Wine Champions Dinner Party Case

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!

This is, as our Wine Champions 2026 panel put it, ‘a very different style of sauvignon blanc’ with its ‘waxy texture’ and ‘real definition of character.’ In many ways, it’s a sauvignon for chenin lovers, showcasing the grape’s bright, racy, citrusy character, but with admirable texture and weight, too. No surprise that it was judged a clear winner!

Only produced in exceptional vintages, and its ‘lemon skin, sherbet, fresh citrus and hint of oak’ showed that 2017 is clearly just such a year. A bargain, and how nice it was to see another Gratien & Meyer label emerge from a victorious bottle bag as a Wine Champion (along with our rosé Crémant) in the 120th anniversary of our relationship.

A 2026 Wine Champion, this is a ‘fine, unoaked, beautifully balanced and understated’ white Burgundy from a cool spot in a ripe year. This combination brings a ‘really complete wine that doesn’t leave any boxes unticked’, with baked-apple flavours, good structure and a delightful hint of honey.

A Wine Champion for 2026. Rioja and lamb is a time-honoured union. But there’s Rioja and there’s Rioja! This was judged ‘an absolutely super wine with incredible density and depth of fruit. Rich, deep, brambly and velvety… it’s delish.’

Voted a 2026 Wine Champion; according to our tasters, this ‘foodie gamay… really takes off on the palate (with) pepper and spice, and all things nice!’ A wine of ‘intensity rather than power’, its crunchy vibrant fruit is a great match for chicken, whether chargrilled, stuffed, marinaded or spatchcocked.