth, very sweet flavour. The rich apricot taste lingers beautifully, with impressive length and balance. One of the best sweet wines I’ve tried this season.
In summary, there are some strong additions to the Block Series, along with two very enjoyable English sparkling wines. A few returning favourites made a welcome reappearance and there were several new, tasty additions worth noting.
Prices are, of course, subject to change and can drop quite significantly during the 25% off promotions.
