Recent Reviews

	Minervois La Livinière Cuvée Cantilène, Château Sainte-Eulalie 2015 La Livinière bottles worth tracking down for enjoying with aubergine-based vegetarian hotpots, roast lamb with tapenade or garlicky, herby stews of all kinds – to give a few ideas of the sort of thing they’d shine alongside - include [this wine] with its burst of dark cherry and beguiling, almost floral scent. - David Williams ( The Observer 2nd Dec 2018 )	£13.50
	Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut NV Full bodied, rich, creamy and oaky, this superb Grande Marque is a quick way to impress your friends. - Will Lyons ( The Sunday Times 2nd Dec 2018 )	£47.00
	Château Fontesteau, Haut-Médoc 1996 This is a classic old-school, bronze- coloured, mature red Bordeaux that is ready to drink now. Medium-bodied, with background notes of cedarwood and tobacco. - Will Lyons ( The Sunday Times 2nd Dec 2018 )	£18.50
	Glenfarclas Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 15 year-old This is one of the best Speyside whiskies of all, made in a rich style and matured in sherry casks. Still independently family owned, this is one of Speyside’s classic and top malt whiskies. The extra ageing has concentrated the flavours with tasty candied citrus peel, honey, malt and Christmas cake notes coming through. - Jamie Goode ( Sunday Express 2nd Dec 2018 )	£52.00
	Château Fontesteau, Haut-Médoc 1999 The Society lists many a vintage of this wine. The fully mature 1999 would be great with game. - Jancis Robinson ( JancisRobinson.com 1st Dec 2018 )	£18.00
	Half bottle of Sánchez Romate Oloroso Encontrado 1/5 Top 20 sweet & fortified wines for Christmas: Rush to get some, as only five butts of 600 litres were made. Encontrado means 'found' - literally this was discovered in the cellars at Sánchez Romate, and very kindly they have released it for sale. Enjoy this pungent dry oloroso chock full of notes of zesty citrus fruit, waxy aromas and textures, and deep rich and satisfying nutty savoury characters. Hugely complex and worth every penny. - Andy Howard MW ( Decanter 1st Dec 2018 )	£17.00
	Muga Selección Especial Reserva, Rioja 2012 Beautifully balanced, with a future that’s already rewarding. - Jancis Robinson ( JancisRobinson.com 1st Dec 2018 )	£22.00
	Prophet's Rock Central Otago Pinot Noir 2014 One to serve blind to burgundy enthusiasts. - Jancis Robinson ( JancisRobinson.com 1st Dec 2018 )	£26.00
	Graham's Tawny Port 20 Years Old Top 20 sweet & fortified wines for Christmas: Tawny Port is always exciting, but if you can afford to splash out, go for a 20-year-old. All the major houses make wonderful aged tawnies and this is always one of the best. Ethereal and mellow on the palate, it boasts flavours of toffee and caramel, burnt orange and raisins, dried plums, hazelnuts and a savoury hint of mushroom on the finish. Wonderful stuff! - Andy Howard MW ( Decanter 1st Dec 2018 )	£29.00
	Côtes du Vivarais, Grand Aven, Vignerons Ardechois 2015 This Grenache/Syrah blend from the Ardèche aged in subterranean caves has lots of life and finesse. Waves a charming farewell. - Jancis Robinson ( JancisRobinson.com 1st Dec 2018 )	£8.95
	The Society's Cabernet Sauvignon-Cinsaut Cape Heritage Blend, Coastal 2016 The deep growl of smoky, oaky cabernet sauvignon from Stellenbosch is tempered with the bright silkiness of a dollop of cinsault. Made for The Wine Society by Boekenhoutskloof. - Victoria Moore ( The Daily Telegraph 1st Dec 2018 )	£7.95
	Fistful of Schist Reserve Chenin Blanc Swartland 2018 Hot, arid, inland Swartland, way north of Paarl and Stellenbosch, is the place for chunky whites, but this chenin blanc, grown on schist and granite soil, is surprisingly restrained, with enticing, light, smoky, spiced-lemon-curd pizzazz. - Jane MacQuitty ( The Times 1st Dec 2018 )	£6.25
	Les Pierres Bordes Marsanne-Viognier 2017 Budgeters who love white Rhône, but hate its high prices should dive into the next best thing, this Midi white made from two of the Rhône’s leading white grapes and bursting with rich, nutty, exotic, dried apricot and honeysuckle spice. - Jane MacQuitty ( The Times 1st Dec 2018 )	£6.25
	Rivesaltes, Parcé Frères 1988 Top 20 sweet & fortified wines for Christmas: Bottled in July 2017, this was in barrique for 28 years and provides a fascinating insight into the qualities of vin doux naturel from Roussillon. Despite its age this is still ultra-fresh with vibrant acidity balancing the rich notes of marmalade, honey and caramel. There is also a subtle whiff of volatility - not a fault, but a contributing factor to the wine's interest and lift. This is one of those rare things - a perfect wine with chocolate. - Andy Howard MW ( Decanter 1st Dec 2018 )	£27.00
	Thymiopoulos Naoussa Jeunes Vignes 2016 Delightful red, bursting with blackberry and stewed black plum fruit, with high plum-skin acid, Lively and appetising. - Oz Clarke ( Decanter 1st Dec 2018 )	£10.95
	Thymiopoulos Naoussa Jeunes Vignes 2016 Pale in colour, but overflowing with flavour. Cherries, fresh red berries, some chocolate and sweet spice. Very appealing. - Sarah Jane Evans MW ( Decanter 1st Dec 2018 )	£10.95
	Thymiopoulos Naoussa Jeunes Vignes 2016 Very ripe dark berries on an inky, chewy, tannic palate. Deep and rich but with a seam of refreshing acidity to balance. - Tina Gellie ( Decanter 1st Dec 2018 )	£10.95
	Pinot Noir, Ostoros 2016 New to The Wine Society, this Hungarian pinot noir is all bright redcurrants, red cherries and cool lines – seriously impressive at the price, and a joy to drink slightly chilled. - Victoria Moore ( The Daily Telegraph 1st Dec 2018 )	£6.75
	Pinot Noir, Ostoros 2016 Delightfully inexpensive wine that really does taste (a bit) like Pinot. Spicy and only very slightly syrupy. - Jancis Robinson ( JancisRobinson.com 1st Dec 2018 )	£6.75
	Barolo Arborina, Nadia Curto 2014 Food is essential with this bone-dry, super-ripe emissary from the Langhe hills. Great value. - Jancis Robinson ( JancisRobinson.com 1st Dec 2018 )	£27.00
	Morellino di Scansano, Podere 414 2016 A fantastic bottle, so full of character and interest for a modest price. There is cherry and sloe, with herbs like rosemary. It feels full in flavour. - Hamish Anderson ( The Daily Telegraph 1st Dec 2018 )	£13.95
	Savoie-Chignin Vieilles Vignes, Domaine A&M Quenard 2017 A winter wonderland delicate aperitif white from the Alps, made exclusively from Savoie’s rare jacquère grape, grown on steep limestone slopes. It makes an arresting, spritzy, Alpine-fresh, white flower-scented festive bottle. - Jane MacQuitty ( The Times 1st Dec 2018 )	£10.95
	Coteaux du Layon Saint-Aubin ‘Les Varennes', Domaine Cady 2015 Top 20 sweet & fortified wines for Christmas: Family winery located close to Anjou. Old chenin blanc vines are planted on schist, quartz and Varennes stone slopes, with noble rot giving intense characters of peach and honeyed citrus peel. Chenin is hugely underrated for sweet wines and this example marries precision with power. Very youthful, this can be enjoyed now but will keep for decades. - Andy Howard MW ( Decanter 1st Dec 2018 )	£17.00
	Champagne Gosset Grand Réserve Brut NV The nose opens with the fresh ripeness of yellow apple and highlights of Granny Smith. Beautifully subtle autolysis on the palate deepens into notes of creamy apple crumble, Golden Delicious and Mirabelle plum while remaining utterly straitlaced. Elegance, length and absolute freshness are inherent and quietly convincing. - Anne Krehbiel ( Decanter 1st Dec 2018 )	£49.00
	Champagne Pol Roger Vintage Brut 2009 Several houses chose to release their 2009 before the 2008, because the latter, a fabulous year, took longer to mature. So the luscious, creamy Pol Roger 2009 (£75, thewinesociety.com), 60 per cent pinot noir and 40 per cent chardonnay, is ready to drink this minute, and makes a great match for cheese sticks and other Christmas nibbles; this was Winston Churchill’s favourite house for a reason. - Nina Caplan ( The Times 1st Dec 2018 )	£65.00
	Warner's Corner Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Take advantage of how (regrettably) unfashionable Cabernet is now in Australia. Early-drinking version of an Australian classic. - Jancis Robinson ( JancisRobinson.com 1st Dec 2018 )	£8.95
	Jean-Paul Brun, Terres Dorées Beaujolais L'Ancien 2016 Jean-Paul Brun is one of the most respected Beaujolais producers. This cuvée is made from the fruit of 80-year-old vines. Tingly and utterly delicious. - Victoria Moore ( The Daily Telegraph 1st Dec 2018 )	£11.95
	Domaine du Carjot, Juliénas Les Capitans 2017 The region is on fire with under-priced artisanal magic. Great purity and a certain stoniness. - Jancis Robinson ( JancisRobinson.com 1st Dec 2018 )	£9.95
	The Society’s Exhibition Victoria Shiraz 2014 I have written up both the 2007 and 2012 vintages of this label on this page and, in nigh on six hundred and fifty MoneyWeek wine articles, this stunning creation, today, is the most written up wine in the history of this esteemed magazine. Why? It is startlingly easy to explain this phenomenon. This ‘simple’ Shiraz is made by none of the than elite Victorian wine haven Mount Langi Ghiran. This legendary estate has appeared in my 100 Best Australian Wines Report no less than 12 times in 15 years. It is a little-known, but immensely over-achieving estate. A unique property benefitting from crystal clear, sunny days and unusually cool nights, these elevated vineyards, in Mount Ararat, a Grampians wine region in western Victoria, draw night breezes from the surrounding high land and this has a stunning cooling effect on the grapes. The results are clear to see, smell and taste in the bottle – vivid purple fruit, packed with plum and blueberry notes and then a rush of clean, pepper and spice which refreshes the palate and leaves you diving back for more. The 2014 vintage is a beautiful, unhurried wine. Classy, gentle, soothing and also profound, this is an insultingly low entry price to part with for this level of self-control and sheer excellence. Before you press the ‘buy’ button on whatever Northern Rhône beauty you are eyeing up, please consider this incredible wine. Well done Wine Soc. – your palate has hit the bullseye again. - Matthew Jukes ( Moneyweek 30th Nov 2018 )	£16.00
	Champagne Taittinger Brut 2012 Widely regarded as a great year in champagne circles, Taittinger’s latest vintage release is from the 2012 crop. Sourced entirely from grand cru and premier cru vineyards (the crème de la crème in other words!), it’s really rather exciting. Intensely flavoured, thanks to the concentrated flavours from a smaller yield, this one will age well. However it didn’t hang around long in our house – expect mouth-watering cherries, and notes of creamy hazelnuts. - Stacey Smith ( independent.co.uk 29th Nov 2018 )	£44.00
	Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV Picking up a non-vintage master award at the Drinks Business Champagne Masters 2018, this copper coloured fizz is richly aromatic. Expect plenty of toasted brioche flavours, alongside ripe red fruit, a creamy nuttiness as well as crisp acidity. It really does have it all. Complex, with a long lasting finish, we like this with smoked salmon and charcuterie. - Stacey Smith ( independent.co.uk 29th Nov 2018 )	£43.00
	Domaine Guillemot-Michel, Viré-Clessé Quintaine 2016 … lush, honeyed … Nina Caplan ( New Statesman 28th Nov 2018 )	£21.00
	Cava Conde de Haro Brut 2015 Best cava 2018 [1st out of 7 selected]: The most expensive wine was also the best. Made by Rioja company, Muga, it has a champagne-like nose, with a toasty bready quality. There are very fine bubbles some apple cider (but not scrumpy!) notes, and a floral honeysuckle quality. - Henry Jeffreys ( bbcgoodfood.com 26th Nov 2018 )	£13.50
	Fodor Orange Wine, Maurer 2016 Balkan winemakers seem to have taken to the ‘orange’ wine movement and Serbia is no exception. This unusual wine is made from the under-appreciated Welschriesling grape – which is prevalent across the southern Balkans. After six days skin contact in large old Hungarian barrels, the wine barely tastes of fruit. It is quite woody, but I loved its delicate hints of apricot and honey, herb and spice undertones – quite complex, intriguingly different and pleasingly moderate in alcohol. A shock to the senses - you will not have tasted anything like this. - Rose Murray Brown ( rosemurraybrown.com 25th Nov 2018 )	£17.50
	The Society's California Old-Vine Zinfandel 2016 The best-value zinfandel in Britain right now. Order as much as you can. - Olly Smith ( The Mail on Sunday 25th Nov 2018 )	£7.95
	Cayetano del Pino Palo Cortado Solera If you enjoy the flavours age brings to a wine, oxidised styles of sherry like this are the best value old wines on the planet. This is a bone-dry, elegant palo cortado with walnuts, spiced orange and wood polish. A complex, cerebral wine to sip and contemplate. - Hamish Anderson ( The Daily Telegraph 24th Nov 2018 )	£14.95
	Fefiñanes Albariño, Rías Baixas 2017 Albariño makes gloriously refreshing, sometimes saline, white wines on Spain’s Atlantic seaboard. This, from a hugely respected producer, dances across your palate, reminiscent of apricot kernels and saltwater. - Victoria Moore ( The Daily Telegraph 24th Nov 2018 )	£16.50
	Henriques and Henriques Sercial, 10 years old 50cl Very dry with an incredibly long finish as you relish the flavours of nuts and citrus. - Terry Kirby ( independent.co.uk 24th Nov 2018 )	£20.00
	Riesling Réserve, Trimbach 2015 An absolute classic from a vintage described by Jean Trimbach as 'unparalleled'. The basic Riesling 2015 bottling from Alsace's kings of Riesling is also a knockout, but this one will last for another 10 years at least, thanks to the ingredients from vines up to 50 years old, organically farmed just the same way as the grapes for the jewel in their crown, Clos Ste Hune Riesling. The small amount of residual sugar is drowned out by the searing acidity. Magnificent. Would be great with smoked salmon. - Jancis Robinson ( JancisRobinson.com 24th Nov 2018 )	£18.00
	Jean-Paul Brun, Terres Dorées Beaujolais L'Ancien 2016 50 Great Reds for Christmas: This is a cru level Beaujolais in all but name. From the southern, golden stone end of the Beaujolais region, hence its name, I loved its gorgeous, floral, raspberry and damson plum-packed fruit and so will you. - Jane MacQuitty ( The Times 24th Nov 2018 )	£11.95
	Domaine du Carjot, Juliénas Les Capitans 2017 50 Great Reds for Christmas: One of the best Juliénas from the vintage I have tasted so far, a dazzling, soft, silky, raspberry and cranberry-stashed charmer. Great with Boxing Day cold meats and turkey. - Jane MacQuitty ( The Times 24th Nov 2018 )	£9.95
	Olivier Leflaive, Bourgogne Oncle Vincent 2016 Puligny-Montrachet négociant Olivier Leflaive's Uncle Vincent was the famous animus behind the greater Leflaive family's Domaine Leflaive. This wine comes from Olivier's oldest vines classified as Bourgogne in a vineyard on the border of Puligny. Very respectable indeed, and comes with a story. - Jancis Robinson ( JancisRobinson.com 24th Nov 2018 )	£20.00
	Domaine Guillemot-Michel, Viré-Clessé Quintaine 2016 This is from one of the warmest corners of the Mâconnais and reminds me forcefully of the Jean Thévenet wines, being opulently rich but refreshingly tense too. Lots of layers going from golden syrup through honeysuckle to blossom yet with raciness. Maybe not for the very long term but this over-delivers in terms of pleasure. - Jancis Robinson ( JancisRobinson.com 24th Nov 2018 )	£21.00
	Domaine Cordier, Mâcon Milly-Lamartine Clos du Four 2016 Christophe Cordier has changed tack and now picks particularly early. Wine buyer Toby Morrhall avers, 'Milly-Lamartine is high and cool and this is very fresh and fine without being thin. You would not know global warming has occurred!' This wine is certainly tense and lively, with a most attractive satin texture. - Jancis Robinson ( JancisRobinson.com 24th Nov 2018 )	£14.95
	Boizel Grand Vintage Brut 2008 2008 was a breathtaking vintage in Champagne, and this wine has great finesse. Made from half-chardonnay and half-pinot noir. - Victoria Moore ( The Daily Telegraph 24th Nov 2018 )	£49.00
	Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut NV Bollinger still has cachet – in spades – and deservedly so. - Victoria Moore ( The Daily Telegraph 24th Nov 2018 )	£47.00
	Undurraga TH Maule Garnacha-Cariñena-Monastrell 2013 Undurraga dates from 1879, but there’s nothing old-fashioned about this limited edition (just ten barrels) of a scrumptious, rich, creamy, bold, black-fruited red blend grown on Cauquenes’s granite soil. Great with strong game dishes. - Jane MacQuitty ( The Times 24th Nov 2018 )	£16.00
	Niedermenniger Riesling Kabinett, von Kesselstatt 2016 Light as a feather from the world's best hunting ground for max flavour and min alcohol. Lovely fruity purity. Brilliant refreshment and value. This may not come from the Saar's most famous site but it's a great tribute to the late Annegret Reh-Gartner, who ran von Kesselstatt with such aplomb. Could even be served at teatime. - Jancis Robinson ( JancisRobinson.com 24th Nov 2018 )	£10.50
	Spätburgunder Markgräflerland, Martin Wassmer 2016 50 Great Reds for Christmas: A drop-dead gorgeous, gamey, cigar-box and truffle-scented, dry red. Proof positive that barrel-aged German pinot noir can be every bit as good as the Burgundian original, but at half the price. - Jane MacQuitty ( The Times 24th Nov 2018 )	£14.95
	Mission Estate Hawke's Bay Syrah 2017 50 Great Reds for Christmas: Show-stopping syrah from the Kiwis’ top North Island site, Hawke’s Bay, and the festive sub-£12 star red. It’s brimming with fine, velvety, bramble, cracked black pepper and violet spice, and anyone who celebrates Christmas with this will have a great time. - Jane MacQuitty ( The Times 24th Nov 2018 )	£10.95