THE DRINKER
EAT - DRINK - BE MERRY
MARKS AND SPENCER TOP WINES IN PRICE CATEGORY 2023/4
SUMMARY
They've really upped their game in terms of the sub £10 wines, a very impressive line up indeed. Very good in the £15 plus bracket, (particulalry Burgundy) and at the top end, also some great buys from Chile and Argentina, the Aussie whites did particularly well but the real stars are the whites from Burgundy, whoever is buying this is doing a proper job. The overall scoring for M & S is very high as you’d expect.
The ranges appear to be changing with M&S being the standard, the Classics and Found wines thinning out a bit and the introduction of the very classy looking Marks and Spencer Collection (blue label with gold trim), all are excellent but the latter wines tend to be on the higher end of the price range.
Please note that not all wines are available in all stores and the prices are as correct as I could get them (some prices may be the on-line case or offer price).
KEY
The reds are written up in this colour
The whites in this colour
Pink in this colour
Fizz in this hue
Sweets and forts in this colour
Up to £10
M&S Light and Fresh Pinot Grigio n £5.50 /89
Light and refreshing, easy drinking, simple pretty wine
M&S Rustica Bianca £6.00 /90
Acacia and honeysuckle, fresh and easy Sicilain beauty
M&S Garganega/Pinot Grigio £7.00 /90
Citrus dominant but with some lovely mineral undertones, very dinkable
M&S This Is Chardonnay £5.50 /89
Green apple nose, red apple palate, some body and a creamy finish
Gold Label Sauvignon Blanc (Fra) £8.50 /90
Light in sauvignon character, subtle, gooseberry and greengage
Burra Brook Chardonnay £7.50 /89
Lovely well made chardonnay, peach and white blossom, well judged use of oak
M&S This Is Vibrant and Zesty £5.75 /91
Very solid wine, tropical fruit and pineapple palate, lovely and great value
Classics No.10 Barossa Chardonnay £8.00 /90
Really nicely made, bags of apple character, easy touch of oak
Classics No.5 Workhorse Chenin Blanc (SA) £8.50 /90
Beautiful complex nose, pear and honey, tropical fruit palate, smashing
Vinalta Chardonnay (ARG) £9.00 /91
Full on intense chardonnay nose, burnt butter and petrol, really great value
Lock Keeper's Reserve Chardonnay (AUS) £10.00 /89
Tropical fruit chardonnay, melon and lychee, good body, well made
M&S Found Moschofilero Roditis £8.50 /90
Lovely peach nose and some interesting herbal notes on the palate, interesting blend
M&S Found Weisburgunder (pinot Blanc) £9.50 rating 90
Grape skin, fresh and dry, white peach and stone fruit, refreshing satsuma finish
M&S Found Furmint £8.50 /90
Really interesting wine, grass, lime, minerality, really well made, good party wine
M&S Classics Vinho Verde £8.00 /90
Dry with fresh acidity and elements of peach and citrus and a lovely spritz
M&S Fitou £8.00 /90
Dark and intense, bramble and herbal spices, lots of wine for the money
M&S This Is Spanish Red £5.50 /89
Easy, very drinkable BBQ red, holds up really well and fantastic value
M&S Rustica Sicilan Red £6.00 /91
Fantastic value, savoury notes and bags of black fruit, BBQ wine
M&S Classics Chianti £8.50 /91
Lovely warming oaky nose, black cherry and cedar, fab little Chianti
M&S Found Zweigelt £8.50 /91
Pale and easy blackcurrant and red cherry, light tannins, mouthwatering finish
M&S Found Alicante Bouschet £8.50 /91
Really interesting wine, bramble and spice, fruit pie finish
M&S Found Mazuelo £8.00 /89
Lovely earthy black cherry nose, fruit driven, easy tannins, will do well with BBQ
M&S Found Agiorgitiko £8.50 /90
Iodine and seaweed on the nose, can't help but get a touch of saltiness with red fruit
M&S Found Refosco £7.50 rating 90
Red and black cherry, nice rubber note toward liquorice, complex and herbal
Tierra y Hombre Pinot Noir (Chi) £8.00 /91
Light black pepper nose, cherry, spice and violets on palate, really great value
Sabroso Malbec (Arg) £6.50 /90
Amazing value, violet and tobacco leaf, great party or BBQ wine
Emiliana Organic Malbec (Chi) £9.00 /90
Fab looking bottle, Tar and black pepper nose, black cherry ad vanilla, lots here
Burra Brook Merlot £8.00 /89
Solid merlot, lovley ripe black fruit, brambles, very well priced
Burra Brook Cabernet Sauvignon £7.50 /90
Good looking bottle, cracking BBQ wine, big fruit, hint of woodsmoke
Burra Brook Shiraz £7.50 /90
Intense stewed fruit nose, cassis, liquorice, oak, damson, BIG!
Tapa Roja Old Vines Monastrell £7.50 /89
Herbal nose, forward fruit, cherry and bramble, easy tannins, very approachable wine
Jounery's End Kendal Lodge Cabernet Sauvignon (SA) £9.00 /90
Proper new world Bordeaux style, approachable fruit, complex and deep
Daniel's Drift Merlot £6.25 /89
Really decent effort, solid blackberry something floral, BBQ candidate
Classics California Zinfandel £9.50 /91
Plum, tar, spice, cedar, great stuff, lots of wine for the money
Classics Carmenere £9.00 /90
Fruit forward, really drinkable wine, some interesting spice on the finish
Classics No.22 Rosé Cotes du Provence £9.00 /88
Ripe crushed redcurrant nose, fresh acidity, proper easy drinking party wine
M&S Soft and Fruity £5.50 /88
Fresh raspberry and white pepper, easy going party pink!
M&S Saint Mont Fleur de Lise £8.00 /89
Starts off quite neutral but becomes quite delicious, strawberry notes
M&S Familia Castano Yecal Organic Rosé £7.50 /89
Light easy Spanish rose, red berry notes carry lively acidity, well made
M&S Found Vinho Verde Rosé £7.50 /89
Lovely raspberry scented vinho verde, dry, low-ish alcohol with a refreshing spritz
La Dame en Rosé £9.50 /90
Stylish bottle, wonderful wine, red fruit, white petals, dry, elegant, amazing price
V de Vina Monastrell Rosado £7.50 /89
A rosé with a bit of character! Red berries and a touch of floral rose petal beauty
Conti Priuli Veneto Blush £8.50 /88
Raspberry nose, touch of apricot and tropical fruit on palate, very pretty
Cotes du Rhone Rosé £9.00 /88
Absolutely does the job, simple light red berry and white pepper, looks fab, drinks well
M&S Found Blanquette de Limoux £10.00 /89
Toasty nose, green apple palate, super value garden party fizz
M&S Cava Brut £7.00/89
Properly made Cava, good crisp bramley apple nose, persistent mousse, keeps on giving
M&S Cava Brut Rosado £7.00/89
Really approachable fizz, soft bubbles and lovely red fruit character
La Vita Prosecco £7.50 /88
Wonderfully off dry prosecco, the sweetness really lifts the peach notes - also great looking bottle
Classics Prosecco £8.50 /88
Lovely peach and talc nose, lifted prosecco, very well priced
Cremant de Bordeaux, Etoille de Timberlay £10.00 /90
Complex toasty nose, full on green apple palate, amazing price - fantastic rose version too!
Cremant de Bordeaux, Etoille de Timberlay Rosé £10.00 /91
Super wine - better than the white version above, touch of strawberry, elegant
Up to £15
Classics No.1 Bourgogne Blanc £12.50 /90
Superb entry into the world of white Burgundy, precise, apple, grass and a creamy finfish
M&S Collection Gavi (ITA) £12.00 /89
Lime peel, citrus zest, good body and acidity, lovely forward fruit
M&S Collection Sancerre Les Ruettes £16.00 /90
Stylish Sancerre, light, fresh and crisp, zesty lime pith, great value
M&S Collection Pouilly Fume la Tuilerie £15.00 /90
Proper treat of a wine, classy wine, lime and gooseberry, subtle, poised, balanced
La Cascata Passivento £12.00 /91
Seriously big, full on wine, full body, untense fruit, high alcohol - I love it!
M&S Fleurie £12.50 /91
Beautifully pale Beajolais, very drinkable, serve chilled
Houdamond Pinotage £16.00/ 91
Earthy, oaky nose, intense ripe black fruit, coconut and black cherry
M&S Collection Crozes Hermitage £16.00/ 91
Really doing it this one, intense black fruit, savoury spice, great structure to support
M&S Collection El Duque de Miralta Rioja Reserva £16.00/ 91
Balance of earthiness, rich fruit , superbly crafted, earthy, fruity, savoury
Matetic Estela Lunar Pinot Noir £12.00 /91
Great looking bottle, lovely rescurrant nose, spicey depth and complexity
M&S Collection Ebonezer and Seppeltsfield Shiraz £14.75/ 91
Big and full, very generous wine, bold fruit supporting tannin, high alcohol - WOW!
Balfour Classic Cuvee English Sparkling £23.00 /90
Lovely fresh bread yeasty nose, creamy red apple palate, great value
Coteaux Varois en Provence Rosé £12.00/ Magnum £17.00 /88
Elegant Provence pink, light fresh white pepper and raspberry character
SUMMARY
They've really upped their game in terms of the sub £10 wines, a very impressive line up indeed. Very good in the £15 plus bracket, (particulalry Burgundy) and at the top end, also some great buys from Chile and Argentina, the Aussie whites did particularly well but the real stars are the whites from Burgundy, whoever is buying this is doing a proper job. The overall scoring for M & S is very high as you’d expect.
The ranges appear to be changing with M&S being the standard, the Classics and Found wines thinning out a bit and the introduction of the very classy looking Marks and Spencer Collection (blue label with gold trim), all are excellent but the latter wines tend to be on the higher end of the price range.
Please note that not all wines are available in all stores and the prices are as correct as I could get them (some prices may be the on-line case or offer price).
KEY
The reds are written up in this colour
The whites in this colour
Pink in this colour
Fizz in this hue
Sweets and forts in this colour
Up to £10
M&S Light and Fresh Pinot Grigio n £5.50 /89
Light and refreshing, easy drinking, simple pretty wine
M&S Rustica Bianca £6.00 /90
Acacia and honeysuckle, fresh and easy Sicilain beauty
M&S Garganega/Pinot Grigio £7.00 /90
Citrus dominant but with some lovely mineral undertones, very dinkable
M&S This Is Chardonnay £5.50 /89
Green apple nose, red apple palate, some body and a creamy finish
Gold Label Sauvignon Blanc (Fra) £8.50 /90
Light in sauvignon character, subtle, gooseberry and greengage
Burra Brook Chardonnay £7.50 /89
Lovely well made chardonnay, peach and white blossom, well judged use of oak
M&S This Is Vibrant and Zesty £5.75 /91
Very solid wine, tropical fruit and pineapple palate, lovely and great value
Classics No.10 Barossa Chardonnay £8.00 /90
Really nicely made, bags of apple character, easy touch of oak
Classics No.5 Workhorse Chenin Blanc (SA) £8.50 /90
Beautiful complex nose, pear and honey, tropical fruit palate, smashing
Vinalta Chardonnay (ARG) £9.00 /91
Full on intense chardonnay nose, burnt butter and petrol, really great value
Lock Keeper's Reserve Chardonnay (AUS) £10.00 /89
Tropical fruit chardonnay, melon and lychee, good body, well made
M&S Found Moschofilero Roditis £8.50 /90
Lovely peach nose and some interesting herbal notes on the palate, interesting blend
M&S Found Weisburgunder (pinot Blanc) £9.50 rating 90
Grape skin, fresh and dry, white peach and stone fruit, refreshing satsuma finish
M&S Found Furmint £8.50 /90
Really interesting wine, grass, lime, minerality, really well made, good party wine
M&S Classics Vinho Verde £8.00 /90
Dry with fresh acidity and elements of peach and citrus and a lovely spritz
M&S Fitou £8.00 /90
Dark and intense, bramble and herbal spices, lots of wine for the money
M&S This Is Spanish Red £5.50 /89
Easy, very drinkable BBQ red, holds up really well and fantastic value
M&S Rustica Sicilan Red £6.00 /91
Fantastic value, savoury notes and bags of black fruit, BBQ wine
M&S Classics Chianti £8.50 /91
Lovely warming oaky nose, black cherry and cedar, fab little Chianti
M&S Found Zweigelt £8.50 /91
Pale and easy blackcurrant and red cherry, light tannins, mouthwatering finish
M&S Found Alicante Bouschet £8.50 /91
Really interesting wine, bramble and spice, fruit pie finish
M&S Found Mazuelo £8.00 /89
Lovely earthy black cherry nose, fruit driven, easy tannins, will do well with BBQ
M&S Found Agiorgitiko £8.50 /90
Iodine and seaweed on the nose, can't help but get a touch of saltiness with red fruit
M&S Found Refosco £7.50 rating 90
Red and black cherry, nice rubber note toward liquorice, complex and herbal
Tierra y Hombre Pinot Noir (Chi) £8.00 /91
Light black pepper nose, cherry, spice and violets on palate, really great value
Sabroso Malbec (Arg) £6.50 /90
Amazing value, violet and tobacco leaf, great party or BBQ wine
Emiliana Organic Malbec (Chi) £9.00 /90
Fab looking bottle, Tar and black pepper nose, black cherry ad vanilla, lots here
Burra Brook Merlot £8.00 /89
Solid merlot, lovley ripe black fruit, brambles, very well priced
Burra Brook Cabernet Sauvignon £7.50 /90
Good looking bottle, cracking BBQ wine, big fruit, hint of woodsmoke
Burra Brook Shiraz £7.50 /90
Intense stewed fruit nose, cassis, liquorice, oak, damson, BIG!
Tapa Roja Old Vines Monastrell £7.50 /89
Herbal nose, forward fruit, cherry and bramble, easy tannins, very approachable wine
Jounery's End Kendal Lodge Cabernet Sauvignon (SA) £9.00 /90
Proper new world Bordeaux style, approachable fruit, complex and deep
Daniel's Drift Merlot £6.25 /89
Really decent effort, solid blackberry something floral, BBQ candidate
Classics California Zinfandel £9.50 /91
Plum, tar, spice, cedar, great stuff, lots of wine for the money
Classics Carmenere £9.00 /90
Fruit forward, really drinkable wine, some interesting spice on the finish
Classics No.22 Rosé Cotes du Provence £9.00 /88
Ripe crushed redcurrant nose, fresh acidity, proper easy drinking party wine
M&S Soft and Fruity £5.50 /88
Fresh raspberry and white pepper, easy going party pink!
M&S Saint Mont Fleur de Lise £8.00 /89
Starts off quite neutral but becomes quite delicious, strawberry notes
M&S Familia Castano Yecal Organic Rosé £7.50 /89
Light easy Spanish rose, red berry notes carry lively acidity, well made
M&S Found Vinho Verde Rosé £7.50 /89
Lovely raspberry scented vinho verde, dry, low-ish alcohol with a refreshing spritz
La Dame en Rosé £9.50 /90
Stylish bottle, wonderful wine, red fruit, white petals, dry, elegant, amazing price
V de Vina Monastrell Rosado £7.50 /89
A rosé with a bit of character! Red berries and a touch of floral rose petal beauty
Conti Priuli Veneto Blush £8.50 /88
Raspberry nose, touch of apricot and tropical fruit on palate, very pretty
Cotes du Rhone Rosé £9.00 /88
Absolutely does the job, simple light red berry and white pepper, looks fab, drinks well
M&S Found Blanquette de Limoux £10.00 /89
Toasty nose, green apple palate, super value garden party fizz
M&S Cava Brut £7.00/89
Properly made Cava, good crisp bramley apple nose, persistent mousse, keeps on giving
M&S Cava Brut Rosado £7.00/89
Really approachable fizz, soft bubbles and lovely red fruit character
La Vita Prosecco £7.50 /88
Wonderfully off dry prosecco, the sweetness really lifts the peach notes - also great looking bottle
Classics Prosecco £8.50 /88
Lovely peach and talc nose, lifted prosecco, very well priced
Cremant de Bordeaux, Etoille de Timberlay £10.00 /90
Complex toasty nose, full on green apple palate, amazing price - fantastic rose version too!
Cremant de Bordeaux, Etoille de Timberlay Rosé £10.00 /91
Super wine - better than the white version above, touch of strawberry, elegant
Up to £15
Classics No.1 Bourgogne Blanc £12.50 /90
Superb entry into the world of white Burgundy, precise, apple, grass and a creamy finfish
M&S Collection Gavi (ITA) £12.00 /89
Lime peel, citrus zest, good body and acidity, lovely forward fruit
M&S Collection Sancerre Les Ruettes £16.00 /90
Stylish Sancerre, light, fresh and crisp, zesty lime pith, great value
M&S Collection Pouilly Fume la Tuilerie £15.00 /90
Proper treat of a wine, classy wine, lime and gooseberry, subtle, poised, balanced
La Cascata Passivento £12.00 /91
Seriously big, full on wine, full body, untense fruit, high alcohol - I love it!
M&S Fleurie £12.50 /91
Beautifully pale Beajolais, very drinkable, serve chilled
Houdamond Pinotage £16.00/ 91
Earthy, oaky nose, intense ripe black fruit, coconut and black cherry
M&S Collection Crozes Hermitage £16.00/ 91
Really doing it this one, intense black fruit, savoury spice, great structure to support
M&S Collection El Duque de Miralta Rioja Reserva £16.00/ 91
Balance of earthiness, rich fruit , superbly crafted, earthy, fruity, savoury
Matetic Estela Lunar Pinot Noir £12.00 /91
Great looking bottle, lovely rescurrant nose, spicey depth and complexity
M&S Collection Ebonezer and Seppeltsfield Shiraz £14.75/ 91
Big and full, very generous wine, bold fruit supporting tannin, high alcohol - WOW!
Balfour Classic Cuvee English Sparkling £23.00 /90
Lovely fresh bread yeasty nose, creamy red apple palate, great value
Coteaux Varois en Provence Rosé £12.00/ Magnum £17.00 /88
Elegant Provence pink, light fresh white pepper and raspberry character
