Recent Reviews

	Sabina Tempranillo, Navarra 2017 "Can't expect too much at this price point but it's still bad value for money. Very sharp spirit type taste and borderline drinkable. AVOID." Mr Dickson Cheung ( 16-Oct-2018 )	£5.75
	Château La Plaige, Bordeaux Supérieur 2012 "Good value claret. Very enjoyable for the money. It was quite tannic, but improved with decanting." Mr Michael Walker ( 16-Oct-2018 )	£7.95
	The Society's Red Burgundy 2017 "I can't tell if this wine will improve with age; but it\s pretty grim right now." Michael M Steer Esq ( 16-Oct-2018 )	£9.95
	The Society's Exhibition Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 12 Years Old "This Speyside single malt has a smoothness which I would only normally expect of a Single Malt at twice the price. Really delicious whisky at a very reasonable price point. " Dr Lorin B Davies ( 16-Oct-2018 )	£32.00
	Côtes-du-Rhône Rive Droite, Rive Gauche 2017 " Brimming with fruit, I've tried the 2016 and this is on a par. Think this will become cellar regular for me." Mr Matt Palmer ( 16-Oct-2018 )	£7.75
	Momo Vendimia Seleccionada, Ribera del Duero 2015 "I was really impressed with this wine. Full bodied, heading towards a dark purple colour, quite bright with medium to high alcohol, dry, nice medium length tannins with an abundance of strawberry on the nose mixed with the ‘sense’ of a neighbours gourmet BBQ about 10 doors down. You’re aware of that hint of lightly toasted oak but you’re not quite sure where it's coming from or how far away! Pair with some other nice surprises like ‘The Shape Of Water’ and a hearty cheese and meat platter! Enjoy! " Mr Simon James ( 16-Oct-2018 )	£11.50
	The Society's Exhibition Vintage Port 1985 "Very dark still. Vigorous and full of life. A bit of a bruiser in fact.Coffee grounds and violets on the nose with plenty of acidity and grip. Medium sweetness and a dry finish. Pleasant enough but a bit agricultural - a country cousin to the Taylor's city gent." Philip Harvey Esq ( 16-Oct-2018 )	£54.00
	Tahbilk The Tower MVR 2016 "I’m really struggling to find anything positive to say about this wine! It was virtually nondescript in its aroma and taste, quite “flabby” really and without any specific fruit or floral notes. The blend just doesn’t work and I was reminded of a cheap house white served up in a cracked jug in the Rhône or Languedoc in the 1980s. Very very disappointing as I bought it alongside some much more expensive Australian wines as part of my Wines 101 Bucket List." Dr Brian Metters ( 16-Oct-2018 )	£9.50
	The Society's Southern Spanish Red, Jumilla 2017 "5 stars for the price point of course, but I actually think that this is better than the 2016. A very "full" wine and a very satisfying mid-week tipple!" Dr Paul Stockbridge ( 16-Oct-2018 )	£5.75
	The Society's Claret 2016 "best value claret I have ever tasted! Shocked how lovely it tasted for the price!" Mr Tobin Ayers ( 15-Oct-2018 )	£6.95
	Leeuwin ‘Prelude' Margaret River Chardonnay 2016 "Pale green/straw yellow in colour, initial aroma of green apple with distinctive characteristics that shout out at you “this is an Australian chardonnay”. Lemon on the palate with the green apple continuing for a VERY long finish. The oak hits you initially, but then fades as the acidity continues. I find myself comparing this wine with a Chablis of equal cost, and my preference is for .... a Chablis. There’s something about Aussie chardonnay that makes them all the same, not terroir driven, whether you pay £9 or £29. This wine has a “fatness” about it which Chablis don’t have, but conversely Chablis has the minerality so highly prized. And the notes from 8 hours later Oak has softened, almost disappeared, was it oak at all? Now butteryness to add to the lemon but also with honey {which I always get with Meursault}, I feel guilty at running it down previously. My goodness, my glass is empty, has it all gone? " Dr Brian Metters ( 15-Oct-2018 )	£29.00
	Nebbiolo d'Alba, Manfredi 2015 "Very drinkable. Perhaps a little firm for my taste but still enjoyable. Not abundantly fruity." Mr Tom Lavercombe ( 15-Oct-2018 )	£9.95
	Duo Des Mers Sauvignon-Viognier, Vin de France 2017 "Delightful wine, loved by all the family. So glad I found it on the Bin End shelf, this will become a regular for us now." Mr Graham B Taylor ( 15-Oct-2018 )	£6.50
	The Society's Exhibition Chianti Classico 2015 "My experience of this was much happier than that of the other reviewers so far. Decanted for a little over an hour this was enjoyed by my guests. It was neither thin nor lacking in fruit. Extremely smooth. Sweetness ahead of acidity but not cloyingly so. Some sediment. I'll happily order again." Mr Tom Lavercombe ( 15-Oct-2018 )	£12.50
	Blind Spot Clare Valley Riesling 2017 "Beautifully dry and as good as last year's vintage, I know of no other wine quite like this." Mr Tom Bulley ( 15-Oct-2018 )	£9.50
	Champagne Alfred Gratien Cuvée Paradis Brut 2008 "Sadly unremarkable. Nothing wrong with it per se; but for a 2008 vintage, 10yrs on; this is pretty standard fare. Wouldn't buy again - it's just a bit meh to be honest. " Mr Christopher Stark ( 15-Oct-2018 )	£52.00
	Billi Billi Grampians Shiraz 2015 "Rich with dark fruit and a pleasant nose. Medium body, robust tannins, perhaps a bit too robust for my taste, and quite spicy on the finish. Not as "big" as your typical Aussie Shiraz, and quite hard to pin down exactly what the style is here. Pleasant enough but plenty of choice at this price point, many of which have left me with more positive feelings. Three stars is probably a little mean but four would be too generous. " Mr John Lay ( 15-Oct-2018 )	£9.95
	Au Bon Climat Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2015 "So I love this wine. I love it before dinner, with dinner, after dinner. I love it at lunchtime the next day and, if by some miracle, there is any still left, I'll have a sneaky slurp at tea time, and I'll love it then too. Au Bon Climat does produce other wines from its top sites that are more complex and can be aged with greater confidence, but I'm not sure they can top this one - its 'basic' model - for sheer delicious drinkability. Lovely, lovely, lovely. Fruity, delicious, and consistently good, year in, year out. If you already love pinot noir, this is just a great New World example. If you don't know much about pinot noir, this would be a great bottle on which to find out whether this grape has got the type of taste about which you're interested in discovering more. Au Bon Climat are actually pretty well known, so whatever allocation the Wine Society has of this will be sold pretty soon, so my advice is to buy it straight away. If I had the money, I'd have bought it all up just for myself." Rev Robert Stanier ( 15-Oct-2018 )	£25.00
	The Society's Exhibition Pinotage, Stellenbosch 2015 "I agree with Mr Peter May, excellent and for the price fantastic, decanting is a must." Mr Robert Hudson ( 15-Oct-2018 )	£10.50
	Victory Hotel Australian Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 "Soft, full-bodied, dark fruit flavours. Uncomplicated everyday wine as the blurb says. Perfectly alright on its own, good value too. " Mr John Lay ( 14-Oct-2018 )	£6.25
	Tokara Limited Release Cabernet Franc, Stellenbosch 2012 "This is a top quality wine. It has a light touch but deep flavours of cooked raspberries and strawberries relieved by a slight herbaceous rasp that prevents it being too jammy. Medium weight with well-integrated tannins, the flavours are long and complex. " Mr Geoffrey Bolton ( 14-Oct-2018 )	£19.50
	DFJ Vinhos Gran D'Arte Alicante Bouschet, Estremadura 2006 "As a zealous convert to Portuguese / Duero wines I can honestly say that this is my favourite. We did a wine tasting at work and this was a clear winner. People were guessing is was much younger and much more expensive. It is probably at the end of its lifespan, but you get such a smooth silky rounded blackcurrant front, with a hint of vanilla oak, and that little ending of something more complex( liquorice but not quite). Inky black, fully flavoured and long, but gentle - you can drink bottles of the stuff on its own. Get this before it runs out, before it finally lapses into old age, or for my liver's sake before I buy it all." Mr James Innes ( 14-Oct-2018 )	£7.50
	Quinta da Raza Vinhão, Vinho Verde 2017 "Love the whites but this is unthinkable " Mr Colm J Buteux ( 14-Oct-2018 )	£11.95
	Spätburgunder, Markgräflerland, Martin Wassmer 2015 "having opened the bottle my first thoughts were [not for me]having decanted the wine to let the flavours develope it dawned on me what a great wine this was as a previous correspondant remarked clearly notes of plummy fruit and cherry as well ; my guess is this wine in 6 to 12 months could be really special. We tried the wine with a joint of pork with all the trimmings and it worked a treat.Very good wine it has some way to go to be a special wine still time yet.What i would say to customers buying this Pinot is let it breathe and you won't be disappointed ;great wine but can be better" Mr Jonathan Wilson ( 14-Oct-2018 )	£14.95
	Savoie-Chignin Vieilles Vignes, Domaine A&M Quenard 2017 "Sadly, we disagree with the good Dr! My wife and I really didn't enjoy this wine - far too acidic and sharp. At £11, we expected a lot more. Even some Cassis couldn't save the day. " Mr Peter Minns ( 14-Oct-2018 )	£10.95
	The Society’s French Full Red, Vin de France 2017 "Full bodied, fruity, easy drinking wine. Very good value for money. " Mr Bernard Feeney ( 14-Oct-2018 )	£6.95
	Undurraga TH Maule Garnacha-Cariñena-Monastrell 2013 "A solid midweek wine that was superior to most £16 bottles that I have purchased in the past. I will definitely be exploring more of the T.H. range. This really was an unexpected treat with my Thursday night Cote du Boeuf! " Mr Louis Altman ( 14-Oct-2018 )	£16.00
	Olivier Leflaive, Bourgogne Oncle Vincent 2016 "This is first class. Fresh ripe apple with hints of white peaches and soft pear with some very light oaky butter and nut on the nose. Everything follows through to the palate and its clean as a whistle with a delicious pressed lemoniness coming through on the back palate softened by the barrel fermentation which provides a little weight. The finish is not overly long but rewards with all that light buttery white nut and a gentle touch of oak (I believe its seen about 15% new). Regional wine' barely does it justice and affordable quality in the Burgundian minefield is so often an expensive game to play. Thank-you WS job done! Just don't sell out before my next order!" Mr Alexander Lomas ( 14-Oct-2018 )	£20.00
	Susana Balbo El Peral Single-Vineyard Mendoza Malbec 2017 "Fabulous Malbec. Full of deep rich fruit, a hint of earth and really smooth. Excellently balanced." Ms Louisa Mason ( 14-Oct-2018 )	£11.95
	Château Ksara Réserve du Couvent 2016 "As a lover of Lebanese food, I thought I'd try a bottle of Ksara Reserve du Couvent and I was not disappointed with the 2015. It was like drinking a nice Bordeaux; a hint of pepper, but very easy on the pallet.....perhaps dangerous of being too drinkable. I have ordered some more and await the delivery of the 2016 variety." Mr Hugh McKeachan ( 14-Oct-2018 )	£9.95
	Susana Balbo La Delfina Paraje Altamira Malbec 2013 "Gifted to us by eldest son who is also a Wine Society member. What a fantastic Malbec, deep deep colour, smooth as velvet, deep rich dark fruits and fragrant perfume - full bodied is a bit of an understatement. Perfect partner with steak. As an aside there's something very chunky about the bottle." Mr Tony Boundy ( 14-Oct-2018 )	£36.00
	Half bottle of Chinon ‘Le Temps des Cerises', Domaine de la Noblaie 2016 "Interestingly and perhaps sadly I read the other review after opening my chinon and deciding it was way too astringent and then putting down as a disappointing choice. An accurate review for sure. I love Loire wines in general and would agree entirely re the issue when opening it up. For me though the whole enjoyment of a Loire wine like this is it’s easy accessibility with food and friends, I don’t know how it would fair after 28 hours in a decanter but if if that’s what’s needed to enjoy this wine I’d rather look elsewhere, even though that’s a shame. Wouldn’t recommend it based on my experience and not having the wish to wait 28 hours lol..." Mr Jan de Clare ( 14-Oct-2018 )	£5.95
	The Society's Exhibition Chianti Classico 2015 "I have to say despite there being nothing offensive about this Chianti there was little to recommend above other Chiantis with a lesser pedigree, it had all the usual signs that it should have, the bitter cherry underlined with fruit and acidity for a food wine but all was very average nothing to write home about or eulogise on here, disappointing. " Mr John Wigglesworth ( 13-Oct-2018 )	£12.50
	Saint-Chinian, Domaine Raynier 2017 "Bought a couple of these as an experiment, thinking that at the price if it's awful it'll do for cooking. Well, I can safely say these won't be going in the next stew. Given a bit of air this is full, but not heavy, rich with plenty of fruit and a bit of spice. Not hugely long or complex, but a very enjoyable drinker and punching waaay above the price point. " Mr Matthew Huntingford ( 13-Oct-2018 )	£6.50
	Urbina Crianza, Rioja 2011 "Straightforward, not unpleasant. Unexceptional. Less oak than anticipated. Would buy Navajas Crianza over this. " Mr Jamie Anderson ( 13-Oct-2018 )	£10.95
	Savoie-Chignin Mondeuse Tradition, Domaine A&M Quenard 2017 "Colour: Deep garnet with a purple rim. Aroma: Medium intensity, sour red fruits; strawberries, cherries, plums, violets, herbaceous, touch of spice with a gamey, leather undertone. Taste: Medium-light bodied, refreshing acidity, smooth integrated tannin but feels thin and watery. The sour cherry aroma continues on the palate but is very subtle and the finish is almost non-existent. Overall: Unremarkable but pleasant. Straight-forward, juicy and balanced but it is just too weak and soft. For the money I would expect more. Decanting helps." Mr Gabriel Higgins ( 13-Oct-2018 )	£11.50
	Schloss Gobelsburg Steinsetz Kamptal Grüner Veltliner 2017 "always been a big fan of the gobelsberg range of wines ; having tasted most of the range only the steinsetz was left so here goes a typical Gruner well balanced ;great length a really zesty lemon taste to the wine.strange thing is the Renner from the same winery [also sold by the society] isn't as good as this wine.it blew me away from start to finish.This wine is well worth the price on the label.As for the Gobelsberg winery lets just hope they keep producing these amazing wines" Mr Jonathan Wilson ( 13-Oct-2018 )	£18.00
	Almeida Garrett Entre Serras, Beira Interior 2015 "Smooth as satin.Easy,friendly flavoursome red.Nothing harsh about this wine at all Very good value.Would make a good house red that everyone would enjoy." Mr Paul Davies ( 13-Oct-2018 )	£6.25
	Villiera Down to Earth Touriga Nacional-Shiraz, Stellenbosch 2016 "Really disappointed by this. Very light bodied with no depth. Tried it with cheese and salami but didn’t cut through it at all." Mrs Diane Leaver ( 13-Oct-2018 )	£7.75
	The Society's Southern Spanish Red, Jumilla 2017 "Plenty of fruit and guts. Excellent value for money." Mr George Fleri ( 13-Oct-2018 )	£5.75
	Château Haut Branda, Bordeaux 2016 "I bought this off the back of it's previous excellent reviews. Sorry, I can't concur. This wine smelt very enticing. However, on tasting I got just a sliver of up from fruit followed by a bleaching tanic wash of my mid and back palate. Call me a philistine but right now, for 50p less [I'd take a bottle of Supermarket alternative red over this any time!!]" Mr George Fleri ( 13-Oct-2018 )	£6.50
	The Society's Exhibition Rioja Reserva 2011 "Ticked all the right boxes but seemed very underpowered. Was much better the last time." Mr Michael Martin ( 12-Oct-2018 )	£15.50
	Shebang! California Red Field Blend NV "Interesting, good value Californian wine. It is a bit different, a bit softer, less on the nose but good on the taste." Mr Jamie Anderson ( 12-Oct-2018 )	£9.50
	Al-Ria Tinto, Algarve 2016 "Lovely wine from South Portugal. Rich deep and spicy, enough tannins to match with hearty dishes" Mr Neil Dyas ( 12-Oct-2018 )	£7.95
	Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc, Guigal 2016 "Colour: Bright and clear, light gold with a green tinge. Aroma: Aromatic, immediate lemon/lime with orange blossom, flowers, peach, honey and a touch of salinity. Taste: Dry, fleshy, rich and full bodied with med- acidity. The apricot and peach aromas carry through to the palate and the texture is smooth and creamy. A nice touch of pepper on an otherwise disappointing brief finish. Overall: Decent uncomplicated wine. Round, fresh, appealing and approachable but if I was to find fault I think it lacks intensity in both flavour and length. A decent entry level CdR, good value but I was left a little disappointed. " Mr Gabriel Higgins ( 12-Oct-2018 )	£10.50
	Undurraga Cauquenes Estate Carignan 2016 "As the press review says, this does have a bit of a chewy texture. I'd describe the taste as dark fruit, but it is a bit different compared to the more standard grape varieties. It's got plenty of body, enough to cope with spicy food. Actually, I find it difficult to sum up this one. Somehow it doesn't appeal to me quite as much as a decent shiraz. 3 and a half stars. Would I reorder? Probably not. There's nothing wrong with this wine, but it lacks something for me." Mr Steven Naylor ( 12-Oct-2018 )	£8.95
	Valpolicella Valpantena, Torre del Falasco 2017 "Average. A bit lightweight but without having much elegance. A little sharp for the first half hour, then improving, but never really good." Mrs Tony Butcher ( 12-Oct-2018 )	£8.50
	Côtes-du-Rhône Rive Droite, Rive Gauche 2017 "Very fruity, full of flavour" Mr Richard Bunting ( 12-Oct-2018 )	£7.75
	Parker Station Pinot Noir 2017 "It’s fairly quaffable but feels more like a Merlot than a PN..." Mr James Pryar ( 11-Oct-2018 )	£13.50
	The Society's French Dry White 2017 "I think this is a great everyday drinking wine and very good value for money at this price bracket compared to offers! " Mr Robert Swiney ( 10-Oct-2018 )	£6.75