The Wine Society continues to work hard to provide reliable and stimulating bottles for its members – who have to buy a single £40 share in this historic British wine-buying cooperative.
Because this collection of new wines is such a ragbag, we have decided to group the tasting notes by style or colour, then in order of descending score. You can see that both Richard, who tasted most of the reds and the handful of sweet wines, and I found many wines we thought were good value (GV) or even very, very good value (VVGV).
White
The label looks rather downmarket but it tastes delightfully delight and transparent. Filigree even. But the fruit doesn’t seem quite as sparkling fresh as it might do. (JR)
Alcohol: 12%
Drink:
2011
–
2013
Price: £32 The Wine Society
WHITES
16 +
/20
White
Deeper flavoured than the Chenin des Rouillères 2011. With more honey and more wet wool. Lots to get your teeth into but awfully young for the moment. (JR)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink:
2014
–
2018
Price: £14.95 The Wine Society
White
Lovely pure, fresh, appley aromas. Lots of tension and terroir. Finishes dry. This wine has just so much energy and typicity. Great stuff. Whistle clean. GV (JR)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £10.95 The Wine Society
14.5
/20
White
Light nose. Although this wine is certainly fresh, I can’t really see much varietal character. A bit metallic, and chewy, on the finish. (JR)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink:
2013
Price: £9.95 The Wine Society
White
Light nose and slightly diffuse varietal character. Rather a hot finish. (JR)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2012
–
2013
Price: £8.50 The Wine Society
White
Real apple-juice Ruwer delicacy. The texture of this puts other Rieslings in this Wine Society tasting to shame. Medium dry rather than medium sweet and a wine that would make a delightful aperitif or anytime sipping wine. Already chock full of charm. (JR)
Alcohol: 9%
Drink:
2012
–
2020
Price: £18 The Wine Society
White
Lovely open fruit and great delicacy and precision. Racy and so fluid and easy to like. Thoroughly decent and classical. (JR)
Alcohol: 8%
Drink:
2012
–
2018
Price: £16 The Wine Society
White
This has certainly aged quite rapidly on the nose and actually reminds me more of an Eden Valley than a Clare Valley Riesling. Bone-dry finish. A little chewy but GV for accelerated ageing. (JR)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2012
–
2013
Price: £10.95 The Wine Society
15.5
/20
White
Light but, like the Ignacio Riesling, sweeter than it need be. I’d rather have a lighter sweet wine or a dry one if it is to have this amount of body. (JR)
Alcohol: 10%
Drink:
2013
–
2015
Price: £14.95 The Wine Society
White
Smells just like a Clare Valley Riesling! Though on the palate it is unexpectedly, and rather unnecessarily, sweet. I find it a bit unbalanced. And a tad astringent. (JR)
Alcohol: 12%
Drink:
2012
–
2015
Price: £8.25 The Wine Society
White
Very lively and flirtatious. More transparent and racy than many South African Chenins. Although there is some light green apple and honey flavour, there is no sweetness. Real grip on the palate. GV (JR)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £8.75 The Wine Society
White
Quite leesy nose but not obviously Kiwi. Sweet start and racy finish. A little milky, a little mineral. Nicely balanced. Very fresh energetic finish. (JR)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink:
2011
–
2014
Price: £12.50 The Wine Society
White
Clean and lively. Bone dry and well polished. Reasonably slim for a St-Véran but certainly not skinny. Good firm finish. (JR)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2012
–
2014
Price: £12.50 The Wine Society
White
Very fruity and fragrant and clean and precise on the nose. On the palate it’s pretty light and finishes dry. Lots of fun and stimulating for those who are tired of the familiar in their wine glass. Very clean and well made. Fair value. (JR)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2012
–
2014
Price: £9.50 The Wine Society
White
Very fragrant and floral. Gentle and off dry. Nice texture. Firm spine. Long. Well constructed. Good value. (JR)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2012
–
2013
Price: £8.95 The Wine Society
White
Low-key nose. Just a tad heavy. Serve well chilled. I’d rather have the Corte Ignacio Chilean Sauvignon! (JR)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2012
Price: £6.95 The Wine Society
White
Rapel/Casablanca. Good price. With some depth. Racy and quite delicate (note low alcohol). Finishes drier than many Chilean Sauvignons. GV (JR)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink:
2011
–
2013
Price: £7.50 The Wine Society
White
Light, mineral nose. Very firm finish. Should go well with food but it’s a little astringent for easy aperitif drinking. Is it the slate referred to in the name of the producer? (JR)
Alcohol: 12%
Drink:
2013
–
2014
Price: £11.95 The Wine Society
White
90% Chardonnay, 10% Scheurebe. Candied, marmalade, crystallised ginger. Thick and yet kept vibrant by good acid. Very sweet, but not massively complex. If only it were Riesling! (RH)
Alcohol: 11.5%
Drink:
2012
–
2015
Price: £13.95 (50cl) The Wine Society
16.5
/20
White
Luscious but balanced with a slightly soapy tropical fruit. Brilliantly fine mousse. Not at all cloying. Deliciously creamy. This is why there's a fuss about Moscato. GV (RH)
Alcohol: 5%
Drink:
2012
–
2013
Price: £6.75 The Wine Society
White
Perfectly acceptable wine at a good price from the Buxy co-op. Very nice texture and much more structure than most white burgundy at this sort of price. Well selected. Clean but a bit evanescent. (JR)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink:
2012
–
2013
Price: £8.50 The Wine Society
White
Very tight and racy and fine. Sleek and would see many a white burgundy off the table. GV (JR)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £14.95 The Wine Society
ROSÉS
Rosé
Pale to mid pink. Smells like Spangles. Plus fermentation aromas. It’s fine but there are so many more interesting Provençal pinks. Watery finish. (JR)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2012
Price: £7.50 The Wine Society
Rosé
Big and a little forceful for a rosé really. Round and a little candified. (JR)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink:
2012
Price: £7.25 The Wine Society
Rosé
Lots of generous fruit on the nose. Relatively low acidity but not manipulated and full of charm. Needs to be drunk young and cool. GV (JR)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink:
2012
Price: £5.95 The Wine Society
REDS
Red
In tall tapered bottle. Vegy/beetroot nose. Very light palate. Bone-dry finish. Interesting rather than wonderful. Austere. (JR)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2012
–
2013
Price: £11.50 The Wine Society
Red
Rather round and very textured. Clean and well made. Mineral finish. Real zip to this – unlike anything else I have tasted. Good old Prince Stirbey might just reignite Romania wine’s reputation. Finish is a bit sudden but it’s certainly novel! (JR)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2011
–
2013
Price: £13.95 The Wine Society
Red
Very unusual stumpy flask-like bottle. Racy and bone dry on, according to the back label, volcanic rhyolite soils. Bags of character. Dry finish. Great balance and interest. Just the sort of wine the Wine Society does so well. Long. Uncompromising in its dryness. Don’t serve too cool – nor too warm! (JR)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink:
2012
–
2014
Price: £7.50 The Wine Society
Red
Lively and lifted. Rather stylish label. Light but true and savoury. Quintessential French country wine made with great facility. Silky texture, great persistence. Troisgros house wine by the way. VGV (JR)
Alcohol: 12%
Drink:
2012
–
2013
Price: £7.95 The Wine Society
Red
Definitely more open and fruity than many. Very easy to like even if not awfully complex nor set for the future. (JR)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink:
2012
Price: £6.75 The Wine Society
Red
Mint leaf, blackcurrant, slightly rough-hewn tannins. Dry, chocolatey finish. (RH)
Alcohol: 14.5%
Drink:
2012
–
2015
Price: £7.25 The Wine Society
Red
Oodles of black compote on the nose and palate. Not especially long or complex – but not especially expensive either. (RH)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2012
–
2018
Price: £7.95 The Wine Society
Red
Juicy red raspberries, chunky without being overweight. Long, sweetly spiced finish. (RH)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £7.95 The Wine Society
Red
Vibrant cherry fruit. Fine, febrile tannins. Restrained – for Australia. Decent enough for the price. (RH)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £8.25 The Wine Society
Red
Very conservative, everyday wine – traditional, balanced, nicely tannic for a bit of earthy grip. Simple, satisfying. (RH)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink:
2012
–
2015
Price: £7.50 The Wine Society
Red
Wow, impressive raisined, porty style nose. Lots of minty, medicinal character on the palate, very dry tannins. Dense black fruit. Rather short in the end. But can't complain at that for less than a tenner. (RH)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £7.50 The Wine Society
Red
Stinky, reductive. Going towards H2S. Classic black fruit and pepper, but a bit too dirty for me. (RH)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2012
–
2015
Price: £7.50 The Wine Society
Red
Mealy, spicy nose – almost leesy? Very fine, sieved tannins. Long, structured finish. (RH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £11.50 The Wine Society
Red
Pure blackcurrant and strawberry juice aromas. Impressive price for this, because it has such great clarity of fruit. Too juicy for some, I expect, but does it with classiness. Best wine for under £7 I've tasted in ages. VGV (RH)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £6.50 The Wine Society
Red
Made from unirrigated bush vines and fermented in amphorae. Blackcurrants and mint, but more French than Chilean in its style – clean and fruity but savoury with a dry, restrained and very long finish. (RH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £8.95 The Wine Society
Red
Juicy blackberry fruit, soft tannins, pert acid and fine balance. Pleasingly submissive for the style. (RH)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £9.95 The Wine Society
Red
Ripe, juicy fruit and much cleaner than it used to be – no brett or VA here, no sir. Perhaps just a little bit less characterful therefore? (RH)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £7.50 The Wine Society
Red
Proper black fruit with that mannerly structure of the Médoc and some just-emerging fragrance. Only just opening up now. (RH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2012
–
2022
Price: £35 The Wine Society
16
/20
Red
Soft, reticent red fruit. Soft. Soft, soft, soft. Fine if you like them soft. (RH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2008
–
2014
Price: £13.95 The Wine Society
Red
Peculiar aroma – what is that? Liquorice and leather and a bit farmy too. Rustic, and crushingly tannic on the finish, though perfectly drinkable. Not to be drunk without food! (RH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £10.50 The Wine Society
Red
Minty, green notes – very Chile – and loads of dense black fruit with rather obvious overlaid oak. Bitter finish. Perfectly good. (RH)
Alcohol: 14.5%
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £7.75 The Wine Society
Red
Very ice-creamy style oak, fruit is drying up – not quite as complete and satisfying as they can be. Excellent typicality though – a teaching wine. (RH)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink:
2010
–
2015
Price: £25 The Wine Society
Red
Sweet cherry fruit, quite a woody palate with nicely integrated acidity and a lightish body. Fairly priced. (RH)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2012
–
2018
Price: £11.95 The Wine Society
Red
I notice that I tasted this at Oddbins in Nov 11 – and it seems to have got even better since. Blend of Grenache and Carignan. Apparently, this wine should have been sold under their main 'Malondro' label at twice the price, but a cancelled order meant they deselected it into a second label. Really yummy developed nose with loads of leathery, medicinal, black fruit. Excellent balance. Fully mature, so not for keeping, but not at all elderly either. VVGV. (RH)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink:
2010
–
2013
Price: £7.50 The Wine Society
15.5
/20
Red
Soft, mild mannered, quite slight. Nothing wrong with it but unusally boring for the Wine Soc. (RH)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink:
2010
–
2015
Price: £8.95 The Wine Society
Red
Made from Fer Servadou. Strident cassis and grassy notes. Firm tannins, high acidity, bright and Beaujolais-esque. Quick to finish, but delivers wonderful savoury French fruit. GV (RH)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink:
2012
–
2015
Price: £7.95 The Wine Society
16.5
/20
Red
Interesting herbal and beetroot character. Does the trick of being very different without being too weird. Very soft tannins, moderate acidity, long sweetly fruited length. (RH)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £9.50 The Wine Society
Red
Light, tight, not so hardcore as some Otagans, high acid and just a slight red fruit. Doesn’t seem anywhere near twice as good as the Limari Pinot Noir. (RH)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink:
2012
–
2016
Price: £23.50 The Wine Society
16.5
/20
Red
Scented, really rather headily perfumed. Transparent and minerally. Very fine for the money – if you have bought into Marsannay. Classic example for a reasonable price. GV (JR)
Alcohol: 12.5%
Drink:
2013
–
2017
Price: £14.50 The Wine Society
Red
Very sweet, juicy fruit with loads of dark cherry fruit and a sweet vanilla scent. Pleasingly prominent tannins for the new world. Gives definition and shape. Long length too. (RH)
Alcohol: 14%
Drink:
2012
–
2018
Price: £11.95 The Wine Society
Red
Suitably restrained and dainty on the nose, then cheerily bright and smooth on the palate with a decent oaky duvet around the red fruit. (RH)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2012
–
2020
Price: £17.50 The Wine Society
Red
Racy, almost raw nose. Substance and refreshment and structure. Good stuff. Almost textbook Blaufränkisch. Very dry finish. Long. (JR)
Alcohol: 13%
Drink:
2012
–
2015
Price: £12.50 The Wine Society
