Top 10 wines in the UK press

Matthew Jukes recommends “a spectacular wine from one of the best vintages in memory” while other writers pick out wines for Fairtrade fortnight.

Jukes is clearly a fan of the South Australian Shiraz that he has recommended this week, as he goes on to describe it as a “truly epic red wine”.

Fiona Beckett in The Guardian, Terry Kirby in The Independent and Jane MacQuitty in The Times all pick out Fairtrade wines for Fairtrade fortnight, which runs from Monday 25 February.

Beckett features several Fairtrade wines in her feature, writing: “From a consumer’s point of view, the quality of Fairtrade wines is also improving. It’s good to see the likes of Bruno Raats, one of South Africa’s best producers of Chenin Blanc, get involved with a Fairtrade project.”

Kirby also acknowledges the improving nature of Fairtrade wines, he wrote: “Fairtrade Fortnight begins tomorrow, so it is a good time to explore some of the increasingly improving wines from approved New World producers.”

Read through the following pages to see which wines these and other UK press writers have recommended over the last week.

Alain Chatoux Beaujolais Vieilles Vignes 2011

A Beaujolais “renaissance” has been “helped by a run of decent vintages” according to David Williams in The Observer. He picked out this example writing: “As a light wine with an accent on refreshment, it’s a versatile food-matcher, which means I drink rather a lot of it, and this lively, fragrant example from the excellent Alain Chatoux is a cool cut above the average.”

Fairtrade Bonarda Shiraz 2012

Writing about Fairtrade wines, Beckett said that “South Africa’s Fairtrade reds are also improving”, but she added, “in general Argentina still has the edge on Fairtrade reds.” She wrote that this “juicy [and] swiggable” wine from the Famantina Valley “is fantastic value, though you do question how a wine that has travelled that far and is Fairtrade-certified can be sold so cheaply.”

Lidl Chablis 2011

In the Mail on Sunday Olly Smith backs Britain to go crazy for this Chablis. He wrote: “Lidl, you rock! Chablis of this quality for under a tenner is as rare as a talking dog and just as thrilling to discover. Fresh, with a proper Chablis twist and a creamy texture, this is a stinker to swoop on. Britain, fill your baskets.”

Plan de Dieu Domaine de la Meynarde Côtes du Rhône Villages 2011

Victoria Moore, writing in the Daily Telegraph, finds a wine that she describes as a “classic, could-drink-this-every-night, Rhône blend”. She added: “Rhône wines tend to be ‘good food wines’, which can mean ‘don’t drink them on their own’, but in this case just means they settle down happily with most meaty home-cooked comfort food, from cottage pie to lamb chops with new potatoes.”

Fairhills Cabernet Sauvignon Petit Verdot 2011

Terry Kirby is another wine writer who acknowledges the improvement in many Fairtrade wines. Of this wine he wrote: “The Petit Verdot grapes add fruit and vibrancy to the darker, more tannic Cab-Sauv, combining to deliver a punchy, very moreish wine that is the perfect partner to baked gnocchi or pasta with meatballs in tomato sauce.”

Peacock Tail Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Kirby also recommends this Fairtrade bottle as his “bargain basement” wine. He wrote: “This fabulously zesty, palate-tingling affair from the Stellenbosch area is a considerable bargain in its own right, such is the class on display and evidence of M&S’s renowned quality control.”

2010 Jim Barry, The Lodge Hill Shiraz, Clare Valley

This was the wine that Jukes described in the Daily Mail as “a spectacular wine from one of the best vintages in memory.” He added: “The addition of 3% Cabernet and 3% Malbec gives a little twist of cassis and spice and all in all this is a truly epic red wine.”

2011 Sancerre, Les Caillottes

Jukes also picked out this wine, writing: “This pretty, palate primping Sauvignon Blanc is named after the stones found in the vineyard. You can almost taste the cool minerality underpinning the citrus theme making this a stunning accompaniment to any seafood dish. Les Caillottes can even handle chilli spice and curry heat.”

2012 Waitrose Fairtrade Chenin Blanc, Western Cape

In The Times Jane MacQuitty is another who picks out a Fairtrade wine, she wrote: “Go on, do the decent thing in Fairtrade Fortnight and scoop up this bold, apple, peach and touch of toasty oak-laden wine, a rounded easy-drinking white.”

Luis Felipe Edwards Signature Series Syrah Reserva 2011

In the Sunday Telegraph Susy Atkins focused on the increase in Syrah coming out of Chile and in particular from the Central Valley, where “hot spots produce an intense but more baked, soft and blackcurranty style; in somewhat cooler Limari, with its long hours of bright sunshine, the style is heavy on the black pepper and clove, yet with a more Rhône-like elegance.” Of this wine, Atkins wrote: “Savour the smooth, mellow texture of this red, which has a rich toffee and blackberry sweetness with just a whisper of clove. Less tannic and heavy than some Chilean Syrahs.”