October's Recommendations
We rate our wines out of a 100-points scale.
Our reviews and recommendations are completely independent and we do not have any commercial affiliation with the importers and/or retailers listed.
Please note that prices are correct at the time of our tastings/reviews but are subject to change without us being notified.
A special edition of our Monthly Recommendations exclusively featuring wines tasted at our (fantastic!) Leeds Autumn Festival on September 28th.
Sparkling
Thomson & Scott Prosecco NV - 88 pts
Veneto, Italy, Sparkling Off-dry White, 11% ABV, cork
100% Glera
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, fish and chips.
You could be forgiven for thinking by its name that this delicate fizz is an English sparkler, but it isn’t: it’s a Prosecco. Not just any old Prosecco but a fizz made from organic Glera grapes grown on the southeast-facing slopes of the Dolomites, and characterised by a refreshingly appley fruitiness and, above all, very much to our taste, a delightfully sherbety, tangy dry finish.
£18 available from Harvey Nichols
Langlois-Chateau L'Extra par Langlois - Crémant de Loire Brut NV - 92 pts
Loire, France, Sparkling Dry White, 12.5% ABV, natural cork
Chenin Blanc (minimum 55%), Chardonnay
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, charcuterie & cheese platter, cured trout.
Crémant de Loire has always been a great alternative to Champagne both price and quality wise. This L’Extra, from Bollinger-owned Langlois-Chateau is testament to that: lovely toasty overtones, a hint of nuttiness and Chenin Blanc’s rich and smooth texture all held by Chardonnay’s structure and acidity.
£14.99 (or £9.99 as part of a mix six case) available from Majestic Wine
Dry White
Laurent Miquel Albariño 2018 - 88 pts
IGP Aude, France, Dry White, 13% ABV, cork
100% Albariño
Pairs nicely with: Scallop ceviche, dressed crab, tapas.
Channeling its Galician counterpart, this southern French dry white made from the Spanish grape variety has the fresh aromas, the ripe, peachy mid-palate and the citrus-zesty dryness on the finish that add up to a convincing partner for all manner of seafood.
£11.49 available from Waitrose & Partners
Triebaumer Furmint 2018 - 90 pts
Burgenland, Austria, Dry White, 12% ABV, screwcap
100% Furmint
Pairs nicely with: Roast monkfish, lemon sole meunière, trout.
So fresh is this Austrian version of the variety mostly grown in Tokaj that it scarcely seems possible that it’s a 2014. But that extra time in bottle adds a complexing underpinning to the refreshing fragrance and prickle on the tongue. A wine with expressively juicy richness and a refreshing pineappley finish.
£15.84 available from Alpine Wines
Wine of the Month!!
Weingut Alzinger Dürnsteiner Riesling 2017 - 91 pts
Wachau, Austria, Dry White, 11.5% ABV, screwcap
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Smoked salmon, grilled sardines.
This light to medium-bodied Austrian Riesling from the steep slopes of the Wachau over the Danube shows citrusy aromatics and a refreshing spritz on the tongue, followed by a mouthwateringly dry, zesty quality on hte finish that leaves the palate satisfyingly refreshed.
£22.72 available from Alpine Wines
Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis 2018 - 90 pts
Burgundy, France, Dry White, 13% ABV, screwcap
100% Chardonnay
Pairs nicely with: Oysters, John Dory, cod loin.
This is the real Chablis deal! A lipsmackingly pure, clean, unoaked Chardonnay whose citrusy fruit quality is complemented by a vivacious, mineral bone dryness that lingers long on the tongue.
£14.99 available from Bon Coeur Fine Wines
Vignerons des Terres Secrètes Saint-Véran Les Cras 2015 - 90 pts
Côte Mâconnaise, Burgundy, France, Dry White, 13% ABV, cork closure
100% Chardonnay
Pairs nicely with: White fish with beurre blanc sauce, smoked haddock.
A cut above entry-level Saint-Véran, the Les Cras vineyard wine has an extra level of stone fruit richness on the mid-palate whose intensity of flavour and opulence of texture allows it to taper gradually to a fine, dry finish.
£15.99 available from Bon Coeur Fine Wines
Value choice of the Month
Johannes Hirsch Harvey Nichols Grüner Veltliner 2017 - 90 pts
Kamptal, Austria, Dry White, 12% ABV, screwcap
100% Grüner Veltliner
Pairs nicely with: Mild Thai chicken curry, Pad Thai, white meats.
This exceptional Grüner from the Hirsch family in Austria’s Kamptal region is super-refreshing on the tongue before turning opulent and tropical on the palate and then again reaching a new dimension of freshness with a white peppery underlay to the zingy dry finish.
£14.50 available from Harvey Nichols
Topiary Chardonnay 2016 - 91 pts
Franschhoek, South Africa, Dry White, 13% ABV, cork closure
100% Chardonnay
Pairs nicely with: Sea bream, tapas.
Perhaps it’s not surprising that this project is masterminded by Philippe Colin of Chassagne-Montrachet fame because there’s a Burgundian poise to this finely crafted Cape Chardonnay. The light toasty veneer of oak adds to the complexity of a textured dry white that finishes with a fresh citrusy twist of acidity.
£25 available from Harvey Nichols
Value choice of the Month
Waitrose & Partners Elbling 2018 - 89 pts
Mosel, Germany, Dry White, 11% ABV, screwcap
100% Elbling
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, seafood platter, salt cod carpaccio.
Mosel might be known for nothing else other than their (exquisite) Rieslings but Elbling, an ancient forgotten variety, certainly deserves some attention as well. This great value pour from Waitrose is vibrant, refreshing and crackingly mineral, with restrained citrus aromas and well-rounded acidity.
£6.99 available from Waitrose & Partners
Squealing Pig Sauvignon Blanc 2018 - 90 pts
Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand, Dry White, 13.5% ABV, screwcap
100% Sauvignon Blanc
Pairs nicely with: Thai prawn curry, Sole meunière, herb roasted chicken
While fresh and zippy as expected from a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, this wine delivers more length and texture than most of its supermarket counterparts for only a couple more pounds. This is mostly the result of a thicker-skin Sauvignon clone and some post-fermentation lees work. The textural feel combined with restrained lime and gooseberry aromas make this wine a perfect food companion.
£10 available from Amazon.co.uk
Martín Códax Albariño 2017/18 - 90 pts
Rías Baixas, Galicia, Spain, Dry White, 13% ABV, screwcap
100% Albariño
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, grilled seabass, tiger prawns, unagi roll.
You can't go wrong with this classical Galician producer that for decades has set the standard for the traditional expression of Galician Albariño. Their entry level label blends two (very different) vintages for a textural pour that combines Rías Baixas’ trademark salinity with an appealing lemony juiciness.
£13.49 (or £9.99 as part of a mix six case) available from Majestic Wine
Clos St-Jacques Riesling 2018 - 91 pts
Alsace, France, Off-Dry White, 12% ABV, cork
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Medium cured cheeses, autumn salads (root vegetables and nuts), sushi.
Elegant as an Alsatian Riesling should be, with gently floral notes levitating over intense citrus fruit and vertical minerality. Refreshing acidity perfectly balanced by the sweet edge. Good length.
£13.99 (or £11.99 as part of a mix six case) available from Majestic Wine
Wine of the Month!!
Judith Beck Weissburgunder 2018 - 93 pts
Burgenland, Austria, Dry White, 11% ABV, screwcap
100% Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc)
Pairs nicely with: Light pasta dishes, Caesar salad, Niçoise.
Laura Kent presented this elegant Weissburgunder during her “Introduction to Natural Wines” Masterclass at our Autumn Festival and it is certainly a perfect example of what a low intervention wine can and should be: aromatically complex, clean and vibrant. Judith Beck is a very talented winemaker whose personality comes through in all her production without obscuring the Burgenland terroir and the varietal character, both fully expressed in this orchard fruit-driven, earthy and textural wine.
£15.50 available from Buon Vino
Dry Red
Botonero Mamete Prevostini 2017 - 89 pts
Valtellina. Switzerland, Dry Red, 13.5% ABV, cork closure
100% Nebbiolo
Pairs nicely with: Lamb fillet with rosemary, roast thyme and ginger chicken.
An intriguing red from Switzerland made from the Nebbiolo grape (of Barolo). Here it shows a gentle quality of cherryish fragrance and fruit, with sub-threshhold oak and a delicacy of texture and vivid freshness that brings an almost Pinot Noir-like character to the variety.
£16.74 available from Alpine Wines
Bodegas Caro Aruma Malbec 2017 - 89 pts
Mendoza, Argentina, Dry Red, 13.5% ABV, cork closure
100% Malbec
Pairs nicely with: Pasta with a Bolognese or chorizo-based sauce, peppered steak.
A chip off the old block of Caro, the joint venture between the Catena family and Domaines Baron de Rothschild, this is a typically aromatic and supple-textured, spicy, berry-fruited Malbec whose appetisingly savoury finish offers a neat contrast to the plummy ripe fruit on the mid-palate.
£15.99 available from Bon Coeur Fine Wines
Waitrose & Partners País 2018 - 88 pts
Chile, Dry Red, 12.5% ABV, screwcap
100 % País
Pairs nicely with: Beetroot & goats cheese salad, smoked mackerel, mezze, charcuterie & cheese platter.
A great, explorative alternative to Beaujolais with vibrant aromas of ripe red berries and red plum. Velvety and juicy, this is a wine to serve a bit chilled at the start of a meal or to enjoy over an uncomplicated afternoon nibble selection.
£7.99 available from Waitrose & Partners
Castillo de Olite Colección 2013 - 89 pts
Navarra, Spain, Dry Red, 12.5% ABV, screwcap
Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano
Pairs nicely with: Lamb chops, haggis, roast turkey.
An intense yet elegant pour with firm but soft tannins and extremely well-integrated oak. A full-bodied wine balanced by vibrant aromas of plum, blackcurrant and black cherry and lingering gentle spiciness.
£9.99 available from Waitrose & Partners
Squealing Pig Malbec 2018 - 91 pts
Mendoza, Argentina, Dry Red, 13.5% ABV, screwcap
100% Malbec
Pairs nicely with: Beef ragù, parmigiana, meat paella.
Mendoza's altitude Malbec vineyards are getting a lot of attention and there's a reason for that: they deliver concentration paired with mineral freshness for wines with more elegance than the punchy examples that made the variety & region famous. Squealing Pig sources the fruit from a 1000-m plot planted 10 years ago on gravelly soils and you can certainly feel a pleasing freshness of vibrant crunchy berry aromas weaved by firm tannins and great acidity. All with very friendly 13.5% alcohol.
£10 available from Amazon.co.uk
Villa Borghetti Valpolicella Ripasso 2017 - 90 pts
Verona, Italy, Dry Red, 13.5% ABV, cork
60% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, 20% Molinara
Pairs nicely with: Merguez sausages, huevos rancheros, biriyani.
A truly crowd-pleasing Ripasso with expressive sour cherry, blueberry and red plum aromas over hints of lavender and violet. Very juicy, smooth and topped by lingering sweet spiciness.
£13.99 (or £10.99 as part of a mix six case) available from Majestic Wine