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The Wine Society Pick List

Posted by

Simon Judge

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Welcome to my bi-annual summary, which is updated every May and October to bring you wine picks from The Wine Society. Across the recent Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer press tastings, I have tasted over 240 wines to curate this buyer’s guide.

To help you easily navigate their web site, I have grouped my favourites by country, complete with their vintage, price, and a short tasting note.

Please note that at the time of writing, not all wines may be in stock yet (or be sold out if from the Spring tasting) and prices are subject to change.

England

  • Westwell Wicken Foy NV 12% – £29 A crisp English sparkling wine with vibrant lemon, green apple, and toasty brioche complexity.
  • Black Chalk Classic, Hampshire 2022 12% – £40 A bright, high-acid Hampshire sparkling wine offering intense dry apple flavours and rich bready lees notes.

France

  • Le Bosc Grenache Blanc, Pays d’Oc 2025 13.2% – £9.25 A soft and rounded southern French white displaying pear aromas, stone fruit flavours, and gentle richness.
  • Le Bosc Pinot Noir Rosé Pays d’Oc 2025 12.9% – £9.75 An expressive Pinot Noir rosé brimming with red berry aromas and long, red-fruited flavours.
  • Terra Santa Blanc IGP Ile de Beauté 2025 12.5% – £9.75 A vivid Corsican Vermentino offering floral aromas alongside intense redcurrant, cranberry, and peach flavours.
  • Beaujolais Domaine Desgranges 2025 12.6% – £9.95 A pale Gamay displaying silky red fruit, strawberry and rose petal aromas, and a gentle tannic grip.
  • Mademoiselle de Pennautier Blanc 2025 12.5% – £11.50 A well-textured white blend featuring lemongrass aromas, citrus, dried apricot, and excellent length.
  • Marcillac ‘Lo Sang del Pais’ Domaine du Cros 2024 12.5% – £11.50 A characterful red with oaky aromas and initial tannins that soften nicely as the wine breathes.
  • Chardonnay Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon Le Village 2024 13.5% – £18 A Burgundian-style white layering ripe citrus and peach with a creamy texture and subtle hazelnut oak notes.
  • The Society’s Champagne Brut NV 12.5% – £36.50 A crisp, bestselling Champagne combining green apple and orchard citrus with five years of bready lees-aged complexity.
  • Arbois Pinot Noir Sur la Côte, Domaine la Grapp’A 2024 12.5% – £38 An extraordinarily perfumed, pale Jura red bursting with redcurrant, cherry, raspberry, and an earthy finish.
  • The Society’s Champagne Brut NV Magnum NV 12.5% – £75 A fresh, light-to-medium-bodied Champagne in a magnum format, combining crisp citrus and orchard fruit with bready complexity.

Spain

  • Care Tinto Sobre Lías Garnacha-Syrah Cariñena 2025 13.5% – £9.50 A deep purple blend combining rich strawberry and raspberry fruit with violet aromas and a delicate feel.
  • Pazo do Mar Blanco, Ribeiro 2025 12.5% – £9.95 A round Spanish white blend showcasing pronounced pear, ripe melon, and a subtle citrus lift.
  • Eguíluz Joven, Ábalos Rioja 2025 13% – £10.50 An unoaked, fresh Rioja focusing on pure Tempranillo fruit with vivid purple hues and violet aromas.
  • Rezabal Txacoli Rosé, Getariako Txakolina 2025 10.5% – £12.95 A refreshing, low-alcohol rosé featuring red fruit aromas, a gentle spritz, and a long salty finish.
  • Finca Míllara Lagariza Ribeira Sacra 2023 12% – £13.50 An expressive Mencía bursting with bright red cherry, lifted violet aromas, and a touch of liquorice.
  • Listán Negro Piedra Fluida, Tenerife 2021 13% – £17 A distinctive volcanic red from 80-year-old vines with savoury bacon notes, red liquorice, and goji berries.
  • The Society’s Exhibition “Selección Especial” Rioja Reserva 2021 14% – £18.50 An outstanding Rioja Reserva delivering mature red fruit, leather, tobacco, and sweet spice complexity.
  • The Society’s Exhibition Rioja Reserva Magnum 2020 14% – £40 A classic Rioja Reserva in a magnum format delivering elegant dried red fruits, leather, tobacco, and sweet spice.

Chile

  • Silbador Rapel Gewürztraminer 2025 13% – £8.95 A fresh, aromatic white brimming with classic rose petal, lychee, Turkish delight, and ginger spices.
  • Undurraga Candelabro Maule Carmenere 2025 14% – £9.95 An approachable Chilean red offering delicate floral aromas, ripe raspberry flavours, and a gentle savoury edge.
  • Clos de Luz Agras País 2023 12.5% – £12.95 A light-coloured Chilean red from 100-year-old vines delivering strawberry fruit with an earthy, savoury edge.
  • Ignacio Recabarren Casablanca Pinot Noir 2024 12.8% – £18 An elegant red featuring fresh cherry and strawberry aromas with delicate rose notes and gentle spice.
  • Matetic EQ D.O. San Antonio Syrah 2021 14.5% – £22 An intensely coloured Syrah offering complex aromas of blackberry, pepper, smoked meat, and dark spices.
  • Clos de Luz Carmenère 2021 13.5% – £31 A dark-fruited red from old vines featuring plum, blackberry, savoury herbs, and green peppercorn detail.
  • Koyle AUMA D.O. Los Lingues Colchagua Valley 2020 14% – £49 A luxurious, full-bodied blend showing intense leather, smoke, black fruit, and generous length.

Australia

  • Kurlong Crush Murray Darling Vermentino 2025 10.5% – £8.25 A fresh and zesty white with lemon, citrus, and a subtle saline mineral edge.
  • South by South West Margaret River Chenin Blanc 2025 12.5% – £14.95 A creamy, oak-influenced white packed with ripe apple, peach, honey, and toast complexity.

Argentina

  • Mendel Paraje Altamira Late Harvest Petit Manseng 2024 13.2% – £13.95 (50cl) A luscious sweet wine with intense pineapple and honeyed flavours balanced by vibrant, refreshing acidity.
  • Mendel, Finca Mendel Mayor Drummond Mendoza Malbec 2023 14.4% – £19 A structured, deep Malbec loaded with black plum, blackberry, violet, cocoa, and spice notes.

Greece

  • The Society’s Exhibition Naoussa Xinomavro 2023 13.5% – £14.95 A characterful Greek red showing sour cherry, tomato leaf, olive, dried rose, and Nebbiolo-like structure.

Portugal

  • Ravasqueira ‘Encantado’ Tinto, Alentejano 2025 14% – £9.50 A rich, full-bodied Portuguese red packed with concentrated blackberry, violet, dark chocolate, and sweet spice.
  • Quinta de la Rosa Douro Rosé 2025 – £19.50 A premium Portuguese rosé offering exceptional distinction between its inviting aroma and vibrant palate.

South Africa

  • Kanonkop Estate Pinotage, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch 2015 14.5% – £45 A complex, aged South African red featuring plum, blackberry, sweet spice, and savoury umami hints.

Related posts:

  1. 1874 Autumn – Walkaround tasting
  2. ‘Back to Basics’ – Cheese and wine pairing
  3. Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Wine: The Bottle Weight Accord
  4. The Wine Society Autumn Press Tasting
  5. Co-op Pick List
  6. Majestic Pick List

Pick Lists


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Did You Know?

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

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Light Strike Can Cause Wine Degradation in Just One Day. More

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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

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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

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