Top picks from Waitrose
Jamie Goode makes his selection from the recent Waitrose (UK multiple grocer) press tasting.
A couple of weeks ago I went to the socially distanced Waitrose wine tasting that I shared a short film of. There were some nice wines, and in no particular order these are some of them that stood out for me for interest, absolute quality, or value for money. [NOTE: FROM NOVEMBER 4 ONWARDS WAITROSE HAVE A 25% OFF SIX SALE!]
Luigi Bosca Selección de Vistalba Malbec 2018, Mendoza, Argentina
14% alcohol
£16.99
This is silky and seductive with sweet floral black cherry and blackberry fruit. It’s sleek and ripe, but stays fresh. A really attractive Malbec. 90/100
Jean Claude Mas Château Capendu La Comelle 2018 Corbières, France
14% alcohol
£6.99
A blend of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. Fresh, supple, sweet fruit with raspberries and plums, as well as subtle notes of pepper, dried herbs and some green hints. Lovely purity of fruit and tastes much more expensive than it is. 89/100
Château Gravier Figeac Saint-Émilion 2011, France
13% alcohol
£28.99
100% Merlot, organic farming. Concentrated and quite serious, with brooding blackcurrant fruit supported by gravelly, spicy, earthy savoury notes. Really dense and structured: this is impressive, especially considering the vintage. 93/100
Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella 2015 Veneto, Italy
15% alcohol
£39.99
Matured in 3500 litre vats. This has lovely sweet cherry and berry fruits, with some liqueur-like richness and more elegance and purity than you get in many Amarones. There are also notes of rose petals, dried tea and herbs. Lovely. 94/100
Prunotto Barolo 2016 Piemonte, Italy
14% alcohol
£39.99
This shows lovely elegance, with fine red cherry and herb notes, and amazing silkiness and purity under the focused red fruits. Such a stylish expression of Nebbiolo with great purity and focus. There’s structure here under the fruit, but it is masked. 94/100
Cantina del Nebbiolo Barbaresco 2016 Piemonte, Italy
14.5% alcohol
£19.99
This is fine and expressive with some earth and spice and dry tannic structure, but also lovely purity and focus. This is so stylish, with classic undergrowth and dried herb notes as well as sweet red fruits. So appealing. 93/100
Máté Brunello di Montalcino 2015 Tuscany, Italy
14.5% alcohol
£39.99
Matured in large oak. This is fabulous: it’s fresh, focused, elegant and structured with nice tannins sitting under bright cherry and berry fruits, framed with notes of pepper, dried herbs and lavender. Serious stuff, showing elegance and also structure. 95/100
Waitrose & Partners No.1 Ripasso di Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Fratelli Recchia 2018 Veneto, Italy
14.5% alcohol
£13.99
Lovely fruit here: juicy cherries and berries with nice balance and a spicy flourish at the end. Very more-ish with a touch of sweetness to the fruit. Lovely elegance and purity. So lovely. 93/100
Tierra Sagrada Tinto Organic 2019 La Mancha, Spain
14% alcohol
£6.99
Machine-harvested at 13 tons/hectare, and with a pH of 3.92 (alarmingly high), but this is actually very nice. Lovely floral red fruit aromatics with a nice green leafy edge. Ripe, bold and sweetly fruited on the palate with nice intensity and the greenness adds freshness to the sweet fruit. 88/100
Waitrose & Partners No.1 Viña Lorea Reserva Rioja 2016, Spain
13.5% alcohol
£12.89
This is lovely, with some classy oak supporting the bright, focused berry fruits. It’s benchmark Rioja, and tastes very classy. The fruit is lovely, and it finishes fresh and structured. 92/100
Escarpment Noir 2018 Martinborough, New Zealand
£14.99
13% alcohol
Supple and quite elegant with bright red cherry and plum fruit, with some silkiness but also nice structure. A really classy example of Kiwi Pinot, showing good balance. 93/100
De Bortoli 17 Trees Shiraz 2019 Victoria, Australia
£9.99
14.5% alcohol
From De Bortoli’s own vineyards in Heathcote. Every 6 bottles purchased will lead to the planting of one tree. This is really good: lovely bright, pure black cherry and blackberry fruit. Lovely density here with some tannic grip and just a hint of mint and pepper. Really impressive. 90/100
Bonterra Estate Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 California, USA
14% alcohol
£12.99
Matured in small French oak (40% new). This is fresh and well balanced with lovely blackcurrant fruit and some notes of earth and dried herbs. It’s quite dense and structured, but there’s lovely fruit here. Impressive. 90/100
Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot 2017 Washington State, USA
13.5% alcohol
£11.99
Very appealing: silky and polished with sweet cherries and plums, and a touch of blackcurrant. This is really appealing and well balanced, with some sweetness to the fruit but also good balance. 89/100
Reyneke Organic Cornerstone 2017 Stellenbosch, South Africa
14% alcohol
£19.99
This is concentrated and dense with sweet blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. It’s really structured and complex with nice fruit intensity. Serious stuff. 92/100
Bosman Nature & Sun Grenache 2020 Wellington, South Africa
13.5% alcohol
£11.99
This is a lovely infusion-style red with sweet cherry and plum fruit. Has real elegance and focus with nice juiciness and a bit of spice. So drinkable. 91/100
Mâcon-Lugny Les Crays Vers Vaux, Florent Rouve 2018, Burgundy
13% alcohol
£19.99
This is fresh and linear, with a nice poise. Quite linear and mineral with a subtle nutty edge to the pear and citrus fruit. Very stylish, and delivers a lot of pleasure. Serious stuff. 91/100
Touraine Sauvignon Blanc Organic Le Vin des Copains 2019 Loire, France
13% alcohol
£9.99
Nicely aromatic with some green nettly notes and a blast of elderflower. In the mouth this has lovely acidity with keen citrus fruits and some tapering lime and grapefruit on the finish. Really good. 90/100
Climbing Chardonnay 2018 New South Wales, Australia
12.5% alcohol
£9.99
High solids ferment, 60% in stainless steel, 40% in barrel (20% new). Lovely balance here: this shows delicate pear and citrus fruit with fine spicy framing to the nicely concentrated palate. Sophisticated, and brilliant value at this price. 90/100
Rustenberg Grenache Blanc 2020 Stellenbosch, South Africa
13.5% alcohol
£9.99
This is lovely: there’s a slight salty edge to the focused lemony fruit, with some dried herbs. Stylish and linear with nice focus. 90/100
Blankbottle Boberg Chenin Blanc 2020 Wellington, South Africa
12.5% alcohol
£19.99
Concentrated and complex with citrus, peach and pear fruit, as well as notes of apple and straw. Lovely intensity here with a slight salinity on the finish. 92/100
Gusbourne Brut Exclusive Release 2016 Kent, England
12% alcohol
£35
50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 10% Pinot Meunier. This is sophisticated with notes of toast and hazelnuts under the appealing peach and pear fruit. It’s quite a dense, rich style of fizz with real refinement. 92/100
Bodegas Hidalgo, Pastrana Manzanilla Pasada NV Jerez, Spain
15% alcohol
£12.99
Fresh, vital and savoury with a saline edge to the apple and citrus fruit. Tangy, complex and very stylish, this is lovely. 93/100
Waitrose & Partners No1 Torre del Oro Palo Cortado Lustau Sherry, Jerez. Spain
£11.99
19% alcohol
Smells sweet and raisiny with nice complexity. In the mouth, this is really complex with old furniture, spice and some citrus, as well as some appley notes and a touch of raisin. Finishes dry. Lovely stuff. 94/100
Williams & Humbert ‘As You Like It’ Amontillado Blend Sherry,Jerez, Spain
20.5% alcohol
£29.99
This is a medium sweet Amontillado, with complex, intense woody, raisiny flavours and some notes of tar. Rich and viscous with lovely intensity. Such a wine: really lovely. 94/100
Bodegas Toro Albalá, Don PX Pedro Ximénez Gran Reserva 1990 Montilla-Moriles, Spain
17% alcohol
£19.95 for a half bottle
This is remarkable. Very rich and sweet but with lovely complexity: notes of treacle, dates and raisin, with astonishing concentration and some notes of dark chocolate on the finish. Very sweet, but balanced enough to drink. 94/100
Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat, Victoria, Australia
17.5% alcohol
£12.99
This is rich and raisiny with lovely complexity. It’s more than just a sweet sugar bomb: there’s earth, herb, spice and tar complexity. Freshness here balancing the richness. A lovely wine at a great price. 93/100
Disznókó Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos, Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary
11.5% alcohol
£19.99
Fresh and complex with lovely intensity to the marmalade and peach fruit, with some apricot and raisin hints. Has a table grape character, too. Lovely intensity. 94/100
