Stockist/Retailer: Waitrose

(2026) Vergelegen clearly believe this is a Chardonnay that can cellar, closing it with a 'DIAM 10', a type of cork used for wines where cellaring for 10 years is theoretically possible. Fruit was mostly whole-bunch pressed, with fermentation in barrels of varying turbidity - the volume of solids in the liquid, like skins and pips, that can add to a wine's 'flinty' character. A combination of wild and inoculated yeast was used and the wine matured for 10 months in barrels of different types, sizes, and toast levels. On opening the oak seemed to mark this fairly prominently, but with a little air that subsides to reveal aromas of white fruits, a touch of flint, and clear citrus juiciness. In the mouth the oak adds a subtle almond background to very sheer, pure apple and lime, though it never dominates and the acidity balances the finish very nicely. Watch the video for more information and food matching ideas.

(2026) 50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay plus Pinot Meunier, this has around 20% reserve wines. As well as being in Waitrose, the wine is being poured in BA 'Club World' at time of review and a percentage from sales supports the Leander rowing club. It's a lovely rosé, creamy and ripe with a hint of aromatic smokiness and a full, textured palate, rich with red fruits yet cut by precise acidity.

(2026) Like many other Rioja producers, Beronia has made the short journey to Rueda for this wine, made from that region's key grape variety, Verdejo. I particularly liked the fact that this is not a Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc pastiche like so many others. There's a talcum and sherbet lift to this over passion fruit and juicy Asian pear. In the mouth there is a spangle brightness, crisp and clean flavours running a line between exotic and citrus, and lovely length into a balanced finish. Look out for deals - it was recently down to £8 in Waitrose. Watch the video for more information.

(2026) From one of South Africa’s most historic estates, this was fermented in barrel with fine solids (the yeast, pulp, etc., rather than fermenting only squeezed juice). It was matured in a mix of 30% new, 33% second fill and 32% third fill barrels with 5% in concrete tanks. As is traditional with Meerlust it is a ripe and relatively big-scaled Chardonnay, just easing into the buttery and golden spectrum, but there are distinctive flint and Brazil nut notes and, in the mouth, abundant ripeness and sweet stone fruit flavours. But this is always buttressed by oak and defined by a crisp, lean and flinty acidity, giving good length and lovely balance. It's a very classy and competent Chardonnay. Watch the video for more information.

(2025) From a very high quality Co-op, this is a typical Côtes du Rhône Blanc blend of Viognier, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc grown on clay limestone and stony soils. It's a very nicely made wine this, unoaked but quite creamy and rich, the Viognier driving the aromas with pear, apricot and peach touched by something floral. On the palate it is quite full, sweet with fruit and possibly a hint of residual sugar? That may just be the ripeness in this 14% alcohol, full flavoured wine. An honest CdR from a very good Co-operative cellar, finishing with good balance and rich lime acidity. Watch the video for more information and food matching ideas.

(2025) A delightful, cheap and straightforward white with a handily low 11% alcohol. Made from the indigenous Fetească Regală, this bright, unoaked and zippy wine could be summed up as an amalgam of peach, Mandarin orange and lemon, light in texture and juicy through to the finish for party sipping or a refreshing aperitif.

(2025) Miguel Torres (the man) has a deep felt commitment to sustainability and environmental causes, and this wine from a small new range is the first time his Chilean wines have been shipped to the UK in bulk, for local bottling. For many producers that's a cost-saving measure, but I believe the 40% saving to CO₂ emissions that it brings is a driving force. The wine is also packed in a lightweight bottle for onward transport. The wine spent three months on oak barriques, and opens with a swirl of smokiness around black berries. A little hint of roasted meats and spice is very Chilean Cabernet. In the mouth it is dry, with a light balsamic quality, the fruit not quite plush enough against the tannin and acid core, finishing with a touch of spice again.

(2025) Before I publish a review of a wine I also check to see who the current stockists are, and who has the best price. I was fascinated to see the customer reviews for this wine on the Waitrose site: almost equally split between 1 star reviews and 5 star reviews. Comments included: "Disgusting! I had to pour the whole bottle down the sink," to "An Outstanding Pinot Noir. Velvety and smooth, with delicious flavours." Was one right and one wrong? Well, I think this is a perfectly nice and quite typical Pinot with its pale colour, leafy and soft, pulpy red berry fruit and light mouthfeel. The opinions reinforce my belief that people used to drinking Argentine Malbec or Australian Shiraz will simply not get Pinot Noir made in this style; it's not for them. Is it for you? Well, it's an Australian brand that you may well find discounted in Waitrose or Sainsbury's, but will let you find out :) Watch the video for more information.

(2025) So many different labels from South Australia's family-owned Yalumba, this stocked by Waitrose. From Barossa fruit, it was matured in a selection of French, Hungarian and American oak for 10 months. There's something quite meaty here, a sizzle of bacon rind perhaps, pepper and dark but not fantastically expressive fruit. In the mouth the sweetness is noticeable, very ripe fruit, plummy and with plenty of spice too. Big and chewy with its 14.5% alcohol, the finish a little angular for me.

(2025) The unusual, stumpy little bottle for this has a certain solidity to it, and that suits the wine perfectly. Sourced from vineyards across the Barossa, it was fermented in steel then transferred to used, large format French and American oak barrels for nine months maturation. It has a vivid purple colour and the nose has masses of everything really: chocolate and eucalyptus, plums and blackcurrants, and a whole cupboard full of spices. This is old-fashioned, no-holds-barred Barossa Shiraz with 14.5% alcohol, but thankfully it is balanced too. The palate is sweet and full, the velvet richness flooding the mouth, but the chocolate and spice of the tannins and barrel component, plus a perky little lift of cherry-fresh acidity, means it finishes really nicely too. Watch the video for more information and food-matching ideas.