November's Recommendations
We rate our wines out of a 100-points scale.
Our reviews and recommendations are completely independent and we do not have any commercial affiliation with the importers and/or retailers listed.
Please note that prices are correct at the time of our tastings/reviews but are subject to change without us being notified.
Sparkling
Cloudy Bay Pelorus Brut NV - 90 pts
Marlborough, New Zealand, Sparkling Dry White, 12.5% ABV, cork
70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif.
A blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir from the Marlborough’s Wairau Valley, this is a consistently good value fizz from Cloudy Bay. Its current iteration shows attractive malty, nutty notes in the aromas, reprised in a fine mousse of expansively full-flavoured bubbles and balanced dry finish. Excellent value at its £22.99 price when you mix six.
£26.99 (or £22.99 as part of a mix six case) available from Majestic
Waitrose & Partners Brut Champagne NV - 91 pts
Champagne, Frace, Sparkling White - Brut, 12.5% ABV, cork
90% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, oysters, goat’s cheese, seafood platter.
Waitrose’s own Brut champagne is an extremely good-value pour that should definitely be on your festive season’s shopping list. It has a gentle toastiness and elegant food complexity making it both a great aperitif and an ideal companion to food. Great structure and length, with a sharp yet fully integrated acidity that will make you go for that second (and third!) glass in a matter of minutes.
£19.99 available from Waitrose & Partners
Dry White
Mac Forbes Chardonnay 2017 - 90 pts
Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia, Dry White, 12.5% ABV, screwcap
100% Chardonnay
Pairs nicely with: Smoked mackerel. Scallop tartare.
From ‘Burgundy nut’ Mac Forbes in the Yarra Valley, this is dry white made very much in the Burgundian mould, showing creamy-textured ripe Chardonnay fruit supported by a refreshingly pineapple acidity and nutty finish, all the while maintaining very good delicacy and balance.
£24.30 available from Tanners
Domaine de Montbourgeau L’Etoile En Banode 2016 - 90 pts
Jura, France, Dry White, 13% ABV, cork
Chardonnay, Savagnin
Pairs nicely with: Sole meunière, Sendre au beurre blanc, Caesar salad.
You might call this field blend of Chardonnay and Savagnin a ‘Marmite wine’ because it won’t please everyone. If you’re prepared to take a punt on a distinctive dry white whose sherryish whiff is followed by flavours of fermenting apples supported by an almost briney dryness, you may just find this mouthwatering wine, as we do, rather to your liking.
£19 available from The Wine Society
Tre Fiori Greco di Tufo 2018 - 91 pts
Campania, Italy, Dry White, 12.5% ABV, cork
100% Greco Bianco
Pairs nicely with: Roast chicken, light pasta dishes, quiche Lorraine.
A fantastic food wine, with broad structure and creamy texture. Gentle orchard flower aromas hover over a decisive lemon curd and apple strudel flavours, with wide mid-palate and medium length.
£10.99 available from Waitrose & Partners
Wine of the Month!!
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Zind 2017 - 92 pts
Alsace, France, Dry White, 12.5% ABV, cork closure
65% Chardonnay, 35% Auxerrois
Pairs nicely with: Brandade, Salade Niçoise, smoked salmon.
The elegance you expect from Alsace and from winemaker Olivier Humbrecht but with a less obvious blend of Chardonnay and Auxerrois. Whole-bunch pressing, spontaneous fermentation in oak foudres and six months lees-ageing all contribute to a complex, structured wine supported by a flinty edge and well-rounded acidity. The pear-drop and yellow apple aromas are rich yet also fresh, thanks to the long & steady ripening provided by the south-facing single vineyard where this wine’s fruit grow.
£17.99 available from Waitrose & Partners
Heinrich Hartl Zierfandler 2018 - 91 pts
Thermenregion, Austria, Dry White, 13.5% ABV, screwcap
100% Zierfandler
Pairs nicely with: Grilled sardines, smoked salmon pate, cheese pie.
You won’t be accused of being a bad student if you don’t recognise the grape variety Zierfandler: it grows only in Austria and has fallen into oblivion for the past few decades. Yet it produces wines with great texture and purity of aroma & flavour like this example from Heinrich Hartl, fermeneted and aged in oak. The juiciness and broad texture, supported by an assertive medium acidity, make it a great food companion. Will also make for a great conversation starter.
£14.99 available from Waitrose & Partners
Dry Red
Domaine Gaylord Machon Crozes Hermitage Cuvée Lhony 2015 - 91 pts
Rhône, France, Dry Red, 13% ABV, cork
100% Syrah
Pairs nicely with: Rack of lamb. Shepherd’s pie, suckling pig.
Classic Crozes showing some of the tar and pepper of cool climate, old vine Syrah and yet an opulent mid-palate of succulently textured dark fruit enveloped in softening oak for a combination of richness and elegant balance. This has a good five years’ life in it.
£25.95 available from Lea & Sandeman
Yellingbo One Block Yarra Valley Syrah 2017 - 92 pts
Victoria, Australia, Dry Red, 13.5% ABV, screwcap
100% Syrah
Pairs nicely with: Chicken and ham pie, duck breast.
Properly called Syrah rather than Shiraz by young gun winemaker Jayden Ong, because the Yarra Valley brings a cool climate element that corresponds to the Northern Rhône in character for a juicy, peppery and spicy black fruit succulence whose savoury finish brings beautiful balance.
£30.95 available from Lea & Sandeman
Kaesler Stonehorse Grenache / Shiraz / Mourvèdre 2015 - 90 pts
Barossa Valley, South Australia, Dry Red, 14.5% ABV, screwcap
Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvèdre
Pairs nicely with: Oxtail, slow-cooked lamb shank.
An Aussie alternative to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is effectively composed of the same grape varieties, this GSM blend is rich and voluptuously opulent with powerful black fruit flavours tinged with spice and all kept in good if vigorously youthful balance.
£16.50 available from Tanners
Value choice of the Month
Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2016 - 89 pts
Navarra, Spain, Dry Red, 13% ABV, cork closure
100% Montepulciano
Pairs nicely with: Lamb chump chops, salt beef, pizza napolitana.
This is not your common or garden rustic Montepulciano d’Abruzzo but a much juicier, more balanced version with succulent sour dark cherry fruit and a freshness that makes the whole thing rather deliciously drinkable. At £9.99 mix-six price, this could be one of the buys of the festive season.
£12.99 (or £9.99 as part of a mix six case) available from Majestic Wine
Wine of the Month!!
Château Pichon-Longueville Baron Les Griffons de Pichon Baron 2014 - 92 pts
Bordeaux, France, Dry Red, 13.5% ABV, cork closure
Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot.
Pairs nicely with: Tarragon roast chicken, saltmarsh lamb, roast pheasant.
Cast your scruples aside and bring in the festive season with at least one expensive but immaculate bottle of fine wine, in this instance the glorious second wine of Second Growth Château Pichon-Longueville in Pauillac, whose pedigree shines through in a gloriously decadent mouthful of cassis fruit concentration, tinged with vanilla, and underpinned by youthfully elegant, supple tannins that are just starting to ease springs now.
£44 available from Waitrose & Partners
Henschke Euphonium 2014 - 92 pts
Keyneton, South Australia, Dry Red, 14% ABV, screwcap
Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc.
Pairs nicely with: Blanquette de veau, Tortelloni (preferably with white truffle shaved on top).
Only the Australians really know how to meld the two wine cultures of the Rhône and Bordeaux together with their classic Shiraz /Cab blends. When it comes from a master of the art in the form of Stephen and Prue Henschke (of Hill of Grace fame), the result is an unalloyed pleasure to drink: the complexity of blackcurrant and liquorice spice combining in an earthy, woodsmoky yet sweetly opulent, classy mouthful of fruit.
£33.99 available from Waitrose & Partners
La Rioja Alta The Society’s Exhibition Rioja Reserva 2013 - 91 pts
Rioja, Spain, Dry Red, 13.5% ABV, cork closure
100% Tempranillo
Pairs nicely with: Lamb cutlets, calves liver, Partridge with lentils and chips.
A worthy successor to the 2011 vintage which won Best own Label at the Wines from Spain Awards this year, this starts out with the traditional smoky, charry aromas of mature Rioja and leads on to a mellow, juicy palate of red fruits flavours supported by a light vanilla smokiness and balanced finish. This would make a great Christmas lunch red.
£16 available from The Wine Society
Waitrose & Partners Fairtrade Pinotage 2019 - 91 pts
South Africa, Dry Red, 14% ABV, screwcap
100% Pinotage
Pairs nicely with: Charcuterie platter, seared tuna, mezze.
Great, easy-drinking pour with freshness and pleasant acidity. Have it a bit chilled at the start of a meal or to kick-off your dinner party. All the Pinotage crunchy red fruit coming through supported by a juicy blood-orangey deliciousness.
£6.99 available from Waitrose & Partners
Albert Road Pinot Noir 2019 - 93 pts
Western Cape, South Africa, Dry Red, 13.5% ABV, screwcap
100% Pinot Noir
Pairs nicely with: Spaghetti alle vongole, Waldorf salad.
Calling all Pinot Noir lovers out there: there’s something almost Burgundian about this lean, mineral and restrained example from South Africa. The vines grow on granite and sandstone, which provides the balance of restraint and development shown by the wine itself. Cranberry, redcurrant and sour cherry flavours linger on the mouth, wrapped by gentle but clearly present tannins.
£9.49 available from Waitrose & Partners
Sweet & Fortified
Value choice of the Month
Domaine de Forges Coteaux du Layon 2018 - 92 pts
Loire, France, Sweet White, 12.5% ABV, cork
100% Chenin Blanc
Pairs nicely with: Aged cheddar, orange sorbet, Torta de Santiago.
An very elegant (and very good-value) sweet Chenin from an appellation that is very much under appreciated. Outstanding, zingy acidity balancing the 130 gr/RS and a fine combination of citrus and orchard fruit on the palate, the lemon zest carrying the pear & apple jam richness all the way through.
£10.99 (50cl) available from Waitrose & Partners
Heggies Vineyard Botrytis Riesling 2017 - 92 pts
Eden Valley, Australia, Sweet White, 10% ABV, cork
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Lincolnshire poacher, panforte, pear frangipane.
Oily, rich and complex this Australian botrycised Riesling surprises for its underlying mineral, vertical and pure structure, very much thanks to the fact that the grapes grow on sandy loamy soils over clay and decomposed rock. Aromas of nectarine. orange peel, acacia honey and apple strudel. Truly delicious.
£14.99 (37.5 cl) available from Waitrose & Partners
Göttelmann Münsterer Kappellenberg Riesling Beerenauslese 2017 - 93 pts
Nahe, Germany, Sweet White, 7.5% ABV, cork
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Cured cheeses, almond tart.
There’s enough purity and complexity in this Beerenauslese to make it worth drinking on its own after a rich meal. Honey and peach aromas are wrapped around a hint of oiliness. The palate is broad yet juicy, very long and full of the lovely botrytis character you might expect: dried apricot, nectarine, candied orange peel.
£29.99 (50 cl) available from Waitrose & Partners