The usual fair prices and exceptionally interesting selection here, with Chile providing some of the best value. See this post in the forum, and be aware that most of these wines are available in many a country other than the UK.
Wine Society prices represent market rates but, comparing some of them, you do have to question the workings of the market. As I never tire of writing and saying, there is no direct correlation between price and quality in wine – especially in Bordeaux.
The 53 wines are listed in the order tasted but you can change that.
Bride Valley, Reserve Brut 2014 England
Good autolysis on the nose. Lots of acidity but well balanced and well made. Not that long but lots of pleasure en route to the end. A tad tart.
12%Hambledon, Classic Cuvée NV England
More complex on the nose than the Bride Valley – some older ingredients? Broad and satisfying with a hint of honeyed Bollinger about it. Just slightly severe on the end.
12%Principe Pallavicini, Poggio Verde 2016 Frascati Superiore
Malvasia di Candia, Malvasia di Lazio, Greco, Bombino.
Rather sweaty nose. Broad and correct in its context but I feel I can find many better-value alternatives. Quite astringent after pear-skin impression.
Santa Venere, Vescovado Guardavalle 2016 IGP Calabria
The Guardavalle grape, native to Calabria. It comes from two organic vineyards overlooking the sea.
Distinctive nose. We say ‘nutty’ in Wine Grapes. Then with excellent body and acidity. Serious wine! Pretty good for the money and such a rarity!
La Crotta di Vegneron Petite Arvine 2016 Valle d'Aosta
Light, delicate, quintessentially fresh and alpine. I did not manage to spit this wine… Floral. GV
13.5%Undurraga, Cauquenes Viognier/Roussanne/Marsanne 2016 Maule
Second vintage. 60% Viognier, 30% Roussanne and 10% Marsanne.
Very pale. Lightly ginger-beery nose and some strong suggestion of skin contact. Silly price. Lots of tension and a certain amount of saltiness. VGV
Turner Pageot, Le Blanc L'Existence des Choix 2016 Languedoc
Marsanne vinified like a red with 30 days' maceration, Roussanne vinified like a white wine and both are aged in barrel. Ms Turner is Australian and the winemaker for St Jean de Bebian.
Mid bronzey colour. Broad and very unusual. But fun. Definitely for food with all of its astringency on the end but there is a fruity core too. Great value. I would chill it a bit more for its dried apricot and nutty notes. Long. VGV
Rui Reguinga, Terrenus 2016 Vinho Regional Alentejano
Rui Reguinga’s rare white comes from a high, mixed-planted plot of old vines in north-eastern Alentejo close to Portugal's border with Spain. Granite soils. Arinto is the lead grape.
Stony, dry (rather than sweet) with a real undertow of structure. Hint of ginger. Cool. Very unlike anything else.
Dom William Fèvre 2013 Chablis
Zesty and pure, with a real line through it. Juicy and apparently without alcohol. GV
12.5%Dom Louis Michel, Butteaux Vieilles Vignes Premier Cru 2014 Chablis
Made in tank. Crisp and very structured. Dry end. Teenage.
13%Ch de Puligny-Montrachet, En Remilly Premier Cru 2014 St-Aubin
From a vineyard of 70-year-old vines, just behind Le Montrachet.
Water white. Lots of edge and green fruitiness. Much to chew on. Rather dry chalky end.
Dom Louis Jadot, Clos de la Croix de Pierre 2013 Pernand-Vergelesses
From Jadot's own domaine, this is a blend of both village and premier cru. Pernand overlooks Corton-Charlemagne.
Pale gold straw. Solid but unexciting.
Franck Peillot, Altesse Premier Cru 2016 Roussette de Bugey Montaigneu
Pale straw. Alpine flowers but a little bit of sweatiness too, alas. Not the finest and a bit astringent.
12%Dom de Rocheville, Clos de la Thibaudière 2013 Saumur
Chenin Blanc comes from a small walled vineyard with stony limestone soils, in Brézé. The Wine Society advises to decant for half an hour before serving.
Intensely nutty, tart, tense, dry, ambitious Loire Chenin. Bravo! Not yet ready, amazingly.
Matetic, Corralillo Sauvignon Blanc 2016 San Antonio
Made 19 km from the Pacific in the Rosario Valley.
Very pale. Smells a little bit confected. Green canned asparagus notes – sweetened. Not refreshing!
Serge Laloue, Cuvée Silex 2015 Sancerre
Subtle and minerally and juicy and really so attractive I found it hard to spit. So long! Very exciting with a long finish of blackcurrant leaves. Lovely stuff.
14%Ch Latour-Martillac 2011 Pessac-Léognan
65% Sauvignon and 35% Sémillon.
Water white. More aromatic and Riesling-like than I would have expected. Does yeast play a big part here? Just very slightly oily. Some apparent sweetness. Quite fun as a drink. Not very like any particular archetype but there’s nothing wrong with that of course. Slightly hot end. Far from the best value.
Matetic, Corralillo Riesling 2016 San Antonio
Rather simple on the nose and eviscerated on the palate. Doesn’t do Riesling any favours. Bitter end.
14%Heinrich Spindler, Forster Riesling trocken 2016 Pfalz
Colourless. A bit austere on the end. Correct but without quite enough excitement.
12.5%Josmeyer, Le Kottabe Riesling 2015 Alsace
Mid-honeyed straw colour. Well balanced and lively and excitingly layered with its wild flower notes. This is what biodynamics can offer.
12.5%Matetic, Corralillo Gewürztraminer 2016 San Antonio
Water white. Intensely floral nose. Pretty good and satisfying (much more so than the Riesling counterpart) with a salty, pretty dry end. Not great wine but GV.
13%Schlumberger, Les Princes Abbés Gewürztraminer 2015 Alsace
Pale honey-straw colour. Sweet and just a bit watery. Not enough focus and grip. But not too commercial and ordinary.
13.5%Aldinger, Fellbacher Alte Reben Trollinger trocken 2015 Württemberg
From the Neckar Valley. Old vines and aged in barrel for a few months.
Pale ruby. Very light, very fruity nose with acidity more notable than fruit on the palate. Some light sandy tannins on the end. Nice change for everyone looking for a light-bodied red. From a very respectable producer.
Ch de Lacarelle 2016 Beaujolais-Villages
Bright crimson. Light, juicy nose. So delightfully fresh and refreshing with quite enough fruit on the palate. Ridiculously cheap really! VGV
12.5%Dom du Moulin d'Éole, Les Thorins 2014 Moulin-à-Vent
From one of the top sites near the windmill itself. Philippe Guérin does not age in oak.
Bright crimson. Not that much on the nose. Grainy tannins still in evidence. Real structure. I could imagine this going absolutely beautifully with cold roast beef but it does need food. Quite long. GV
Muré, Côte de Rouffach Pinot Noir 2015 Alsace
Mid garnet. Slightly funky, earthy nose. Lots of fresh fruit that becomes increasingly pure as its works its way along the palate. Some admirable structure. Pretty smart and already accessible.
13.5%Dom de Bellene, Clos Bardot Vieilles Vignes Pinot Noir 2014 Bourgogne
Côtes de Nuits pedigree, from a vineyard in Comblanchien.
Very bright garnet. Rather beetrooty on the nose with firm, fine tannins. Much fruitier and more accessible than most Bourgogne Rouge but still a little bit severe compared with many Pinot Noirs from elsewhere.
Dom Sylvain Pataille 2014 Marsannay
30-40% whole-bunch-fermented fruit.
Mid ruby. Great funky-but-fruity nose that really hits the spot. Grainy tamarind notes. So convincing! Freshness and at a perfect point in its evolution. VGV
Prince Știrbey, Novac Sec 2014 Romania
Local Negru with Saperavi. Bright crimson. Something a little unfamiliar (but not bad) and occluded about the nose of this. Sour-berry note but well made, well balanced and certainly clean. Distinctive. GV
13%Hans Igler, Classic Blaufränkisch 2015 Burgenland
Bright crimson. Lightly dusty overlay on bright, fresh fruit. Very round on the palate, minimal tannin. Reasonably simple but certainly not expensive. Some stony edge. I should imagine this is very sensitive to temperature.
13%Poggiopiano, La Tradizione Gran Selezione 2013 Chianti Classico
100% Sangiovese aged in barrel.
Very bright crimson. Intense nose of notably ripe fruit but very Sangiovese tanginess. Pure essence of a hot Tuscan summer with the wood in check. Long.
Beyra 2015 Beira Interior
From high-lying vineyards in eastern Portugal, close to the border with Spain. Tinta Roriz (the name used here for Rioja’s Tempranillo grape) with 25% Touriga Nacional.
Deep crimson. Relatively simple fruit on the nose. Just a little bit of stony texture and good chew on the end. Definitively pencil-shavings finish. Quite long. Lots of sweetness. GV
Regina Viarum Mencía 2016 Ribeira Sacra
Unoaked Mencia from the banks of the river Sil in Galicia, north-west Spain.
Bright crimson. Unadorned fruit with real freshness. So appetising and come-hither! Firm corset with the juicy, refined fruit in the middle. Long. VGV
Casa Santos Lima, Al-Ria Reserva 2015 Vinho Regional Algarve
Touriga Nacional and Syrah, 12 months in French and American oak barrels.
Very bright crimson. Very focused, bitter-cherry nose. Quite intense! So round and friendly. Ridiculously friendly and over-delivering, albeit in slightly old-fashioned intense style, but the freshness saves it from being sickly. Who would have thought the Algarve could deliver such an interesting wine? Long. GV
Parker Coonawarra Estate, Weirs Lane Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Reserva 2015 Limestone Coast
Made exclusively for The Wine Society by Coonawarra’s Parker Estate, the Cabernet is from their own terra rossa soils, with Merlot from vineyards in Wrattonbully.
What a silly price! Very bright fruit. Not that much distinction on the nose but the palate is well balanced and already approachable. Wonderful to see that Australia is back to producing bargains such as this. It’s nothing like as ambitious as a typical Parker Estate wine but tant mieux. VGV
Ch de Pitray 2012 Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc.
Mid crimson. Light, correct nose. A bit bloody and bludgeoning on the palate. But satisfying enough even though I suspect the tannins will always slightly outweigh the fruit. A tad stodgy.
Dom de Courteillac 2011 Bordeaux Supérieur
Deep, bright purplish crimson. Rather fuller and a bit more New Worldy than most Wine Society clarets (it says ‘Merlot-Cabernet’ on the label). It only just gets a 16 from me!
14%Ch Fontesteau 1998 Haut-Médoc
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 38% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. From a German cancelled reserve – back label all in German! Available from 20 November 2017. Cru bourgeois.
Bright developed/shaded ruby. Light nose and actually probably fading slightly but if you seek tannins in retreat and the delicacy of modern, unforced bordeaux, this is a complete snip. Fruit is definitely weakly waving farewell! GV
Ch Batailley 2009 Pauillac
Still very deep crimson. Sweet and slightly formless nose. Tannins still there and pretty chunky and vegy. I don’t think the fruit will get that much more interesting and the wine will always be dominated by a certain amount of tannin. Desperately needs food. Just a little brutal. (Bordeaux pricing is crazy! Scrunching needed.)
13%Sendiäna 2014 Lebanon
Mostly Cabernet and Merlot with a dash of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre. Available from 16 October 2017.
Healthy deep crimson. Some unfamiliar oak note on the nose. Certainly heady and Middle Eastern with its ripeness, spiciness, thickness. It’s very much a blend. Pretty good. Long and rewarding.
Vergelegen, GVB 2012 Stellenbosch
Cabernet-led Bordeaux blend. Light shaded garnet. Very well-melded nose – super-polite. A tiny thread of greenness but very much a wine to appeal to traditional claret lovers – except that it’s more expensive than some of its peers from Bordeaux. Very fresh but clean and by no means obviously South African. Very lively. Chewy.
14.5%Viña Zorzal, Malayeto 2012 Navarra
100% Garnacha. Mid bright crimson. Not particularly distinct on the nose. Sweet and simple.
14%Jiménez-Landi, Bajondillo 2016 Méntrida
Garnacha. Pale crimson. Gamey nose. Very light and fresh. Really racy and very 2017. Strawberry juice that stones have been soaked in. Very dry finish. Silly value. VGV
14.5%Hnos Pérez Pascuas, Viña Pedrosa Crianza 2013 Ribera del Duero
Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), from the Pérez Pascuas family. Specially moulded bottled.
Very bright, deep crimson. American oak in evidence and masses of ripe fruit. Great to have some evolution. Proper local wine. Very savoury.
Grandes Vinos y Viñedos, Anayón 2013 Cariñena
Carignan from a small, high-altitude vineyard in northern Spain, aged in French oak. Silly heavy bottle.
Bright crimson. Light, sweet nose. Not that distinguished really.
Mas Doix, Salanques 2014 Priorat
25% old Carignan, 65% Garnacha, 10% Syrah.
Bright crimson. Very smart, proper, complex wine. Lovely completeness – great combination of ripeness and definition. A licking-llicorella sensation. Very vibrant.
Ch Ste-Eulalie, La Cantilène 2015 Minervois-La Livinière
Round and satisfying and ridiculous value. Beautifully integrated blend. Long too. What’s not to like? VGV
14%Undurraga, Cauquenes Mourvèdre/Carignan 2015 Maule
90% Carignan, 10% Mourvèdre.
Mid crimson. Blackcurrant pastilles on the nose. Too sharp for me, however well intended.
Undurraga, Cauquenes Garnacha 2015 Maule
So much gentler and more attractive than the Carignan/Mourvèdre version! Sweet and fresh and readable and thoroughly satisfying, with or without food. Some marked stoniness. Many a Châteauneuf producer would give their eye teeth for this sort of structure! Though it’s perhaps just a little candified. VGV
14.5%Adega Regional de Colares, Arenae Ramisco 2007 Colares
Ramisco grows ungrafted in the sands (arenae) of the Atlantic coast, north west of Lisbon. NB smaller bottle.
Pale garnet – healthy colour. A little sour but there is history in there too! Definitely one for wine geeks. Truly a relic.
Torraccia del Piantavigna 2007 Ghemme
Rather suspiciously modern-looking label. 90% Nebbiolo.
Pale garnet with an orange rim. So lifted and lovely! This must have been discovered behind a bricked-up wall? Fantastic excitement. Incredible value. This company specialises in grappa and therefore can afford to hang on to its wines. VGV
Parcé Frères 1969 Rivesaltes
Man walked on the moon in the same year that this was made. This is a sweet, Madeira-like fortified wine, bottled in 2015 after 46 years in barrel.
Pale bright orange. Rancio nose and wonderfully sweet cocktail of nuts, orange peel and lemon juice. So light! This must make it on to the Christmas list… Transparent and clean and fresh. Sweetness is not the most obvious attribute. So energising!
Cockburn's, Quinta dos Canais 2010 Port
High proportion of Touriga Nacional. Mid crimson. Spices, wood notes but next to the Paré Frères 1969 Rivesaltes it seems so plodding! Dusty, savoury, alcoholic! Bit of cinnamon.
16%