Autumn Wine Champions Reds

Our Wine Champions tasters gave very high scores indeed for this ‘classic, brooding’ Bordeaux from member favourite Château de Pitray. A wine of ‘restrained concentration’ with ‘blackberry, cassis and well-handled oak’ and ‘a lot of layers of fruit for the price.’ Claret lovers, rejoice!

From beautiful sun-drenched organic vineyards, the nero d’Avola fruit used for this wine is really seriously good. Picked often at night to retain freshness, it is first fermented in a state-of-the art modern winery, before all going to small oak barrels for extended ageing in Feudo Arancio’s underground cellars before blending. The bespoke blend changes each year, and we are always astonished by the value the result offers. Bold yet balanced, it’s a wine that so many of our members love, and its winning performance in our 2026 Wine Champions tastings showed why. ‘Soft, full and ripe’ with ‘plump black fruit and a hint of coffee’, it performs a brilliant balancing act between fruity generosity and oak-influenced spice and structure.

A 2026 Wine Champion, this cherry-laden Italian favourite is now made for us by Contesa, whose above-and-beyond efforts in sustainability have earned them a place in our new Society’s Pioneers range. ‘Pure charm’ was the verdict here – if you haven’t tried it since it switched to its new source, we think you’ll like it! One of our Wine Society Pioneers, Contesa is rated in the top 100 most sustainable companies by their local government agency. They use pheromones to confuse local vine moths when they're mating as an alternative to chemical pest control, encourage wildflowers and grasses to attract pollinators and built a solar power plant on their winery roof which currently generates 50kW and covers 60% of their energy needs, and plan to build another 30kW of panels that will bring this up to 80%. Furthermore, Contesa use bottles produced entirely within Italy and of at least 58% recycled glass to reduce their carbon footprint.

Langhorne Creek is one of South Australia’s most historic, yet perhaps lesser-known wine regions, producing classically styled, high-quality shiraz at remarkably attractive prices, making it the perfect source for a Society wine. With its rich and colourful history, Langhorne Creek stalwarts Bleasdale Wines is one of the oldest wineries in Australia. Quality and consistency lie at the heart of all they do. From the outset, the ambition for this wine has been to create a shiraz that punches well above its price, delivering all the generous fruit and classic character you would expect from Australia’s signature red grape, but with a depth and complexity that sets it apart from its peers. The result is a superb benchmark for Australian shiraz, offering exceptional quality and character at a price that makes it all the more appealing.

Hat-trick alert! For the third year running, this ‘invigorating, bright and crunchy’ zweigelt earned a place on the Wine Champions podium. If you’re a fan of Beaujolais and haven’t checked it out yet, don’t wait. Beautifully balanced and energetic with vibrant red and black fruit, and gentle pepper and graphite undertones.

‘Pencil shavings, pomegrante, pepper, pot-pourri… all the Ps, actually!’ This southern French grenache-syrah blend is certainly popular, and perennially prevailing, reaching our Wine Championship podium for the second year in a row. ‘Vibrant’ and ‘savoury with lovely black fruit’, it’s also offered at a pleasing price!