Summary
Is it a white? Is it a red?! Is it a rosé??!!
Or is our WINE OF THE YEAR none (or all) of the above…because it is, quite simply, pure gold?
Welcome to our Wines of the Year show, an annual favourite where we look back over the past year, not always entirely seriously, and raise many a glass in the process.
We recap on key news, play Guess the Missing Word in the Wine Headline, share listener input…and then recommend the wines which have made the biggest impression on us this year, from a great value red and white pair, a left-field fizz, a hot-shot producer of the year…culminating in a truly epic Wine of the Year.
Along the way we talk robots, beefing up Burgundy, tipsy shrews, BBQ sauce, dinosaurs, sherry trifle, Beethoven, childish protests and a long-dead Roman.
Links
- The OIV marks 100 years of wine 1924-2024
- Alcohol Consumption is Abundant in the Natural World
- Did the Extinction of the Dinosaurs Pave the Way for Grapes?
- Smoke-tainted Pinot Noir has found a new use – as BBQ sauce
- Man vs Sherry Trifle – Can I Eat Myself Drunk?
- Winemakers are Building Grape-Picking Robots
- Here’s a link to Caractère restaurant in Notting Hill we reference in the show
- Here’s that BBQ sauce
- You can find our podcast on all major audio players: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon and beyond. If you’re on a mobile, the button below will redirect you automatically to this episode on an audio platform on your device. (If you’re on a PC or desktop, it will just return you to this page – in which case, get your phone out! Or find one of the above platforms on your browser.)
Wines
This is far from an exhaustive listing of all the options we considered.
Nor do we want to spoil the surprise of what are our top gongs – ie Producer of the Year, Value Wine of the Year, White Wine of the Year, Red Wine of the Year, Leftfield Wine of the Year…and Wine of the Year.
For that, you’ll have to listen to the pod.
But we’re aware a listing of sorts is helpful so please find this below.
We’ve left off wines that are very expensive or almost certainly not available. But we’ve added in some extra wines, particularly good value ones.
Prices and stockists where we can find them. Please check vintages etc before you buy!
Sparkling
- Waitrose Champagne Brut NV (£24.99, Waitrose)
- Westwell Pinot Meunier MV, England (£42.50, from winery)
- Egly-Ouriet Les Prémices Champagne Extra Brut NV (from £54, Finest Bubble)
- Danbury Ridge Solstice 1st Edition NV (from £58, Finest Bubble)
- Kit’s Coty Coeur de Cuvee 2016, England (£129, from winery)
- Exton Park Cuvée M Isaac ‘BBB’ Blanc de Blancs 2015, England (£130, from winery)
- Henri Giraud Fût de Chêne Aÿ Grand Cru Brut Champagne MV19 (from £150, Finest Bubble)
White
- Morandé Terrarum Patrimonial Semillon 2023, Chile (£9.99, Waitrose)
- Yealands Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Marlborough (£11.99 Waitrose)
- Florès Picpoul de Pinet Selection 2021, France (from £17.99, Wickham Wine)
- Domaine Roux ‘Albus’ Hautes Côte de Beaune 2022, Burgundy (from £22.49, Majestic)
- Pegasus Bay Chardonnay 2020, Canterbury (£24, Tesco)
- Viré-Clessé 2021, Domaine des Heritiers du Comte Lafon, Burgundy (£34, Justerini & Brooks)
- Gloria Reynolds Art & Tradition 2007, Vinho Regional Alentejano
- Pazo Señorans Albariño Selección de Añada 2014, Rias Baixas
- Aristos Duquesa d’A Chardonnay 2016, Cachapoal
Rosé etc
- Thymiopoulous Rosé de Xinomavro 2022, Greece (£13.50, The Wine Society)
- Santa Tresa Insieme Orange 2022, Sicily (£17.50, Grape & Grind)
- Apostolos Thymiopoulos Blanc de Rosé Xinomavro Cuvée R 2009, Greece (£33, The Wine Society)
Red
- M&S Primo Arte Primitivo 2023, Italy (£7, Marks & Spencer)
- Errazuriz Estate Reserva Pinot Noir 2023, Chile (£9, Tesco, Waitrose or from £6.99 Majestic)
- Casa Relvas Ciconia Touriga Nacional 2023, Alentejano (£9.95, The Wine Society)
- Vanguardist La Petite Vanguard GSM Field Blend 2023, Barossa Valley (£16.50 The Wine Society)
- Meerlust Red 2020, Stellenbosch (from £17.99, Majestic)
- Thymiopoulos Earthy and Sky Naoussa Xinomavro, Greece (£24, The Wine Society)
- Dalrymple Pinot Noir 2020, Tasmania (£34, London End Wines)
- Mas des Capitelles Collection No. 2 2011, Faugeres
- Hencote Pinot Noir 2022, Shropshire
- Crystallum Peter Max Pinot Noir 2023 (£29.50, VINVM)
- By Farr Farrside Pinot Noir 2021, Geelong (From £57, London End Wines)
- Raen Fort Ross-Seaview Pinot Noir Sea Field Vineyard 2018, Sonoma
- Mullineux Iron Syrah 2019, Swartland (£76, Berry Bros)
- Jean-Luc Jamet Côte-Rôtie Terrasses 2019, France (£76, Berry Bros)
- Errazuriz Don Maximiano 2021, Aconcagua
Get in Touch!
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Transcript
Coming soon!