Exhibition A-Listers Case

Château Saint Cosme’s Louis Barruol is one of the most well-known winemakers in Gigondas, instrumental in putting this region on the map. Our longstanding relationship with this star grower has led to us having access to some of the most interesting vineyard sites in Gigondas, creating this exclusive blend with him. 2019 is a superb vintage in this part of the Rhône. Every year the aim is to make a wine that offers great value but which also has the ability to age. It is fantastic to be able to keep hold of our wines and release them when they’re ready to drink, with the 2019 being offered to our members now with seven years’ ageing under its belt.

We’ve been working alongside Ridgeview for close to 25 years, and they’ve been producing our own English fizz since the 2013 vintage. Simon Roberts, the son of the founders, Mike and Christine, continues to make the wine to this day, and we blend this wine with him every January. The key is consistency and freshness, with the wine spending a minimum of 24 months on the yeast lees before disgorgement, and at least six months under cork before arriving on your doorstep. Chardonnay plays the dominant role, sourced partly from Ridgeview’s own fruit, but also from a consistent selection of growers dotted primarily around Sussex and Kent. We’re lucky to have been working with Ridgeview for such a long period, and their business model, as well as the volumes we commit to, means we’ve managed to keep this delicious English fizz at a remarkable price for over a decade.

This South African exclusive comes from a Stellenbosch ‘first growth’, Kanonkop, whose wines are among some of the country’s most prestigious. As well as their world-renowned work with Bordeaux varieties, Kanonkop are masters of pinotage – South Africa’s own red grape – so they were the natural choice for this special wine. The style here is one that repays some keeping, so we deliberately hold this wine back in Kanonkop’s cellars and we ship and release it when it’s starting to mature and mellow. The 2022 vintage is absolutely delicious right now. Classically Kanonkop in its bold richness and generous toasty flavours, it has layers of spicy berry fruit and earthy, wood-smoke complexity.

Throughout our history, The Wine Society has often been ahead of the curve, with generations of buyers recognising the potential of emerging wine regions and styles long before the wider market catches on. This wine is a perfect example. We have been working with Bründlmayer to offer members this exclusive wine for more than 20 years, long before Austrian wine enjoyed the recognition it does today. Austria has earned a reputation for producing wines of exceptional quality, often from small, family-owned wineries. Willi Bründlmayer is a true pioneer of modern Austrian winemaking, with a reputation built on decades of producing world-class wines. To have his name behind our Exhibition Grüner Veltliner gives it a remarkable pedigree, making this a wine of genuine distinction, exclusivity and outstanding value. Dry, fresh, structured and wonderfully complex, it captures the finesse, character and versatility of top-quality grüner veltliner, but at a fraction of the price of many wines of comparable quality.

For this recent addition to our range, we have worked with the Ricasoli family at Castello di Brolio, who have been making wine here since the 12th century. This is a wonderful estate, with vineyards surrounded by woodland and olive groves, and an impressive amount of land left to nature. We were also able to select our own blend, exclusively for members, choosing a 100% sangiovese that really shows the character of the Gaiole area, with slightly richer, darker cherry and plum fruit, firm tannins and lovely freshness. We’re thrilled with the result, and think it is a great addition to our Exhibition range.

One of Chablis’ brightest lights, Jean-Marc Brocard has been supplying us for many years. Today the vines are farmed organically by his son, Julien. His holistic approach to viticulture, and on such a scale, is inspiring. In a region which is, in his words, a monoculture, he is committed to changing that and is leading from the front. The 2025 Exhibition Chablis was blended by Victoria Mason MW (having taken the reins for Chablis this year) alongside our longtime buyer for Burgundy, Toby Morrhall. It took five different blends to get to our final wine. From a choice of six vineyard lots, the winning combination eventually came from two, comprising approximately 40-year-old vines: Pargues, on the left bank of the Chablis region, with a south-east facing aspect, and Beaumont, with a north-west facing aspect, which yields wines of great freshness and precision. Both vineyards are certified High Environmental Value (HVE) and no herbicides are used. As ever, we aimed for a wine which captures Chablis’ cool minerality and poised white fruit. The wine was vinified and aged for six months in stainless steel to preserve its bright, pure character.