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!

‘For an under-£10 pinot noir, what else are you looking for?’ Our Wine Champions tasters voted it a winner, singling out the ‘juiciness’ and ‘honesty’ of this ocean-cooled Chilean charmer, which is now being made in a fresher, earlier-picked style, emphasising its bright, pure red fruit. Undurraga’s work in making themselves as sustainable as possible has made it easy for us to name them one of our Wine Society Pioneers. They are Wines of Chile Sustainability certified and an International Wineries for Clime Change Gold member – one of only 9 wineries in the world with that status. Their facilities use solar energy, the measure their carbon footprint with the aim of reducing emissions wherever possible, use lightweight bottles use only drip irrigation for efficient and targeted water use that goes hand in hand with reusing water in the winery too. They preserve biological corridors and native vegetation, protect local wildlife, have deployed an integrated pest management system and promote a balanced eco system. Ineed, it would be quicker to tell you about what they don’t do!

Our members love this bold yet balanced nero d'Avola, 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. Brilliant value.

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.

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.

In the Mediterranean reds round of our 2026 Wine Champions tasting, where ‘the standard and the pleasure factor were so high’, our beloved Portuguese red shone like a beacon. Hailed for its ‘immediate, juicy generosity’, it’s truly a house red of Champions!