Stockist/Retailer: Majestic

(2026) It is relatively rare to see a Gran Reserva Rioja listed these days, the GR rules stipulating a long minimum period of barrel ageing, which for the past few decades has been somewhat out of favour in the region. This Gran Reserva spent around two and a half years in oak, plus three more in bottle before release, although the barrels were all French, rather than the often more obvious American oak. It is 95% Tempranillo plus Graciano. It is aromatic, but more about cedar and sweet damp earth, a hint of chocolate, than overt fruitiness. In the mouth it continues on that cedary path, though there is a solid core of plum and blackcurrant, that is really quite plush on the mid-palate, before juicy acidity, firm tannins and the graphite and spice character reasserts in the long finish. Top tip: decant this for at least one hour and the fruit will emerge more. One for something off the grill or barbie. Watch the video for more information.

(2026) Made from 85% Garganega grapes grown in volcanic soils east of Verona, along with some Trebbiano and Chardonnay. This is a particularly vivacious example of Soave. Talc-like floral aromatics precede bright passion fruit and citrus, some musky green fig and a touch of Epsom salts. In the mouth there is grapefruit and nectarine, plenty of lime and a touch of sherbet. Quite distinctive in the Soave idiom - some would say an outlier - with plenty of punch and verve. Price and stockist for previous vintage at time of review.

(2026) Blending Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella again, the grapes are dried for 120 days in the Ripasso technique, where the sugars are concentrated. There is a 15 days maceration on the skins of sweet Recioto wine, followed by ageing in large Slavonian oak barrels. A meaty note to this, much more plummy and damson-like, prunes and a touch of coffee. In the mouth a little sweetness and glycerine richness, but there is also a lively edge; a juiciness and freshness before more mocha coffee in the tannins of the finish. A nicely maturing wine.

(2026) This vintage Cap Classique sparkling is made from 87% Pinot Noir and 13% Chardonnay, co-fermented, then cellared for six years before disgorgement. It was bottled with 5.5g/l of residual sugar. This opens in quite vivacious style, strawberry sherbet brightness with just a little redcurrant too. There's a freshness about the palate too, despite the long ageing, no doubt the low dosage adding to its fleet-footed style.

(2026) The well-established estate of Château d’Estoublon makes this pale pink wine mostly from Grenache grown in the Coteaux Varoix en Provence, along with smaller percentages of Syrah, Cinsault and Rolle (Vermentino). It spends several weeks on the lees in concrete tanks after fermentation. Prety and fruity aromas of watercolour paint and cherry speak of the cold ferment, while the palate has an elegant appeal. There's a trace of sweetness, but swept up in juicy and nicely tart acidity, a light chalkiness to the texture adding to the appeal.

(2026) A Rioja from selected vineyards where 90% Tempranillo is joined by Garnacha and Graciano, it is a modern style, not dominated by oak, despite 20 months in American and French barrels. It was fermented with wild yeasts, which has perhaps enhanced the savoury nature of the aromas that melt into crunchy red and black fruits. The oak manifests more as cedar than vanilla, and the palate is medium-bodied, with a bittersweet endive bite to the tannins and acidity. Pomal suggest this food wine will cellar well for a decade. Watch the video for more information.

(2025) Musar's typical blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan, aged six years before release. I thought this was a fabulous young Musar, brimming with aroma and flavour already which is quite primary in character, so there is surely more to come with cellaring. Plush with cranberry and ripe, rich blackcurrant, a hint of mint in there too. Such sweet and mouth-filling fruit, caressing the tongue with medium-bodied and quite silky texture, hints of earth and smoky minerals, but really all about smooth and plush flavours over moderate tannin and particularly juicy acidity. A fine rendition of this classic in a relatively forward style, but it will age. Watch the video for more information.

(2025) This is an early review for this wine, written in November 2025, so expect it to become much more widely available over ensuing months. With fruit mainly from the Wairau Valley, 1.8% of the blend was fermented in large-format oak vats and a portion using wild yeast. Aromatically there is definitely a touch of the passion fruit and elderflower, but this vintage seems to be more about a direct citrus freshness in a wine of very pale colour. In the mouth it is bracing stuff, less flamboyant than some vintages, and again a cool citrus and lightly herbal character rather than anything overtly tropical. It has texture, and glimpses of a juicier nectarine weight in a a well-tempered rendition of this classic Marlborough SB in 2025.

(2025) Cramele Recaș is a very large producer and exporter of Romanian wines, and I suspect there are several different labels for this Pinot Noir, depending on where you buy it. There certainly appear to be several very similar Pinots from them, at the same price point, in different retailers. What you get is a very easy-going, fruity and sweetly ripe wine with a a cerise colour and notes of cherry and violet. It's not a Pinot for classicists, with only faint glimpses of the sous-bois and truffle the variety can offer, as it is all about juicy and pretty fruit on the palate with negligible tannins and a cherry-ripe acidity. OK, so it is not for the Pinot purist in some ways, but it is eminently quaffable and well made, and might well be able to grace the Christmas table if the budget is a bit tight - only £7.50 on offer at time of review. Watch the video for more information.

(2025) At five years of age this Grand Cru Chablis is in a lovely place. It has roundness and richness, perhaps lacking a little of the flinty austerity that can be so attractive in Chablis, but making up for that with its sesame-touched, pristine orchard fruit and sense of mineral precision. The palate has more of the same: direct and sheer, but with texture and hints of stone fruit ripeness, running into a lemon and salts, serious acidity.