The Wine Merchant Top 100 2024

a VinTaGe Year For The Wine MerchanT Top 100

CHAIRMAN OF JUDGES DAVID WILLIAMS REFLECTS ON THIS YEAR’S RESULTS, AND HOW WE ARRIVED AT THEM

There are many reasons why 2024 was a vintage year for The Wine Merchant Top 100, but two in particular stand out. The first of those is rather obvious: the sheer quality of the wines that made it through our rigorous four-stage judging process to take their place among the Top 100 and Highly Commended winners featured over the following pages of this supplement.

Put together, these wines represent a particularly bumper crop, with notable breakthrough performances from orange wines and Greek wines, and the strongest, and most competitive, field of sparkling wines we’ve ever had. But there is something here for every kind of independent customer, whether it’s a character-filled sub-£10 Portuguese white, an amphora-aged French orange wine, or a Trophy-winning, ethereal red from the volcanic soils of Tenerife.

The quality of the wines is, as ever, down to the suppliers, who once again produced a fiendishly competitive field. Whittling down the almost 1,000 entries, however, is entirely the work of our independent merchant judges: 38 of them in total, from the length and breadth of the UK.

And that brings us to the second reason why 2024 will go down as one of the Top 100’s best years: the joy of the judging day. . And that brings us to the second reason why 2024 will go down as one of the Top 100’s best years: the joy of the judging day. For the first time since Covid, we were able to complete our judging in person, in a funky, spacious new venue (Walthamstow’s Big Penny Social). In doing so, we reclaimed an important part of the competition’s raison d’être: providing a rare opportunity for some of the UK’s finest independent merchants to meet and connect with their peers.

chaMpaGne andré

roberT Les Jardins

du MesniL exTra bruT

harVesT 18 Grand cru

Champagne, FRanCe nV

Vindependents appears to have a knack for uncovering under-the-radar Champagne growers that offer top-flight wines which appeal to the UK independent trade. This superb blanc de blancs Champagne from André Robert, for example, gave the group its second successive Top 100 Sparkling Wine Trophy, after Champagne Germar Breton took top fizz honours in the 2023 competition.

This year’s winner is made by the Robert family, who have been winegrowers in Champagne since the early 1900s, and who currently have 14ha of vineyards in Le Mesnil sur Ogier. A 100% Chardonnay sourced exclusively from grand cru vineyards, it is a blend of 60% fruit from the 2018 harvest, and 40% reserve wines from the family’s solera, with 60% of the base wine aged in barrique, and 40% in stainless tanks on the fine lees.

It impressed the judges at all stages of the competition with its “beautiful balance … there’s lovely chalky minerality, energy, depth and delightful texture. First class.”

Vindependents

RRP £57.50 ABV 12%

Gaia Wines assYrTiko WiLd FerMenT

SanTORInI, gReeCe 2022

Gaia Estate’s agenda-setting Santorini Assyrtiko has been a favourite of adventurous independent wine merchants for years. It’s also been a repeat high performer in the Top 100, this year collecting another White Wine Trophy award.

As ever, the 2022 vintage is a showcase of the distinctive charms of the volcanic Greek island, with the Assyrtiko fruit sourced from 80-year-old vines grown on their own roots in poor, sandy, phylloxera-free soils. The juice is then fermented with indigenous yeasts in a mixture of stainless steel, wooden casks (French and American oak and acacia) and ceramic vats.

“It’s a terroir-driven wine, that represents the volcanic soil,” the judges said. “Lovely salinity balanced beautifully with ripe fruits, a hint of richness and a good finish. Gastronomic Assyrtiko of excellent quality – this is an outstanding wine.”

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £38.49 ABV 13.5%

WHITE WINE TROPHY

bodeGas ViñátiGo

neGraMoLL

TeneRIFe, ISLaS CanaRIaS, SpaIn 2022

After a triumph for the Aegean in the White Wine Trophy, it’s a matter of going from one fascinating volcanic island wine to another for the red equivalent, with a “heart-stoppingly beautiful” wine from Atlantic Tenerife drawing the attention of the Top 100 judges, who made it a clear winner of the 2024 Red Wine Trophy. A 100% Negramoll, it’s the work of Bodegas Viñátigo, which has been a key player in the modern revival of Tenerife’s remarkable vinous heritage since it was founded in the 1990s. Produced from fruit sourced from ungrafted Negramoll vines in a vineyard in north west Tenerife with a marked ocean-influence at less than 200m altitude, the wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for six months in French oak.

“Just a beautiful wine: haunting and perfumed, pale and elegant but full of distinctive flavours – red fruits and some sweet spicing,” the judges said. “It’s exactly the sort of wine you want to find in a competition like this.”

Hallgarten & Novum

Wines

RRP £33.49

ABV 13%

TheopeTra esTate xinoMavro rosé

meTeORa, gReeCe 2022

The runaway success of Provencal rosé has led to a rash of imitations of the pale style of pink. But it’s also created an appetite for rosé wines that offer something a bit different, with more character and flavour than is generally on offer in the south of France, such as this year’s outstanding winner of the Top 100 Rosé & Orange Wine Trophy.

It comes from Theopetra Estate, a familyowned producer which has been working its own 15ha of organic vineyards on hilly slopes at the foot of the Meteora Rocks in north western Greece since 1996. The wine is given a pre-fermentation maceration of four hours, before gentle pressing and cold fermentation in stainless steel. Three months on lees adds texture.

“The onion skin pink colour is hiding the most exciting pink in the room,” the judges said. “There is a party of the senses and all the berry fruit is invited: the intensity of strawberry is amazing.”

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £21.45

ABV 12%

ROSÉ & ORANGE WINE TROPHY

KLEINE ZALZE

Project Z Riesling, 2021

Reserva White Organic, 2022

Bila-Haut Occultum Lapidem Blanc, 2020 LOUIS JADOT

Pernand-Vergelesses

1er Cru Clos de la Croix de Pierre Rouge, 2017

WINES Hancock & Hancock Shiraz Grenache, 2019

OATLEY

VaLdespino don

GonzaLo Vos oLoroso

sherrY

JeReZ, SpaIn nV

The sheer extent of Valdespino’s vineyard holdings is really quite something. The historic bodega, which has roots in Jerez going back more than six centuries, today owns 750ha of vines, an unheard-of position of strength for a producer that has always understood the importance of terroir, and specifically sherry’s famed “albariza” soils, and which today makes a consistently impressive selection of sherries.

Winemaking skill is also paramount of course, not least for this Very Old Oloroso Sherry, a worthy winner of the Fortified Wine Trophy. The Palomino grapes are fermented in 600-litre American oak barrels, and fortified when the alcohol reaches 13% to 18%, before ageing oxidatively in a solera. The final blend has an average age of 20 years, and evaporation takes the finished abv up to 21% abv.

The result, the judges said, is an “extraordinarily complex and well-made wine. With roasted pineapple and toasted crumble flavours, it’s deliciously intense and richly satisfying with amazing length. Hard to think of a better after-dinner sherry.”

Liberty Wines

RRP

£49.99 ABV 21%

caLçada

Wines porTaL da caLçada

espuManTe de Vinho Verde doc bruT

VInhO VeRDe, pORTUgaL nV

The region is known for producing some of Europe’s freshest white wines in a lighter style (often with a touch of spritz), so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Vinho Verde is also capable of producing some seriously highquality sparkling wines.

Of course, in an increasingly crowded fizz market, its under-the-radar status also helps when it comes to price – and there’s certainly no reputation-based price inflation when it comes to this year’s clear winner of the Best Value Sparkling Wine Trophy.

Made from Loureiro and Arinto grapes, Portal da Calçada Brut was a big hit with the judges who called it a “fresh, fun and lively sparkler.

“There’s a touch of something herbal on the finish to go with the lime and lemon, making this a fine alternative to prosecco and cava. Great value for money and very easy to sell.”

North South Wines

RRP £12.99 ABV 12.5%

BEST VALUE SPARKLING WINE TROPHY

sanTo isidro de peGões

sobreiro de peGões

coLheiTa branco

penÍnSULa De SeTÚBaL, pORTUgaL 2022

Portugal has a reputation for making some of the world’s best-value wines, and the second of the country’s Top 100 Best Value Trophy winners this year fully lives up to that billing. It’s made by Santo Isidro de Pegões, a leading winery in one of the country’s rising-star regions, the Setúbal Peninsula. Founded in 1958, Santo Isidro is a co-operative with more than 100 winegrower members who between them have more than 1,200ha in the Atlanticcooled Terras do Sado sub-region, including the Pegões vineyard, where the “Pliocenico de Pegões” sandy soils are ideally suited for the trio of indigenous varieties (Fernão Pires, Arinto and Moscatel Graúdo) that make up this white blend.

Made by star winemaker Jaime Quendera, the wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel, creating a wine that tastes of “herbs and toffee apples, with a subtle, shadowy sweetness,” the judges said. “It offers a harmonious interplay of several things, and is, quite simply, great value.”

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £9.99 ABV 12.5%

BEST VALUE RED WINE TROPHY

The Wine peopLe

inTeGro priMiTiVo bio

pUgLIa, ITaLY 2022

The idea behind Integro sounds simple enough in theory: in the words of the brand’s website it’s a matter of producing wines that are “integrated and in perfect harmony with nature, to intervene only when absolutely necessary”.

In practice, of course, that’s not so easy, and certainly not at the sort of competitive price offered by this 100% Primitivo: as we all know, it’s very hard to find high-quality, fully accredited organic wines that offer very much change from £20.

But those canny operators at The Wine People have managed all that and more here. With the grapes sourced from the San Donaci area of the Salento Peninsula in Puglia, the winemaking is all about protecting the fruit, with a gentle fermentation and no oak. And it’s that purity and richness that won over the judges.

“Beautiful concentration,” they said. “Delightful soft black fruits and a lovely spicy aniseed finish. Lovely wine and great value.”

North South Wines

RRP £11.49 ABV 14%

equipo navazos

i Think aMonTiLLado

mOnTILLa-mORILeS, SpaIn nV

The story behind Equipo Navazos is one of the more heartening tales to emerge from the wine world in recent years. Effectively a kind of sherry appreciation club that got out of hand, it was formed by a group of friends who sought out neglected casks and soleras hidden away in some of the most famous bodegas in Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Montilla, with the idea of bottling them and making them available to wine lovers all over the world.

For the I Think Amontillado, they teamed up with Alliance’s man in Spain Paul Shinnie for an exclusive bottling of just 1,000 37.5cl bottles. It’s sourced in the Montilla-Moriles appellation in the province of Córdoba 200 km away from Jerez, and is taken from a single cask of unfortified Amontillado with an average age of 15 years.

“It’s rich in marzipan and toasty walnuts, with a long, complex, citrus-filled finish,” the judges said.

Alliance Wine

RRP

£22.99

orGanic

VIn De FRanCe, FRanCe 2023

Eagle-eyed followers of The Wine Merchant Top 100 will have noticed a subtle change in our Trophy categories this year, with the rosé section now expanded to include orange wines. That reflects the greater number, and quality, of skin-contact entries in what is a growing and established part of the market – and if the trend persists there’s every chance orange wines will have their own category next year.

The first orange wine to take home a Top 100 Trophy comes from the ever-agile Domaines Paul Mas, which is one of the first companies of scale to make an affordable and accessible success of what has hitherto been for largelybeen a trend led by small producers. It’s a blend of macerated Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Macabeu that our judges loved for its “freshness and immediacy. It’s deliciously drinkable with just a touch of grip,” the judges said, “and it is full of fresh tropical fruit, citrus, pear and ginger.”

Domaines Paul Mas

RRP £13.50 ABV 13.5%

BEST VALUE ROSÉ & ORANGE WINE TROPHY

MeeT our JudGes

Once again, our judges are a mixture of first-timers and some who have been part of the Top 100 in previous years. We aim for a good blend of youth and experience, men and women, big stores and small stores, hybrids and traditional merchants.

Our senior judges, pictured above, are on hand throughout the day to check in with our tasting teams, to offer an extra opinion where it’s required, and to try to ensure that wines are being assessed consistently.

They retaste many of the wines that are rejected in the morning session, reinstating some borderline cases where they feel the wine deserves a second chance. They retaste all the wines that make the final round, calibrating scores and ensuring fairness.

Philip Amps Amps Wine Merchants Oundle

Julia Jenkins Flagship Wines St Albans

David Williams The Wine Merchant magazine

Hal Wilson Cambridge Wine Merchants

Deiniol Ap Dafydd Blas ar Fwyd, Llanrwst, north Wales

Derek Crookes Kernowine, Falmouth

Ellie Buckley Noble Green Wines, west London

Cat Brandwood Toscanaccio, Winchester

David Cushley Feral Pig Wines, Newport,

Sara Bangert The General Wine Company, Hants

Leo Bruton-Simmonds Salusbury Wine Store, west London

Jaime Fernandez Vino Vero, Leigh on Sea, Essex

John Chapman The Oxford Wine Company

Ben Gibbins Melville & Mayell, Norwich

Yannick Loué Le Vignoble, Plymouth/Bath/Bristol

Sam Jackson Chester Beer & Wine

Sarah Helliwell The Stores, Frome, Somerset

Jamie Lymer Givino, Frome, Somerset

John Kernaghan Liquorice, Shenfield, Essex

Sam Howard HarperWells, Norwich

Rosalyn Magee Magee’s Wine Shop, Crossgar, Co Down

Nick Lawrence Corc, Barry, south Wales

Dawn Mannis The Sampler, Islington, north London

Henry Poultney Grace & James, Birmingham

Jodie Pollitt Cork of the North, Manchester

Virginia Myers Tenaya Wine, Sheffield

Lucy Reynolds Wines by the Sea, Southsea, Hants

Liam Plowman Wild + Lees, south London

Eliza Parkes Yardarm, Leyton, east London

Daniel Read New Forest Wines, Ringwood, Hants

Jana Postulkova Forest Wines, north London

Victoria Rogers Gauntleys, Nottingham

Phoebe Weller Valhalla’s Goat, Glasgow

Edward Speakman Morgan Edwards, Knutsford, Cheshire

Adrian Shield Elodie’s, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria

Sadie Wilkins Vineyards, Sherborne, Dorset

Halle Stephens Vindinista, west London

Ben Williams The Old Liquor Store, York

Matt Thomas Vinoramica, north London

FiFTY under £50

Sparkling

Villa Sandi Prosecco Millesimato DOCG Valdobbiadene Brut, Italy 2023 (£13.99, Cachet Wines)

Calçada Wines Portal da Calçada Espumante de Vinho Verde DOC Brut, Vinho Verde, Portugal NV (£12.99, North South Wines)

White

Funkstille Grüner Veltliner, Neiderösterreich, Austria 2023 (£12.80, Alliance Wine)

Pitchfork Chardonnay, South Eastern Australia 2022 (£9.99, Cachet Wines)

Les Vignobles Alain Gayrel La Brêche Mauzac-Sauvignon Blanc, Côtes de Tarn, France 2022 (£11.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines)

Maison Brotte Esprit Blanc Côtes du Rhône, France 2023 (£13.49, North South Wines)

Marilyn Lassere Viognier Les Argelières, Pays d’Oc, France 2023 (£10.99, Cachet Wines)

Le Charme Sauvignon Blanc, Côtes de Gascogne IGP, France 2022 (£8.99, Cachet Wines)

Terres Fidèles Montsablé Reserve Chardonnay, Haute Vallée de l’Aude, France IGP 2022 (£14.49, Alliance Wine)

Monemvasia Winery Tsimbidi Voltes White, Wine of Greece 2022 (£14.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines)

EM Family of Wines I Prandi Soave DOC, Italy 2022 (£13.99, Marcato Direct)

Snapper Rock Wine Company Ward Valley Stoney Beach Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2023 (£14.75, The Antipodean Sommelier)

Heaphy Riesling, Nelson, New Zealand 2021(£14.99, Boutinot)

Manoel Poças Coroa d’Douro, Douro, Portugal 2021 (£11.99, Cachet Wines)

Adega Ponte da Barca e Arcos Valdevez CRL Este Branco, Vinho Verde, Portugal 2023 (£10.78, Marta Vine)

Santo Isidro de Pegões Sobreiro de Pegões Colheita Branco, Penínsua de Setúbal, Portugal (£9.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines)

Calçada Wines Quinta de Calçada Alvarinho, Vinho Verde, Portugal 2022 (£14.50, North South Wines)

Bon Courage Sauvignon Blanc, Robertson, South Africa 2023 (£14, Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies)

Coterie by Wildeberg Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, Coastal Region, South Africa 2022 (£13.49, Boutinot)

Bodegas La Purísma Blanco, Yecla, Spain 2023 (£11.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines)

Bodegas y Viñedos Merayo Godello, Bierzo, Spain 2022 (£14.99, Alliance Wine)

deAlto Rioja y Más Te Quiero Organic Field Blend White, La Mancha, Spain 2022 (£10.81, Alliance Wine)

Familia Traversa Viña Salort Albariño, Canelones, Uruguay 2023 (£12.99, Condor Wines)

Orange & Rosé

Funkstille Skin Contact, Landwein, Austria 2023 (£13.80, Alliance Wine)

Domaines Paul Mas Orange Arrogant Frog Orange Organic, Vin de France (£12.99, Domaines Paul Mas)

Camel & Joseph Pomone, Vin de France 2023 (£14.99, Daniel Lambert Wines)

Bodegas Altolandon, Enblanco de Altolandon, Manchuela, Spain 2022 (£14.99, Alliance Wine)

Red

Altos Las Hormigas Colonia Las Liebres Mendoza Bonarda Clasica, Mendoza, Argentina 2022 (£13.49, Liberty Wines)

Mino&Co A Growers Touch Durif, Riverina, Australia 2022 (£11.50, The Antipodean Sommelier)

Santa Luz Pinot Noir Gran Reserva, Leyda Valley, Chile 2020 (£12.99, Cachet Wines)

The cost-of-living crisis rumbles on, and independents in all parts of the UK are looking to offer wines under £15 RRP that over-deliver for the price. Here are 50 wines in that bracket that performed well in this year’s Wine Merchant Top 100

Marilyn Lassere Pinot Noir Les Argilières, IGP Pays d’Oc, France (£10.99, Cachet Wines)

Caves Fonjoya Big Buzz Grenache Noir, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, France 2022 (£12.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines)

Domaine Boutinot Les Coteaux, Côtes du Rhône Villages, France 2022 (£12.49, Boutinot)

Deux Grives Shiraz, Pays d’Oc IGP 2022 (£9.99, Cachet Wines)

Monemvasia Winery Tsimbidi Voltes Red, Wine of Greece 2022 (£14.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines)

The Wine People Integro Primitivo BIO, Puglia, Italy 2022 (£11.49, North South Wines)

Paolo Leo Moroa Mora Malvasia Nera, IGP Salento, Puglia, Italy 2022 (£13.99, North South Wines)

Paolo Leo Primitivo Organic Appassimento, Puglia, Italy 2022 (£13.99, North South Wines)

Colomba Bianca Syrah Vitese, Sicily, Italy 2022 (£12.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines)

Cantina Lavis Teroldego, Vignetti Del Dolomiti IGP, Italy 2021 (£13.49, Cachet Wines)

Santo Isidro de Pegões Sobreiro de Pegões Colheita Tinto, Península de Setúbal, Portugal 2020 (£9.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines)

Adega de Redondo, Porta da Ravessa Tinto, Alentejo, Portugal 2022 (£11.99, Alliance Wine)

Poças Tinto, Douro, Portugal 2021 (£12.99, Cachet Wine):

Bruce Jack Wines Pinotage Off the Charts, Breedekloof, South Africa 2021 (£14.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines):

Bodegas y Viñedos Merayo Las Tres Filas Mencía, Bierzo, Spain 2021 (£14.99, Alliance Wine)

Bodegas Altolandon Mil Historias Malbec, Manchula, Spain 2022 (£14.99, Alliance Wine)

Veja Tolosa Bobal Icon, Manchuela, Spain 2021 (£14, Moreno Wines)

Bodegas Son Vich, Expression Ull de Llebre/Tempranillo, Mallorca, Spain (£15, Vindependents)

Bodegas Borsao Selección Tinto, Campo de Borja, Spain 2022 (£10.49, Boutinot)

Dessert & Fortified

De Bortoli Wines Deen Vat 5 Semillon, Riverina, Australia 2018 (£9.99, North South Wines)

sparkLinG Wines

candoVer brook bruT

Hampshire, England NV

Mark and Julian Sainsbury, sons of the late Lord Sainsbury, are today in charge of their famous retailing family’s farm in the idyllic Candover Valley near Winchester in Hampshire – a farm that, since 2011, has included a 5ha vineyard planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier on a south-facing chalk slope, the source of this outstanding English sparkling wine.

Aged for 37 months on its lees, and with Chardonnay taking up 58% of the blend, it’s “an elegant and complex wine,” the judges said. “A lovely rich mouthful, with toasty aromas and savoury notes. A grown-up Champagne alternative.”

Liberty Wines

RRP £39.99 ABV 12%

roebuck esTate bLanc de noirs

Sussex, England 2018

Founded by two friends in Petworth, West Sussex, in 2013, and now with six parcels of prime vineyard land planted to the classic trio of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in Sussex and Kent, Roebuck Estate has, in the space of a decade, established itself as one of the stars of English sparkling wine. Made only in exceptional vintages from Pinot Noir grown in Roebuck’s Roman Villa vineyard in Bignor, West Sussex, the Blanc de Noirs is “a great representation of English Pinot. Well-balanced acidity and dosage, an impressive long finish; really elegant.”

Southern England Wines

RRP £50 ABV 12%

chaMpaGne LaurenTperrier bruT MiLLésiMe

Champagne, France 2015

One of Champagne’s most respected grandes marques, Champagne Laurent-Perrier has been crafting fine fizz for more than two centuries now, and under the stewardship of long-term chef de cave Michel Fauconnet, it continues to attract a loyal group of consumers to its famously elegant house style. That style is very much in effect in the 2015 vintage wine, a 50/50 Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blend which has been aged for eight years before release. “Expressive orchard fruit in this wonderful, ageworthy Champagne which has a number of outstanding features,” the judges said. “So long in the finish and delightfully full of fruit.”

Champagne Laurent-Perrier UK

RRP £75 ABV 12%

chaMpaGne deVaux cuVée d aGed 5 Years

Champagne, France NV

A house founded in 1846 and which is today run by the Union Auboise in the Côte des Bar, Champagne Devaux is known as a standard bearer in Champagne’s Pinot Noir heartland. Made by the highly respected winemaker Michel Parisot, who has been chef de cave at Devaux since 1999, the Cuvée D blends 55% Pinot Noir with 45% Chardonnay and contains 40% reserve wines of which a quarter are from two perpetual soleras running since 1995 and 2002.

“The length really stands out here in a truly memorable Champagne that keeps pulling you back for another sip,” the judges said.

Liberty Wines

RRP £59.99 ABV 12%

chaMpaGne deLavenne pÈre

& FiLs LuMiÈre bruT bLanc de bLancs Grand cru

Champagne, France NV

Jean-Christophe Delavenne is the third generation of the Delavenne family to run this highly respected grower Champagne house in the Bouzy grand cru, having succeeded his father and grandfather as general manager of a firm founded in 1920.

For this cuvée, based on the 2018 vintage, the family gets the 100% Chardonnay fruit exclusively from their holdings in the Cramant grand cru. Aged for three years on the lees, it is “savoury, bready, developed, and, if you like that style of Champagne, this is very much a winner,” the judges said.

Vindependents

RRP £46.50 ABV 12%

chaMpaGne GerMar breTon FÛT de chÊne

Champagne, France NV

Another star of the Côte des Bar, Champagne Germar Breton is a family-run business with a long tradition of wine growing in five of the region’s villages which has been bottling its own wines since 1989.

A consistent favourite of the Wine Merchant Top 100 judges over the years, the 80% Chardonnay/20% Pinot Noir base for the Fût de Chêne cuvée is, as the name suggests, aged in barriques.

“Massive nose: nutty, leesy – a food wine,” the judges said. “Oxidised, baked apple and almond – this is one for the serious wine drinker.”

Vindependents

RRP £50 ABV 12.5%

canTina casTiadas sarapis exTra bruT Vsq

Sardinia, Italy 2020

One of the key trends in 21st-century wine has been the rise of high-quality sparkling wines from all over the world, with wine drinkers now much more open to sampling fizz from beyond the usual handful of suspects.

This “delightful” bottle-fermented sparkler from Sardinia is a case in point. Produced by a quality-minded cooperative founded in 1959 in the Sarrabus sub-region of south eastern Sardinia, it’s a 100% Cannonau (Grenache) that the judges found “beautifully smooth and balanced. There’s creaminess on the palate, quince on the finish, and brioche. An elegant wine with real complexity.”

Vindependents

RRP £27 ABV 12%

ravenTÓs i bLanc

TexTures de pedra bLanc de noirs bruT

Conca del Riu Anoia, Spain 2019

The Raventós family are Catalan winemaking royalty. With roots in the region going back to the 15th century, they are known for producing the first Spanish bottle-fermented sparkling wine (1872), for founding and developing the Codorníu brand, and for playing a key role in setting up the Cava DO.

Today Pepe Raventós has become known for his terroir-driven approach and a portfolio of small-production sparkling wines such as this blend of Xarel•lo Vermell and Bastard Negre, with its “gorgeous toasty nose, soft, creamy palate, and refined mousse and finish”.

Liberty Wines

RRP £43.99

ABV 12.5%

sparkLinG & WhiTe Wines

roebuck esTates

rosé de noirs

Sussex, England 2018

Wine number two from this impressive West Sussex-based producer in this year’s Top 100 is another fine expression of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier fruit and the excellent English 2018 vintage.

The judges loved its “soft, inviting nose in a wine that is superbly well structured. There’s a beautiful balance of savoury notes alongside berry fruit in what is a really delicate but gastronomic English rosé sparkling wine.”

The fruit is sourced from two of Roebuck’s prime West Sussex vineyards: the “home” Roebuck vineyard near Tillington and the Little Brockhurst vineyard near Lurgashall.

Southern England Wines

RRP £42 ABV 12%

FunksTiLLe GrÜner VeLtLiner

Niederösterreich, Austria 2023

Taking full advantage of the recent rise in the popularity of Austrian wine in the UK, Alliance Wine teamed up with a “16th-generation producer” in Niederösterreich to develop the Funkstille brand, which now covers four different wines, including the original Grüner Veltliner.

Vinified in a carbon-neutral winery, the fruit is fermented and aged in stainless steel with eight weeks on the lees adding an extra textural dimension. “Great price and value here,” the judges said. “There’s a stone-fruity vibe and minerality, too, making this a really strong entry point into the grape variety.”

Alliance Wine

RRP £12.80 ABV 12.5%

chaMpaGne Mandois rosé bruT Grande réserVe

Champagne, France NV

With no sign yet of consumers tiring of pink-hued wines (whether they come with or without bubbles), but with pink fizz still commanding something of a price premium over white equivalents, our judges thought this rosé cuvée was a particularly canny buy given its “very fair” price-quality ratio.

A base of 60% Pinot Noir with 30% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Meunier, it’s a blend of saignée and traditional rosé wines, offering “friendly fruit: gentle yet pleasing raspberry ripple and wild strawberries and a lengthy finish. This wine really delivers for the money.”

North South Wines

R

12%

Viña

esTaMpa inspiracion WhiTe bLend

Paredones, Chile 2021

A fine example of the new adventurous spirit at work at the top end of Chilean wine, Viña Estampa’s “extremely interesting” white blend will certainly surprise those who think the country is only capable of reliably commercial takes on the usual big-name grape varieties.

A blend of Fiano, Vermentino and Greco from the cool coastal region of Paredones, it won over the judges with its alluring nose of “orange oil and stone fruit” and its “ripe, opulent palate”.

“It’s very much a hand-sell at this price for Chile,” the judges added, “but well worth it.”

Richmond Wine Agencies

RRP £22.95

12.5%

doMaine FéLines Jourdan

picpouL de pineT

cuVée FéLine

Picpoul de Pinet, France 2022

Picpoul de Pinet’s place as the southern French go-to for all seafood-matching needs is now firmly entrenched in the UK wine consumer’s consciousness. But the appellation is capable of wines that are more than merely simple, dry and crisp.

This bottling from the family-run Domaine Félines Jourdan is a case in point, with extended lees ageing of the 100% Picpoul (six months) bringing extra gastronomic depth and interest. “Beautifully put-together, it’s fresh but richer than everyday Picpoul. It would be fantastic with fish with a cream sauce and herbs.”

North South Wines

RRP £17.99 ABV 13%

Les ViGnobLes aLain

GaYreL La brÊche Mauzac

sauViGnon

Côtes de Tarn, France 2022

A small (9ha) domaine in the heart of the Gaillac appellation in south west France, Les Vignobles Alain Gayrel was founded by the eponymous vigneron in 1976 and is now run by his son Vincent Gayrel.

The family’s vineyards on the right bank of the River Tarn include sizeable plantings of the local Mauzac, which is combined here with a 15% dollop of Sauvignon Blanc for what the judges called a “great little regional French wine. Apple, citrus zest and some savoury notes, too. This is really brilliant value for money.”

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £11.25 ABV 11.5%

doMaines pauL Mas

chÂteau MarTinoLLes

LiMoux bLanc VieiLLes ViGnes

Limoux, France 2023

The Pyrenean vineyards of Limoux create a cool-climate enclave that is superb for producing wines that offer Burgundian (or Champenois) levels of balance and quality at considerably more accessible prices.

And that’s certainly the case with this wine from a 130ha property owned by the reliably excellent Jean-Claude Mas, where orchards, olive groves and forest are interspersed with vineyards. Fermented and aged in oak, it’s a 100% Chardonnay that is “not shy with its inyour-face style”, the judges said. “It’s tropical and rich in flavour, but beautifully intense and concentrated.”

Domaines Paul Mas

RRP £18

ABV 13.5%

cave de buxY MÂcon-azé

Burgundy, France 2022

If you’re looking for value in Burgundy, then the Cave de Buxy, which was founded in the eponymous Côte Chalonnaise village in 1931 and has remained as one of the region’s most respected cooperatives ever since, is one of the most reliable places to look.

For this cuvée the Chardonnay is sourced from members’ vineyards in Mâcon and is fermented and aged in stainless steel for maximum freshness.

“Stone fruit on the nose, the palate is nicely balanced with incisive lemon acidity,” the judges said. “This would be an absolute banger in the sun.”

Cachet Wines

RRP £15.99

ABV 12.5%

WhiTe Wines

caves de JuLiénas-chainTré

pouiLLY-Fuissé 1er cru Les cheVriÈres

Pouilly-Fuissé, Burgundy, France

2021

For all the great strides made by Chardonnay producers from California to the Yarra, most independents will have customers who will settle for nothing less than the “real” white Burgundy thing, and this premier cru Pouilly-Fuissé from a cooperative that works in Mâcon and Beaujolais is a reminder of the style’s timeless appeal.

“It’s so very elegant,” the judges said. “The nose is surprisingly discreet, not hinting at the wonderful fruit awaiting on the palate. It’s a wine of great intensity, but which is still fine and refined. Would age very well, too.”

Vindependents

RRP £39 ABV 13.5%

chÂteau couhins-LurTon bLanc

Graves, Bordeaux, France 2020

Château Couhins-Lurton is both the smallest classified estate in Graves and the smallest in the André Lurton family’s enviable collection of Bordeaux estates.

But it has an outsize reputation for its fine white wines, which are made 100% from Sauvignon Blanc grown on a terroir of gravel and sand on limestone, and which are fermented and aged in a mix of barrique and clay amphorae.

“Smoky, flinty and concentrated, this is a very grown-up and sophisticated style of Sauvignon Blanc which is very much in ‘fine wine’ territory,” the judges said.

Maison brotte espriT bLanc cÔtes du rhÔne

Rhône, France 2023

Winemakers in the Rhône have upped their white winemaking game enormously in recent years, making big strides in both the quality and the quantity of their distinctive, mouthfilling vins blancs.

It’s a style that can – as the Top 100 judges said of this mix of Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Viognier from Maison Brotte – be “excellent value. Clean, fresh green pears and lovely mouth feel,” the judges added. “This is an absolute pleasure to drink, with great refreshing length and real finesse.”

It’s made by a fifth-generation producer based in Châteauneuf-du-Pape with extensive holdings throughout the Rhône Valley.

North South Wines

RRP £13.49 ABV 13.5%

North South Wines

RRP £55.99 ABV 13.5%

M chapouTier biLa-hauT occuLtuM LapideM bLanc

Côtes du Roussillon Villages, France 2020

One of the biggest names in French wine, the Chapoutier family will always be synonymous with their home in the Rhône Valley. But the family’s curiosity has seen them expand into a number of other regions, with their project in the Roussillon now well established as one of the quality wine leaders near the Spanish border.

This blend of Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris, grown on gneiss soils in Chapoutier’s vineyards in Latour de France is “dusky with brioche and voluptuous fruit”, the judges said. “Sexy hidden depths: it just keeps on giving.”

Hatch Mansfield

RRP £21.90 ABV 14.5%

schLoss JohannisberG

50 deGree riesLinG

Rheingau, Germany 2022

Schloss Johannisberg requires no introduction for lovers of German wine: the land surrounding this grand old castle in the Rheingau has been used to make wine for more than 1,200 years, with Riesling the sole variety since 1720.

Today the producer uses its 50ha vineyard to combine classical style with adventurous new bottlings such as the 50 Degree Riesling, a quintessential modern dry German Riesling.

“It has a petrol nose, and it’s playful on the tongue, waxy on the palate,” the judges said. “Soft, dry, well balanced and it overdelivers on the price point – a great-value Riesling.”

Jascots

RRP £19.70 ABV 11.5%

braun riesLinG

Trocken indiVidueLL

Pfalz, Germany 2021

Pfalz’s Braun winery emerged from the combination of two family estates, one in Ellerstadt and one in Meckenheim, in the 1970s. Run today by Michael and Martin Braun, the estate makes a broad range of impressive wines from several different grape varieties, with this Riesling part of a selection of “individuell” wines, each the fruit of a single site (in this case Meckenheimer Spielberg).

“Elderflower on the nose, citrus and wet stone on the palate, with lime zest racing through the long finish,” the judges said. “This is a very well-priced and well-made, zingy modern dry German Riesling.”

Marcato Direct

Gerd sTepp

MineraLsTein drY riesLinG

Pfalz, Germany 2022

A familiar figure in the UK wine trade thanks to his time working for the Marks & Spencer wine department, Gerd Stepp has established himself as one of Germany’s most exciting winemakers in the Pfalz, as this, the third in a trio of highly regarded dry German Rieslings in this year’s Top 100, deliciously shows.

“It has Riesling typicity, loads of minerality, and a burst of lime freshness with some floral notes,” the judges said.

“Really good balance of fresh fruit and zingy acidity. It’s just what you want from a dry German Riesling.”

Ucopia Wines

RRP £19.50 ABV 12%

akrathos haLkidiki assYrTiko

Halkidiki, Macedonia, Greece 2019

Assyrtiko may well be most associated with the volcanic island wines of Santorini, but this most distinctive of grape varieties is capable of making fine wines in many different Greek terroirs, not least Akrathos’ vineyards on the eastern slopes of Mount Cholomon opposite Mount Athos and the Syggitikos Gulf.

The vines, planted at between 200m and 500m overlooking the Aegean, yield a wine that offers a mix of “bright salinity and lush peach”, the judges said. “The fresh fruit races through to the finish in what is a beautifully balanced and distinctive dry white.”

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £28.49

ABV 14%

WhiTe Wines

eM FaMiLY oF Wines

i prandi soave doc

Soave, Italy 2022

The EM of the title here stands for Enrico Marcato, a forward-thinking and well-travelled winemaker from the Veneto who brought together a “family” of wine brands under a single umbrella in 2016.

Among the crown jewels of Marcato’s collection is the I Prandi range from Soave and Monti Lessini in the Veneto of which this classic, unoaked Soave DOC 100% Garganega is a key part.

“This is a deliciously fruit-driven and beautifully balanced Soave with great length – it’s so fruity and fresh and great value for money, too,” the judges said.

Marcato Direct

£13.99 ABV 13.5%

iL poGGiareLLo MaMi bianco

Emilia IGP, Italy 2022

As more than one of the judges said at this year’s Wine Merchant Top 100 competition, you can never stop learning about Italian wine, and this “outstanding” white from Emilia, a region better known for reds (including sparkling reds), was one of the “finds” of this year’s competition.

A 100% Malvasia, with a third of the blend made from late-harvested grapes that have been aged in used oak barrels, it has “a golden colour and a rich, honeyed and herbal nose”, the judges said. “Full-bodied and rich in the mouth, it has a lovely honeyed, silky texture.”

azienda aGricoLa corTese Vanedda bianco

Terre Siciliane IGP, Italy 2021

A fine example of the sort of winemaking creativity found in abundance all over Sicily these days, this 100% organic blend of Cataratto, Grillo and Fiano is sourced from near to Contrada Sabuci in Vittoria in the south east of the island. Given two days’ skin contact before completing its fermentation in large 30hl oak botti, the final blend then spends seven months on the lees, and ages for six months in bottle before release.

The result, according to the Top 100 judges, is “golden-coloured wine with a delicate nose –textural, rich, clean with gorgeous stone fruit and nice minerality on the finish.”

North South Wines

RRP £19.99

ABV 13.5%

Moreno Wines

RRP £29

ABV 13.5%

ManoeL poças coroa d’ouro

Douro, Portugal 2021

A blend of five indigenous varieties offering masses of character and a story to tell at a highly competitive price point:,this Douro white blend is just the sort of wine that has made Portugal so popular with independent wine merchants over the past few years.

The blend, in case you were wondering, is 30% Códega, 20% Malvasia Fina, 20% Rabigato, 20% Viosinho, and 10% Moscatel Galego Branco, and it’s been put together by a 100-year-old Vila Nova di Gaia-based firm that owns three quintas in the Douro.

“Bright and exotic fruit, with a little green twinkle – it would really work with some oily fish,” said the judges.

Cachet Wines

RRP £11.99

ABV 13%

esporÃo reserVa

WhiTe orGanic

Alentejo, Portugal 2022

One of the biggest names in Portuguese wine, and a hugely influential force in shaping the modern-day renaissance of the Alentejo wine region, Esporão continues to impress with wines of both colours that punch far above their pricing weight.

An organically-produced blend of the local varieties Antão Vaz, Arinto and Roupeiro, this reserve white is fermented and aged in a mix of 70% stainless steel and 30% American and French oak, with six months on the lees.

“Nicotine-finger, sexy mechanic on the nose,” said the judges. “This wine is a thinker but also a drinker, with lovely controlled bevellededge fruit on the palate.”

Hatch Mansfield

RRP £20.70 ABV 13.5%

adeGa ponTe da barca e arcos de VaLdeVez

crL esTe branco

Vinho Verde, Portugal 2023

We don’t want to bang on about it too much, because there’s more to Portuguese winemaking than just value. Then again, as the judges said of this classic dry white Vinho Verde: “That’s a cracking price!”

It’s made by Adega Ponte da Barca, which has more than 50 years of winemaking experience in the Vinho Verde DOC, with vineyards in the Lima sub-region providing the Loureiro, Arinto and Trajadura used in the blend.

“Racy, refreshing and full of energy, it has the cheeky Vinho Verde tickle, and a delightful fresh, summer vibe,” the judges said.

Marta Vine

R

RP £10.78 ABV 12.5%

spioenkop riesLinG

Elgin, South Africa 2017

Founded in 2008 with winemaker Koen Roose at the helm, and with vineyards run on biodynamic principles right in the heart of Elgin, one of South Africa’s cool-climate hotspots, Spioenkop is well-placed to make fine, expressive Riesling that is built to age gracefully in bottle.

And that, according to the Top 100 judges, is exactly what we have here. “An inviting nose of savoury honey, and then layers of lime and peach,” they said.

“Great texture, honeyed but with nice dryness – very classy indeed, and all the better for that little bit of bottle age.”

Museum Wines

RRP £29.99

ABV 12.5%

kLeine zaLze proJecT z riesLinG

Elgin, South Africa 2021

The second of two outstanding Rieslings in this year’s competition from Elgin, a terroir that is proving to be one of the best places in the world to grow the variety, comes from the terroir-focused Project Z range of one of South Africa’s most consistent producers, Kleine Zalze.

Sourced from a single block on a shale-rich hill, it was fermented and aged for six months in clay amphora, which, according to the Top 100 judges, brings “a lovely, elegant Riesling with an amazing finish. Grapefruit flavours –so much fruit, and it’s really pure, clean and bright.”

Hatch Mansfield

RRP £33.10

ABV 12.5%

What our JudGes saY

“There isn’t a huge opportunity in the working week to taste critically alongside other buyers, so the Top 100 judging offers an excellent opportunity to see if your own perceptions are mirrored in other shops.

“Perhaps like all indies, I worry that our range reflects our own echo chamber. Judging at this event gives me a check and balance. I have routinely purchased wines because they received recognition in the Top 100 and this year I will be hunting down wine AL-3 once the results are published.”

Sam Howard HarperWells, Norwich

“The tasting process was very well thought out and gave us the opportunity to compare wines of similar styles. The entries were all of a high standard so some of the judging was quite hard. Overall a great day away from the business to meet with your peers, exchange ideas and help to form a great list of wines.”

Jamie Lymer Givino, Frome

“One of my highlights was finally being able to say hello to a number of merchants who I either follow on social media or have a link to via suppliers. Being paired with Rosalyn and Yannick in the first round was a delight as we quickly found a process to judge the wines in our round. In the afternoon I was with Phoebe from Glasgow, which was hilarious. We were very much on the same page but what an interesting take on how she described the wines. It made me think outside the box of my normal pattern of words. I’m still trying to determine what ‘banana foam’ is.”

John Kernaghan Liquorice, Shenfield, Essex

WhiTe Wines

LoMond Wines pincushion sauViGnon bLanc

Cape Agulhas, South Africa 2021

The rather lovely name of this Top 100 Cape Sauvignon refers to the single vineyard in the far southern, ocean-influenced Cape Agulhas where the grapes were sourced – a vineyard that is in turn named after the vulnerable species of local flora known as the “Silveredged Pincushion”.

The grapes enjoy a long, slow ripening period in the cool conditions, and the winemaking is all about capturing the fruit: unoaked, cold fermentation and eight weeks on the lees for a wine that is “intense and focused with great complexity and flinty notes and a fine, long sherbet finish”.

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £20.25 ABV 13.5%

Jordan barreL-FerMenTed chardonnaY

Stellenbosch, South Africa 2022

Cathy and Gary Jordan have been making fine wines in Stellenbosch for more than 30 years now, and their intimate knowledge of the local terroirs in South Africa’s most established wine region shines through in this “seductive” Chardonnay.

It comes from the “distinct ravine” of the Stellenbosch Kloof, which is some 3°C cooler than the rest of the Stellenbosch area during the growing season. Fermented and aged in French oak, it has “an inviting nose that envelopes the senses with tropical fruits and well-integrated oak,” the judges said. “Very long and well balanced, this is highly impressive wine for the price.”

Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies

RRP £22.75

ABV 13%

spioenkop Johanna brandT

chenin bLanc

Elgin, South Africa 2019

Wine number two from this impressive Elgin producer in this year’s Wine Merchant Top 100 and, like the Riesling, it’s very much a reflection of the skill of winemaker Koen Roose and the quality of the estate vineyards.

Those vineyards sit on a mix of clay and iron-rich ferricete cobbles and shales on a plateau at 200m above sea level in a “craterlike” valley surrounded by mountains, with the valley funnelling in the cold Atlantic breezes.

“Classic Chenin Blanc: cut hay and honey,” the judges said. “Well balanced with depth and richness and brightness – very well made and an excellent match for fish and seafood.”

Museum Wines

RRP £29.99 ABV 14%

hiruzTa hondarribia TxakoLi

Hondarrabia, Txakoli, Spain 2023

The Hondarribia region may have leant its name to quintessential Basque dry white wine Txakoli’s principle grape variety (and the sole ingredient in this wine), Hondarrabi Zuri. But the tradition of winemaking in the area had fallen away from the 17th century until its contemporary revival by the Hiruzta project, led by oenologist Ana Martin.

Unoaked and made entirely from fruit grown on the Hiruzta estate 500m away from the Cantabrian Sea, this Top 100 winner is a “boxfresh example of modern Txakoli”, the judges said. “Whistle-clean and bright and thirstquenching, it’s perfectly spritzy, expressive and peachy.”

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £18.75 ABV 13%

bodeGas La purÍsMa

bLanco

Yecla, Spain 2023

High up on the Murcia Plateau at 700m above sea level, the diurnal variation in temperature means growers can retain freshness and balance, with the heat and sun of the days matched by considerably cooler nights. It’s that factor that brings the balance of ripe fruit and acidity in this Top 100 winner from the Yecla DO in south east Spain, a blend of Macabeo with 30% Sauvignon Blanc which is fermented in stainless steel and given four months on the lees in French oak barriques to bring a little extra texture.

“It’s a superbly drinkable wine,” the judges said. “All the sugared almonds and nectarine –a lovely summery drink at a great price.”

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £11.75 ABV 12%

bodeGas Y Viñedos

MeraYo GodeLLo

Bierzo, Spain 2022

Both Bierzo the region, and Bodegas y Viñedos Merayo the producer, are still better known for their red wines from Mencía. But this corner of north western Spain is also capable of making wonderful dry whites from a grape variety best known for its work over the border in Galicia: Godello.

In this example, the fruit is sourced from ancient bush vines at altitudes of around 600m above sea-level. Fermented and aged on lees for four months in stainless steel, it offers “lime zest and ginger with exotic fruit on a juicy, fruit-filled palate with a moreish finish”.

Alliance Wine

RRP £14.99 ABV 13%

WhiTe,oranGe & red Wines

bodeGa son Vich

VioGnier

Mallorca, Spain 2023

In the words of the winemaking team at Bodega Son Vich, Viognier is “the grape of hell” thanks to the high-tariff difficulty of working with it. But it seems to have found a home from home on the “sunrise-facing slope” of Son Vich’s vineyards on the Serra de Tramuntana in Mallorca, where the maturation is long and slow to promote the right balance of acidity and classic Viognier aromas.

In the winery, the grapes are given a cold fermentation in two stages, and the result is a wine filled with “honeysuckle, white peach and marzipan”, the judges said. “A complex Viognier that over-delivers for the price.”

Vindependents

RRP £25

ABV 13%

Finca aLLende

rioJa bLanco

Rioja, Spain 2019

One of the original group of “modernistas” that shook up Rioja in the 1980s and 1990s, Finca Allende is now simply established as one of the region’s best producers, with a reputation that rests on impeccable fruit grown in the estate’s sustainably managed vineyards in Briones on the right bank of the Ebro River in Rioja Alta.

Allende has always been known for the quality of its white wines as well as its reds, and this barrel-fermented 100% Virua has long had a reputation as one of Rioja’s very best blancos – a reputation that the Top 100 judges, who loved its “golden-hued toastiness and deeply satisfying savouriness, length, and balance”, would happily endorse.

Bancroft Wines

RRP £30.99 ABV 13%

equipo navazos La boTa no 119 FLorpoWer MMxxii

Andalucía, Spain 2022

A producer best known for its work as a (Top 100 Trophy-winning) sherry bottler, Equipo Navazos has also dabbled with great success in producing light wines, both sparkling and, in this case, with a dry white that takes the technique of biological ageing under a layer of flor yeast used for Fino and Manzanilla sherry and applies it to unfortified wine.

Made from Palomino Fino grapes from vines aged between 55 and 85 years old in the single plot of Pago Miraflores la Baja in Sanlúcar, it spends eight months under flor in 600-litre sherry casks. “Bready, oxidative and so, so inviting”, the judges said. “It keeps you coming back for more.”

Alliance Wine

RRP £34.99

ABV 11.5%

caLMeL & Joseph poMone

Vin de France 2023

With three macerated wines in the Top 100, this was a year of breakthrough for orange wines, reflecting their ever-growing popularity in UK independents. They are increasingly popular with producers, too. As Calmel & Joseph puts it in its publicity for Pomone: “We are totally won over by this type of vinification which undoubtedly has some fabulous surprises in store for us in the future.”

For this vintage, the Roussanne, Marsanne and Terret grapes are macerated for around a month, bringing a “sophisticated, bright and very drinkable style of orange wine with candied citrus and perfumed notes,” the judges said.

Daniel Lambert Wines

RRP £14.99

ABV 13.5%

ViLLa noria

aMFÒra oranGe Wine

Coteaux de Bessilles IGP, France 2022

Wine enthusiasts Fabien Gross and Cédric Arnaud’s Villa Noria’s high-scoring orange wine is a blend of Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Pinot Gris, Souvignier Gris, Clairette and Picpoul from vineyards set idyllically between the Mediterranean and the foothills of the Massif Central.

Made without added sulphur or yeast, the wine goes through a three-month maceration on the skins and seeds and is aged on its lees in terracotta amphora until bottling.

“Really convincing and beautifully made orange wine,” the judges said. “Lovely amber hues and intense, boisterous flavours and texture.”

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £22.55 ABV 13%

Ver sacruM La caYeTana caberneT Franc

Los Chacayes, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina 2020

It’s hard to imagine Malbec ever giving up its status as Argentina’s national grape variety. But here is yet another wine making the case for Cabernet Franc as at least its equal when it comes to making fine red wines in the country. From a 19th-century estate owned and run by husband-and-wife team Emilia and Eduardo Soler , it shows “lovely Cabernet Franc character on the nose: pencil, iodine, greenness, but all in balance,” the judges said. “Lovely sweet fruit and delicate grainy tannins. This shows just how good this variety can be in Mendoza.”

Ucopia Wines

RRP £29.50 ABV 14%

bodeGa LuiGi bosca

MaLbec doc de sanGre

Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina 2021

With a history of winemaking in the region dating back more than 120 years, and with 1,500 acres of estate vineyards to draw on, Luigi Bosca is firmly established as one of the grand old historic names of Argentinian wine. But it also remains near the top when it comes to high-quality Malbec today, with this cuvée, first produced in 1991, maintaining its position as one of the benchmarks of modern Argentinian wine for more than 30 vintages.

The Top 100 judges were just the latest in a long line of fans. “Very French, but in a good way,” the judges said. “Eucalyptus fists punching through delicious fruit. Rich but classy and stylish.”

Bancroft Wines

RRP £25.99 ABV 14.4%

Las esTeLas LeTicia MaLbec deL VaLLe

Tupungato, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina 2022

After more than two decades as a senior winemaker heading up a number of important projects at Catena, the talented Estela Perinetti is now working her own operation based on a vineyard in Tupungato first bought by her Piemontese grandfather in the 1940s.

Planted at 1,200 metres above sea level on shallow sandy-loam soils, the Malbec for this cuvée is co-fermented with a dollop of Syrah, with a third of the blend aged for six months in used French oak. “An arrow with a soft, sticky tip,” the judges said. “Concentrated but not a bulldozer – refreshing.”

Ucopia Wines

RRP £16.50

ABV 14%

red Wines

sin reGLas Wines

sin reGLas MaLbec

Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina 2022

Sin Reglas is Spanish for “no rules”, and that gives a sense of the exploratory philosophy employed by friends Horacio Scaiola and Andresito Ridois, who work with small plots of vineyard around Tupungato in the Uco Valley, looking to make wines which, according to importer Vindependents, “highlight the uniqueness of each parcel of grapes and barrel of wine”.

Made from a parcel grown at 1,320m above sea level in Finca el Peral in Tupungato, this Malbec is aged for 12 months in French oak. “Polished depth,” the judges said. “It’s a real beauty – one for slumping with on the sofa.”

Vindependents

RRP £19 ABV 14%

WakeFieLd Wines

MasTersTroke caberneT shiraz

Clare Valley, Australia 2017

Wakefield Wines’ Bill Taylor Snr was one of the first wine producers to identify and make good on the potential of the Clare Valley when he founded the family winery, Wakefield Wines, in 1969. And it was that “masterstroke” that is the inspiration for the wine range of the same name, which celebrates the individuality of Australian regions.

In this case it’s the Wakefield home region that is being celebrated in a wine aged in a mix of new and used French oak barriques for 24 months. “Beautiful berry fruit nose,” the judges said. “Complex, deep, rich … really delicious. Full on and beautifully made.”

Jascots

RRP £34.85

ABV 14%

corrYTon burGe

The briGadier caberneT sauViGnon

Eden Valley, Australia 2022

Family-owned and run Corryton Burge makes some fine Shiraz and Grenache in the Barossa Valley. But for this top-ranking Cabernet Sauvignon the family turns to their eponymous Eden Valley vineyard, where the cool microclimate is ideal for a grape variety that requires a long slow ripening.

Aged for 22 months in in French oak, 25% of which was new, the wine has a “deep rich colour, and is delightfully fruit forward”, the judges said. “On the nose it has tobacco and spice, and on the palate it’s well-structured with integrated oak. A complex and interesting bottle.”

Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies

RRP £32.75 ABV 15%

roberT oatLeY hancock & hancock shiraz Grenache

McLaren Vale, Australia 2019

Founded by the late eponymous Australia wine industry mover and shaker in 2006, and now run by Bob’s son Sandy and granddaughter Nicky Oatley, Robert Oatley Wines is all about, in the company’s own words, matching “classic grape varieties to the leading wine regions of Australia”.

Here the classic combination is Shiraz and Grenache with McLaren Vale, with a winemaking regimen that includes open and closed fermenters, regular pumpovers and ageing in variously sized oak barrels.

“A really charming modern take on this classic blend,” the judges said. “The Grenache cools down the Shiraz, and it’s just so fragrant and easy to drink.”

Hatch Mansfield

RRP £16.80

ABV 14%

scotchMans hiLL shiraz

Geelong, Victoria, Australia 2019

A leading representative of Victorian coolclimate winemaking based in the heart of the Bellarine Peninsula, Scotchmans Hill can now add a Wine Merchant Top 100 position to a crop of accolades that also includes a place among the James Halliday Top 100 Australian Wineries.

It’s a 100% Shiraz sourced from estate vines in Bellarine, which has 15% whole bunch in the mix and has been aged for 16 months in a combination of new and old French barriques. “The flavours are cassis, but savoury,” the judges said. “A really delightful style: like a berry bath at an excellent temperature.”

Cachet Wines

RRP £28.99 ABV 14%

brothers at War

The oLd Man sYrah

Eden Valley, Australia 2022

Owned and run by Angus and Sam Wardlaw, two Barossa-based brothers who grew up in a winemaking family, and whose father, the “old man” referenced in the title of this Top 100-winner, was a leading Barossa winemaker himself.

Using fruit from the Eden Valley, the wine is made with natural yeasts and with 20% whole bunch. It is aged in 500-litre oak puncheons, 10% of which are new. “It’s a delightfully ripe and enticing Syrah, in which everything is present and correct,” the judges said. “Polished and succulent with just enough cheeky grip.”

sTeLLa beLLa shiraz

Margaret River, Australia 2021

Located right in the heart of Margaret River, Stella Bella is all about low-intervention production in organic vineyard sites, which award-winning winemaker Luke Jolliffe crafts into restrained wines with a real sense of place.

Largely sourced from the Forest Grove vineyard, some 20% of the handpicked Shiraz fruit for this wine is fermented whole bunch, and the blend is aged for 10 months in 23% new French oak barriques. “This is a wine of real depth and elegance,” the judges said. “A textbook Shiraz that has the feel of a French Syrah but grown in Australia.”

The Antipodean Sommelier

RRP

£18

ABV 14%

Alliance Wine

RRP £24.99

ABV 13.4%

Lake breeze buLL anT shiraz

Langhorne Creek, Australia 2021

A leading producer in the relatively cool climate of South Australia’s Langhorne Creek, Lake Breeze is owned and run by the Follett family, who have been farming grapes for nearly 150 years. Working with vines that are on average 50 years old and taking advantage of the moderating influence of the “lake breeze” that comes off Lake Alexandrina right by the vineyard, this Shiraz is aged in a mix of French and American oak for 16 months. “Drink it everywhere,” the judges said. “This would be a really good seller: our customers would like to drink it and the price is very good.”

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £16.49

ABV 14.5%

red Wines

VenTisquero GreY GLacier

caberneT sauViGnon

Maipo Valley, Chile 2020

Ventisquero has a justified reputation for being one of Chile’s most adventurous producers, with the highly respeted Felipe Tosso heading up a winemaking operation that draws on prime sites throughout the country. The Grey series of wines is all about expressing single blocks of vines, with this Cabernet coming from a special corner of the company’s Trinidad Vineyard in the Maipo Valley. Aged in fine-grained French oak barrels, it’s “medium-bodied, very well structured, and clearly from a good terroir,” the judges said. “Lovely tannin and concentration of fruit, and really good value for money.”

North South Wines

RRP £18.99 ABV 13.5%

MariLYn Lassere

pinot noir Les arGeLiÈres

IGP Pays d’Oc, France 2022

Marilyn Lassere is one of France’s most respected winemakers. With a global perspective acquired from working in South Africa, Spain, Australia and Virginia in the USA, as well as stints in Bordeaux and other areas of south west France, she is able to make characterful wines at competitive prices. This Pinot Noir from the Pays d’Oc is testament to that happy commercial knack, a wine that, according to the Top 100 judges, has a “delicious nose of strawberries and cherries. The palate is light to medium (it’s Pinot!) but with great softness. A brisk finish and absolutely great value.”

Cachet Wines

RRP £10.99 ABV 13%

Louis Jadot pernand-

VerGeLesses 1er cru cLos de La croix de pierre rouGe

Burgundy, France 2017

A special wine from one of Burgundy’s bestknown and most respected producers, this Pinot Noir is sourced from the company’s holdings in the Clos de La Croix de Pierre premier cru in the Pernand-Vergelesses vineyard, which neighbours Aloxe Corton and Savigny-lès-Beaune. With chalky soils topped by small pebbles, Clos de la Croix de Pierre takes its name from the stone cross at the edge of the cru.

“Mature Pinot nose, quite advanced with classic Pinot ‘sous-bois’ notes,” the judges said. “The palate is lively and fresh with great intensity: simply a very good red Burgundy.”

Hatch Mansfield

RRP £40.10 ABV 13%

doMaine cLaude MaréchaL

saviGnY-LÈs-beaune VieiLLes

ViGnes

Burgundy, France 2022

Inspired by his friend, the late, great Henri Jayer, Claude Maréchal takes a natural approach to his work, eschewing fertilisers and picking everything by hand. According to importer Vindependents, Maréchal tends to pick later than his neighbours, as he seeks out full phenolic maturity. After a natural fermentation with twice-daily punchdowns, his wines are aged for 10 to 15 months in oak.

“Cherry and strawberry fruit with nice complexity on the nose: this is earthy, and spicy,” the Top 100 judges said. “The palate is concentrated with really lovely intensity and depth and a spicy finish.”

Vindependents

RRP £41 ABV 13%

red Wines

crocus L’ateLier cahors

Cahors, France 2020

Can the original home of Malbec compete with its all-conquering rival in Argentina? Well, there’s no doubt the Top 100 judges were convinced of the mass appeal of this Cahors bottling. “Well integrated and balanced, this is massively enjoyable,” they said. “So many layers of forest fruit – it simply warms the heart.” Its wide appeal shouldn’t perhaps come as a surprise since it’s a collaboration between two masters of the Malbec grape, fourth-generation Cahors winemaker Bertrand Vigouroux and Paul Hobbs, the globetrotting Californian winemaker behind Mendoza’s Viña Cobos, who work with a single Malbec clone in three distinct terroirs.

Alliance Wine

RRP £24.99 ABV 13.5%

doMaine coMbe JuLiÈre rasTeau

Rhône,

France 2012

Owner and winemaker Robert Laurent is the man at the helm of this well-regarded southern Rhône estate based in the Rasteau cru. Laurent tends some 40ha of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan vineyards, including some very old vines: on average the vines in this Top 100 winner are 70 years old. The wine goes through a classically long and slow fermentation of 25 days with wild yeasts and is aged in concrete tanks. “This is a wine that is very much of its place,” the judges said. “Herbal, sun-drenched, and deliciously rustic, it’s unmistakeably southern Rhône.”

chÂteau Grandis hauT-Médoc

Bordeaux, France 2012

Bordeaux may not be the most fashionable of regions right now, but, when push comes to shove, few wine lovers can resist the charms of a perfectly mature, ready-to-drink claret. The Top 100 judges certainly couldn’t.

“This is quite simply an excellent wine for the price,” they said. “The oak is grippy and well-integrated, and, despite more than 10 years of ageing, the colour is deep and the fruit predominant. Long, refreshing finish, and still some life left.” It comes from a 10ha Cru Bourgeois (since 1932) estate kept intentionally small by owner Brice Vergez to allow him to work the vines himself.

Vindependents

RRP £21.50 ABV 13%

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £22.75 ABV 14.5%

doMaine de La soLiTude

Les VaLLons de La soLiTude chÂteauneuF-du-pape

Rhône, France

2022

If it’s heritage and tradition you’re after, then look no further: wines have been made at this address since 1264, while the three hats depicted on the label are a reference to some of the owning Lançon family’s distinguished ancestors: two bishops and a pope. For all the history, however, the domaine is far from stuck in the past, with current owner Florent Lançon equipping the winery with the very latest tools of his trade to make what the judges called an “elegant cherry-filled wine with silky soft tannins. Great value for money for a grown-up classic.”

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £35.25

ABV 14.5%

doMaine oF The bee MaurY sec

Roussillon, France 2021

A familiar figure in the UK wine trade after a career as a buyer and consultant featuring high-profile roles at Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Laithwaites, Justin Howard-Sneyd started what he thought would be a “side hustle” with his wife Amanda based on 4ha of vineyard in the Roussillon. Today the couple work closely with leading local winemaker Jean-Marc Lafage to create small-production wines, led by this 60/40 Grenache/Carignan blend.

“Herbal, garrigue nose, so fragrant, and delicious deep ripe fruit that has so much freshness – a minty kind of freshness which really stands out for this region,” the judges said.

Domaine of the Bee

RRP £28 ABV 14.5%

MoneMVasia WinerY

TsiMbidi VoLtes red

Wine of Greece 2020

Reflecting the enormous strides made by the country’s wines in the UK in recent years, Greek wine had a breakthrough year in the 2024 Wine Merchant Top 100, earning Top 100 places for white, rosé, and – with this “cracking” blend of native varieties Agiorgitiko and Mavroudi – red wines.

Using fruit grown at a vineyard planted at 200m altitude in the Laconia region, near the Monemvasia winery where the climate is warm and dry moderated by evening coolness, the varieties are co-fermented, and the blend is unoaked. “Light, refreshing with great acidity and delectable strawberry notes,” the judges said. “A great food wine.”

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £14.25 ABV 12.5%

What our JudGes saY

“As an independent retailer, it’s always really useful to try different wines blind to avoid prejudice, and to get a good look at the marketplace in general, new trends, and to get a feel of price and quality. It’s incredibly useful to speak to different people in the industry, and gain a fresh perspective. It’s always a privilege to be asked to take part in the Top 100. It’s a fantastic competition and long may it continue.”

Sam Jackson Chester Beer & Wine

“It was really interesting to taste such a broad range of wines, even within quite specific regional and stylistic categories. There were a number of wine styles which I rarely consider tasting in much depth, which I’m now keen to re-examine. Some of the most enjoyable surprises were within the sub-£15 range, which really impressed me and the other judges I was tasting with.”

Matt Thomas Vinoramica, north London

“The atmosphere allowed for a great environment to really focus on the judging and I felt we had the right amount of time to produce the best tasting notes we could. I discovered wines that surprised me that I will look out for going forward. It was so nice to do some focused wine tasting and assessment with other wine merchants; it was really valuable all round. A great asset to the wine community!”

Virginia Myers, Tenya Wine, Sheffield

red Wines

TraMin LaGrein

Alto-Adige, Italy 2022

One of Italy’s oldest and best-run cooperatives, the Cantina Tramin began life in 1898, and today has 310 member winegrowers who between them work more than 260ha of vines on sun-filled slopes at altitudes between 250 and 850m in this Alpine region of far-northern Italy. As well as their widely acclaimed whites, they also make appetizing reds from the local Lagrein variety, which is aged in a mix of oak and concrete for six months.

“Full but fresh nose of cherries following through to a bright palate that opens out to reveal more and more fruit, spice, and earthiness,” the judges said. “Very complex and well-balanced.”

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £20.25 ABV 13%

azienda aGricoLa corTese sabuci cerasuoLo di ViTToria docG

Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicily, Italy 2021

A highly successful year for Stefano Girelli in this year’s competition continues with a second Cerasuolo di Vittoria from another of his Sicilian projects.

The Sabuci cuvée is based on a selection of the best Nero d’Avola and Frappato grapes, which are vinified separately, with the Nero d’Avola in open-top barriques and the Frappato in amphorae.

They are blended together and aged for six months in barrels of various sizes.

“Bright, pretty, smooth and supple,” the judges said. “Great balance and acidity, with prominent hits of welcome spice: excellent.”

North South Wines

RRP £22.99

ABV 14%

sanTa Tresa

cerasuoLo di ViTToria docG

Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicily, Italy 2021

Stefano Girelli is originally from Trentino but he’s been an important figure in the modern renaissance of Sicilian wine since he arrived in the early 1990s. His 50ha Santa Tresa estate in Vittoria, in the south east of the island, is responsible for some of the region’s best and best-value wines.

A classic Cerasuolo blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato, this winning red has “smooth, velvety, yet crunchy fruit”, the judges said. “Slightly perfumed with violet, and with savoury nutmeg undertones, this is so drinkable but complex, too.”

North South Wines

RRP £15.49 ABV 14%

badia a coLtibuono sanGioVeTo

Toscana, Italy 2016

One of Tuscany’s most revered and historic wine estates, Badia a Coltibuono can trace its beginnings to 1051, and has been owned and run by six generations of the Stucchi Prinetti family since 1846. The Sangioveto cuvée dates back to 1980, at a time when the DOCG Chianti Classico didn’t allow 100% Sangiovese wines, so it was bottled as an IGT Toscana. Now a modern classic, it’s still pure Sangiovese, aged for 14 to 16 months in 10% new French oak barriques.

“Excellent quality,” the judges said. “Classic notes of tobacco and mature oak; lovely tertiary flavours and complexity: soft tannins,and cooked fruit.”

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

RRP £45.25 ABV 14.5%

paoLo Leo Mora Mora

MaLVasia nera

IGP Salento, Puglia, Italy 2022

One of the heartening aspects of the recent popularity of Puglian wines in the UK is that it is based on the southern Italian region’s many intriguing indigenous grape varieties – and Paolo Leo’s 80ha of vineyards plays host to such now-familiar Puglian names as Primitivo and Negroamaro, as well as the rather less commonly used base of this wine: Malvasia Nera.

Aged for three months in French oak barrels, it has “red fruits, olive, and red flowers”, the judges said. “Concentrated fresh fruit and raisins on the palate, and a smooth texture flowing into the long finish.”

North South Wines

RRP £13.99 ABV 14.5%

paoLo

Leo

priMiTiVo orGanic appassiMenTo

Puglia, Italy 2022

The second entry in this year’s Top 100 from this consistent Puglian performer is an example of a style that has really captured the imagination of British drinkers over the past decade: Appassimento.

For this wine, the Primitivo grapes go through a process known as “il giro del picciolo”, where, in mid-August, the bunches are “choked” at the stem, starving them of nutrition, and are then left to dry on the plant for 12 days.

“Dry, fresh, ripe fruits, crunchy as well as raisined,” the judges said. “A good value Puglian with great varietal typicity.”

North South Wines

RRP £13.99 ABV 14%

cÀ dei MaGhi VaLpoLiceLLa

cLassico superiore canoVa riserVa

Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, Italy 2016

Since Paolo Creazzi took the helm in 2011, this small estate in the Valpolicella hills, founded in the 1950s, has really started to command attention, earning plaudits from critics and wine lovers around the world for Creazzi’s creative and meticulous approach to making wines that express the terroir.

A very high scorer at this year’s competition, the Canova Riserva “has a complex nose of many layers, a perfect fusion of so many aromas dancing around each other”, the judges said. “Good concentration of fruit, great acidity, freshness for its age, really vibrant – a beautiful wine.”

Vindependents

RRP £42 ABV 15.5%

san cassiano aMarone deLLa VaLpoLiceLLa docG

Amarone della Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy 2018

The second red Veneto wine in this year’s selection, and another talented winemaker at work: this time it’s Mirko Sella, who looks after winery operations at his family firm San Cassiano, and who draws on more than 20 vintages of experience to make this classic Amarone della Valpolicella, a classic blend of dried Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes that won over the judges with its “ripe, fullbodied style.

“A mixture of crunchy fruit with raisins, it has a lovely deep richness. The alcohol is high, but that rich fruit wins out.”

Marcato Direct

RRP £39.50 ABV 16%

red Wines

coaL

piT

TiWha pinot noir

Central Otago, New Zealand 2019

Coal Pit is a small producer with a perfectly situated vineyard on the warm, north-facing slopes of Gibbston, which is the highest of Central Otago’s sub-regions. Planted in 1994, the vineyard is one of the oldest in Gibbston, and it covers 12ha in total, with 7ha planted to Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

Aged in French oak barrels, 28% of which were new, the flagship, multi-award-winning Tiwha Pinot is “generous with fruit and winter spice, layers of complexity and great length,” the judges said. “And for this level of quality from Otago, this is great value.”

The Antipodean Sommelier

RRP £40 ABV 13%

carTuxa coLheiTa TinTo

Alentejo, Portugal 2019

Few wineries in Portugal can match Cartuxa for historical significance. Founded more than 400 years ago, it has been in the hands of the Eugénio de Almeida family since 1871 and is synonymous with the Évora sub-region of the Alentejo.

The Colheita Tinto is a blend of Alicante Bouchet, Aragonez, Trincadeira and Castelão from the oldest vines in the Eugénio de Almeida Foundation’s estate vineyards, which is aged for 12 months in vats and barrels, and a further nine months in bottle, before release.

“Lovely brightness of fruit – juicy and brambly in style – and then great textural contrast and depth,” the judges said. “Very smart indeed.”

Mentzendorff

RRP £45 ABV 14.5%

FLadGate sTiLL & sparkLinG

caLcario3 do principaL

reserVa red

Bairrada, Portugal 2012

The Fladgate Partnership, maker of some of the Douro’s finest ports, surprised everyone in late 2023 when it finally took the plunge into Portuguese table wine by buying up the assets and brands of Ideal Wines. As well as the vineyards and wineries, the acquisition also came with some top-notch, ready-to-sell mature wines, such as this blend of Touriga Nacional, Cabernet and Merlot grown on clay-limestone soils in the Bordeaux-esque, Atlantic-influenced climate of Bairrada.

“Very pure, lifted fruit; this could be a mature ripe-year Bordeaux, and it’s so beautifully balanced and well made,” the judges said. “A very stylish wine.”

Mentzendorff

RRP £25 ABV 14%

quinTo do espinho Grande reserVe

Douro, Portugal 2019

Based around 20ha of vineyards overlooking the Távora River on the left bank of the Douro, Quinta do Espinho has been owned by the Macedo Pinto family for several generations, and, for the past 30 years, has been a table wine specialist under the stewardship of a single branch of the family.

The Grande Reserve is a classic Douro blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa and Tinta Roriz, which is aged for 20 months in French oak barrels. “It has a deep red, youthful colour and is paced with flavour,” the judges said. “Good integration, long caramel finish: a real step up.”

Vindependents

RRP £33.50 ABV 14.5%

red Wines

avondaLe La Luna

Paarl, South Africa 2016

One of the first wine estates in Paarl, the historic Avondale estate has more than 300 years of winegrowing history. But its modern story really begins with its acquisition by John and Ginny Grieve in 1997, with their youngest son Jonathan Grieve overseeing Avondale’s transformation into a sustainable, quality-focused vineyard run on biodynamic principles.

La Luna is the estate’s flagship Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, aged for 12 to 16 months in French oak barriques. “Rich complex nose, woody fruits, and a lovely long finish,” the judges said. “A textbook example of Cape Bordeaux blend. Really good quality.”

Cachet Wines

RRP £27.49 ABV 14%

bodeGas Y Viñedos MeraYo

Las Tres FiLas MencÍa

Bierzo, Spain 2021

The red partner to Merayo’s fellow Top 100 winner, the white Godello, Tres Filas is a classic modern Bierzo Mencía. The key to its exuberant fruit is the age of the vines: winemaker Juan Merayo has access to 80-year-old bush vines, and the average age here is 60 years old.

Fermented and aged on its lees for six months in stainless steel, the winemaking is all about presenting the fruit with no oak influence. “Light berries on the nose … this is fruit-forward, smooth and so well balanced,” the judges said. “It’s easy drinking, but it offers more than that. Great price, too.”

Alliance Wine

RRP £14.99 ABV 14%

bodeGas aLToLandon MiL

hisTorias MaLbec

Manchuela, Spain 2022

There isn’t a great deal of Malbec planted in Spain. But there’s no reason why a variety that has proved so successful in Argentina shouldn’t thrive in such high-altitude areas as Manchuela, where Bodegas Altolandon has its home some 1,100m above sea level.

Owner and winemaker Rosalia Molina works her 20-year-old Malbec vines organically, and ages the wine in a mix of barrels and clay amphorae for four months.

“Super-intense colour and simply joyous fruity nose,” the judges said. “Herbaecous green notes but with lovely fruit structure –not too tannic, really supple, smooth, drinkable and very interesting and different.”

Alliance Wine

RRP £14.99 ABV 13.5%

VeGa ToLosa bobaL icon

Manchuela, Spain 2021

So much that’s exciting about modern Spanish wine is based on the rediscovery of the country’s indigenous grape varieties, and Bobal, which for so long was deemed capable of nothing more than basic bulk wine, is very much a case in point.

Founded in 1998 and based in Casas Ibañez in Albacete, family-owned Vega Tolosa is one of the key players in lifting Bobal’s reputation, working with very old vines to produce quality wines such as this Top 100 winner.

“Delicate but fruity nose filled with black fruit and subtle dusty spice notes,” the judges said. “Really delicious, smooth and just lovely.”

Moreno Wines

RRP £14 ABV 13.5%

bodeGa son Vich

expression uLL de Liebre

TeMpraniLLo

Mallorca, Spain 2018

Having already won over the judges with its Top 100 Viognier white, Bodega Son Vich notched a double in this year’s competition with an equally impressive and expressive red made from Tempranillo aka, in Catalan, Ull de Liebre from their vineyards in the heart of the Serra Tramuntana in Mallorca, one of only four vineyard areas classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“This is a wine that is great value for money,” the judges said. “It’s very much Tempranillo, but it’s great to have it in a nice, light, juicy expression. It would be great by the glass or the bottle.”

Vindependents

RRP £15 ABV 13%

bodeGas oLLauri conde de Los andes TinTo rioJa

Rioja, Spain 2016

There are few more atmospheric wineries than Bodegas Ollauri-Conde de los Andes. One of the oldest in Rioja, it dates back to the 15th century.

But if the surroundings, in the heart of Rioja Alta between Haro and Briones, are steeped in history, the winemaking is modern to a fault, with this 100% Tempranillo from 40-year-old vines fermented in stainless steel and aged in French oak (50% new, 50% second fill) for 14 months, and bottle for 12 months.

“Super-concentrated ripe berry fruit, balanced by fresh berry acidity, liquorice, menthol and suave tannins,” the judges said. “Wow!”

Moreno Wines

RRP £32

rioJa VeGa

Gran reserVa

Rioja, Spain 2015

Another historic Rioja name in this year’s Top 100, Rioja Vega originally took the name of its founder, Dr Felipe Ugalde, in 1882, before registering its current name in 1921. Acquired by the Grupo Príncipe de Viana in 1983, Rioja Vega is a “château-style” winery, with production based on the 70ha of estate vineyards that surround the cellar.

The Gran Reserva is a classic blend of Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo fermented in concrete and aged for three years in American oak and a further two years in bottle.

“Fresh nose: clean and classical,” the judges said. “Fruit, deftness, and harmony – one of our wines of the day.”

Cachet Wines

RRP £24.49

ABV 14.5%

ABV 14.4%

bodeGas onTañÓn queirÓn Mi LuGar

Rioja, Spain 2019

Rioja is increasingly looking to give scope to its producers to express their terroir, and Bodegas Ontañón has taken full advantage of recent changes in the local legislation to produce a Vino de Pueblo from selected parcels of high-altitude (600m above sea level) old bush vines around its new winery in the centre of the village of Quel.

Aged for 18 months in a mixture of new French and American oak, and six months in foudre, the wine has “an intense colour, and is “massive”, the judges said, “with big ripe fruit and oak, but all so well balanced with fresh acidity and a long finish.”

Boutinot

RRP £25.99

ABV 14.5%

red Wines

bodeGas borsao

seLecciÓn TinTo

Campo de Borja, Spain 2022

Vintage in, vintage out, Bodegas Borsao’s independent favourite is one of the most consistently good-value red wines around, and has been a frequent high scorer in the Top 100 over the years, too. The latest vintage is as good as ever, based on low-yielding 15 to 30-year-old vines at 600m above sea level on stony soils. A blend of trellised Tempranillo and Syrah with bush-vine Garnacha, it’s fermented and aged in stainless steel.

“Juicy, ripe and full of berry-fruit succulence, this is a commercial wine, but in a good way,” the judges said. “Just so much depth and body for the money.”

Boutinot

RRP £10.49

14.5%

Viñas deL Vero secasTiLLa oLd Vine Garnacha

Somontano, Spain 2018

One of the most significant producers in Somontano, Viñas del Vero sources its top Secastilla range from the valley of the same name in the north eastern part of the Pyrenean Spanish DO, with the crème de la crème (and the source of this wine) being the very old Garnacha vines the company has recovered on stony hillsides at more than 700m altitude.

Aged for 10 months in new French oak, it’s a “beautifully balanced bottle,” the judges said. “Classic but so nicely done; it’s full-bodied and rich with dark fruit flavours offset by brightness and freshness.”

Gonzalez Byass

RRP £28

Marco abeLLa Mas MaLLoLa

Priorat, Spain 2021

A regular star performer in this competition over the years, Marco Abella charmed the judges once again with this “classy” Priorat.

Described by the producer as “our Vi de Vila” or “village wine”, it’s intended to express “the typicity and essence of the village of Porrera” in Priorat, and comes from the La Mallola plot at 750m above sea level, with a marked influence from the Mediterranean a mere 10km away.

“Great treat wine,” the judges said. “Approachable, and well balanced, with the fruit allowed to express itself. Very elegant.”

Vindependents

RRP £33 ABV 14.5%

ABV 15%

Jordan caberneT

Alexander Valley, California, USA 2016

Founded in 1972, and now run by John Jordan, the son of the founders, this Alexander Valley winery is unashamedly “European” in approach, working with fruit from the 1,200 acres of vineyards that surround the winery.

In the producer’s own words, the focus here is “on three things: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and hospitality,” and for our judges it was the second of those two specialities, aged for 13 months in a mix of new and used French oak, that earned the winery a spot in the Top 100.

“Very much Californian, but this is a wine of genuine elegance and finesse, and the bottle age brings a delicious softness and savouriness,” they said.

Cachet Wines

RRP £65 ABV 14.5%

ForTiFied Wines

henriques & henriques

10 Year oLd VerdeLho

Madeira, Portugal NV

A Madeira producer with deep roots (it was founded in 1850 by Joao Joaquim Henriques) but with a pioneering streak, Henriques & Henriques is the only Madeira producer to have consistently owned its own vineyards on the island, and was the first, in 1992, to build a winery specifically tailored to the needs of modern Madeira production.

With master blender Humberto Jardím in charge of winemaking, this blend is made using the traditional Canteiro process with the wine heated naturally over a period of months.

“Beautiful toasted almonds and apple crumble,” the judges said. “A delightful off-dry style with great acidity.”

Mentzendorff

RRP £25 ABV 19%

dandeLion VineYards

LeGacY oF ausTraLia xxxo pedro xiMénez

Barossa Valley, Australia NV

Elena and Zar Brooks are the talented winemaking couple behind Dandelion Vineyards, who work with numerous plots in the Barossa and Eden Valleys, Fleurieu, the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale. In this case they’re collaborating with vigneron Carl Lindner, whose family has been growing Pedro Ximénez and producing fortified wines since 1944, with the vines for this classic Australian fortified wine being on average 30 years old.

“A wonderfully unusual and exotic wine with so much going on: complex, unique and powerful flavours, silky textures and great length,” the judges said. “For this kind of intensity it’s excellent value for money.”

Liberty Wines

RRP £18.99 ABV 19%

hiGhLY coMMended Wines

We call our competition The Wine Merchant Top 100 and it’s right that most of the attention falls upon those 100 wines.

But our Highly Commended wines deserve some of the limelight too. These are wines that, in many cases, missed out on a Top 100 position by the tiniest of margins. Others simply divided opinion.

On the following pages, you’ll find the full list of these wines. They represent a sort of fringe festival of winemaking excellence and there are some amazing wines to discover, from the classics right down to the weird and the wonderful.

ARGENTINA

White

Paso a Paso Los Abandonados Criolla White, Uco Valley, Mendoza 2022 (£17.55, Marta Vine): Delectably drinkable and interesting take on an unusual white grape variety.

Orange

El Porvenir de los Andes Pequeñas Fermentaciones

Naranjo, Cafayate, Salta 2023 (£17.99, Boutinot): Lovely floral interest; intriguing, aromatic macerated blend of Torrontés and Moscatel.

Rosé

Las Estelas Leticia Rosado de Tintas, Tupungato, Uco Valley 2023 (£16.50, Ucopia Wines): A Malbec rosé in a savoury gastronomic style; lots of crunchy fruit.

Red

El Porvenir Pequeñas Fermentaciones Garnacha, Cafayate, Salta 2022 (£17.99, Boutinot): Fresh, light fruit and smoky, minty hints; a modern Argentine Garnacha.

Molinillo Malbec, Mendoza 2023 (£11.49, Boutinot): Bright, lifted, juicy young Malbec – excellent value.

Mendel Malbec Lunta, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza 2022 (£16.49, Cachet Wines): Full of bright, juicy, plummy Malbec fruit; nicely made.

Falasco Wines Hermandad Winemaker Series Cabernet Franc, Uco Valley, Mendoza 2019 (£28.99, Condor Wines): Stewed fruit, almost jammy; blood and earth; very inviting, mouthcoating.

Bodega Los Haroldos Estate Blend, Mendoza 2022 (£14.29, Condor Wines): Pencil shavings and cassis in a blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.

Adeluna Malbec Altitud, Uco Valley, Mendoza 2021 (£20.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Two-thirds monster fruit; one-third samurai wrap of tannin –serious Malbec.

Zuccardi Apelacion Malbec, Uco Valley, Mendoza 2020 (£20.45, Hatch Mansfield): Cool and stylish fruit with lots to say for itself; terroir wine.

Altos Las Hormigas Colonia Las Liebres Mendoza Bonarda Clasica, Mendoza 2022, (£13.49, Liberty Wines): Juicy and a touch of sweetness; lovely herbal savouriness coming through.

Otronia Patagonia Pinot Noir, Patagonia 2020 (£68.99, Liberty Wines): Earthy, savoury, tasty and very elegant – beautiful wine, if pricey.

Bodegas Kontrias Solar de Alma Cellar Reserve Petit Verdot, Mendoza 2019 (£22.61, Marta Vine): Coconut nose; deep plummy fruit; chocolate and cassis; sweetly jammy and rich.

Bodega Sottano Malbec, Uco Valley, Mendoza 2023, (£14, Vindependents): Cool, controlled, pleasing: hits a certain Malbec spot; broad appeal.

Mundo Reves Le Petit Voyage Criolla, Los Chacayes, Uco Valley, Mendoza 2022 (£17, Vinos Latinos): Beaujolais-esque fresh cranberry fruit; pleasant acidity, refreshing – a touch volatile.

AUSTRALIA

White

Pitchfork Chardonnay, South Eastern Australia 2022 (£9.99, Cachet Wines): Simple but pleasing Chardonnay. Fresh and bright, crisp finish; nice value.

Scotchmans Hill Pinot Gris, Geelong, Victoria 2021 (£21.99, Cachet Wines): Alsace inspiration in a rich style; fruit on the palate lifts the viscosity.

Irvine Wines Springhill Pinot Gris, Eden Valley 2023 (£15.99, Cachet Wines): A restrained style of Pinot Gris with a citrussy style. Well made.

Tahbilk Marsanne, Nagambie Lakes, Victoria 2022 (£15.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Peachy and herbaceous middleweight with attractive fennel on the nose.

Berton Vineyard Classic Viognier Metal Label, Riverina, 2023 (£12.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Commercially appealing, lightly floral and definitively Viognier. Competitive price.

Henschke Peggy’s Hill, Eden Valley 2023 (£20, Liberty Wines): Ripe rich fruit – sweetness shows but it works with the fruit and acidity.

hiGhLY coMMended Wines

AUSTRALIA

WHITE CONTINUED

Dandelion Vineyards Wonderland of the Eden Valley Riesling, Eden Valley 2022 (£27.99, Liberty Wines): Serious, aromatic, lots of petrol among the spicy fruit; nice prominent acidity.

De Bortoli Wines Deen Vat 5 Semillon, Riverina 2018 (£9.99, North South Wines): Intense candied fruit on the nose; orange, apricot; restrained sweetness; good value.

Brothers at War Pendee Farm Riesling, Eden Valley 2023 (£15, The Antipodean Sommelier): Clean, light, fresh, fruity style; easy drinking and good value.

Mino&Co A Growers Touch Botrytis Semillon, Riverina 2018 (£13, The Antipodean Sommelier): Candied apricot and peach on the nose– simple but works for the money.

Rosé

Thistledown Gorgeous Grenache Rosé, South Australia 2022 (£14.99, Alliance Wine): Subtle red berry, hint of creaminess – the colour actually recalls Grenache!

Red

Majella Sparkling Shiraz, Coonawarra 2021 (£25.99, Alliance Wine): Crunchy style and the fruit shines through; not too sweet. Well made.

Thistledown Gorgeous Grenache, South Australia 2022, (£14.99, Alliance Wine): Lighter style of Aussie red, well blended; easy drinking; all the right fruit and spice.

Corryton Burge Barossa Grenache, Barossa 2023 (£20.50, Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies): Fresh blueberry fruit, soft integrated tannins; young and juicy; classic Aussie Grenache.

Corryton Burge Barossa Shiraz, Barossa 2021 (£20.50, Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies): Typical Barossa: deep, rich, spicy and lots appeal for a lot of people.

Berton Vineyard The Bonsai Shiraz Cabernet, High Eden 2019 (£29.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Complex box of ripe field berries, bang on brief and polished for the masses.

Irvine Estate Merlot, Eden Valley 2020 (£18.99, Cachet Wines): Youthful, drinkable, perfect table wine; fruitdriven with supple tannins.

Vinteloper SH/19, Adelaide Hills 2019 (£36, Graft Wine Company): Fresh style of Australian Shiraz with lots of energy, flow and spice.

Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon, Nagambie Lakes, Victoria 2019 (£19.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Nice flavoursome, gentle but full nose; cassis, wood, cedar; big heavy body.

Jim Barry Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Single Vineyard The Farm, Clare Valley, 2021 (£24.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Deep, rich colour; eucalyptus nose, bold, intense, heavy, serious.

Heirloom Vineyards Barossa Shiraz, Barossa 2021 (£19.99, Liberty Wines): Vivid dark fruits and spice notes; some refreshing green tones.

Mino&Co A Growers Touch Durif, Riverina 2022 (£11.50, The Antipodean Sommelier): Smoky nose; ripe and bold; good concentration of fruit; excellent value crowd-pleaser.

Brothers at War Pendee Farm Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa 2022 (£15, The Antipodean Sommelier): Rich colour; very fruity and a little herby; spice; balance; good value.

Brothers at War Some Other Guy GSM, South Australia 2022 (£18, The Antipodean Sommelier): Classic, good value for money Aussie GSM; fruit-forward, simple, but fun.

Arila Gardens Single Vineyard Grenache, Barossa 2022 (£40, Periscope Management): Candied fruit and lots of tannin and acid: highly structured, ambitious.

Fortified

Campbells Merchant Prince Rare Rutherglen Muscat, Rutherglen, Victoria NV (£84.25, Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies): Chocolate, coffee, raisin, butterscotch; amazing wine, but price is challenging.

Campbells Rutherglen Muscat, Rutherglen, Victoria NV (£16.75, Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies): Super-sweet style; filled with toffee and caramel.

AUSTRIA

White

Weingut Rabl Grüner Veltliner Käferberg Reserve, Kamptal 2021 (£29.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Great balance and length; classic herbaceous stone fruits; easy-going style.

Heidi Schröck & Söhne Welschriesling/Pinot Blanc/ Chardonnay Beerenauslese, Burgenland 2022 (£34.99, Liberty Wines): Intense, energetic; sweetness balanced by acidity; fascinating blend.

Weingut Salzl Figaro Grüner Veltliner, Burgenland 2021 (£19.99, North South Wines): Complex, delicious: a lot going on; big and punchy, tropical and stone fruit.

Orange

Funkstille Skin Contact, Landwein 2023 (£13.80, Alliance Wine): Aromatic apricot and pear; nicely balanced acidity; tangy finish.

Red

Weingut Stift Goettweig Pinot Noir Göttweiger Berg, Kremstal 2021 (£29, Jascots Wine): Smoky note infuses jammy fruit in a lighter style of Austrian Pinot Noir.

Weingut Salzl, Zweigelt Selection, Neusiedlersee 2021 (£16.49, North South Wines): Intensely fruity Zweigelt with dark berries and lots of tannins and crunch.

BULGARIA

Red

Enira, Bessa Valley 2018 (£17.49, Alliance Wine): Intense colour, deep fruity nose; Berry-heavy with some herbaceous seasoning. Interesting.

CHILE

White

Adobe Reserva Gewürztraminer, Wine of Chile 2023 (£10.99, Boutinot): Lychee and floral nose: Gewürz! Exciting nose, simple palate, but good for price.

The Myth of Motu Nui Sauvignon Blanc, Aconcagua Valley 2023 (£10.49, Boutinot): Super-punchy gooseberry flavour; sharp citrus explosion; freshness overload; great value.

Santa Luz Sauvignon Blanc Gran Reserva, San Antonio, Leyda 2021 (£13.49, Cachet Wines): Limestone and chalk on the unusual nose; fruity, intense flavour; super zesty; vegetal.

Undurraga Sauvignon Blanc TH, Valle de Leyda 2021 (£21.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Super-fruity nose: grassy, gooseberry - intense, really full-on style of cool-climate Sauvignon.

Arboleda Chardonnay, Aconcagua Costa 2021 (£19.70, Hatch Mansfield): Broad nose, blanched with honeysuckle and lime; lovely crisp apple, mouthwatering; long.

Arboleda Sauvignon Blanc, Aconcagua Valley 2022 (£16.90, Hatch Mansfield): Leafy, herby notes; great fresh nose; explosive fruit; intense.

Caliterra Tributo Gran Reserva Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley 2021 (£15.40, Hatch Mansfield): Classic Casablanca Chardonnay: some coolness but plenty of sunny fruit; good length.

Ventisquero Wine Estates Grey Glacier Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley 2021 (£18.99, North South Wines): Good nose; elegant used oak – nice balanced, fresh expression of cooler Chilean climes.

Red

Indómita Nostros Reserva Carmenère, Maipo Valley 2023 (£10.99, Alliance Wine): Ripe generous fruit; concentrated berries, velvety mouth feel; good value.

Adobe Reserva Carmenère, Wine of Chile 2022 (£10.99, Boutinot): Restrained but pleasingly savoury style of Carmenère; lots to like here.

Santa Luz Pinot Noir Gran Reserva, Leyda 2020 (£12.99, Cachet Wines): Juicy cherry fruit; hint of spice, dark fruits, good value for money.

Viña Requingua Toro de Piedra Grand Reserve

Carignan, Maule Valley 2020 (£16.49, Condor Wines): Juicy, fresh, easy to sell. Cold pair well with food; smooth tannins.

hiGhLY coMMended Wines

CHILEAN RED CONTINUED

Undurraga Syrah TH, Valle de Leyda 2021 (£23.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Lovely nose: dark fruits, a touch menthol; structured, fresh, juicy – a lot of wine for the money.

Arboleda Cabernet Sauvignon, Aconcagua Valley 2021 (£19.70, Hatch Mansfield): Blackcurrant, clove, touch of green; light and ethereal; dark fruit; good length.

Caliterra Merlot Reserva, Colchagua Valley 2022 (£12.55, Hatch Mansfield): Bold dry tannins – a big burly style; really pretty good for the money.

Outer Limits by Montes Zapallar Pinot Noir, Aconcagua Valley 2022 (£25.99, Liberty Wines): Savoury notes and fresh cherries; subtle winter spice; forest floor – very Pinot Noir.

Ventisquero Wine Estates Grey Glacier Carménère, Maipo Valley 2019 (£18.99, North South Wines): Capsicum nose, subtle, gentle distinctive, smooth palate with delicate green notes.

Ventisquero Wine Estates Grey Glacier GCM Garnacha, Cariñena Mataro, Apalta, Colchagua Valley 2020 (£18.99, North South Wines): Nice Rhône-style blend; juicy and easy to drink; berry fruits.

ENGLAND

Sparkling

London Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut, West Sussex, 2020 (£35, Lanchester Wines): Lovely brioche nose; fresh fruit flavours; soft bubbles; enjoyable, excellent for the money.

Roebuck Estates Classic Cuvée 2018 Brut, West Sussex (£38, Southern England Wine): Inviting layered aromas and lots of tasty, fine fizz on the palate, too.

White

New Hall Wine Estate Bacchus Single Estate, Essex 2022 (£18.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Wellmade Bacchus: super clean and very green with high acidity.

Simpsons Wine Estate Pinot Meunier Blanc de Noir Derringstone, Kent 2022 (£22.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Shows the experimental side of England in a savoury rather than fruit-driven style.

FRANCE

Sparkling

Maison Antech Crémant de Limoux, Cuvée Françoise Brut, Limoux NV (£19.64, Alliance Wine): Lots of fruit and the Mauzac comes through strongly – well made fizz.

Taittinger Brut Vintage, Champagne 2016 (£80.35, Hatch Mansfield): Concentrated apple characters; brown butter and baked lemon tart; would sit nicely on the shelf.

Taittinger Prélude Grands Crus Brut, Champagne NV (£76.50, Hatch Mansfield): Long finish – a richer style of Champagne with lots of complexity and depth.

Champagne Germar Breton Blanc de Blancs, Champagne NV (£42.50, Vindependents): Bright citrussy fruit: a straight-down-the-middle blanc de blancs Champagne.

Gardet Brut Réserve Premier Cru, Champagne NV (£40, Cachet Wines): Fresh acidity, really nicely balanced – quality Champagne at a good price.

Ployez-Jacquemart Extra Quality Brut, Champagne NV (£35.99, Cachet Wines): Nice, immediate fruit on the nose and palate with a savoury after tone.

Champagne Bernard Remy Brut Blanc de Blancs, Champagne NV (£39.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Nice toast on the nose, bright and fruity palate; great complexity for under £40.

Champagne Collet Brut 1er Cru Art Déco, Champagne NV, (£44.50, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Rich and textured – quite gastronomic. Honey and nuts, with a salty finish.

Champagne Duval-Leroy, Brut Réserve, Champagne NV (£49.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Really nice texture with a taste of ageing; good complexity and length.

Rosé

Langlois Crémant Brut Reserve, Crémant de Loire NV (£19, Mentzendorff): Fresh apple. Chenin characteristics; minerality, very pleasant acidity; great value.

Champagne Mandois Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne 2018 (£47.99, North South Wines): Savoury – Marmite and winter spices, lovely texture and continuous length. Classy Champagne.

Champagne Germar Breton Brut, Champagne NV (£34, Vindependents): Enjoyably simple Champagne – certainly has a place on the shelf at this price.

Champagne Collet, Brut Rosé, Champagne NV (£45.50, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): High-quality and stylishly savoury with delightful balance and fine mousse.

Champagne André Robert Rose de Vignes, Champagne NV (£64, Vindependents): Subtle red fruits; delightfully racy acidity: moreish and top-notch classy Champagne.

Domaines Paul Mas Château Martinolles Brut Rosé, Crémant de Limoux NV (£16.99, Domaines Paul Mas): Something a bit different: tangy and lively with red fruit and apple.

White

Terres Fidèles, Montsablé Reserve Chardonnay, Haute Vallée de l’Aude IGP 2022 (£14.49, Alliance Wine): Richly elegant with hints of white pepper and zesty fruit; delicious lasting finish.

Chanzy Bouzeron Les Trois, Bouzeron, Burgundy 2022 (£23.99, Alliance Wine): Characterful; good fruit and weight; much, much more interesting than most Aligoté.

Vignerons de Florensac Pique & Mixe PiquepoulTerret, Côes de Thau 2023 (£11.80, Alliance Wine): Fruity and lively, crisp Mediterranean white from a pair of unusual varieties.

Mas Olivier Faugères Blanc, Faugères 2022 (£13.99, Alliance Wine): Stone fruit and hints of honey on the nose; fresh, lean, incisive palate.

Terres Fidèles Camí del Drac Carignan Blanc Vielles Vignes, Vin de France 2022 (£13.99, Alliance Wine): Natural style with cider and savoury tones: intriguing and unusual, if not for everyone.

JEAN - CLAUDE MAS OF DOMAINES PAUL MAS

Genetie Les Pilliers Charnay les Mâcon, MâconCharnay, Burgundy 2021 (£17.99, Boutinot): Classic youthful Chardonnay: it does what it says on the label with some flair.

Marilyn Lassere Viognier Les Argelières, Pays d’Oc 2023 (£10.99, Cachet Wines): Hard to beat for the money. Great fruit character, fun and fruity. Stack it high!

Le Charme Sauvignon Blanc, Côtes de Gascogne IGP 2022 (£8.99, Cachet Wines): Excellent value dry white wine: very drinkable fresh tropical fruit.

Chateau de Diusse, Pacherenc de Vic Bilh 2020 (£10.99, Cachet Wines): Tropical with mango and peach; medium bodied with good acidity and freshness.

Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Chardonnay, IGP Pays d’Oc 2023 (£11.99, Daniel Lambert Wines): Refreshing good-quality everyday drinking Chardonnay; garden party wine.

Calmel & Joseph La Marquise, Val de Dagne IGP 2022 (£16.99, Daniel Lambert Wines): White peach, jasmine and rose; fleshy fruit; smooth with hints of marsala chai. Interesting.

Domaine Guillaman Sauvignon Blanc, Côtes de Gascogne IGP 2023 (£10.99, Daniel Lambert Wines): Clean, crisp with classic grassy character. Does exactly what it should.

Domaine Guillaman Colombard-Sauvignon, Côtes de Gascogne IGP 2023 (£9.99, Daniel Lambert Wines): A touch sweet but a good example of the value you can find in Côtes de Gascogne.

hiGhLY coMMended Wines

FRENCH WHITE CONTINUED

Domaines Paul Mas Vignes de Nicole ChardonnayViognier, Pays d’Oc IGP 2023 (£11.50, Domaines Paul Mas): Expressive aromas of peach and nectarine balanced wonderfully well with Chardonnay-led freshness.

Domaines Paul Mas L’Artisan Le Chardonnay, Pays d’Oc IGP 2023 (£10.95, Domaines Paul Mas): Soft, well put-together, balanced, impressive winemaking for great value.

Eric Louis Sancerre Cul de Loup, Sancerre 2019 (£34.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Gorgeous nose, subtle thyme note; golden green yellow; gooseberry, white pepper; super balance.

Dopff au Moulin Riesling, Alsace 2022 (£19.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Classically styled Alsace Riesling in a lighter style with lots of zesty citrus coming through.

J de Villebois Quincy, Quincy 2022 (£23.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Grassy-green classic Loire Sauvignon aromas; lots of appetising zesty acid on the palate.

Domaine Gayrard Loin de l’Oeil Gaillac Blanc, Gaillac 2021 (£22.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Intensely tropical fruit-driven style: pineapple compote and fleshy fruit richness.

Domaine Ferret Pouilly-Fuissé, Burgundy 2021 (£42.70, Hatch Mansfield): Smooth fruit and a hint of pineapple; complex, weighty and really rather delicious.

Joseph Mellot Sancerre La Chatellenie, Sancerre 2023 (£25.80, Hatch Mansfield): Herbaceous, citrussy and fresh and zesty but also smooth. Classic Sancerre.

M Chapoutier Alchemy La Combe Pilate Viognier, Collines Rhodaniennes IGP 2022 (£19.15, Hatch Mansfield): An absolute aromatic delight on the nose with lots of expressive fruit and flowers. Juicy.

Joseph Mellot Menetou-Salon Les Thureaux, Menetou-Salon 2023 (£17.60, Hatch Mansfield): Subtle on the nose; citrussy and grassy; very easydrinking Loire Sauvignon.

Domaine Soupé, Chablis 2022 (£31.99, Liberty Wines): Classic Chablis – zesty pure nose, clean lovely ripeness of the vintage; great minerality.

Château du Coing de St Fiacre Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2023 (£17.49, Liberty Wines): Fruity floral nose; fresh clean palate; mineral – great typicity. Very Muscadet.

Maison Brotte Bord Elegance, Laudun Blanc Côtes du Rhône Villages 2023 (£16.49, North South Wines): Rich and punchy; warm, sunny ripe fruit and lovely stone fruit flavours on the finish.

Maison Brotte Les Hauts de Barville Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2023 (£31.99, North South Wines): Very intense: sumptuous with summer garden fruit, creaminess and a long, clean finish.

Domaine Jérémie Huchet Les Quinze Hommes, Mus Organic, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2022 (£19.95, Richmond Wine Agencies): Depth of flavour; white pepper notes for spice, a richer style of Muscadet.

Serodes & Kovac Cazot Blanc, Côtes du Roussillon 2022 (£19.25, Ucopia Wines): Clean, punchy, direct: pure green apples; zippy electric acidity.

Serodes & Kovac Limoux Chardonnay, Limoux 2022 (£22, Ucopia Wines): Elegant, restrained, cool and collected, perfectly quaffable but with more going on.

Domaine Bott-Geyl Gewürztraminer Les Eléments, Alsace 2019 (£25, Vindependents): Stylish and complex Gewürztraminer with plenty of floral aromatic interest and developing tertiary notes.

Orange

When Life Gives You Oranges, Vin de France 2023 (£11.99, Cachet Wines): Nice entry-level orange wine: useful with lots of orange citrus flavour.

Rosé

Château L’Escarelle Les Deux Anges, Côtes de Provence 2022 (£19.80, Alliance Wine): One of the best rosés in the competition: benchmark Provençal stylishness.

Domaine Guillaman Rosé de Pressée, Côtes de Gascogne IGP 2023 (£10.99, Daniel Lambert Wines): Salmon pink, lovely acidity and classic rosé red fruits at a great price.

Château de l’Aumérade Rosé Cuvée Marie Christine, Cru Classé Côtes de Provence 2023, (£17.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Super-crisp pink and lovely to drink; effortless. Summer here we come.

Château Grand Boise Rosé, Côtes de Provence SainteVictoire 2023 (£21.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Very attractive floral bouquet; rounded, soft and classy acidity; classic Provence rosé.

Red

Mas Olivier Faugères Rouge, Faugères 2021 (£13.99, Alliance Wine): Accessibly priced southern French red with spice and dark fruit; a barbecue bottle.

Château Jaron, Bordeaux 2020 (£12.99, Alliance Wine): Old-style luncheon claret: hits a certain spot for a certain drinker very well indeed.

Domaine Boutinot Les Coteaux, Côtes du Rhône Villages 2022 (£12.49, Boutinot): Savoury herbal quality with cheerful cherry fruit. Good value and accessible.

Alo Jais Noir Carignan, Côtes Catalans IGP 2022 (£11.99, Boutinot): Ripe black fruit, sweet strawberry liquorice; rustic but balanced.

Deux Grives Shiraz, Pays d’Oc IGP 2022 (£9.99, Cachet Wines): Cherry and brambly fruit; well balanced. Nice structure. Impressive indeed for the price.

Xavier Roger GSM, Pays d’Oc IGP 2021 (£10.49, Cachet Wines): Spicy (star anise), brambly; developing nicely and good value for money.

Cave de Buxy Côteaux Bourguignons Buissonnier, Côteaux Bourguignons 2021 (£13.49, Cachet Wines): Rustic and crunchy; typical northern French Pinot Noir nose – savoury farmyard fun.

Château de Flore Malbec, Cahors 2021 (£12.99, Cachet Wines): Youthful drinkable bistro wine that hits the right fruity notes.

De Visu 223 Grenache, Pays d’Oc IGP 2021 (£10.99, Cachet Wine): Farmyard, fresh berry, meaty and very classic: great food wine.

Plaimont Madiran Plénitude, Madiran 2014 (£23.99, Cachet Wines): Nice maturity but still brooding and young – a big grippy fruit bomb.

Calmel & Joseph La Fabrique, Côtes de Brian IGP 2022 (£12.99, Daniel Lambert Wines): Jammy and rich and characterful and with lots of flavour for the money.

Calmel & Joseph Entre Amis, Languedoc-Pézenas 2020 (£15.99, Daniel Lambert Wines): Subtle blackcurrants and blue fruits; fresh, concentrated, pleasingly grippy.

Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Syrah, Pays d’Oc IGP 2022 (£13.99, Daniel Lambert Wines): Cooked fruit and stewed plums; lots of tannin, balanced acidity.

Domaines Paul Mas Château Lauriga Cuvée Jean Grande Reserve, Côtes du Roussillon 2022 (£16.99, Domaines Paul Mas): Inviting, warming, spicy, plummy, smooth; well-integrated tannins; lovely wine.

Domaines Paul Mas L’Artisan Le Pinot Noir, Pays d’Oc IGP 2023, (£10.95, Domaines Paul Mas): Rich, ripe Pinot with a particularly fruity character; full throttle, good value.

Domaines Paul Mas Château Cres Ricards Oenothera, Terrasses de Larzac 2022 (£16.95, Domaines Paul Mas): Very well made with lots of black and red fruits. Very inviting.

Domaines Paul Mas La Forge Estate Malbec, Pays d’Oc IGP 2023 (£12.75, Domaines Paul Mas): So much intense sweet juicy fruit; dusky undertones; pleasantly tart acidity.

Domaines Paul Mas Château Paul Mas Clos Des Mûres, Languedoc 2023 (16.50, Domaines Paul Mas): Lots of interesting and delicious wine for the money – a real sense of place.

Domaine Gayrard Braucol, Gaillac 2020 (£15.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Traditional bistro-style wine for buyers looking for an authentic regional speciality.

Caves Fonjoya Big Buzz Grenache Noir, SaintGuilhem-le-Désert 2022 (£12.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Strong mineral notes in the fruit which really stands out for the price.

Crozes-Hermitage d’Eclat, Crozes-Hermitage 2020 (£29.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Intense ripe black cherry with a smoky charcuterie finish. Classic Crozes.

hiGhLY coMMended Wines

FRENCH RED CONTINUED

Domaine de la Ville Rouge Inspiration, CrozesHermitage 2021 (£25.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Intense ripe black cherry with a smoky charcuterie finish. Classic Crozes.

Réserve de Colonat Fleurie Vieilles Vignes, Fleurie, Beaujolais 2022 (£22.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Cherry, blueberry and earthy notes; good intensity and lovely acidity.

Les Vignobles Gayrel Braucol Syrah, Côtes de Tarn 2022 (£11.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Party banger! Commercial and very tasty for an everyday consumer.

Les Vignobles St Didier Parnac Malbec Syrah Picpus, Comté Tolosan 2022, (£12.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Juicy and perfumed: ripe fruit and yet still refreshing.

Les Vignobles St Didier Parnac Prieuré de Cénac Malbec, Cahors 2020 (£16.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Violets and cherries – a south western wine of character for drinking with food.

Mas Bécha Classique Rouge, Côtes du Roussillon 2021 (£19.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Sweet dark fruits, blackcurrant, raspberry; good structure and length.

Louis Jadot Château des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent Clos du Rochegrès, Moulin-à-Vent, Beaujolais 2018 (£30.40, Hatch Mansfield): Intense ripe red fruit, dried cranberry and a hint of cocoa; vibrant acidity.

Frédéric Berne Beaujolais Lantignié Pierre Bleue, Lantignié, Beaujolais 2022 (£23.49, Liberty Wines): A lovely nose: violets, cherries, flowers. Beautifully smooth and balanced.

Maison Brotte Creation Grosset, Cairanne 2020 (£18.99, North South Wines): Lovely silky tannins, structured plummy fruit; well made Rhône.

Vignobles André Lurton Château Bonnet Réserve Rouge, Bordeaux 2018 (£17.99, North South Wines): Enjoyably classic Bordeaux in traditional style: perfect for cravats and cord trousers.

Maison Brotte Esprit Rouge, Côtes du Rhône 2021 (£13.49, North South Wines): Full of ripe strawberries and savoury, earthy spices; nicely done.

Plaimont Madiran Les Hautains Organic, Madiran 2020 (£15.95, Richmond Wine Agencies): Lots of depth and interest: dramatic and foodie style.

Domaine La Lôyane Lirac Rouge Cuvée Marie, Lirac 2021 (£33.50, Vindependents): Rustic in all the right ways: full of berry fruit and herbs.

Caves de Juliénas-Chaintré Juliénas Tradition du Bois de la Salle, Juliénas, Beaujolais 2022 (£17, Vindependents): Juicy and approachable; very enjoyable and drinkable; rich mineral finish.

Domaine Claude Maréchal Bourgogne Rouge Cuvée Gravel, Burgundy 2022 (£30, Vindependents): Strawberry and cherry over light vanilla; light, cool and elegant.

GEORGIA

White

Vachnadziani Winery Mtsvane, Kakheti 2021 (£14.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Unusual and interesting, with a good flavour profile and a little bit of spice.

GREECE

White

Monemvasia Winery Tsimbidi Voltes White, Wine of Greece 2022 (£14.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Bright fresh fruit; good structure and balance; great value.

Ktima Gerovassiliou Chardonnay, Epanomi 2022 (£25.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Blossom and stone fruit; creamy, rich, well balanced; very nice indeed.

Monemvasia Winery Tsimbidi White Dry Laconia, Monemvasia PGI 2022 (£18.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Stone fruits and nuts; creamy, weighty; racy acidity; interesting and easy-drinking.

Alpha Estate Malagouzia Single Vineyard Turtles, Florina PGI 2022 (£19.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Rich palate with a long finish. Balance of fruit and minerality.

Oenops Apla White, Wine of Greece 2023 (£16.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): A fragrant botanical nose leads into a vibrant stone fruit palate.

Akriotou White Erimitis, Sterea Ellada PGI 2021 (£18.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Lots of ripe stone fruit rippling through the rich palate.

Diamantakis Petali Assyrtiko, Crete 2023 (£17.50, Vindependents): Very aromatic; almost overpowering. Deliciously easy-drinking, straight-up Assyrtiko.

Diamantakis Vidiano, Crete 2023 (£17, Vindependents): An interesting grape to discover at this price point: deserves a wider audience.

Orange

Gaia Wines Assyrtiko Clay Orange Wine, Santorini 2020 (£38.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): What happens when Assyrtiko goes orange is supercomplex and interesting.

Rosé

Muses Estate A.MUSE Rosé, Sterea Ellada PGI 2023 (£23.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Aromatic and vibrant with richer fruit undertones. Demands a second glass.

Diamantakis Diamantopetra Rosé, Crete 2023 (£19.50, Vindependents): Surprising weight of berry fruit with a hint of orange. Lively acidity. Delicious!

Red

Diamantakis Petali Liatiko, Crete 2020 (£17.50, Vindependents): Light and dry and zippy with red fruits – a fascinating curiosity.

ITALY

Sparkling

Villa Sandi Prosecco Millesimato DOCG Valdobbiadene Brut, 2023 (£13.99, Cachet Wines): A good example for the category; delicate; touch of honey. Good price.

Guido Berlucchi 61 Satèn Brut, Franciacorta NV (£35.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Lovely citrus character running through the wine; a mouthwatering bittersweet finish.

Tenuta Fertuna Metodo Classico Extra Brut, Vino Spumante di Qualitata 2019 (£35, Mentzendorff): Nose and palate characteristic of a blanc de noirs: soft mousse, savoury pastry notes.

Il Poggiarello Ortrugo dei Colli Piacentini DOC Frizzante 2022 (£19.50, Moreno Wines): Lovely fruit, good acidity, floral wine with a mineral note on the finish.

Cantina Castiadas Saeprus Brut Nature, Vino Spumante di Qualità 2020 (£31, Vindependents): Pears on the nose, light blossom notes; mouthwatering minerality.

Villa Sandi Prosecco Millesimato DOC Rosé Brut, Prosecco 2022 (£13.49, Cachet Wine): Light and refreshing red berry fruit hints in a nicely made, easygoing Prosecco.

Il Poggiarello Frizzante, Gutturnio DOC 2022 (£19.50, Moreno Wines): Very dry style of sparkling red; tartly appetising and commendable.

White

Castel de Paolis Frascati Superiore 2022 (£24.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Delicate nose, lovely elegance and harmony; perfect Italian foodie white.

Cantina Lavis Müller-Thurgau, Trentino 2022 (£13.49, Cachet Wines): Simple but elegant with nice floral hints and good complexity for the price.

Mario Giribaldi Gavi I Risi, Gavi DOCG 2022 (£17.49, Cachet Wines): Classic Gavi in typical racy style: fresh, easy-drinking, crisp.

San Silvestro Nas-cëtta del Commune di Novello, Langhe 2022 (£16.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): A herby, savoury, gently nutty, mouthwatering, foodfriendly, great value, point-of-interest wine.

Collavini Sauvignon Blanc Fumât, Collio, FriuliVenezia Giulia 2022 (£19.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Charming and pretty with subtle peachy tones and soft citrus fruit.

Pedemontis Arajs, Roero Arneis 2021 (£22.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Really good example of this grape variety: nutty, floral, savoury.

Agricola Tenuta Colpaola Verdicchio di Matelica 2021 (£17.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Delicate but with some richness, stone fruit, minerality and nutty notes.

Ippolito Mare Chiaro Bianco, Cirò, Calabria 2022 (£15.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Good orchard fruit flavour and mouth feel; lovely pear fruit profile.

hiGhLY coMMended Wines

ITALIAN WHITE CONTINUED

Ca’Rugate Recioto di Soave La Perlara 50 cl, Soave 2019 (£33.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Deliciously refined example of this sweet Veneto speciality: love it!

Carminucci Viabore Bianco, Marche 2021 (£12.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Sherbet and citrus: light, clean, crisp and easy seafood partner.

Al-Cantara Luci Luci, Etna, Sicily 2019 (£35.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Lots of racy citrussy energy: minerals and electric acidity.

Mastroberardino Cru Novaserra Greco di Tufo DOCG 2022 (£33.70, Jascots Wine): Serious Greco in pristine style with peach and tropical tones and citrus ripples.

Ca’ dei Frati I Frati Lugana 2023, (£24.99, Liberty Wines): A little bit of spritz; elegant minerality, full and concentrated palate but fresh.

Curatolo Arini Inzolia, Sicilia DOC 2023 (£15.99, Liberty Wines): Super fruit complexity: pears, bananas, oranges and mandarins swell the palate.

Poderi Mattioli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOCG Riserva Classico Lauro 2020 (£33.50, Marcato Direct): Restrained nose; classy palate of almonds and hazelnuts and bright, lively acidity.

Cantina Castiadas Notteri Vermentino, Vermentino di Sardegna DOC 2022 (£22.50, Vindependents): Rich and oily and interesting with oranges and herbs.

Rosé

Feudi di San Gregorio Campania Rosato, Campania 2023 (£22.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Pretty colour with red and blue fruit flavours: Italy by way of Provence.

Mabis Biscardo Neropasso, Veneto 2021 (£13.49, Alliance Wine): A great-value Italian red: fresh, bright, fruity palate.

Castello di Meleto Chianti Classico 2021 (£18.99, Alliance Wine): Bright, varietal, classic entry-level Chianti Classico – extremely food friendly.

Castello di Meleto Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2019 (£34.99, Alliance Wine): A sophisticated Chianti Classico to appeal to a sophisticated audience.

Lirica Primitivo di Manduria, Manduria, Puglia 2021 (£17.30, Alliance Wine): Super-concentrated, rich, smooth, ripe black fruits: black cherry and blackcurrant.

Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo, Toscana IGP 2021 (£29.99, Alliance Wine): Dark purple, bright – old school but cool with a long life ahead.

Cantina Lavis Teroldego, Vignetti Del Dolomiti IGP 2021 (£13.49, Cachet Wines): Crunchy fresh red fruit, bright and engaging and good value for money.

Colomba Bianca Syrah Vitese, Sicily 2022 (£12.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Fruit-forward; soft tannins and deliciously easy-drinking summer fruits.

San Marzano Negroamaro F Metal Label, Salento IGP 2021 (£26.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Lovely richness of fruit and concentration – a step up in fullflavoured fun.

San Marzano Susumaniello, Susco, Salento IGP 2020 (£19.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Complexity of tertiary characters; fine but grippy tannins, black fruit and oak.

Bonacchi Gentilesco, Chianti 2022 (£12.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Nicely priced for accessibility; foodfriendly Sangiovese character shines through.

Campo alle Comete Stupore, Bolgheri 2021 (£29.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Bordeaux blend with an Italian accent: swish polished tannins and fruit.

EM Family of Wine Duo Rosso, IGT Veneto 2021 (£15.50, Marcato Direct): Really great value. Complex dark and red cherries, soft yet rich. Balanced.

Celestino Pecci Sangiovese di Toscana IGT You Can, Tosana IGP 2021 (£25.75, Marcato Direct): Red cherry on the nose and palate: charmingly approachable and juicy.

Terre di Melazzano Chiandrè, Chianti Classico DOCG 2021 (£19.50, Marcato Direct): Pretty Sangiovese with floral and fruity tones; suave mid-weight; gastronomic.

Red

PietraNova Renzo, Bolgheri Superiore DOC 2020 (£44.25, Marcato Direct): Big curranty flavours; fullbodied and rich; velvety tannins.

PietraNova Casa al Piano, Bolgheri Rosso DOC, 2022 (£25.50, Marcato Direct): Bordeaux style nose: intriguing, deep yet fresh – needs time but plenty of interest.

Il Poggiarello Cecco Rosso D’Italia, Vino da Tavola 2021 (£29, Moreno Wines): Explosion of flavours; very complex; jammy but balanced with good acidity.

Paolo Leo Orfeo Negroamaro, IGP Puglia 2021 (£15.99, North South Wines): Fresh red and black fruits: primary cherry and blackberry. Great pizza bottle.

Borgo Conventi Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Isonzo del Friuli DOC 2022 (£15.99, North South Wines): Bruised baked plums and berries – ample acidity and refreshment.

Monterosola Indomito, Toscana IGP 2018 (£64, Orlando’s Wines & Spirits): Big concentration: almost port-like in its intensity. Bold.

Monterosola Crescendo, Toscana IGP 2019 (£26.50, Orlando’s Wines & Spirits): Succulent Tuscan rosso with an approachable feel and supple tannins.

Santa Tresa Avulisi Riserva, Sicilia DOC 2018 (£49, North South Wines): Deeply concentrated, highly expressive spicy dried fruit and lovely taut acidity.

Miopasso Appassimento Nero d’Avola, Sicilia DOC 2022 (£11.49, North South Wines): Clean, pure typical cherry fruit, hints of peppery spice. Classic expression.

Santa Tresa Orisi Rosso, Terre Siciliane IGP 2020 (£49, North South Wines): Toasty, savoury blackcurrant nose; smooth waves of sweet fruit; spicy finish.

Tenuta Il Cascinone D’Annona, Barbera d’Asti Superiore DOCG 2017 (£22.99, Third Floor Wines): Lovely mix of rich sour cherry and savoury tones: textbook Barbera d’Asti.

Agricola Marrone Barolo DOCG 2020 (£43, Vindependents): Roses but no tar: deft, light approachable. Leaves you wanting more.

Cantine Povero Priore Barolo DOCG 2019 (£34, Vindependents): A typical Barolo to match or exceed consumer expectations at a fair price.

Cantina Castiadas Rei Capo Ferrato Cannonau, Cannonau di Sardegna DOC 2021 (£20, Vindependents): Character and individuality in abundance: tarragon and pine, almonds, sweet fruit.

Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco DOCG 2021 (£39, Vindependents): Delicious wine; a classic that you would be happier to drink than sell.

Avignonesi Grifi Toscana IGP 2020 (£46, Vindependents): Leather, red cherries, slightly nutty; nice quality; spicy; prominent tannins.

Cascina Véngore Belgardo Nebbiolo, Terre Alfieri, Piedmont 2021 (£22.50, Vindependents): Part of the new generation of smashable Nebbiolo – full of perfumed fruit.

Masseria Setteporte Etna Rosso, Etna, Sicily 2022 (£30, Vindependents): Livewire nose and palate; jammy fruit with crunch and herbs.

LEBANON

Rosé

Château Oumsiyat Soupir, Bekaa Valley 2022 (£12.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Clean, strawberrycandied rosé – hits the spot at a good price.

NEW ZEALAND

White

Heaphy Riesling, Nelson 2021 (£14.99, Boutinot): Hitting above its price point. Citrus and herbal notes with stone fruit.

Lake Chalice Riesling The Falcon, Marlborough 2022 (£16.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Ripe rich fruit; sweetness shows but works with the fruit and acidity.

Saint Clair Chardonnay Omaka Reserve, Marlborough 202 (£22.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Sunny Chardonnay: subtle brioche on the nose, good acidity.

hiGhLY coMMended Wines

NEW ZEALAND WHITE

CONTINUED

Snapper Rock Wine Company Ward Valley Stoney Beach Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2023 (£14.75, The Antipodean Sommelier): Expressive, loud, unashamed Sauvignon – exactly what you’d want from this.

Two Rivers St Maur Single-Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2021 (£22, The Antipodean Sommelier): Elegant and restrained take on New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with good texture.

Matawhero Church House Barrel-Fermented Chardonnay, Gisborne 2022 (£21, Vindependents): Oak-driven; richly tropical New Zealand Chardonnay with a fresh feel.

Red

RUA Central Otago Pinot Noir, Central Otago 2022 (£24.99, Liberty Wines): Young, fresh, fruit-forward; zippy acidity and balanced tannins. Very nice.

PORTUGAL

White

Quintas do Homem, Vale do Homem Arinto 2022 (£13.49, Alliance Wine): Banana foam over a cool metallic base – a Portuguese original.

Reguengo de Melgaço Alvarinho, Vinho Verde 2022 (£21.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Excellent depth and texture; good length; classy; food-friendly.

Vale de Mata White, Lisboa 2022 (£17.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Pineapple cubes and lots of tangy fresh tropical fruit. Individualistic.

Leme Loureiro Alvarinho, Vinho Verde 2022 (£14.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Lots of fresh citrus and tropical fruit and acidity – very easy to drink.

Herdade do Rocim Mariana White, Alentejano 2022 (£13.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Bring on the tropical fruit – pineapple skin; herbs and citrus freshness.

Quinta do Ameal Loureiro, Vinho Verde 2022 (£16.35, Hatch Mansfield): Acid-driven in a very good way: sparks flying; green apple, lemon, lime.

Calçada Wines Quinta de Calçada Alvarinho, Vinho Verde 2022 (£14.50, North South Wines): Juicy little bit of residual sugar; happily gluggable; fresh finish.

Poças Branco, Douro 2022 (£12.99, Cachet Wines): Richly woody and tropical; ripely juicy and full flavoured.

Rosé

Manoel Poças Rosé, Douro 2023 (£14.49, Cachet Wines): Strawberries and cream: bring on the tennis! Great value; food-friendly style.

Red

Adega de Redondo, Porta da Ravessa Tinto, Alentejo 2022 (£11.99, Alliance Wine): Restrained nose; light and attractive palate; good balance and purity of fruit.

Carlos Lucas Vinhos Cota 700, Dão 2021 (£12.99, Alliance Wine): Good value: some structure and bite and plenty of character.

Poças Tinto, Douro 2021 (£12.99, Cachet Wines): Savoury nose, nice tannins, dark fruits; plum, blackberry – good value.

Santo Isidro de Pegões Sobreiro de Pegões Colheita Tinto, Península de Setúbal 2020 (£9.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Ripe dark fruit, lovely mouth feel, dark and sweet – incredible value.

Esporão Reserva Red Organic, Alentejo 2021 (£23.10, Hatch Mansfield): Ripe concentrated red and black fruit; big mouth feel; appealing oak; long finish.

Vallegre Quinta de Valle Longo Reserva, Douro 2016 (£19, Lanchester Wines): Intensely structured wine; some age brings nice savoury maturity to the fruit.

Cabeças do Reguengo Respiro Clarete, Alentejo 2021 (£27.36, Marta Vine): Very pale; pretty floral nose –very attractive, lighter-style surprise.

Ana Rola Rola de Tinto Reserva, Douro 2020 (£25, Marta Vine): Deep red colour and lots of concentrated fruit: intense, attractive Douro structure.

Calçada Wines Duris Douro Reserva, Douro 2020 (£15.50, North South Wines): Easy, vibrant, vivid fruit; juicy, fresh; supple and very good value.

Quinta do Espinho Sénior, Douro 2019 (£24, Vindependents): A powerful wine built to last with layers of sweet oak and dark ripe fruit.

Fortified

Poças LBV Port , Douro 2018 (£18.99, Cachet Wines): Dark plums and dried fruit; nice and smooth with chocolate finish.

Poças 10 Year Old Tawny Port, Douro NV (£24.45, Cachet Wine): Raisins, nuts and dried fruit notes: orange peel and lively acidity.

Henriques & Henriques 5YO Single Vineyard Verdelho, Madeira NV (£18, Mentzendorff): Classic younger Madeira: zesty freshness cutting through caramelised sugar.

Taylor’s Port 20 Year Old, Douro NV (£48, Mentzendorff): Classy, delicious tawny with racy acidity and sweet mature fruit.

ROMANIA

Red

Cramele Recas Solevari Reserve, Fetească Neagră, Viile Timisului 2021 (£11.80, Alliance Wine): Good varietal typicity – nice tannins and dark fruit – well priced for the shelf.

Cramele Recas Solara Natural Red, Viile Timisului 2022 (£12.99, Alliance Wine): Fruit-forward style – nicely integrated tannins in a punchy and foodie package.

SOUTH AFRICA

White

Bon Courage Sauvignon Blanc, Robertson 2023 (£14, Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies): Zippy, lemon peel freshness with really nice petillance. Very drinkable.

Coterie by Wildeberg Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, Coastal Region 2022 (£13.49, Boutinot): Intense nose: waxy and funky. Savoury and interesting; pithy, fresh finish.

Wild House Chardonnay, Western Cape 2023 (£9.99, Boutinot): Easy Chardonnay with broad appeal –especially at the sub-£10 price on the shelf.

Avondale Cyclus, Paarl 2018 (£23.99, Cachet Wines): Really interesting, subtle Cape-Rhône blend – the whole exceeds the sum of the parts.

Avondale Anima, Paarl 2019 (£20.99, Cachet Wines): Delicate honey and tropical fruit, rich on the palate with penetrating acidity. Complex.

Holder Dorper Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch 2022 (£25, Graft Wine Company): Mineral and flinty nose running into a richly fruity palate; very good example of Cape Chenin.

Olifantsberg Soul of the Mountain, The Matriarch, Breedekloof 2019 (£26.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Lightly aromatic with some oiliness, honey and tropical fruit; rich and textural.

Leeuwenkuil Family Vineyards Chenin Blanc, Swartland 2023 (£13.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Limey and honeyed with a smoky note; good acidity; precise, mineral, clean.

Spioenkop Sarah Raal Chenin Blanc, Elgin 2020 (£36.99, Museum Wines): Abundant honey, cream, tropical fruit. Full and textured; balanced acidity; long finish.

Painted Wolf Wines Lightning Sauvignon Blanc, Walker Bay 2021 (£20.99, North South Wines): Cool feel – subtle and fruity with plenty of green fruit to spare.

KWV The Mentors Grenache Blanc, Coastal Region 2021 (£19.99, North South Wines): An expressive oily nose – tropical fruit; tangy, mineral – lots of appeal.

Rosé

Jordan Dry Rosé, Stellenbosch 2023 (£18.99, Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies): Lovely pale rosé; clean and restrained and very easy drinking.

Red

Jordan Black Magic Merlot, Stellenbosch 2022 (£21.75, Awin Barratt Siegel Agencies): Hedgerow fruit, green bell pepper, vanilla; supple and giving; very smooth and enjoyable.

Jordan The Long Fuse Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch 2022 (£21.75, Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies): Classy; dark cherry; good complexity: great interplay of tannins and fruit.

hiGhLY coMMended Wines

SOUTH AFRICAN RED CONTINUED

Kleine Oranjerie Flora and Fauna Merlot, Western Cape 2023 (£9.99, Boutinot): Black fruit, peppery notes, very brash and dry. A steak smasher at the price.

Neil Ellis Short Left, Western Cape 2021 (£16, Gonzalez Byass UK): Light, bright, red fruit-fresh with grainy tannins and earthy Cape Cinsault tones.

Bruce Jack Wines Pinotage Off The Charts, Breedekloof 2021 (£14.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): How to make Pinotage! Easy, pleasant drinking in a supple style.

Leeuwenkuil Family Vineyards Shiraz, Swartland 2022 (£13.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Sweet red fruits, elegant, well balanced; focused with quality fruit.

Groot Constantia Lady of Abundance, Constantia 2020 (£16.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Complex nose. Well balanced, fruity, sweet spice; good value and a good find.

Mulderbosch Vineyards Faithful Hound, Stellenbosch 2022 (£17.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Currant fruit and lots of it in a well-made Cape Bordeaux blend.

Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch 2020 (£19.80, Hatch Mansfield): Plush big style – juicy, unrestrained and with broad appeal.

Uva Mira Mountain Vineyards The Mira Cabernet Franc, Stellenbosch 2021 (£29.99, Museum Wines): A classy Cape Cab Franc with deep red fruit and some smoky oak.

The Mentors Pinotage, Stellenbosch 2020 (£19.99, North South Wines): Rich complex nose; woody fruits. Good quality wine, nice long finish.

SPAIN

Sparkling

Bodegas Sumarroca Cava Reserva Brut Organic, Cava 2021 (£15.99, Alliance Wine): A great Prosecco alternative with a fuller mouth feel: soft finish. Great value, easy-drinking wine.

Roger Goulart Gran Reserva Josep Valls Extra Brut, Cava 2020 (£20.95, Hatch Mansfield): Fresh, easydrinking Cava with a nice hint of creaminess and weight.

Vallformosa Blue Fin Cava Brut Reserva, Cava 2020 (£19.49, North South Wines): Crowd-pleaser for the price point. Nice fresh finish – a drier, fresher style.

Fincas de Azabache Sparkling Tempranillo Blanco Brut, Rioja NV (£25.95, Richmond Wine Agencies): Really interesting wine with a good finish and great fruitiness, acidity and balance.

White

Cosme Palacio Rioja Reserva Blanco, Rioja 2018 (£24.99, North South Wines): Classic white Rioja updated: lovely toasty buttery tones with good orchard fruit.

deAlto Rioja y Más Te Quiero Organic Field Blend White, La Mancha 2022 (£10.81, Alliance Wine): Complex and intriguing mix of varieties – so much wine for the money.

Perelada Només Garnatxa Blanca, Empordà 2022 (£14.99, Alliance Wine): Honey and peach fleshy fruit leading into a nice fresh, bright finish.

Bodegas Ontañón Queirón Mi Lugar Blanco, Rioja 2021 (£25.99, Boutinot): Very smart winemaking bringing fresh floral notes; honeysuckle. Great depth.

Granbazán Don Álvaro de Bazán Albariño, Rías Baixas 2020 (£37.99, Boutinot): Lovely nose, delicate creaminess; a full mouth feel. Delightful, if expensive, wine.

Ontañón Rioja Viura Blanco, Rioja 2021 (£12.49, Boutinot): Nicely made, affordable white Rioja with a hint of brioche and butter.

Granbazán Etiqueta Ambar Albariño, Rías Baixas 2023 (£22.99, Boutinot): Textbook Albariño from Rías Baixas; flowers, fleshy stone fruit and citrus.

Rioja Vega Tempranillo Blanco Reserva, Rioja 2018 (£50.49, Cachet Wine): Multi-layered and tons of interest; rounded; nice crisp acidity; great length.

Oro de Castilla Verdejo, Rueda 2022 (£12.99, Cachet Wines): Yummy summer wine: good acidity and freshness; exotic fruit and citrus notes.

Ailalá Treixadura, Ribeiro 2022 (£17.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Delightfully fresh and expressive dry white: pretty and floral with lovely texture.

Finca Nueva Blanco Fermentado Barrica, Rioja 2020 (£19.99, Bancroft Wines): Golden colour. Lots going on: apple, lychee, honeysuckle, and super length.

Alta Pavina Verdejo, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla 2022 (£16.50, Moreno Wines): A Verdejo with a bit more depth: waxy and honeyed with peach.

Viña Almirante Vanidade Albariño, Rías Baixas 2023 (£16.49, North South Wines): Clean, fresh zippy and crowd-pleasing style of Albariño at a good price.

Bodega Son Vich Marges Montanegro Blanc de Négres, Mallorca 2022 (£23.50, Vindependents): Really a lot of wine for the money: baked apple and tarte tatin.

Paco & Lola Follas Novas Albariño, Rías Baixas 2023 (£18.50, Vindependents): Loads of citrus interest and freshness – a really well-made Rías Baixas Albariño.

Terras de Compostela Albariño Alma de Compostela, Rías Baixas 2022 (£27, Vindependents): Immediately appealing style with lots of tropical fruit and subtle floral spiciness.

Orange

Bodegas Altolandon, Enblanco de Altolandon, Manchuela 2022 (£14.99, Alliance Wine): Stylish and food-friendly style with attractive oxidative notes and tannins.

Rosé

Mauricio Lorca Camino Empedrado Rosado de Merenzao, Ribeira Sacra 2022 (£37.75, Ucopia Wines): Glacé cherries, sweet red fruits – a trifle! Very enjoyable long finish.

Bodega Son Vich Llagrima de Superna, Mallorca 2022 (£20, Vindependents): Concentrated fruit flavours: pomegranate, citrus peel and passion fruit. Lots of character.

Red

Bodegas Luis Cañas, Crianza Rioja 2020 (£18.80, Alliance Wine): Hefty! Rich ripe fruit; welcome grippy tannins. Spicy undertones. Lovely.

Viña Elena Familia Pacheco Organic, Jumilla 2022 (£11.99, Alliance Wine): Concentrated blackcurrant. Spicy, commercial: would sell all day long.

Bruma del Estrecho de Marin Paraje Marin, Jumilla 2022 (£15.99, Alliance Wine): Excellent concentration of black fruit; easy-drinking smoothness; a touch of spice.

Bodegas Emilio Moro Finca Resalso, Ribera del Duero 2022, (£16.49, Alliance Wine): Ripe and welcoming with mulberry fruit and juicy tannins. Good price for the DO.

Bodegas y Viñedos Tinedo Cala No 1, La Mancha 2019 (£13.99, Alliance Wine): Fruit-forward nose; subtle oak influence, smooth tannins; good depth of flavour.

BodeJa! By Tinedo, Viña de la Tierra de Castilla 2022 (£11.80, Alliance Wine): Really intense; full and deep; attractive fruit and beefy tannins; robust.

Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha, Campo de Borja 2021 (£18.99, Boutinot): Good complexity and concentration; subtle flavours but full body on the palate.

Vega del Rayo Rioja Seleccionada, Rioja 2021 (£10.49, Boutinot): Well-made, commercial Rioja; does just what you need in store.

Vega del Rayo Rioja Tempranillo, Rioja 2022 (£9.99, Boutinot): Plum-skin tanginess and tannins: price working very much in its favour.

Rejadorada Antona Garcia, Toro 2017 (£19.49, Cachet Wines): Typically powerful, big-boned Toro red: a capable, ripe winter warmer.

Rejadorada Sango, Toro 2014 (£24.49, Cachet Wines): Savoury tones emerging in the robust fruit: powerful maturity.

Dominio Fournier, Ribera del Duero 2019 (£28, Gonzalez Byass UK): Impressive depth of classic Ribera del Duero richness; well-integrated oak.

Tandem Garnacha Inmune, Navarra 2022 (£15.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Mouthwatering, approachable, vibrant, really well balanced and fresh.

Bideona Rioja Tempranillo de Laderas, Rioja 2021 (£16.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Nice farmyardsavoury character; fresh berry fruit; meaty and classic: a foodie wine.

hiGhLY coMMended Wines

SPANISH RED CONTINUED

Bodegas Resalte de Peñafiel Resalte Crianza Origen, Ribera del Duero 2019 (£27.99, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Big and sumptuous; intense, robust with fine oak and richness of fruit.

Finca Bacara Time Waits For No One Black Skull, Jumilla 2021 (£19.25, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Nice tannins; little bit of spice; deep concentrated fruit.

Bodegas Ondarre Rioja Organic Primeur, Rioja 2021 (£12.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Punchy: concentrated raspberry, plum. Thumbs up for the floor stack.

Ailalá Souson, Ribeiro 2018 (£17.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Earthy and leathery with deep fruit, spice and juicy tannins. Intrigue!

Bodegas la Purísima La Purísima Monastrell, Yecla 2022 (£11.75, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Deep berry fruits; spice and some grip; long finish.

Dominio de Fontana Tempranillo Syrah Roble, Uclés 2020 (£12.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Blackcurrant nose. Fruity flavour explosion in the mouth: nice tart finish.

Casalobos Fuente del Ciervo, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla 2022 (£14, Lanchester Wines): Blackberries and earthy notes; lighter mouth feel; some easy drinking. Very smooth.

Bodegas Muriel Gran Reserva, Rioja 2014 (£21, Moreno Wines): Delightfully mature, savoury, Gran Reserva Rioja just as nature intended.

Bodegas Muriel Viña Muriel Gran Reserva, Rioja 2014 (£22.50, Moreno Wines): Gran Reserva Rioja is such amazing value when it’s as good as this.

Cosme Palacio Vino de Laguardia, Rioja 2019 (£21.99, North South Wines): Really appealing lush style with lots of ripe fruit; chocolatey tannins.

Marco Abella Clos Abella, Priorat 2020 (£55, Vindependents): Good grip; serious oak and dark fruit, but elegant; very typical, high-quality Priorat.

Bodega Son Vich Supernins, Mallorca 2021 (£23, Vindependents): Stand-out food wine: savoury, earthy, crunchy red fruit.

Bodegas Martínez Lacuesta Campeador Reserva, Rioja 2015 (£25, Vindependents): Nice oak-fruit balance: subtle vanilla and dark cherry; refreshing finish.

Glorioso Selección Especial, Rioja 2018 (£15.99, North South Wines): A pretty style with delightful fragrant fruit: light but engaging.

Fortified

Bodegas Emilio Lustau Vermut Rosé, Jerez NV (£26.77, Bancroft Wines): Very powerful with floral (rose petal) notes – off-dry; loveable Spanish vermouth.

Valdespino Premium Collection, Amontillado Tio Diego Pago de Macharnudo, Jerez NV (£29.99, Liberty Wines): Satisfying toast and almonds in a rich oxidative style. Long. Impressive.

Valdespino, Premium Collection, Fino Inocente Pago de Macharnudo, Jerez NV (£25.99, Liberty Wines): Lively dry, beautifully balanced fino with so much savoury intensity and length.

Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana Manzanilla En Rama Spring 2024 bottling, Jerez NV (£21, Mentzendorff): Yummy fresh Manzanilla: all fresh yeasty character and lemon rind.

URUGUAY

Sparkling

Viña Progreso Underground Pét Nat Torrontés, Canalones 2023 (£23.50, Ucopia Wines): Melon and mango, concentrated puree flavours: bitter twist on the finish.

Proyecto Nakkal Simple Pét Nat Rosé, Canalones 2022 (£16.99, Condor Wines): Unique nose of bruised red apple; medicinal tangerine palate.

White

Familia Traversa Viña Salort Albariño, Canelones 2023 (£12.99, Condor Wines): Very ripe and great typicity for the price: a real value contender.

Orange

Bizarra Extravaganza Orange, Juanico 2020 (£18, Vinos Latinos): Aromatic varieties: open, floral. Fresh; nicely bitter finish. Very nice wine.

White

Jordan Chardonnay, Alexander Valley, California 2018 (£41.99, Cachet Wines): Crystalised pineapple and candied papaya; fresh, youthful. Very good quality.

Andrew Murray Vineyards Viognier, Santa Barbara County, California 2021 (£32.49, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Turbo-charged Viognier character; ripe expressive peach/ginger: a fairly priced Condrieu alternative.

Talbott Vineyards Chardonnay, Sleepy Hollow, Santa Lucia Highlands, California 2021 (£40, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Pineapple, brioche, but clean and precise; well structured; very long finish; very good.

Rosé

Klinker Brick Winery, Bricks and Roses Rosé, Lodi 2023 (£17.99, Daniel Lambert Wines): Red cherry, raspberry; very moreish acidity. Smash this in the sun!

Red

Orin Swift Abstract California Red, California 2021, (£45, Enotria&Coe): Deep purple, subtle spicy nose; silky fine tannin; powerful, complex, long.

Andrew Murray Vineyards Espérance, Santa Ynez Valley, California 2020 (£40.50, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Intense, lovely bouquet; slight vanilla notes; really enjoyable; delicious – perfect with food.

Talbott Vineyards Pinot Noir, Sleepy Hollow, Santa Lucia Highlands, California 2019 (£46.50, Hallgarten & Novum Wines): Big bold nose, earthier style, unctuous fruit. For fans of richer Pinot.

Peterson Winery Mendo Blendo, Tollini Vineyard, Redwood Valley, California 2020 (£21.49, Hallgarten & Novum): Boozy raspberry nose; tropical red fruits; big fruit but fresh; good finish.

Klinker Brick Winery, Brickmason Red Blend, Lodi, California 2020 (£17.99, Daniel Lambert Wines): Soft, plush fruit – jammy but not cloying. Richness through the finish.

Klinker Brick Winery, Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, California 2020 (£19.99, Daniel Lambert Wines): Dusty blue and black fruit on the nose; unusual; sweetly engaging and ripe.

Trefethen Family Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, California 2021 (£60, Daniel Lambert Wines): Nose and palate filled with cinnamon-spiced blackcurrant; nice texture.

LeadinG suppLiers

Methodology Three