Some highlights from the selection currently on special offer at Majestic, through until 27th April 2015. Please note that promotional prices are generally available if buying two bottles in English stores and online, but are available to Scottish customers on single bottles. A six bottle minimum purchase applies in all stores and online.
White wines
Lacheteau, Réserve Sauvignon Blanc 2013, France
The catch-all ‘Vin de France’ appellation produces some very sound wines, like this light-bodied, 11.5% abv Sauvignon with a delightful nose offering enough elderflower pungency, but a fairly broad fruit spectrum with hints of the exotic and crunch of citrus, before a dry and well balanced palate that’s racy with orange and lemon. Clean and most enjoyable. 87/100. £7.99 down to £5.99, Majestic
Marqués de Caceres, Deusa Nai Albarino 2013, Spain
From the Rias Baixas outpost of a Rioja giant, this is sea breezy and salty with a tang of lime skins and a cool apple hint. The palate is really fresh, lots of citrus to the acidity, a hint of that saltiness, but it is quite full textured and has good, leesy and fruit weight. A good buy on the offer price. 88/100. £13.49 down to £10.49, Majestic
Bellingham, The Bernard Series Viognier 2014, South Africa
The Bernard Series has been impressive over the years, and this just cements that consistent track record. A perfumed and convincing nose is all apricot and ripe pear fruit, with a certain vegetal quality, hints of green and some exotic incense-touched tropical fruit. The palate has massive fruit presence, mandarin orange and peach is there, but there’s loads going on. Sweet and ripe but with good acidity, this has stuffing and real fireworks. 89/100. £12.99 down to £9.22, Majestic
Waimea Estate, Grüner Veltliner 2014, New Zealand
From the vineyards of Nelson on the South Island, this is a Gru-V in the firmly approachable style, its 9.6 g/l of residual sugar offsetting its vibrant acidity very nicely. Quite open, slightly vegetal in character, with a touch of pepper and otherwise fresh citrus aromas. The palate has a searing core of pithy citrus and certain salty minerality, though there is a quite honeyed, ripe and full fruit overlaid, tinges with nectarine and pineapple into that basically dry finish. Full of flavour. 88/100. £14.99 down to £9.99, Majestic
Dr Hermann, Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese 2007, Germany
One of the few wines shown by Majestic in their spring press tasting that was not on special offer, but I loved this 8.5% alcohol Mosel Riesling. With 70g/l of residual sugar it has a noticeable sweetness, but like all the best German Rieslings, spine-tingling acidity too. The honeysuckle and perfumed character is lovely, hints of nettles and of ripe stone fruits. That gorgeous trick that only Germany seems to pull off time after time, with luscious, endorphin-rush sweetness but staying vital, balanced and sharp as a tack. 89-90/100. £10.99, Majestic
Red wines
Santa Rita, 120 Cabernet Franc 2014, Chile
We don’t often see the great red grape of the Loire Valley and Right Bank Bordeaux appearing as a stand-alone variety on New World wines. In this instance it has been fashioned into a juicy, up-front and easy-drinking red, this has a lightly bubblegummy, fresh and cherry-infused nose, with a little grass and pepper quality. In the mouth there’s enough tannin to give it some structure, plenty of cherry-bright fruit, and a nicely balanced finish. Highly gluggable, and great with burgers or a bowl of chilli. 86/100. It might be a stretch paying £8.99, but the offer price is OK on this: £7.64, Majestic
Domaine de Fabregues, ‘Le Mas’ 2011, France
Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault from the Languedoc weighing in with 14% alcohol, this is smooth, silky and elegant. Plenty of sheer black fruit and on the palate where plump, fleshy black cherry melts into really very nice tannins – deep and chocolaty, but lots of sour cherry acids and a nicely spicy, peppery hints of tannic structure. Delicious. 89-90/100. £11.99 down to £8.99, Majestic
La La Land, Malbec 2013, Australia
We’ve had Kiwi Grüner Veltliner, and now Aussie Malbec. From Murray Darling in Victoria, a Malbec matured in French oak for 10 months, but a wine that has captured the fragrance and floral, violet tones of the Malbec beautifully along with the plush black and blue fruit core. Blanced on the palate, but ripe and full, it has masses of pleasing fruit and chocolate density, finishing with smooth and supple tannins and a load of character at the offer price. 89/100. £11.99 down to £8.99, Majestic
Domaine Durieu, Plan de Dieu 2012, France
Watch out for the beefy 15.0% alcohol in this Rhône red, a Châteauneuf-like blend of 70% Grenache plus Syrah, Cinsault and Carignan. There’s a decidedly woodland character to this: twigs and bracken, scrub and broom. The distinctive aroma makes way on the palate for sweetness and plushness of fruit. Its silky texture and ripeness teeters on being jammy, but a fine tannin grip takes the finish, spice and good acidity too, the whole thing tugged and cajoled into a taut, juicy finish. The price is good on offer. 88/100. £11.99 down to £8.99, Majestic
Martinborough Vineyards, Russian Jack Pinot Noir 2013, New Zealand
From the excellent Martinborough Vineyards, this Pinot was aged in a mix of 2nd and 3rd-fill barrels and stainless steel tanks. Darker, deeper and much plummier than the excellent Louis Jadot Mâcon Les Roches Rouges also currently on offer, this has earthy beetroot tones as well as cardonom spice. On the palate not quite the fruit depth suggested by the nose, but there is a sappiness and energy, and plenty of acidity, with a layer of berries and chocolate to add complexity. 89/100. £15.99 down to £11.99, Majestic
Château Pavillon Figeac, St Emilion Grand Cru 2006, France
Around two-thirds Merlot to one-third Cabernet Franc in this proper, meaty and gamy claret, where this is possibly a touch of brett – though it could be the bloody and peppery nature of the Cab Franc coming though. Cool and well tempered palate, lots of sweet black fruit at the core of this, but wrapped in a framework of tannin and acidity and buttresed by coffeeish, toasty oak. Ends quite stylish and authentic. 89/100. £25.00 down to £20.00, Majestic
Paso Creek, Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, USA
A sunny Californian blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon with Petite Syrah, Petit Verdot and Syrah, this captures the leafiness of the Cab very nicely – and elegantly with pepper and spice, then a core of cassis and juicy black plum. In the mouth it’s nicely done. A roughening grip of tannin, plenty of plum-skin sweet and sour fruit and it is really quite long too. 89/100. £15.99 down to £11.99, Majestic