Covenant founding winemaker Jeff Morgan, 70, is both driven and eccentric. He favours the underdog. Take rosé, for instance. Morgan played an outsized role in jump-starting the rosé renaissance in America more than 20 years ago – long before it was fashionable.

Not only did Morgan co-found SoloRosa, the first American winery dedicated solely to dry rosé, but in 2005, he penned the first English language book on the subject as well (Rosé, A Guide to the World’s Most Versatile Wine, Chronicle Books).

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for ten Covenant wines tasted

In 2003, high-end kosher wine seemed like a long shot. But Covenant was among the first wineries to demonstrate that fine wine made with native yeast and organic grapes and without fining or filtration can also be kosher. It was a novel concept at the time.

Ten Covenant wines tasted

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With Christmas just around the corner, and delivery delays looming large, it’s time to think seriously about replenishing your cellar with all the wine you’ll need in the festive weeks to come.

The festive season might be the time to splurge and treat yourself to a more expensive bottle. But with so many, and such different, moments of celebration, you’ll want to have some safe good-value options to choose from as well. Save where you can so you can spend more on gifts and other treats!

With that in mind, we’ve selected 20 wines, all under £15 a bottle, that deliver all the festive satisfaction without breaking the bank. They might even become your new everyday drinking favourites and/or cellar staples in the New Year.

The selection below covers a wide selection of regions and styles, which will pair perfectly with the different festive meals, whether it’s turkey, duck, beef, vegetarian banquet or boxing day leftovers. Another advantage of going for multiple, good-value pours rather than a single flagship bottle is that you’ll be able to cater to a wider range of tastes and requirements.

Decanter Premium is the perfect last-minute gift for wine lovers!

Important things to know when picking a red wine for Christmas:

• Beware of tannins – Festive food tends to be quite intense, with multiple flavours, spices, and textures, as well with a significant amount of fat. Tannins bind with these compounds and if a wine is too tannic this will not be a pleasant feeling. So go for wines with medium, riper tannins instead. Or for wines that have lots of tannins but have mellowed through extended ageing. Keep the punchy reds for strong yet lean textures such as roast beef or braised tuna.
• If you’re looking for a wine for homemade mulled wine, choose a medium-bodied style that has fruit but also herbal flavours. These will make for a more enjoyable and complex drink. Think Merlot or Cabernet Franc, rather than Garnacha.
• Get the serving temperature of your red right – One of the most common mistakes when serving reds is to pour them too warm. This means actually need to be properly chilled down. Light to medium bodied reds should be at 12-16°C (54-61°F), while fuller bodied reds should be served at 15-18°C (59-65°F).
• Price doesn’t always matter – while it can be an indication of quality, it is sometimes (often!) also driven by availability, brand placement and market pressures. You can trust some of the wines below to deliver the same quality and satisfaction than other bottles found on shelves at £20+
• Trust your supplier – the best way to know whether you’re truly getting bang for your buck, as opposed to a low quality bargain, is to buy from trusted suppliers whose selections are careful and thoughtful, across price points. Our selection was also made with this in mind.

Red wine for Christmas under £15:

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‘It was a very good vintage with extremely healthy grapes’ – Vincent Dauvissat

After a week spent in Chablis tasting 375 wines, it is clear that 2022 is a very good year – and potentially an excellent one. Although a warm and very dry vintage, yields were not excessive and, crucially, acidity is high. The resulting wines are very well balanced with a lovely combination of the freshness and minerality which typifies Chablis, combined with fleshy, ripe, stone- and tree-fruit flavours.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for a selection of top-scoring and top-value Chablis 2022 wines

Coming after the very challenging growing season in 2021 (severe frosts, cold weather and rainfall leading to disease pressure), Chablis 2022 has a different style and one which will appeal both to ‘classic’ Chablis lovers as well as those looking for more generous fruit character.

Top producer Vincent Dauvissat commented that in 2022 ‘the vines were recovering from 2021, and were compensating with lots of vegetative growth’. Dauvissat notes: ‘It was a very good vintage with extremely healthy grapes.’

See the Chablis 2022 top wines score table for all wines scoring 93 points or above

Howard’s pick: 30 great buys

The following wines are Andy Howard MW’s pick of the top-scoring and best-value Chablis 2022 wines, according to his own extensive tastings, as well as including wines from ‘producers to look out for’.

NB: many retailers’ allocations for these wines are as yet unconfirmed – prices and stockists are given where available, and alcohol levels are shown where known at the time of writing. If we have awarded ‘Top value’ to an as-yet unpriced wine, it is based on our predicted pricing.

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As Christmas approaches we’re all looking for an offer on our wine shopping, and Waitrose’s Fine Wines at £10 promotion is a particularly tempting proposition, with 10 fine wines (plus one tawny Port) across different styles, marked down to just a tenner each. 

This represents a significant discount on the retail price for most of the wines featured – all of these wines will set you back at least £14.99 when not discounted, and the most expensive included in the offer (the Villa Antinori Rosso di Toscana) has a price-tag of £18.99, so a great saving if you’re on the lookout for a Tuscan red to go with your festive meat dishes.

Decanter Premium: The perfect gift for a special wine lover

Classic styles

This Christmas promotion is all about the classics, with the line-up including customer favourites such as Chablis, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Provence Rosé, Rioja and Argentinian Malbec among the featured wines, as well as a sparkling wine and the tawny Port. 

It may seem like a rather conservative selection given the excitement elsewhere in Waitrose’s range – in its excellent Loved & Found discovery range, for example – but it’s the classic styles that are most in demand at this time of year so these are unsurprisingly the focus here. This is not a line-up that is going to broaden your horizons, but without a doubt these wines are great value at this price.

So what were the highlights of the range? Among the whites, the crisply mineral Broglia Gavi di Gavi from Piedmont is delicious, and would be a good match for fish or seafood dishes. And for red, we’d make a beeline for the Aussie Shiraz, The Hedonist, made from McLaren Vale fruit – a full-bodied and richly fruited wine that would be perfect in these freezing winter temperatures.

This year’s promotion runs while stocks last, until 1 January 2024, in most stores and online – at Waitrose.com and Waitrose Cellar. (The exception to this is the Chablis, which is available at the £10 price only until 13 December.) 

Waitrose’s 10 Fine Wines at £10

All wines tasted 21 November 2023. Prices shown here are the full retail prices, and do not reflect this special offer. Some wines might only be available in selected stores. Wines grouped by style and ordered by score, in descending order.

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Light up your Christmas with the vivacious bubbles and bright acidity of English sparkling and still wines, hand-picked by the Decanter team. Be spoiled for choice from premium bubbles, festive rosés and gift options in magnum format. All wines are above 88 points.

Our highlights

From the premium end, the 2010 vintage of Nyetimber’s 1086 is the latest release of the estate’s Prestige Cuvée. A truly special treat that stands testament to the ageing potential of English sparkling wines. Hambledon Vineyard’s Première Cuvée Rosé 2016, driven by Pinot Meunier, offers a punchy, memorable flavour profile that sets to change your perception of an English sparkling rosé.

For Christmas gift ideas, Exton Park has released a twin-pack of its 2014 Blanc de Blancs, one cellar-aged and one sea-aged, each showing intriguingly distinctive characters. From Simpsons Wine Estate, the Q Class Chardonnay, in magnum, is only made in exceptional years. The 2020 vintage was especially impressive with its depth and richness. Ridgeview’s late disgorged edition of its NV Oak Reserve sparkling wine, with its laminated cherry wood label, will certainly inspire some curious conversations at the dinner table.

For fizzes that offer both value and quality, Greyfriars’ Blanc de Blancs 2015, at £27 per bottle, is our top recommendation. The NV Brut from Louis Pommery, at £30 via Ocado, and Quob Park Extra Brut at £31.50, are also value finds that won’t disappoint.

If you are in the mood for Burgundian-style still whites, opt for Balfour Winery’s tank-aged Skye’s Chardonnay 2022 or Gusbourne’s barrel-fermented Guinevere Chardonnay 2021 and savour the subtle differences. For a serious taste of the English ‘signature grape’ – Bacchus – Chapel Down’s Kit’s Coty Bacchus 2020 will surprise you with its complex perfume and palate.

For a splash of colour, some of our favourite festive pinks include Rathfinny’s sparkling Rosé 2019, Black Chalk’s Wild Rose 2020 and Railway Hill Rosé 2022 from Simpsons.

A growing industry

In 2022, 12.2 million bottles of wine were produced in Great Britain, a 130% increase from 2017, according to the most recent survey conducted by industry body WineGB.

Britain has 3,928ha of land under vine – excluding an estimated further 400ha planted in 2023 – and 943 vineyards and 209 wineries.

Chardonnay (1228ha), Pinot Noir (1,141ha) and Pinot Meunier (343) remain the favourites of wine growers in England and Wales, while cool-climate varieties such as Bacchus (298ha), Seyval Blanc (122ha) and Solaris (95ha) are increasingly valued for their ability to produce quality still wines.

Sparkling wines still account for 68% of Britain’s total wine production, with the majority (93%) made using the traditional method. The remaining 32% of production comprises a wide range of still wines, among which 62% are white and 21% are rosé.

Data from WineGB / Wine Standards

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Beth Willard, Sarah Jane Evans MW and Pierre Mansour tasted 59 wines, with 1 Outstanding and 26 Highly recommended.

Galician whites: Panel tasting results

59 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 1

Highly recommended 26

Recommended 31

Commended 0

Fair 1

Poor 0

Entry criteria: Producers and UK agents were invited to submit their current-vintage white wines – single varietals or blends of any authorised white grapes except Albariño – from any of the five DOs in Galicia: Monterrei, Rías Baixas, Ribeira Sacra, Ribeiro, Valdeorras.

From Godello to Treixadura, Loureiro to Caiño Blanco, this tasting offered some exceptional examples of Galicia’s white wines, as well as some new discoveries and a few surprises.

Here we focused on Galicia’s treasure trove of white varieties excluding Albariño, which has already earned itself plenty of attention and been well explored in other tastings. Spanish agriculture ministry data for 2022 shows that production of white wines across the four provinces of Galicia constitutes a significant 69%, bucking the trend of the majority of regions in Spain where red varieties are more widely planted.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the Galician whites panel tasting

Galician whites: Panel tasting scores

The judges

Beth Willard is involved in sourcing wines for both the on- and off-trade in the UK, with a particular focus on Eastern Europe and Spain. Formerly buying manager at Direct Wines, she is a member of Spain’s Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino, and a DWWA joint Regional Chair for Spain.

Sarah Jane Evans MW is a Decanter contributing editor and Co-Chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards. Her latest book The Wines of Central and Southern Spain (£35 Infinite Ideas) is set for release in early 2024.

Pierre Mansour is director of wine at The Wine Society, and has been buying The Society’s Spanish wines since 2008. He is a member of Spain’s Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino, and a DWWA joint Regional Chair for Spain.

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Why Corton?

The hill of Corton is an arrestingly beautiful place to even the most casual passer-by. As one arrives from Beaune, it rises suddenly to dominate the landscape.

In geological terms, the hill is an outlier, freed from the main slope of the Côte d’Or by erosion. Vines wrap almost completely around the hill, facing every direction from northeast to almost due west, making this the only grand cru in Burgundy with a western exposure.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for all 12 wines in the Corton Grand Cru masterclass

Corton Grand Cru masterclass: All 12 wines rated

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The buyers for the German-owned supermarket, which established itself in the UK in 1994, do a great job of sourcing small quantities of interesting and well-priced wines for the Wine Tour line-up. Between this and the core range, it offers a comprehensive selection of Old and New World wines across a range of styles.

Lidl Wine Tour

Lidl has made an important change to the frequency of its ‘Wine Tour’ schedule, which until recently changed the focus of its in-store range every two months.

Now, Lidl’s wine range (other than its core wines, which are a permanent fixture on the shelves) will be refreshed every month, meaning that if you like the look of a particular wine featured below, you’d best act quickly!

The Christmas Wine Tour begins on 30 November 2023. Top picks include Alte Vogtei Zu Ravensburg’s Spätburgunder (£9.99), a German Pinot Noir which offers fresh, tangy red fruits, and Santa Rita’s Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon (£9.99), a ripe, creamy, dark-fruited red from Chile. 

Also worth picking up is Walter Skoff’s Sauvignon Blanc (£11.99) from Austria, which is full of green fruits, peach and white pepper – a marked difference to your typical New Zealand Sauvignon (see below), and Corte Allodola’s Lugana (£8.99), an Italian white which offers yellow fruit aromas with a peach and herb finish.

You’ll also find more typical festive fare, such as Château les Tuileries Bordeaux (£6.99) and Les Paroisses Châteauneuf-du-Pape. And if you’re after a good value sweet wine, look no further than the Sárga Borház, Késői Szüret Late Harvest Hárslevelü, Tokaji.

I have to admit to not being blown away by the small range of Champagnes available at Lidl – if you’re after some fizz without breaking the bank, instead try the Amorany Cava (£7.99), which offers some funky orange peel and stone fruit aromas and flavours.

Surprise the wine connoisseur in your life this Christmas!

Deluxe wine range

Earlier this year Lidl launched a Deluxe wine range, a logical step, since the Deluxe branding has been on the shelves in UK stores since 2008 in other food and drink lines, and has won a loyal following. 

The Deluxe collection is part of the core range but the wines are geared towards those looking to take the next step in their wine journey: the Deluxe New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Awatere in Marlborough (£7.99) is a good pick for new world Sauvignon fans.

The best Lidl wines to drink this winter:

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Many high-end producers along Napa Valley’s storied wine routes took on wine as a second (or third) career after securing their fortunes in other lucrative fields. None of them have quite the same story as Darioush Khaledi.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 10 current releases from Napa’s Darioush

Today, Khaledi is famous for being the proprietor of Darioush, an eye-popping merger of a winery and hospitality centre he and his wife Shahpar designed.

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So you’re throwing a party. Of course you are. It’s that time of year, after all. And you’ll need to get the drinks organised. You enjoy a decent bottle of wine, and know a fair bit about it. You wouldn’t be reading this otherwise. So whatever other options you’re considering for the lo-no/designated driver/cocktails/craft beer crowd, the wine is likely to be your responsibility (and let’s face it, who needs an excuse to go out and buy lots of nice wine?).

So here are a few suggestions, pulled together by the party-loving Decanter team – all wines we’ve run across at recent tastings, which we’d serve at our own parties. They’re all affordable at £20 or under, and should be fairly easy to find.

Surprise the wine connoisseur in your life this Christmas!

Pitching it right

But to start, a few hints on party etiquette. No, not ‘don’t do that dance with the lampshade on your head again’, though that’s useful to keep in mind.

First, think of your guests. If your social circle is anything like ours, there will be a few knowledgeable wine enthusiasts, a few who are interested but less educated, some who like what they know and know what they like, and the inevitable smattering of those who might accidentally take a swig from a nearby vase of flowers without noticing the difference.

So it’s not an occasion to go overboard on the fine wines. That bottle of 1982 Mouton Rothschild can stay securely locked away in the cellar.

Your choice should be reasonably mainstream, too; the ‘interesting’ natural wine that smells of overripe barnyard, the headache-inducing 16.5% abv red and the semi-sweet curiosity from the East of Azerbaijan are probably treats for another time. You don’t have to stick to supermarket standards and well-known labels, but the reaction you’re aiming for is ‘this is nice, what is it?’, not ‘what on Earth is this?’.

Also think about food. Or rather, don’t. You’re looking for wines that will work on their own, or with a wide variety of flavours if you’re serving snacks and canapés. Something that only works well with cheese or fish is way too specialised.

And then there’s the season to consider. It’s winter, so you could happily lean towards more robust wines – though easy-drinking lighter whites are a perennial standby, and pale rosé has escaped its summer-only designation to be a year-round favourite.

And the last hint? Don’t take it all too seriously. While you may be very proud of your carefully chosen selection, this is clearly a time to wear your knowledge lightly – after all, a party is all about conversations and connections, and the wine should be an accompaniment (even better, enhancement) to that rather than the main event. But what if anybody refuses your wine and insists on drinking that bottle of £4.99 plonk they brought with them? Well, you know where the door is.

Winter party wines: 25 at £20 or under

Wines chosen by members of the Decanter team

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Caroline Frey, owner of Paul Jaboulet Aîné, has decided to uncouple La Chapelle (and its white counterpart, Le Chevalier de Sterimberg) from the Paul Jaboulet Aîné brand by creating a separate entity, Domaine de la Chapelle, which will be the new home for these two wines.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the 2022 Domaine de la Chapelle red and white wines

Tasting notes and scores for the 2022 Domaine de la Chapelle red and white wines:

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The vineyards in the northern part of the Champagne region are often sliced into three distinct areas: the Côte des Blancs for Chardonnay, the Marne Valley for Meunier and the Montagne de Reims for Pinot Noir.

Scroll down to see tasting ntoes and scores for Tom Hewson’s top picks of Montagne de Reims Champagnes

The first two can be neatly surmised: the Côte des Blancs is a single, chalky cuesta – a hill with a steep face on one side and a gentle slope on the other – that can be driven north to south in 20 minutes. The Marne Valley is a winding valley planted with an overwhelming majority of one grape variety and with hardly a grain of chalk to play with. The Montagne de Reims, though, is different.

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It was not hard for Sebastián Labbé to capture the attention of an audience drawn to a tasting of multiple vintages of Viña Santa Rita Casa Real, the wine that inscribed Chile in the fine wine firmament, worthy of a place among Decanter’s Wine Legends.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for three vintages of Santa Rita Casa Real Reserva Especial

Born in Chile and trained in New Zealand and Australia, Labbé returned to his home country in 2005, aged 25, to join Viña Carmen as Chief Winemaker. In early 2017, he was given the outstanding opportunity of leading the Ultra-Premium Sector at sister estate Viña Santa Rita (both Viña Carmen and Viña Santa Rita are part of Santa Rita Estates, under the umbrella of the Claro Group). With such privilege came the big responsibility of becoming the custodian of some of Chile’s most recognised and highly-regarded labels, not least the flagship Casa Real Reserva Especial.

Before him, only two other winemakers – Ignacio Recabarren and Cecilia Torres – had held the Casa Real helm. Alongside owner Ricardo Claro (the mastermind behind the creation of Casa Real) they defined a recognisable and consistent style that quickly turned heads both in Chile and abroad. First released in 1989, Casa Real revealed the potential of an overlooked terroir and its ability to yield a very specific expression of premium Cabernet Sauvignon.

See all Decanter tasting notes and scores for Santa Rita’s premium wines

In 2021, to celebrate the release of the 30th vintage of Casa Real, Viña Santa Rita made the wine available, for the first time, through La Place de Bordeaux. The announcement represented yet another pivotal moment in the wine’s history, consolidating its status as an iconic and pioneering Chilean label.

So far, Labbé’s tenure has been shaped by this prestigious legacy but also, and increasingly, by viticultural challenges and ambitious expansion plans. His own personal journey served as the perfect narrative thread for the insightful masterclass at the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter.

Credit: Ellen Richardson

A very Chilean Cabernet

Key to Casa Real’s enduring success are its consistency and classic yet characterful style, both reliant on the particular expression of Cabernet Sauvignon delivered by the terroirs of Alto Jahuel. Labbé delved into the three key variables that define this idiosyncrasy: geology, climate and viticultural choices.

A complex accumulation of alluvial sediments deposited strata in different ways across the slopes of Alto Jahuel, with distinct textures dynamically layered at variable depths. This creates a great deal of diversity within each vineyard, producing interesting if minute variations in fruit character. The heavier soils of the Carneros Viejos block, planted in the 1970s, are responsible for the wine’s more structural components, while the more gravely Población, a block planted in the 1980s, adds finesse and aromatic nuance. All blocks benefit from the long dry growing season, with cooling night winds from the Andes causing a wide temperature diurnal range. Cool nights help to preserve a fine acidity, keep alcohol levels in check and, says Labbé, shape the distinct aromatic profile of Cabernet Sauvignon that has become synonymous with Alto Jahuel and Casa Real.

Combined, Carneros Viejos, Población and recently planted, smaller sites – all ungrafted – make up the nearly 20 hectares that supply fruit for Casa Real. Plans to plant another 20 are underway. These will use plant material from massal selections from the existing plots. Labbé is not sure, however, if all of them will be on their own rootstock.

Grafted experiments delivered promising results, questioning the need for orthodoxy. Although he does recognise that much of Casa Real’s aromatic definition and purity of fruit might be a byproduct of own-root systems, other considerations – such as ever diminishing water resources – might need to come into play.

Viña Santa Rita Casa Real discovery tasting at the DFWE 2023. Credit: Ellen Richardson

Blending to perfection

If the different plots within the Casa Real vineyards deliver such nuanced aspects of Cabernet Sauvignon, carving – and remaining faithful – to a defined style requires mindful and masterful blending. For the masterclass, Labbé brought with him barrel samples from the 2023 vintage to illustrate the wide palette of components, from separately vinified plots, at his disposal. These also offered a glimpse of the ‘epic blending sessions’ held each year, in Bordeaux, alongside consultant Eric Boissenot.

The filigreed aromatics of the Población sites and the more robust structure of the Carneros Viejos sections became apparent in the barrel samples tasted. It’s not hard to see how, upon blending, these create a balanced matrix, in which the tannic framework of Carneros holds the vibrant and perfumed details of the Población fruit. Interestingly, a sample from a more recently-planted plot (Carneros Sur, 2015) had a particular balance of its own, promising great things from new and future plantings.

The tasting closed with a selection of three vintages: 2020, 2012 and 1994 (see tasting notes below). The latter showcased the somewhat overlooked longevity of Casa Real. While ready to drink, it still displays bags of finesse, freshness and the lingering herbal savouriness which is so characteristic of Alto Jahuel Cabernet Sauvignon.

Looking ahead

Winemaking at Santa Rita has so far been, first and foremost, a way of harnessing the quality of the Cabernet fruit that goes into Casa Real. Hand-harvested grapes are gently basket pressed and vinified in more than 25 small batches (some through spontaneous fermentation). The wine is bottled without filtration and clarification.

Is this purist approach – and the recognisable style it facilitates – being questioned by climate change? Labbé explained that, to preserve balance and character, the focus will be on strategic viticultural decisions, such as harvesting earlier and increasing the use of cover crops.

He is already making minor tweaks in the cellar though: the use of new oak has been toned down (75%, down from 100%) and there’s a chance future vintages might go through gentle clarification, which Labbé believes might help the Cabernet Sauvignon fruit to shine even more.  ‘I want to remain respectful to the heritage and style I had the privilege of inheriting,’ he concludes. ‘All changes are done to preserve the character that has made Casa Real such an iconic wine.’

Casa Real’s label has remained largely unchanged since its first release, in 1989

DFWE 2023: Three vintages of Santa Rita Casa Real Reserva Especial

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As the two smallest communal appellations in the Médoc region, after the big four of St-Estéphe, St-Julien, Pauillac and Margaux, Moulis and Listrac may not carry the same name recognition or prestige as their more famous neighbours on Bordeaux’s Left Bank, but these are the places to look for happy, characterful and food-friendly wines at accessible prices (often under or around £20 per bottle).

Scroll down for Georgie Hindle’s pick of 18 wines to try from Moulis & Listrac

See Georgie Hindle’s pick of 18 wines to try from Moulis and Listrac

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It felt like I was tasting two different vintages while working my way through more than 100 St-Josephs this year. Some of the reds were diminutive but fresh and well-balanced; others were soft, luxurious and liqueur-fruited.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring St-Joseph 2022 wines

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Matt Walls’ top-scoring St-Joseph 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 92 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.

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Contrary to other well-known wine regions in Tuscany, Bolgheri has always stood apart: instead of being influenced by the hills and soils of the Appenines, Bolgheri has been shaped by the nearby sea. From the sandy loam with pebbles as well as clay, and limestone in the hills, the sea has left its imprint upon the land and circulates the air around the vineyards.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 10 wines from the Ornellaia masterclass

The historical records indicate that, due to the proximity to the sea, Sangiovese was not well suited to Bolgheri. In contrast, it is the sea – providing luminosity and cooling breezes – that allows other grapes to excel. Enter international varieties.

Bolgheri and its vines are often compared to Bordeaux, but the wines never quite taste like Bordeaux. They might be French grapes, but the vine cuttings originated in Italy and have been in the region long enough that they deliver a distinct expression of Tuscany.

So where does Ornellaia fit in? It’s not the first famous wine from Bolgheri – that would be Sassicaia – but rather one established by another branch of the Antinori family in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and a wine produced in 1985 that quickly made its mark. But it would take another decade for the vines to become ‘comfortable’, according to Gravereaux.

Credit: Ellen Richardson / Decanter

Additional vineyards in Bellaria, near the Bolgheri hamlet, were added and planted from 1992. At higher elevation and facing the sea, these new vines quickly became significant to Ornellaia’s future.

During the 1990s, the estate gained a better understanding of what the vines were going to produce, and increased the number of micro-vinifications and plot selections, leading to what Gravereaux described during the masterclass as ‘the greatest shift in the estate’s evolution.’ In 1997, a second wine, Le Serre de Nuove dell’Ornellaia, was introduced, giving the winemaking team the freedom to select only the best components for Ornellaia. Today, Ornellaia is a meticulous selection sourced from over 70 different plots.

The early 2000s brought more changes: of ownership, of winemakers and, in some ways, of the wine itself – yet it remained true to its origins: a distinctly Tuscan expression of a Bordeaux blend of grapes. The last 20 years, under the stewardship of the Frescobaldi family and CEO, Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja have cemented Ornellaia’s place among Italy’s top wines.

From the 2013 vintage, the quest for elegance and expression of terroir became the focus: recent vintages of Ornellaia have a purity of fruit and freshness that has become a hallmark of the wine. The amount of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced from 70-80% of the blend to 50-60%, with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot making up the difference – which, in their increased percentages, allowed for a greater diversity of flavours and structure (both acid and tannins), as well helping to mitigate the effects of the changing climate through thicker skins and later ripening.

Another innovation in the last 20 years has been the Vendemmia d’Artista project. Every year since 2006, a single word is selected to describe the vintage, interpreted by a different artist each year, who is commissioned to create both a label and art installation. Large format bottles using the exclusive label are auctioned off, with proceeds going to the Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation to support its Mind’s Eye project, which enables the blind or partially sighted to appreciate artwork via verbal and sensory experiences. As Gravereaux put it, it’s Ornellaia’s way to ‘help communicate and interpret wine through art.’

White wines at Ornellaia

White wines have always been a part of the history of Ornellaia, but were somewhat neglected until the change in ownership. In 2008, Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia was re-introduced, a predominantly Sauvignon Blanc-based blend. And in 2013, the first vintage of Ornellaia Bianco was created; also largely Sauvignon Blanc-dominant, but a blend which has changed around from year to year, while the most recent vintages have settled on 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

Gravereaux insisted that Poggio alle Gazze ‘should not be considered as the second wine of Ornellaia Bianco.’ Rather, the technical team identified certain plots where the white varieties excelled, and felt that they could produce a wine deserving of the Ornellaia name. Both white wines have brought a differentiating factor to the winery and have been a resounding success.

The determination from this masterclass? Terroir at Ornellaia is key. The wines – 2020, 2013, 2011, 2008, 2003, 1998, 1993 and 1990, plus Ornellaia Bianco 2020 and 2014 – demonstrated a seamless continuity that, according to Gravereaux, ‘transcends’ blends and climatic conditions.

Ornellaia: ‘Four decades of a Tuscan icon’

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Ahead of the celebration of its 150th anniversary in 2024, The Wine Society is geared up for a fabulous festive season, with a selection of classics and boundary-pushing styles at an unbeatable price/quality ratio.

Decanter’s Outstanding Wine Retailer of the Year 2023 has persevered in keeping prices stable, malgré tout, providing its members with much needed reassurance against the backdrop of inflation and rising alcohol duty. Time to stock up, before energy prices rise again in January, and let the merriment begin.

Pop that fizz

Much thanks to the tasting acumen and strategic savvy of buyer Sarah Knowles MW, the sparkling section remains strong, with quite a few classic festive bargains up for grabs. While there are plenty of deals covering the obvious appellations – especially the inevitable Champagne – it’s worth exploring the wider fizz selection, with jewels from other geographies offering great, intriguing alternatives. The Vouvray below, for example, with its savoury complexity and incredible persistence, is an absolute steal for less than £15.

White and red

Plunging temperatures might make you think mostly of warning reds but no celebration is complete without a comprehensive selection that includes whites and rosés as well. Serve them as an aperitif, alongside bubbles, or select richer styles for smart food pairings. Our round-up includes many food-friendly whites (and a delicious dark-hued pink from Tavel), perfect for the celebratory table and winter blues.

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Classics and mavericks

The Wine Society never fails to deliver a wide and interesting line up from go-to regions. This winter is no exception and one can easily select from an appealing range from Chianti, Rioja, Bordeaux and Burgundy, many of which will make for great, uncontentious gifts.

But while the retailer is known for consistently delivering on classics – notably though its comprehensive own-label range, strongly represented below, for which it has enlisted some top producers – the retailer has also become a champion of maverick and unexplored regions. All to the benefit of its members who can choose from an ever-more exciting selection of Eastern European, Austrian, Swiss, Greek, and overlooked French, Spanish and Portuguese appellations.

Some producers stand out and it’s good to see them gaining better footing in the UK market thanks to The Wine Society. Jurtschitsch (Kamptal, Austria), Kolonics (Somló, Hungary) and Thymioupoulos (Naoussa, Greece) are among the many names worth seeking out.

Fortified and sweet

Two other categories of compulsory exploration on the company’s website – ahead of the festive season and otherwise – are sweets and fortifieds. From outstanding sherries for less than a tenner to warming LBV Ports, by way of intriguing and luscious sticky pours, there really is someone for everyone. Again, it’s worth thinking ‘outside the box’ and seeking out alternatives to the go-to regions and/or producers. Or you might miss out on great-value jewels such as Sánchez Romate’s Fino and Oloroso.

There’s absolutely no excuse for a Christmas cheese served without a proper and interesting pairing.

Inside the box

TWS also has a great selection of curated cases (both wine-only and including food treats) and classy hampers. These will work either as ready-made party kits or thoughtful and stylish gifts. Reflecting the variety of its range there are cases for explorers (Adventurers’ Case, £62/6 bottles) and non-risk takers alike (Members’ Favourites, £94/12 bottles; Wine Champion Winners Reds Case, £55/6 bottles). If you feel like you can somewhat stretch the budget try The Ultimate Christmas Day Case (£156), with a selection of six fantastic bottles. There’s even a Gin and Tonic case, complete with dry olive slices for garnish and accompanying snacks.

The Wine Society: top buys this Winter

All wines tasted 28 September 2023. Prices do not reflect any special or multi-buy offers.
Prices are accurate at the time of writing

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Cornas

It was particularly dry in Cornas, with about 100mm of rain between April and harvest, according to Pierre Clape. It’s no surprise therefore that the ripening blockages are felt more keenly here than elsewhere in the north. ‘But the leaves stayed green, in contrast to 2003,’ says Clape.

Tannins can be difficult, rough and fibrous in places, but, both here and elsewhere, sensitive use of oak has helped to paper over the cracks and add some palate weight.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Cornas & St-Péray 2022 wines

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Matt Walls’ top-scoring Cornas & St-Péray 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 92 points or above, and are listed in order of St-Péray and Cornas in score order.

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It’s an unusual style of red Hermitage this year: smaller in structure and stature than a usual year. Again, as with other appellations, it’s primarily down to problems with ripening – Guillaume Sorrel said it didn’t rain at all on the hill of Hermitage in June, July or August, and Maxime Chapoutier remembers the mercury hitting 40 ̊C as early as June.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Hermitage 2022 wines

See all 400 Rhône 2022 tasting notes and scores

Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Hermitage 2022 wines:

The wines below scored 92 points and above, and are listed white then red in score order.

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After the disastrous 2021 vintage, 2022 is certainly a step up, though stylistically it couldn’t be more varied.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for top-scoring Crozes-Hermitage 2022 wines

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Rhône 2022 full vintage report and top-scoring wines

Northern Rhône 2022: Full report and top-scoring wines

Matt Walls’ top-scoring Crozes-Hermitage 2022 wines:

The wines below all scored 90 points or above, and are listed white then red in score order.

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The post Crozes-Hermitage 2022: Report and top-scoring wines appeared first on Decanter.