THE DRINKER
EAT - DRINK - BE MERRY
WAITROSE CELLAR 2024/5 TOP WINES IN PRICE CATEGORY
SUMMARY
Far more wines recommended here than any of the other major retailers, partly due to the huge number of wines at their tasting and partly due to the brilliance of their wine team in selecting so many great quality and good value wines. This list really has everything including some new Bag in Box wines from Italy, which might look pricey but contain the same amount as three bottles. Also look out for their newly branded and expanding Blueprint and Loved and Found ranges which are pretty much all tip-top.
Please bear in mind that not all of these wines are available in every store - but they can all be found here at Waitrose Cellar where you can do a next day click and collect from any UK store. Prices are subject to variation.
KEY
The reds are written up in this colour
The whites in this colour
Pink in this colour
The fizz in this colour
Fortifieds in this colour
BAG IN BOX WINES remember that you're getting the equivalent of 3 bottles in these and that works out at £8.60 per bottle
When In Rome Nero d'Avola 2.25l £18.39 90
Bags of primary black fruit, nicely made, easy drinking, soft tannins, food wine
The Great Wave Sauvignon Blanc 2.25l £24.99 90
Fantastic wine, really comes alive in the mouth, equivalent of £8.33 a bottle
Bijou Le Chic Rosé 1.5l £18.49 89
Great value, light, fresh rosé, pretty enough and very easy drinking
Up to £10
Waitrose Vibrant and Grassy Chilean White (also on 2.25l box £14.95) £5.49 89
Lovely easy floral sauvignon, delicate nose, touch of gooseberry, fresh
Lamberti Bianco, Garda, Ita £7.99 90
Well priced party wine, uncomplicated light fresh Italian, very pleasing
Loved and Found Aranel Riverina Aus £8.99 90
Lemon peel nose, minerality and peach palate, something tropical too
Loved and Found Gelber Muskateller (Aus) £8.99 89
Pure fruit driven wine, expressive green lime and peach, good body, refreshing acidity
Loved and Found Treixadura (spa) £8.99 89
Grassy open nose, pach and pear palate, dry, fresh and light
Le Sauvignon Blanc de Balthazar Languedoc £8.99 90
Green hedgerow, elderflower, some grapefruit, dry, fresh and refreshing
Bodega Norton Torrontes (arg) £9.99 90
Lovely lemon curd nose, soft and tropical, easy drinking and classy
Chateau Tanunda Chardonnay (aus) £9.99 89
Proper old fashioned oaky Aussie chardonnay, rich vanilla and coconut
Mad Fish Sauvignon Blanc (Aus) £9.99 90
Light perfume, lilly of the valley, floral, dry, really well made, subtle sauvignon
Pecorino Terre di Chieti, Abruzzo £8.49 89
Beautiful, fruity number, full and giving, citrus and summer meadow, cracker
Cuvee Pecheur (Fra) £6.79 87
Simple, uncomplex, gooseberry notes, good price, easy drinker
Secret Cellar Pinot Grigio Western Cape (SA) £9.99 89
Good, well priced, floral nose, tropical fruit palate, beauty
Calvet Cuvee du Cap Sauvignon Blanc (Fra) £8.99 88
Light hint of elderflower, green apple and zest, pleasing body, well priced
Le Sablou Bergerac Sauvignon Blanc £8.99 89
Melon on nose, good body, tropical and citrus palate, lots of wine at great value
Boekenhoutskloof Porcupine Ridge Sauvignon Blanc (SA) £8.99 88
Fresh zest sauvignon, not too floral but the right amount of fruit to acidity
Terre di Vita Organic Zibibbo, Sicily £9.99 90
Floral nose with a subtle tropical fruit palate, mango and peach, lovely
Waitrose Blueprint Verdejo Spa £6.99 90
Excellent expression for the price lemon peel and a nuttly finish
Waitrose Blueprint Sauvignon Blanc, Touraine £7.99 90
Really on the money, grassy and lime peel, real typicity, proper Touraine SB
Waitrose Blueprint Gavi (Ita) £9.99 89
Good fresh acidity sitting under lovely citrus fruit notes, hint of melon
Waitrose Blueprint Californian Chardonnay (USA) £7.49 92
Soft peachy nose, creamy palate, lovely citrus finish, classy
Waitrose Blueprint New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc £7.89 91
Proper Marlborough character, tropical, floral, zesty stuff - great price
Fuori Porta Sangiovese Rubicone Ita £9.99 90
Wonderfully expressive, black cherry and plum notes with pleasing vanilla all there, easy tannin
Waitrose Mellow and Fruity Spanish Red £5.49 88
Simple, easy drinking summer BBQ wine, very approachable, great value
Waitrose Loved and Found Sousao Por £8.99 91
Really well made, intense black fruit and rich tannic structure, herbal finish
Waitrose Loved and Found Barbera Aus £8.99 90
Beautifully silky wine, refined Aussie interpretation of Italian classic
Chateau Tanunda Shiraz Aus £9.99 89
Nothing subtle about this one, whopping fruit character, big tannins and warming alcohol
Waitrose Blueprint AustralianShiraz £6.99 90
Good body, black pepper spice and black fruit character, really interesting wine
Amandla Shiraz/Zinfandel, Western Cape £9.99 89
Big powerful wine, intense plum, elderberry and black currant, generous stuff
Mont Gras De Vine Reserva Zinfandel (Chi) £8.99 90
Inky wine, blackcurrant, blak pepper, velvety vanilla, full on round and generous
Albert Road Pinot Noir (SA) £9.99 90
Beautiful pale looking pinot noir, elegant, supple, subtle. Light red fruit and an earthy undercurrant.
Cowrie Bay Merlot, Hawke's Bay NZ £9.99 90
Open fruity nose, bramble and blueberry, soft on palate, easy drinking, value
Heredad del Rey Monastrell/Syrah Seleccion Reservada, Yecla £6.99 88
Soft spiced bramble nose, good fruit driven red, well priced, mouthwatering finish
Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon, California £9.99 89
Spiced cinamon and pepper, light violet, big but refined, hot finish
Piquito Seleccion Espacial Monastrell Spa £8.99 90
Tobacco, spice and pepper nose, red/black fruit palate, intense, cool label!
Triade Rosso Negroamaro/Primitivo/Nero di Troia (Ita) £9.99 90
Black cherry nose, ripe easy tannins, good full on fruit, really big and interesting wine
Maree d'Ione Nero di Trioa, Puglia £9.99 90
Generous black cherry palate and bold use of oak, mouthwatering stuff
Waitrose Blueprint Romanian Pinot Noir £6.99 90
Everyday drinking, forward fruit, soft tannin, plum and pepper
Waitrose Blueprint Cotes du Rhone £6.99 90
Lovely soft, sweet, ripe black fruit, floral notes, intense with lovely firm tannins
Waitrose Blueprint Malbec Mendoza £7.49 88
Super value malbec, very typical of Mendoza at this price, primary black fruit, delicious
Loved and Found Susumaniello, Puglia £7.99 90
Beautiful wine, dancing with raspberry and peach, fresh, dry, pretty
Loved and Found Aglianico, Puglia £8.99 90
Really delicate for Aglianico, red berries, dry and fresh
L'Arene des Agnes Costieres de Nimes £9.99 90
Dry, floral, stone fruit to the fore, smashing wine
La Cerisa Rosa Pinot Grigio Rosé £8.99 89
Soft crushed raspberry nose, fresh and dry, looks fab, drinks well
Laurent Miquel Vendages Nocturne Cinsault Syrah £9.99 89
Lovely elegant, easy drinking rosé, red berry driven, elevated and fresh
Waitrose Blueprint Prosecco £7.99 88
Soft and interesting, light peach, fresh acidity, great value
Loved and Found Ribola Gialla (Italy) £8.99 89
Peach, red apple and pear, orchard central, beautiful
Up to £15
Reyneke Organic Cab/Merlot, Stellenbosch (SA) £10.99 90
Classy Bordeaux nose, green pepper, black pepper, spice, forward fruit, integrated tannins
Kanonkop Kadette Pinotage, Stellenbosch £13.99 89
Lots of intense spice and oak, balanced with forward fruit, lovely wine
Norton Winemaker's Reserve Malbec, Mendoza £15.99 91
Complex nose, hay loft and baking bread, ripe and savoury, really intriguing wine
Yalumba Galway Shriaz, Barossa Valley £12.99 90
Eucalyptus and black cherry, inky, black currant leaf, long hot finish
The Hedonist Shiraz (Aus) £14.99 91
Tobacco, spice and black pepper, full on powerful stuff but elegant with it
Edmundo Malbec, Mendoza £11.99 90
Very classy, lots of oak but not over-dominant, black fruit, complex and balanced
Waitrose No1 Cederberg Chenin Blanc (SA) £12.99 89
Grapefruit and pear nose, racy fresh acidity, light elegant, wonderful
Waitrose Blueprint White Burgundy (Fra) £11.99 89
Green apple and peach blossom nose, light oak, buttery, lovely
Yalumba Organic Viognier (Aus) £10.99 92
Hint of blossom, floral nose, good minerality, clean lines, crisp, great value
Waitrose Vina Taboexa Albarino £10.99 90
Beautiful zesty wine, lively citrus, touch of apricot white stone fruit, mineral finish
Maree d'Ione Organic Fiano £10.99 89
Classy wine at the price, light and easy drinking, lovely tropical palate, mango and pineapple
Gerard Bertrand Naturae Chardonnay Languedoc £11.99 90
Supple wine, dry, easy, creamy, citrus and blossom, worth every penny
Frei Brothers Sonoma Reserve Chardonnay £18.99 91
Green apple, grass, vanilla and pear, lovely creamy texture, lots of wine here a proper treat
Domaine Zafeirakis Malagousia (Gre) £14.99 90
Malagousia is new grape to me, really well crafted, citrus, almond blossom, super drop
The Ned Pinacle, Sauvignon Blanc (NZ) £12.99 91
Really top drop, Marlborough Sauvignon but with restraint, elegant, fruity, elevated wine
Ara Single Vineyard Pinot Gris, Marlborough £11.99 90
Beautiful delicate wine, hoeyed peach and lime peel, fresh and very classy
Boschendal Chardonnay SA £11.99 93
Heavy, classy bottle, nice use of oak, vanilla and flint, good fruit, super wine
San Leo Rosato (ita) £10.49 90
Light raspberry nose, persistent mousse, soft in mouth, great value
Le Grand Ballon Rosé (Fra) £10.99 89
Easy drinking rose, hint of redcurrant, refreshing acidity
Over £15
Schug Carneros Pinot Noir, USA £29.99 93
Fabulous Christmas Day wine, floral, peppery, fruity, lots going on, complex
Croix des Coteau St Emillion 2019 £15.99 92
Lots of spice and oak, balanced with forward fruit, lovely wine, v v good
Orovela Saperavi (Geo) £17.49 88
Big damson and plum, heavyweight wine in heavyweight bottle
Blason du Rhone Chateauneuf du Pape £25.99 90
Generous spice, black pepper and cedar, subtle fruit but powerful, mouthwatering stuff
Blason du Rhone Gigondas £19.99 90
Ripe blueberry and hot tar on the nose, inky, deep, warming, mouthwatering stuff
Penfolds Max's Chardonnay £19.99 91
Wonderful peach and pear, good body, something pleasingly yeasty, top drop
Chablis Esprit de Chablis Fra £17.99 89
Beautiful mineral nose, lime and grass, very well made, keeps on giving
Jansz Premium Cuvee Pipers River, Tasmania £18.49 91
Grassy and green apple nose, classy very well made wine, great value
