Stockist/Retailer: Waitrose

(2025) Miguel Torres (the man) has a deep felt commitment to sustainability and environmental causes, and this wine from a small new range is the first time his Chilean wines have been shipped to the UK in bulk, for local bottling. For many producers that's a cost-saving measure, but I believe the 40% saving to CO₂ emissions that it brings is a driving force. The wine is also packed in a lightweight bottle for onward transport. The wine spent three months on oak barriques, and opens with a swirl of smokiness around black berries. A little hint of roasted meats and spice is very Chilean Cabernet. In the mouth it is dry, with a light balsamic quality, the fruit not quite plush enough against the tannin and acid core, finishing with a touch of spice again.

(2025) Before I publish a review of a wine I also check to see who the current stockists are, and who has the best price. I was fascinated to see the customer reviews for this wine on the Waitrose site: almost equally split between 1 star reviews and 5 star reviews. Comments included: "Disgusting! I had to pour the whole bottle down the sink," to "An Outstanding Pinot Noir. Velvety and smooth, with delicious flavours." Was one right and one wrong? Well, I think this is a perfectly nice and quite typical Pinot with its pale colour, leafy and soft, pulpy red berry fruit and light mouthfeel. The opinions reinforce my belief that people used to drinking Argentine Malbec or Australian Shiraz will simply not get Pinot Noir made in this style; it's not for them. Is it for you? Well, it's an Australian brand that you may well find discounted in Waitrose or Sainsbury's, but will let you find out :) Watch the video for more information.

(2025) So many different labels from South Australia's family-owned Yalumba, this stocked by Waitrose. From Barossa fruit, it was matured in a selection of French, Hungarian and American oak for 10 months. There's something quite meaty here, a sizzle of bacon rind perhaps, pepper and dark but not fantastically expressive fruit. In the mouth the sweetness is noticeable, very ripe fruit, plummy and with plenty of spice too. Big and chewy with its 14.5% alcohol, the finish a little angular for me.

(2025) The unusual, stumpy little bottle for this has a certain solidity to it, and that suits the wine perfectly. Sourced from vineyards across the Barossa, it was fermented in steel then transferred to used, large format French and American oak barrels for nine months maturation. It has a vivid purple colour and the nose has masses of everything really: chocolate and eucalyptus, plums and blackcurrants, and a whole cupboard full of spices. This is old-fashioned, no-holds-barred Barossa Shiraz with 14.5% alcohol, but thankfully it is balanced too. The palate is sweet and full, the velvet richness flooding the mouth, but the chocolate and spice of the tannins and barrel component, plus a perky little lift of cherry-fresh acidity, means it finishes really nicely too. Watch the video for more information and food-matching ideas.

(2025) A Grenache dominated blend, thank goodness Guigal have stuck to their guns of making a much more full-coloured pink, no concessions to fashionably pale here. Lots of fruit, racy with raspberry and small, cool berries, nice texture and a balanced finish hinting at a touch of tannin, with good acid balance. Nicely done.

(2025) Aged a minimum of 45 months, this Chardonnay-led wine (around 85%) is an assemblage, with its Pinot Noir component made as a red wine before blending. The colour is a peachy pink, and the mousse is modest. Aromas are of red berries and ripe pear, but there's an interesting herbal note too. Though the dosage is given as a Brut 8g/l, this gives an impression of sweetness on the palate, a nice bitter orange tang and really racy acids giving a vivacious character, quite grippy with nip of tannin too.

(2025) This is a 1.5 litre bag in box, the wine stated to stay fresh for six week after opening, and containing the equivalent of two standard bottles. It's part of a range of alternative packaged wines that includes a 250ml can of Côtes du Rhône also reviewed, though I have to say the quality of this Villages wine is superior. It has the bright, red and black, juicy berry appeal but adds a creaminess and much more depth. On the palate in particular the smooth ripeness of the fruity and the density (note also 14.5% alcohol) gives a big, Chateauneuf-style presence here. Bring on the barbie for this one. Price for a 1.5 litre bag in box. Watch the video for more information.

(2025) Miguel Torres (the man) has a deep felt commitment to sustainability and environmental causes, and this wine from a small new range is the first time his Chilean wines have been shipped to the UK in bulk, for local bottling. For many producers that's a cost-saving measure, but I believe the 40% saving to CO₂ emissions that it brings is a driving force. The wine is also packed in a lightweight bottle for onward transport. That's the main point of interest here really: don't get me wrong, it's a punchy and well-balanced Sauvignon with plenty of grassy freshness and juicy peach and tropical fruit, but the message behind it is the main reason it's featured as Wine of the Week. Watch the video for more information.

(2025) Les Dauphins is the brand of a large Rhône Cooperative cellar, with around 2,000 vine-growing members. This wine comes in a 250ml can as reviewed, equivalent to a large glass. It is a blend of Grenache and Syrah, from certified High Environmental Value vineyards. Bright, raspberry, cherry and kirsch aromas are primary and bold. In the mouth it is juicy and blackcurranty, exactly what you might expect, with modest tannins and enough acidity to balance it weighty 14% alcohol. Price for a 250ml can.

(2024) If you have tried Noval's LBV before you are in for a treat: unflitered and aged five years in casks, the fruit (Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Sousão) comes from their own vineyard and is trodden by foot in traditional lagares. It has a heavenly nose, spices and intense floral and dried fruit notes combine with juicier blueberry and a hint of dark cocoa. The palate is powerful and structured, framed by powdery tannins but abundantly sweet with 90g/l of residual sugar it seems endlessly long. This will also cellar for a decade or more. Watch the video for more information.