![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_9418-500x318.jpg\")
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I’ve just spent two afternoons tasting through the range of Waitrose, a UK-based supermarket. The range is varied and some of the buying is quite brave and imaginative, especially when compared with other supermarkets that have moved strongly in a private label direction. Here are twelve wines that I really liked, in no particular order.<\/p>\n
Champagne Vilmart Grand Cellier Premier Cru Brut NV France<\/strong> Domaine Sainte Amant Beaumes-de-Venise Grangeneuve 2015 Southern Rh\u00f4ne, France<\/strong> Cave de Saint-D\u00e9sirat Saint-Joseph 2017 Northern Rh\u00f4ne, France<\/strong> Bernard Fouquet Domaine des Aubuisieres Vouvray Cuv\u00e9e Silex 2018 Loire, France<\/strong> Muga Selecci\u00f3n Especial Rioja Reserva 2014 Spain<\/strong> Zorah Karesi Areni Noir 2016 Armenia<\/strong> Altos Las Hormigas The Malbec Specialist 2018 Mendoza, Argentina<\/strong> Willi Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 2016 Mosel, Germany<\/strong> Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir 2015 Dundee Hills, Oregon, USA<\/strong> Klein Constantia\/Pascal Jolivet Metis Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Constantia, South Africa<\/strong> Paul Cluver Riesling 2017 Elgin, South Africa<\/strong> Rustenberg Malbec 2017 Stellenbosch, South Africa<\/strong> I’ve just spent two afternoons tasting through the range of Waitrose, a UK-based supermarket. The range is varied and some of the buying is quite brave and imaginative, especially when…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23538"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23550,"href":"https:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23538\/revisions\/23550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n12.5% alcohol
\n\u00a339.99
\n70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir. Base wine fermented in large oak. Great to see a good grower Champagne like this on the shelves (36 branches including online). This is very linear with a hint of creaminess and some pear richness, as well as taut citrus notes. Really harmonious. 92\/100<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_9409-500x301.jpg\")
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\n14.5% alcohol
\n\u00a315.99
\nGrenache, Syrah, Carignane and Viognier(10%), fermented and matured in large oak, natural ferment. This is serious, with lovely texture and floral cherry and berry fruit. Stylish with a fine-grained structure and real elegance and finesse. 93\/100<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_9410-500x310.jpg\")
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\n13.5% alcohol
\n\u00a315.99
\nThis is a really lovely, typical example of northern Rh\u00f4ne Syrah, showing fresh, vivid black cherry and blackberry fruit with more than a hint of elegance and some fine peppery notes. 91\/100<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_9415-500x274.jpg\")
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\n13% alcohol
\n\u00a311.99
\nChenin from 55 year old vines, 11 g\/l residual sugar. Powerful and stony with notes of herbs, cheese and hay, as well as lively apple, pear and lemon fruit. Benchmark dry Vouvray. 91\/100<\/p>\n
\n14% alcohol
\n\u00a324.99
\n(not pictured) This is classic. Dense and spicy with lovely rich black fruits, as well as supple vanilla and cedar oak notes, showing both elegance and power. A brilliant example of Rioja. 94\/100<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_9408-500x333.jpg\")
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\n14%
\n\u00a324.99
\nUngrafted Areni Noir planted at 1400 m on limestone-rich soils, aged for 12 months in terracotta amphorae called ‘Karas’. Fine and peppery on the nose with bright red fruits and some floral cherry hints. The palate has lovely definition with a nice peppery edge to the ripe but elegant cherry fruit. Very fine. 94\/100<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_9411-500x254.jpg\")
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\n13.5% alcohol
\n\u00a313.49
\nMalbec from Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, aged for 12 months in concrete. Generous yet refined with sweet cherry and plum fruit. Grippy structure to the blackberry fruit with a lovely mouthfeel. Really fine. 92\/100<\/p>\n
\n7.5% alcohol
\n\u00a319.99
\n(not pictured) This is amazing. Ripe, textured and honeyed with lime and peach notes as well as some table grape richness. Nicely textured and beautifully aromatic, showing great balance. 94\/100<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_9412-500x341.jpg\")
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\n\u00a314% alcohol
\n\u00a336.49
\nFleshy but focused, showing appealing cherry and plum fruit. Expressive, with a silky texture and also nice bright red cherry notes. Quite floral and really bright: a great example of Oregon Pinot. 94\/100<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_9416-500x283.jpg\")
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\n14% alcohol
\n\u00a321.99
\nA lovely wine that’s a result of a collaboration between Klein Constantia and Loire-based Pascal Jolivet. Complex and grassy with nice notes of herbs, lemons, citrus and some passionfruit. Generous and compact at the same time. 92\/100<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_9417-500x294.jpg\")
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\n10.5% alcohol
\n\u00a312.99
\nRiesling is quite rare in South Africa, but in the cool climate of Elgin it thrives. Juicy, bright and vivid with lovely fresh citrus fruits. Tangy and zippy with nice balanced and a hint of sweetness (18.4 g\/l residual sugar)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_9413-500x270.jpg\")
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\n14% alcohol
\n\u00a311.99
\nMatured in small oak for 15 months, 10% new. Lovely structure to this richly fruited red wine, with nice focus and precision, showing black cherries and blackberries. Immediate and satisfying. 92\/100<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"