A reliable luxury Christmas hamper from John Lewis

Delivered in a classic wicker basket, the Fresh Christmas Feast Hamper from John Lewis is stuffed full of an indulgent selection of fresh cheeses, Italian antipasti, smoked salmon and honey-glazed pork loin, all paired with a selection of chutneys, tapenade and olives, sweet treats and luxury mince pies along with festive tipples, including Champagne, port and a crisp petit chablis.

Last order date for delivery by Christmas: 22 December. £500, johnlewis.com

A luxury Christmas hamper from Claridge’s

The Mayfair Hamper is filled with favourites from Claridge’s, presented in a wicker hamper, complete with the classic Claridge’s-style crockery and elegant glassware to mix up festive martinis with their own gin. There is also a large Christmas pudding, Christmas cake and panettone, along with a selection of Champagnes, wine, Christmas crackers, teas and coffee, jams and marmalade, olives, chocolates and the Claridge’s Cookbook that includes their signature chicken pot pie and cocktails.

Last order date: 22 December. £1,195, shop.claridges.co.uk

The ultimate Christmas hamper from Harrods

Harrods’ food hall is world-famous for its quality selection and The Ultimate Christmas Hamper, presented in three wicker baskets, will deliver the ultimate in decadent festive fare, including caviars, smoked salmon, a selection of charcuterie and cheeses, along with the best wines and spirits, complete with cheeseboard and knife, ceramic cheese baker and luxury Christmas crackers – not forgetting the Harrods’ teddy bear.

Last order date: 19 December. £5,500, email customer.service@harrods.com

The ultimate British Christmas hamper from Forman & Field

The Forman & Field company has been making award-winning smoked salmon since 1905. The Ultimate Christmas Hamper sources the finest foods from the British Isles, including their famous smoked salmon, along with chocolates, the best of British cheeses, including Cropwell Bishop Stilton, a vintage Christmas pudding, caviar and potted lobster, presented in a traditional wicker basket.

Last order date: 14 December. £499.95, formanandfield.com

Melt-in-your-mouth festive delights from Melt London

The Clarendon Chocolate Trunk Hamper from Melt London looks at first glance like a Louis Vuitton trunk, but a closer inspection reveals Melt’s own monogram on the outside. The chest is stuffed with individual compartments of chocolates crafted in small batches by Melt’s skilled chocolatiers. This treasure chest has a selection of their best-selling bars, orangettes and an assortment box of truffles.

Last order date: 17 December. £150, meltchocolates.com

A quality Christmas hamper from Daylesford Organic

Daylesford Organic is a byword for quality produce and their Christmas Day Hamper is the ultimate in luxury with all the classics needed for a perfect day, from award-winning wine to smoked salmon and caviar, along with Christmas cake, mince pies and the perfect cheese board. There is also their signature roast ham, a selection of nibbles and their branded Christmas crackers and a candle.

Last order date: 20 December. £850, daylesford.com

A cute Christmas selection from The Newt

The Newt in Somerset is an award-winning hotel with its own cider press, bottling plant and bar and exceptional food. A Very Newt Christmas Hamper is filled with a selection of estate-made goodies, including their own bottled sparkling cider, a cider brandy Christmas cake, a dark chocolate candied orange, a spiced morello cherry preserve, orange and gin marmalade, and a giant chocolate coin.

Last order date: 19 December. £145, shop.thenewtinsomerset.com

A Christmas hamper from Selfridges for when bigger is better

The Very Big Christmas Hamper from Selfridges offers the best of Selfridges’ famous food hall with 92 items – the largest of their hamper offerings, presented in wicker baskets with a silver cocktail shaker, an engraved silver ice bucket perfect for chilling the Champagne, including Dom Perignon and Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé. It’s stuffed full of chocolates, sweets and cakes along with savoury treats, including Royal Salmon Fillet, beluga caviar, cheese, including a baby Colston Bassett, and a DukesHill half bone-in cooked Wiltshire ham.

Last order date: 18 December. £5,000, selfridges.com

The best cheese to please from Paxton & Whitfield

Christmas isn’t complete without a good selection of cheese, and The Ultimate Paxton’s Hamper is a luxurious celebration of artisan cheese, fine wine and indulgent festive treats. There is a clothbound cheddar, a stilton and an award-winning Baron Bigod among other cheeses, a selection of wines, crackers, chutneys and sweet treats, including a handmade Christmas pudding. It is presented in a luxury hamper box with a lidded ceramic dish for baking camembert, along with Paxton’s cheese knives.

Last order date: 19 December. £500, paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

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2024 La Cabane Reserve, Grenache/ Syrah, Pays d’Oc, France

This was the wine that set the theme for this year’s Christmas collection. I tasted it with James Tanner himself at a recent tasting and stopped in my tracks when the summer pudding fragrance and silky-smooth red fruit flavours washed over my palate. I went straight back for another sip and it was even more delicious. Every year, I dream of finding the perfect party red, and I must admit some years I struggle.

But this perfectly poised, juicy and rewarding wine made from the time-honoured, southern Rhône recipe of grenache and syrah is the only wine in town for me! I hope Tanners has a mountain of stock, because they will need it.

Where to buy: £10.90, tanners-wines.co.uk

2024 Argiles Blanc, Domaine Saint Gayan, IGP Méditerranée, France

Finding La Cabane spurred me on to pair it with a worthy white partner – a wine that could perform at the most exultant level of entertaining for all palates and as wide a range of cuisines as possible. This year’s challenge was far from straightforward. There are thousands of inexpensive, anonymous, rudderless whites on the shelves, lacking identity, let alone a sense of place.

MoneyWeek’s wine lovers deserve wines that hold their attention for the whole bottle, not just the first sip, and this year’s champion hails from a spectacular winery in the southern Rhône that makes far more red than white wine! Made from piquepoul blanc, bourboulenc and grenache blanc, the perfume is haunting, the palate blessed with wonderful orchard fruit notes, and the finish is vigorous and thirst-quenching. It is a rare superstar at this diminutive price!

Where to buy: £12.50, yapp.co.uk

2024 Te Kairanga, Pinot Noir, Martinborough, New Zealand

I remember visiting this winery 20 years ago, noting it was one of the Martinborough pioneers back in the 1980s. The wines have always been Burgundy-leaning, with open-armed red fruit notes, even tannins and a relaxed air. While they kept their heads below the bombastic parapets occupied by noisier wineries, there was always something honest, heart-warming and reliable about Te Kairanga’s pinots.

So, when I stumbled across this wine at a recent Majestic tasting, it was like seeing an old pal. But the perfume was more sonorous and enchanting, and the flavours in this young wine are a little more penetrative, arresting and lip-smacking than at the turn of the century. It appears Te Kairanga has been on a mission to augment its offering for a global audience subtly, and the results are spectacular. I cannot recommend this wine enough!

Where to buy: £18, reduced to £16 in a Mix Six, majestic.co.uk

2023 Montagny, 1er Cru, Jean-Marc Boillot, Burgundy, France

I spent a couple of gorgeous days in Burgundy recently. The sun was shining and the vine leaves were turning colour to the perfect shade that earned these hills the name Côte d’Or. I made eight carefully selected stops, with my favourite Domaines, and one was with the wonderful Lydie Alzingre at J. M. Boillot.

While my mission was to get a handle on the soon-to-be-released 2024s (more of that in the New Year), I made a beeline for this stunning wine during one of the marathon dinners. If you are looking for a grand chardonnay from a gold-star estate that goes with all Christmas dishes while impressing newcomers and aficionados alike, I cannot think of a finer wine. It is bold, lusty, refreshing, effortlessly classy, and at 30 quid, it obliterates legions of Burgundies at twice the price. Get in quick!

Where to buy: £34.95, reduced to £30.95 each by the case, leaandsandeman.co.uk

2023 Soul Growers, Slow Grown Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia

If you dodge and weave between the acknowledged, starry, world-conquering Barossa brands in search of hidden gems, it is remarkable just how many wines one finds of exquisite quality and incredible value for money. I launched my 100 Best Australian Wines 2026 list a few days ago, and the full report is imminent.

Here is a preview and a wine that will astound you with its spectacular detail, succulence and elegance. Once you have eviscerated your turkey and tossed away your chef’s apron, reaching for a regal, mature, hard cheese, this beautiful wine will reveal yet more chambers of secrets among its black fruit, spice and earth tones.

Soul Growers is an excellent name for a wine with this generosity and universal appeal.

Where to buy: £39, woodwinters.com

NV Noble Reserve Trockenbeerenauslese, Weingut Kracher, Burgenland, Austria

I recently attended the annual “Beyond Bordeaux” tasting showcasing the wines sold on La Place de Bordeaux, which come from anywhere other than the immediate environs. Kracher showed a 2022 TBA that blew my mind. This ridiculously hedonistic sweetie costs around £150. So when I approached this featured dinky half bottle and bathed my palate in its magical, all-enveloping flavours, I prepared for an equally punitive price tag. After all, it was only a half-step behind the 2022, to which I awarded a score of 19.5/20.

So, imagine my surprise when I learned this “10-vintage-blend” of welschriesling, chardonnay and traminer, with its kaleidoscopic flavours, weighs in at a mere fraction of the price! This is the perfect Christmas Kracher.

Where to buy: £23.75, half bottle, corneyandbarrow.com

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com).

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What’s happened to UK pubs?

The number of pubs calling last orders and closing their doors permanently has hit more than one a day for the first time, according to government statistics. In the first half of 2025, some 209 pubs in England and Wales called time forever – that’s eight a week, up from six a week last year. In all, some 2,283 pubs have vanished from communities across Britain since the start of 2020 – either demolished or converted to other uses. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), which represents more than 20,000 pubs in the UK, says that across England, Scotland and Wales, closures are set to total 378 this year, at a cost of 5,600 jobs. That’s a rise from 350 closures last year and continues a decline that has seen 15,000 pubs (one in four) close for good since the start of the century.

Why are so many UK pubs closing?

Covid lockdowns and their legacy of debt made things worse, but the trend has been downwards for well over a century. In 1870, for example, there were 115,000 pubs and “beerhouses” in the UK, says Andrew Ellson in The Times – one pub for every 130 people. Today, there are about 45,000 – one for every 1,000 adults. The number of pubs started falling in the late 19th century with tighter licensing laws and the temperance movement. Later, World War I reduced the number of men, and the Defence of the Realm Act restricted opening hours. By the 1960s, there were 75,000 left, with many succumbing to urban redevelopment, shifting social habits and cheaper “off-licence” alcohol. The long-term decline levelled out in the 2010s, but since then, numbers have fallen steadily once more.

Why are UK pubs closing so rapidly?

Falling demand, higher costs and more burdensome regulations. Young people are going out less and not drinking as much when they do. Younger adults haven’t abandoned pubs; according to industry data, 86% of Gen-Z adults (aged up to their late 20s) have visited a pub in the last three months. But they are drinking less than previous generations, and all generations have become more health-conscious. In recent years, the industry’s challenges have been “numerous and substantial”, says Lex in the Financial Times. These include competition from supermarkets, sizeable debt piles from Covid, and higher costs – including for energy, and wages as a result of higher national insurance and minimum wages.

Are UK pubs closing because of business rates?

Hospitality businesses previously received a 60% discount on their business rates up to a cap of £110,000, but Rachel Reeves cut this to 25% in April, angering many in the pub trade. Alex Probyn, of commercial real-estate specialists Ryan, said the higher costs are “all quietly draining profits until staying open becomes impossible”. He calculates that changes to the relief for pubs have landed them with an extra £215 million bill. “For a small pub, that’s a leap in the average bill from £3,938 to £9,451 – a 140% increase.”

Can anything stop UK pubs closing?

People are still going to pubs, especially when the sun’s out; during Britain’s warm spring and summer the three biggest pub chains all reported rising sales. In July, JD Wetherspoon, which has more than 800 pubs, said turnover was up 5% over the previous three months. Young’s saw sales jump 7%. Mitchells & Butlers had a 5% increase. Yet a rally in share prices earlier this year has faded – a familiar story for long-suffering investors. On average, pub-group valuations on an enterprise value/Ebitda basis fell between 16% and 28% in the decade to 2024, according to S&P Capital IQ’s data. Shares in Mitchells and Butlers, Marston’s, Young and Co’s Brewery, Fuller Smith & Turner, and JD Wetherspoon are all trading lower than they were 10 years ago.

What do UK pubs want?

Last week the government announced a fast-track review on what the government has termed “outdated” licensing rules. This could mean pubs and bars in England and Wales being allowed to stay open later. The plans could also make it easier for venues to serve food outside and host more live music. “But it simply isn’t enough to turn the tide, and landlords up and down the country know it,” says William Sitwell in The Telegraph. What’s really needed is a reversal of the rise in employer’s national insurance; tax cuts aimed at the hospitality sector (for example, lower VAT rates and higher business rates relief); and a targeted plan to turn round the sector. Otherwise, the numbers closing will only increase.

How are UK pubs changing?

Country pubs, sports bars, gastropubs and hipster microbreweries selling local cask ales – “each have their own take on what it is to be a pub – from dingy bars to overpriced restaurants”, says The Economist. One common theme is food: even at JD Wetherspoon – famed for its cheap alcohol – bar sales have fallen from 76% to 57% of total revenue since 2008; food has gone from 18% to 38%. Another theme is diversification and entertainment. Where once pubs encouraged punters to stay with dartboards and pool tables, today it’s karaoke and theme nights. To keep Gen Z coming, pubs need to take a lesson from the rise of “competitive socialising” venues.

What else could stop UK pubs closing?

Some are becoming more like cafes, offering all-day menus, upmarket coffees and a wider range of drinks. Others are cultivating a new kind of “regular”, with loyalty schemes and themed events around occasions such as Halloween. Existing regulars may “sob into their pewter pint mugs to see their local pub offering kids’ pumpkin carving come late October”, says Lex. But pubs have always evolved and will continue to do so. George Orwell, describing his Moon Under Water pub in 1946, reckoned “beer tasted better served in china mugs and lamented the disappearance of strawberry-pink ones. Perhaps a hipster pub might reintroduce them?”

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Wealthy older investors are being targeted by scammers pushing fake luxury wine investments, with experts warning of the dangers as one recent operation defrauded pensioners out of a total of £6 million.

Fine wine investment – sometimes referred to as a ‘passion asset’ because enthusiasts enjoy the product as well as hoping for some financial return – is a niche alternative asset market fraught with risk for the novice.

But fine wine’s typical exemption from capital gains tax (CGT) is sparking investor interest amid tightening tax rules. A report from WineCap in April found 96% of UK wealth managers expect demand for fine wine to grow in 2025 – beating out all other luxury assets.

The proportion of fine wine in high-risk investment portfolios has more than doubled – from 12% in 2024 to 26% in 2025, the report found.

However fraud experts have said the wine industry is being infiltrated by investment scammers. They are specifically targeting pensioners, claiming to guarantee a more profitable offer than their standard pension pot delivers.

Paul Hampson, fraud expert and CEO of CEL Solicitors, said: “The luxury wine market is a popular investment opportunity that can pay off, and it’s this that makes it an easier sell for scammers to push.

“Barrels of wine or even some bottles gain value over time. Scammers will create platforms listing the wine for sale, an investor will buy it with the understanding that the seller will keep hold of it and then sell it again one day for an increased value.

“Some scammers actually do have barrels for sale, but will sell to people for an inflated cost, a cost the wine barrel will never reach, no matter how much its value rises.”

Fine wine scam example

In August, three men in Hertfordshire were convicted for stealing more than £6 million from 41 victims in a £37 million wine investment scam.

In the long-running deception, pensioners were coerced into handing over large sums of money to invest in wine, but were often overcharged – sometimes by more than 400%.

The complex wine fraud – run by Imperial Wine & Spirits Merchant Ltd, previously Imperial Wines of London Ltd – was brought down following an investigation by Hertfordshire County Council’s Trading Standards team.

The fraudsters conned hundreds of consumers out of their hard-earned cash and life savings by convincing them to invest in fine Bordeaux wine, on the back of a lie that the company didn’t make any money until they sold the wine at a profit for the customer.

In fact they marked the initial price up so high, sometimes over 400%, that for many investors, it would never increase in value over that price and some customers lost hundreds of thousands of pounds as a result.

While the majority of the wine did exist and was kept in bonded warehouses, a number of victims have no wine at all despite paying thousands of pounds.

Luxury wine scam tactics

The level of deception from those involved in the Imperial Wine scam was significant, Trading Standards said.

The fraudsters claimed to be a legitimate, family-run investment house in fine wine with offices in the City of London, Paris and Hong Kong and personal suppliers in the chateaux and vineyards of Bordeaux.

In reality it was a group in a call centre, working from scripts to cold call, cajole, lie and manipulate largely vulnerable and trusting pensioners.

Tactics such as hiring luxury taxis, wining and dining their victims, who were often recently bereaved or lonely, and sending out glossy brochures purporting to be a well-respected company were also commonplace.

Logos for well-known newspaper brands were used without authorisation. Evidence was also secured showing that the individuals used fake names when talking to their victims, all tricks learned from watching films like ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ as company sales training – a mantra on the wall stated ‘No means Yes’.

In one case a salesperson repeatedly asked a confused lady for her payment card details despite the lady not knowing what a payment card was or who she banked with.

Trish Burls, Chair of the National Trading Standards Tri Regional Investigations team, said: “Victims in this case lost thousands of pounds through a coordinated scam of lies, deceit and manipulation.

“The criminals exploited people’s passion and enthusiasm, preying on them to invest while stripping many of their life savings and causing significant emotional distress.”

Fine wine scam signs to watch for

Scammers prey on pensioners who are sometimes isolated and vulnerable. Some victims of wine investment scams have been recently bereaved.

But others are looking for financial stability and some are simply wine enthusiasts. Anyone can be taken in by increasingly sophisticated fraudsters. Knowing the warning signs can keep your pension pot safe.

Double check the website

In some cases, the wine doesn’t exist anywhere. Scammers create fake websites, stock images and personas to appear as a legitimate wine investment platform. If in doubt, search for the images and identities listed on the website – using a tool like Google Lens or reverse image search – to see if they are repeated elsewhere on the web or stolen from a legitimate site.

Don’t get greedy

Hampson, fraud expert and CEO of CEL Solicitors, advised: “Be incredibly wary of too-good-to-be-true opportunities such as rapid payouts or guaranteed profits.” These can’t be found in other types of investment, and aren’t a feature of fine wine investing either.

Putting you under pressure is a big red flag

Scammers often use pressure tactics, mentioning urgent deadlines and using emotional manipulation. These are huge warning signs to put down the phone.

What to do if you are scammed

“If you are scammed, report it to Action Fraud and your pension provider or bank as soon as possible. You can also seek legal support to recover your funds,” said Hampson.

For decades, alcoholic drinks businesses have been prized by investors for their remarkable consistency. These were companies built on enduring brand value, deep-seated customer loyalty and seemingly unshakeable demand. This made them a reliable bedrock in many a portfolio. This is changing. What were once considered dependable investments have, over the last few years, delivered substantial losses. In the UK, Diageo has long been hailed as the cornerstone of quality-titled portfolios. Yet investors who bought shares in early 2021 are now sitting on losses of around 50%. The pain is acute, but Diageo’s slump is merely a microcosm of a sector battling on multiple fronts.

Elsewhere, the damage is even more dramatic. Brown Forman, the family-controlled owner of Jack Daniel’s, has lost about two-thirds of its market worth. This left shareholders needing a 200% rally just to get back to previous levels. Among the global brewing businesses, only Asahi escaped the mania for “quality” equities that flourished while interest rates were at rock-bottom levels. And what of the largest of them all, AB InBev? The owner of Stella and Budweiser has generated a moderate five-year total return. Yet even this giant is a lamentable investment over any meaningful time horizon. The shares sit at roughly half their 2015 peak.

The broader market has seen a re-evaluation of “quality” stocks, with higher interest rates making risk-free returns far more attractive. But the industry’s problems go beyond the economic cycle. Structural shifts are changing the way people drink. This is hitting the bottom lines and valuations of its biggest businesses.

A confluence of challenges facing the alcohol industry

The industry is contending with four interconnected headwinds that are collectively dampening demand and forcing a strategic rethink across boardrooms globally. These range from drug usage, both recreational and pharmaceutical, to altering attitudes to health.

First, the liberalisation of certain narcotics, most notably marijuana, is creating a direct substitution effect. In Canada, for example, alcohol sales have seen a discernible decline following the legalisation of adult-use cannabis, with Nova Scotia experiencing an initial 2.2% dip. Statistics Canada further corroborates this, reporting declines in alcohol sales during 2023-2024, whilst adult-use cannabis sales simultaneously rose. Sixty per cent of cannabis users admit to consuming the substance to reduce their alcohol intake. This trend is particularly impactful on beer sales, whereas spirits sales remained largely unaffected. In US states such as Colorado, Washington and Oregon, post-legalisation beer sales fell modestly while spirits sales actually rose.

Second, younger generations are simply drinking less. Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2013, has been dubbed “sober curious”, and with good reason. Their alcohol intake is far lower than that of older cohorts. Millennials (1982–1996) were already drinking less than Gen X and the Baby Boomers, but Gen Z has pushed the trend further. Many are actively rejecting alcohol in favour of wellness, mental health and balance. In the US, around half of Gen Z adults (21+) are reported to have never had a drink. Those who do tend to consume only occasionally or in moderation. Concerns about health, sleep quality and mental wellbeing are all part of the shift. The boom in “mindful drinking” and in low- and no-alcohol alternatives is a direct response to Gen Z’s demand for healthier ways to socialise without the downsides of heavy drinking.

Third, governments are using alcohol duty both to raise revenue and to change behaviour. Research shows a clear link between price and demand. When prices rise, consumption falls. A 10% price increase is estimated to cut demand by about 5%. In the UK, stronger drinks now face higher rates of duty. Australia applies a “wine equalisation tax” and excise duties on beer and spirits; both are tied to alcohol content and adjusted twice a year for inflation. Canada has an annual “escalator tax” that rises with inflation. As a result, taxes make up around 50% of beer prices, 65% of wine and 75% of spirits. These measures hit high-alcohol by volume (ABV) products the hardest, creating serious pressure for producers and the hospitality trade.

Finally, the rapid rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy is a new threat to the alcohol industry. These medicines were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes. They are now widely used for weight management. Evidence suggests they also change behaviour. Clinical trials and anecdotal reports show they can reduce alcohol cravings. A 2025 study by the University of Southern California found that patients on semaglutide, the key ingredient in Ozempic, drank less often, consumed fewer drinks and were less likely to binge. Another 2025 study, from University College Dublin, showed regular drinkers cut intake from 23 units a week to just eight, a fall of more than 65%. GLP-1s copy a natural hormone that controls appetite and blood sugar. They also affect the brain’s reward system, making alcohol and food less appealing. The impact goes beyond alcohol. Users report eating fewer snacks, consuming less sugary drinks and avoiding other impulse purchases. That could hurt drinks firms and any business that relies on indulgence.

Which segment of the alcohol industry is most vulnerable?

The impact of these trends is far from uniform across the industry. Different segments exhibit varying degrees of vulnerability, creating a complex landscape for investors to navigate. Beer is the largest segment, accounting for more than 40% of overall global market share and appears to be the most exposed. Its lower price point and traditional role as a social lubricant make it a more direct substitute for cannabis. Furthermore, younger generations’ shift towards moderation and non-alcoholic alternatives disproportionately affects mainstream beer, which has historically relied on high-volume consumption. While the global beer market is still projected to grow in the years from 2025 to 2030, this growth is expected to be driven mostly by the trend to drink more “craft” and premium brands. This is masking declines in traditional mass-market lagers, which predominate in listed firms.

While also facing headwinds from GLP-1 drugs and progressive duties, spirits demonstrate greater resilience, particularly in their premium and luxury sub-segments.

The global spirits market is projected to continue growing as more parts of the world adopt middle class lifestyles. Consumers are increasingly choosing to drink better, not more, leading to a strong “premiumisation” trend, where higher-quality, often more expensive, spirits maintain, or even increase in, value. This allows spirits companies to command higher price points, offsetting some volume pressures.

Wine occupies a middle ground. Like spirits, it benefits from premiumisation. The global wine market is also projected to grow over the next several years. However, wine can be particularly susceptible to progressive duties, as it often falls into higher tax brackets because of its alcohol content. Tariffs, such as those imposed by the US on European wines, have also demonstrably reduced cross-border sales, with French wine imports falling by 54% in response to 25% tariffs. This highlights its vulnerability to trade policies and specific regional economic shifts.

The non-alcoholic and low-alcohol categories represent a significant growth opportunity and a potential safe haven. As a niche, this market is booming. More people are embracing non-alcoholic beers, wines and ready-to-drink “mocktails”. At the same time, drinks that claim to promote energy, focus or hydration are gaining traction. These trends highlight a clear shift in consumers’ tastes. These products resonate strongly with younger generations and are well placed to capture market share as GLP-1 drugs reshape alcohol consumption habits. Companies proactively investing in, and marketing, these alternatives are best placed to capture this expanding market segment.

Key players in the alcohol industry

The strategic responses, portfolio composition and market exposure of individual companies will dictate their resilience and future share-price performance in this evolving landscape. Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD), as the world’s largest brewer with around 500 beer brands, is the most vulnerable to the substitution effects of cannabis and the broader decline in beer consumption among younger demographics. The company has acknowledged these challenges.

It has also come close to an ambitious goal for its no- or low-alcohol beer products to represent at least 20% of its global beer volume by the end of 2025. The benefits to shareholders are, however, less clear, given the lacklustre performance of the shares. Are its investments driven by a desperate need to defend the business rather than a true opportunity? The company remains heavily dependent on traditional beer and recent brand perception issues present major obstacles. The Bud Light saga is a clear example, in which a controversial, politically correct advertising campaign alienated much of its core customer base.

Diageo (LSE: DGE), an international manufacturer and distributor of premium drinks with approximately 200 brands, is better positioned thanks to its luxury portfolio, including Johnnie Walker whisky and Don Julio tequila. There is a long-term trend of consumers shifting from beer and wine to spirits, which drives value growth for its portfolio. Diageo is expanding its non-alcoholic offerings, having launched Captain Morgan Spiced Gold 0.0% in 2023. It also recognises “zebra striping” – alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages – as a key consumer trend. The emergence of GLP-1 drugs remains a potential headwind, leading some fund managers to sell their stakes, most notably Terry Smith of Fundsmith, because of concerns about the entire drinks sector.

Heineken (Amsterdam: HEIA) is the world’s second-largest brewer and owns Amstel, Strongbow and Birra Moretti. It has been an early leader in the low- and no-alcohol (Lono) category, investing and innovating since 2017. Lono products now account for more than 4% of its portfolio, and the company achieved its goal of having a zero-alcohol option for at least one strategic brand available in 90% of its business by the end of this year. Its flagship Heineken 0.0 is the world’s number one non-alcoholic beer brand, and its “0.0 Reasons Needed” campaign directly addresses the social stigma around choosing non-alcoholic options, particularly among Gen Z. This proactive and consumer-centric approach positions it well to navigate generational shifts and the potential impact of GLP-1 drugs.

Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ) is the largest provider of alcoholic beverages across beer, wine and spirits in the US. Yet it derives a significant 84% of its revenue from Mexican beer imports such as Modelo and Corona. It also has a large number of wine companies in its stable. But the heavy concentration in beer makes it susceptible to cannabis substitution. A key strategic move is its substantial stake in Canopy Growth, a Canadian cannabis producer, representing a direct hedge against declines in traditional alcohol sales.

Pernod Ricard (Paris: RI) is a global powerhouse in wines and spirits, boasting a comprehensive portfolio of more than 240 premium brands. These include Jameson Whiskey, Absolut Vodka, Beefeater Gin and Perrier-Jouët Champagne. Its strong focus on premium spirits positions it favourably to capitalise on the global premiumisation trend. The company has embarked on a significant restructuring programme, aiming for €1 billion in savings by 2029, to streamline operations and cut costs amidst depressed sales. Pernod Ricard faces significant geographical headwinds, with sales of its flagship Cognac brand, Martell, plummeting in China because of anti-dumping duties and shifting consumer preferences. This highlights its vulnerability to geopolitical tensions and regional economic downturns.

Asahi Group Holdings (Tokyo: 2502), a dominant force in Japan’s beer market with a 37% share, is proactively responding to moderation trends by expanding its Lono line-up. As well as Asahi beer, it also owns Peroni, Grolsch and London Pride. The company aims for Lono drinks to account for 20% of its sales by 2030. The group is also making a significant strategic pivot towards wellness and health science, with a long-term vision to become a global leader in “CSV” products – ie, those that supposedly “create shared value”. This will include stepping up investment in pharmaceuticals, health food and cosmetics businesses. This broad diversification offers substantial insulation from direct declines in alcohol consumption.

Carlsberg Group (Copenhagen: CARL B) is a major brewer that is actively addressing the moderation trend. It has set an ambitious goal for its Lono brews to constitute 35% of its global portfolio share by 2030. Currently, Lono accounts for a much smaller fraction of total volumes. A significant strategic move for Carlsberg was the acquisition of Britvic, a British beverage company, expanding its footprint into the broader soft drinks market as a strategy for resilience against shifting dynamics. The company is also a beneficiary of the move towards craft beers. Many of its brands are very small, covering everything from English pale ale to Estonian mead.

Brown-Forman (NYSE: BF.B), known for its Jack Daniel’s family of brands and Woodford Reserve, holds a leading position in the premium American whiskey category. Its strategic focus revolves around portfolio premiumisation. The company has also seen success in the ready-to-drink category, with the launch of Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola cans. Operational adjustments, such as a global workforce restructuring plan aimed at generating significant annualised savings, further position it to navigate the evolving market. However, while cost cuts may help in the short term, they do not address the industry’s deeper problems. By contrast, moves such as Carlsberg’s takeover of Britvic go further. Brown-Forman may need to be bolder.

The best bets in the sector

The global alcoholic beverage industry is undoubtedly undergoing a profound transformation. The era of predictable, consistent growth for traditional alcoholic beverages is giving way to a more nuanced and challenging market. The rise of cannabis, the moderation embraced by younger generations, the disruptive influence of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, and the increasing burden of progressive taxation are collectively reshaping consumer behaviour and industry dynamics.

For investors, the implications are clear: the future success of companies in this sector hinges on their agility, innovation and portfolio management. Those that are proactively diversifying their offerings, investing in premiumisation and embracing the burgeoning non-alcoholic and wellness categories are better positioned to capture new growth opportunities and mitigate risks. This includes expanding into health and energy drinks, exploring strategic partnerships or investments in alternative substances, and adapting marketing strategies to resonate with health-conscious and moderate consumers.

Some companies focus heavily on traditional alcoholic beverages and are slow to adapt to changing consumer preferences. These companies face a risky future. Their revenue and profits will likely face ongoing pressure. This pressure could negatively affect their share values for a long time. To succeed, companies must innovate beyond traditional products. They need to embrace new distribution channels, such as in e-commerce, while navigating complex regulations. The market rewards adaptability and punishes inaction. The industry is rapidly changing, which presents clear challenges. Companies that boldly innovate and embrace new consumer values will thrive. Those strategically repositioning themselves are best suited for our sober-curious world.

Ultimately, investments made in the sector have to be more attractive today than they were at the much higher share prices of a few years ago. The winners of the future are likely to be those who embrace the change rather than shy away from it. This means adapting to a reality of reduced, high-volume, mass-market consumption. Carlsberg starts from a difficult position as a predominantly beer-focused business, but is being very proactive and could be interesting for those who are comfortable with heightened risk. Diageo and Pernod Ricard are already well-positioned for the move towards the “drink better, not more” movement, and both have share prices offering much better margins of safety than in the past. Finally, for those willing to back a smaller business, with a large family shareholding, Brown-Forman looks attractive and has an unusually generous dividend yield for a US-listed company.

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The best wines are a product of place, time, and passion – whether they are from the sunny hills of Tuscany or vineyards perched on top of the Argentinian mountains.

The Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) is the world's largest wine competition and one of the most prestigious.

This year marks the 22nd edition of the DWWA. Wines from 57 countries were evaluated by 248 top wine experts – the most in the competition’s history.

The rigorous blind-tasting process involving more than 18,000 wines resulted in winners that stand out at every level, be it traditional wines or rising stars from emerging regions.

We explore some of the best wines around the globe, ranging from budget-friendly bottles to coveted classics. The wines have been selected by editors at Decanter, MoneyWeek’s sister publication.

The full list of winners can be found on Decanter’s website.

The best wines of 2025

France

French wines are regarded as some of the best in the world, so it’s no surprise that the region has topped the medal count this year, with 187 top-tier awards, and 27 top awards for Champagne.

Some of this year’s winners include:

Barons de Rothschild Rare Collection Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne 2014
Award: Best in Show (97 points)

A luxurious Champagne with bright citrus and seaweed notes. You don’t need to hurry to drink this 2014 vintage, so it’s perfect for celebrations.

Jean-Marc Brocard, Bougros, Chablis Grand Cru, Burgundy 2023
Award: Best in Show (97 points)

A refined white wine from Burgundy with a beloved sour note to the fruit. It has delicate mineral flavours and crisp acidity, making it an ideal pairing with seafood or light dishes.

Domaines Bonfils, Château Vaugelas V, Corbières, Languedoc-Roussillon 2023
Award: Value Platinum (97 points, under £15)

A vibrant red from southern France with scintillating damson, blueberry and sweet cherry flavours over an earthy and peppery spice.

Italy

Italy strengthened its position in the Decanter World Wine Awards this year with 138 top-tier medals, underscoring its depth and innovation in regions like Tuscany, Piedmont and Sicily.

Here are a few Italian favourites:

Tenuta Meraviglia Maestro di Cava, Bolgheri Superiore Tuscany 2020
Best in Show, 97 points

An opaque, black-red wine from coastal Tuscany with soft leather poise behind layers of dark fruit and an intense spice. This adventurous 2020 vintage is alluring on the nose and pairs well with pasta or grilled meats.

Tenuta Roletto, Erbaluce di Caluso, Passito, Piedmont 2013
Gold, 95 points

This white from Piedmont is perfect for sweet tooths, with notes of caramel, butterscotch, and dried fruits soaking in velvety sweetness.

Spain

Spain continues to surprise with its versatility across fortified, red, white and sparkling wines, achieving 105 top-tier medals.

Don Bernardino, La Capona Amandi, Ribeira Sacra 2019
Best in Show, 97 points

A powerful red from Ribeira Sacra made from the Mencía grape. Passed in oak for two years, peppery red fruits dominate the aromas of this 2019 wine, leaving a herbal and root-spice flavour in the mouth.

González Byass Del Duque VORS Amontillado, Sherry NV
Platinum, 97 points

This beautifully aged and rare Sherry is a deep orange amber, with aromas of sun-dried figs and herbs. It’s a “remarkable” drink with depth on the palate, and goes fantastically with tapas or cheese.

Bodegas Martinez Paiva, Brut Nature, Cava 2020
Gold, 95 points

Spain’s traditional method sparkling wines are an ideal example of excellent taste at good value. Brimming with aromas of baked apple, plum and honeysuckle, this 60-40 blend of Macabeo and Chardonnay grapes is perfect for casual gatherings.

Notable mentions

Sugrue South Downs, The Trouble With Dreams, Sussex 2009 (magnum)
Best in Show, 97 points

An elegant English sparkling wine with a magnificent blend of three classical Champagne varieties and 15 years in the glass. The result? A creamy texture full of spirit. It’s a real showstopper for special occasions.

Anhydrous, Santorini, Aegean Islands, Greece, 2019
Best in Show, 97 points

Greece achieved a breakout year with 20 top-tier medals. This white wine from Santorini is the first time the ‘Best in Show’ award has gone to a wine older than four years. Judges commented: "Is Santorini Assyrtiko a white that improves in the bottle? It’s remarkable how a wine which makes so few aromatic allusions can nonetheless command the attention as Santorini invariably does.”

This blend has a slightly richer straw-yellow than usual and is unique.

New world highlights

Craggy Range, Pinot Noir, Martinborough, Wairarapa, New Zealand 2024
Best in Show, 97 points

This Martinborough Pinot Noir is an uncompromisingly dark wine bursting with bright and bold aromas of red fruits that are beautifully balanced. It’s a perfect match for roast chicken or pork.

Bemberg Estate Wines, Pionero, Gualtallary, Tupungato, Mendoza 2022
Best in Show, 97 points

This is a great wine to try from Gualtallary in Argentina, a location once seen as cold for reds. Three decades later, it’s one of the best in the Southern Hemisphere. The midnight black blend is smooth and aromatic with a creamy blackcurrant lift. It’s a wealthy choice.

Antiyal, Viñedo Escorial Organic Carmenère, Maipó Valley 2020
Best in Show, 97 points

This red wine from Carmenère has notes of cherry and plum fruit, savoury tannins, and none of the green tones from the past. It’s a Chilean classic, ready to enjoy with food.

Fine wines under £15

An award-winning wine doesn’t necessarily have to break the bank. In the World Wine Awards, Decanter rounded up a few budget-friendly picks under £15, which you may even find on supermarket shelves.

• Suvorov Winery, Black Crane Viorica, Stefan Voda, Moldova 2024 – Value Gold, 95 points
• McGuigan Bin 9000 Semillon, Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia 2018, Value Gold, 95 points

See the full list of award-winning wines under £15.

Whether you’re a wine enthusiast or looking to invest in fine wine, the next time you’re shopping, make a note to look for a DWWA medal on a wine bottle – or search through Decanter’s results. You might just find your next favourite.

Many luxury products can be considered a Veblen good – one for which, counterintuitively, demand intensifies even as prices rise. But wine enjoys another attribute that is harder to replicate among, say, watches or cars – its inherent scarcity increases over time, simply because people drink it.

According to wine investment firm WineCap’s recently published Wealth Report, 96% of UK wealth managers expect demand for fine wine to increase in 2025 – more than for fine art (94%), watches (90%), luxury handbags (86%) or coins (78%). Collectors, it adds, are attracted to fine wine by its proven long-term price appreciation and intrinsic scarcity. And should those cases of first-growth Bordeaux fail to gain in value as expected, you can at least open them and drink them. So, where to begin?

Fine wine is a complex and increasingly diverse marketplace, with investment-grade products coming from a number of regional sources – the traditional French strongholds of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but also Champagne and the Rhône Valley, and Tuscany and Piedmont in Italy, along with many more regions from California to Australia. The sector has also been progressively democratised over the past 25 years, thanks to the emergence of the likes of Liv-ex and Wine-searcher.com, which offer their users constantly updated pricing information, critic scores and market intelligence of ever greater granularity.

Nonetheless, expert help is a must, particularly for those who are new to the sector, or who lack the time to research it in detail. “The most important thing is to find a well-reputed wine merchant, ideally who can source both new releases and older vintages in order to put together a balanced cellar, rather than have to wait years to drink the wine – or, if financial gain is a motivation, to provide some diversification across vintages/profile,” says Matthew O’Connell, head of investment at fine wine and spirits merchant Bordeaux Index, and CEO of the company’s recently expanded LiveTrade trading platform.

Balance your wine cellar

“Merchants should have expertise in the market and wine as an asset, and also be able to provide up-to-date valuations and ability to sell, as well as buy, wines. Trading platforms such as Bordeaux Index’s LiveTrade allow for best-in-class collection/portfolio monitoring and instant buying/selling of key wines,” says O’Connell. Clearly, if the main motivation is to build a collection for personal consumption, then you should buy what you like, with an eye on balancing your cellar in terms of maturity and drinking windows.

Even here, however, choosing wines that are likely to appreciate in value can free up funds to expand and refine your collection in the future. “It is important to focus on blue-chip-type wines if the aim is to combine having a good wine collection with potential future value gain and portfolio traceability,” advises O’Connell. “This will be the higher-end wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Tuscany and the Rhône. Too often, people make the mistake of buying too far down the quality/price spectrum, where there is far less of a market for reselling, and investment performance is far less proven.”

Beyond merchants, there are regular auctions from the likes of Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonhams, which can provide specific opportunities to source particular wines. Single-producer sales – offering a selection of vintages direct from a property’s own cellars – offer impeccable provenance and, sometimes, the chance to buy vintages that rarely appear on the secondary market.

The potential downside of auctions can be a lack of certainty about the source and condition of the wine and, at worst, the presence of fakes – an ongoing issue for the industry. Provenance and condition are key aspects of collecting wine and safeguarding its future value. For this reason, as tempting as it may be to keep bottles in your own cellar, should you have one, it’s important to store wine professionally and on an “in bond” basis (ie, before the payment of excise duty and VAT). Professional wine storage facilities, such as Octavian and London City Bond, are highly recommended.

Prices are currently on a long-term downward spiral following a peak towards the end of 2022, impacted by challenging macroeconomic trends, especially in the Far East, and large stocks of unsold vintages sitting in merchant warehouses. Liv-ex’s Fine Wine 100 index, which charts the price movements of 100 of the most sought-after fine wines on the secondary market, is now about 25% below its peak in November 2022, and has fallen 3.6% year-to-date (as at 5 May).

The broader Liv-ex Fine Wine 1000 displays a similar downward trend, and although trading activity is higher than it was a year ago, this is yet to translate into price rises or even stability. Calling the bottom of any market slump is never easy, but many observers increasingly believe that opportunities are now emerging. Burgundy – where prices had previously risen further and faster – is seeing renewed activity, particularly among top producers such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Armand Rousseau.

Collectors who had been content to sit on the sidelines while prices fell are now beginning to re-enter the market, wary of missing their chance to buy pristine, high-quality stock before prices take off again. “There are definitely attractive market pockets at the moment,” says O’Connell. “We see the most opportunity in Burgundy in the short term, where key assets look too cheap, given their rarity.”

This reinforces the conviction that fine wine is an asset that repays patience, rather than speculation, especially given that many of these wines may take decades to hit their peak in terms of quality. At a time of such short-term uncertainty, there’s comfort in that. As O’Connell points out: “Understanding that wine is a medium-term investment, so you need to wait for performance to show through in a collection, is important.”

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England’s winemakers are reporting that this autumn’s grape harvest is set to be their biggest ever, due to favourable weather conditions and ongoing investment in expanding the size of their vineyards. 

2022’s unusually hot growing season meant vines emerged from winter in a healthy condition, and they then also benefited from good weather during the flowering period between April and June 2023. In addition, this year’s relatively wet summer helped vines stay healthy, followed by a warm September to help ripen the grapes. 

As a result, big English wineries such as Chapel Down, Nyetimber and Ridgeview are all expecting their largest-ever crops. Gusbourne, a Kent-based grower and one of the first bigger producers to complete its harvest, reported its best-ever crop, up 25% on last year. 

“This year is shaping up to be a high volume and high-quality harvest,” Ned Awty of trade body WineGB told The Guardian.

How big is England's sparkling wine sector?

Britain’s industry is still tiny compared with our southern neighbours – but it’s growing fast. France and Italy both produce more than five billion bottles each year and Germany produces 1.3 billion. British wine production has more than doubled over the past five years – growing 130% to 12.2 million bottles last year. 

According to Wine GB, there are now 943 vineyards in Britain, and the total area planted (mostly in Kent, Sussex, Essex and Hampshire) now stands at almost 10,000 acres – a 74% jump since 2017. It expects the acreage to near-double to 19,000 acres by 2032, meaning annual production of around 25 million bottles. 

It’s an expansion that is attracting outside interest as well as home-grown investors. Taittinger and Pommery, two leading French Champagne producers, have bought land and planted vines in Kent and Hampshire respectively. The world’s biggest sparkling wine company, Henkell Freixenet, acquired the Bolney wine estate in Sussex in 2022.

Is English wine mostly sparkling?

Yes. Of the 12 million bottles produced in 2022, 68% were sparkling, with the dominant grape varieties being chardonnay, pinot meunier and pinot noir. That’s primarily due to the climate and geography. The temperatures in the far south-eastern corner of England are already similar to those in the Champagne region in the 1980s – warming due to climate change, but not too hot – while the chalky sub-strata of the South Downs and other parts of the region are well-suited to wine-growing and identical to that of the best chardonnay vineyards in Champagne. 

“Our cool climate means that even when we obtain good ripeness, we maintain fantastic acidity,” winemaker Emma Rice told the Financial Times – a quality that makes for vibrant wine but that many growers in Champagne and Burgundy are now struggling with due to climate change. 

At the same time, the fact that England is not a historic wine region means there are few regulations, and winemakers are happily trying out a range of styles. At 2022’s WineGB Awards, the range included heavyweight luxury cuvées, luminous blanc de blancs, Burgundian pinot noirs, skin contact wines, pét-nats, chardonnays, ortegas and pale-pink rosés.

English sparkling wines have developed a reputation for high quality that makes them feel like a novel, local and reasonable-value alternative to Champagne. 

By contrast, the geography and climate mean that English still wines are more hit-and-miss (especially when it comes to reds), and the low volumes mean that they can be expensive. The big question is whether still wines can break into a wider consumer market in the way that sparkling wines have already. Over the next two decades longer sunny periods due to climate change will make it easier to make still wines, to grow more disease-resistant varieties of grape, and also expand the area suitable for making wine in quantity from the southern counties as far north as the east Midlands, says The Economist. 

But there are no guarantees. Just as climate change has made English viticulture more viable, it also presents challenges: a year of heavy rain or severe drought can wipe out entire crops

How much is being invested?

Investing in vineyards has shifted from being a passion project for the rich and famous to an increasingly viable option for would-be investors, according to land agents Strutt & Parker. The firm calculates that £480m was invested in vineyards and wineries in Britain between 2018 and 2022, and according to its viticulture team, the price of land suitable for wine growing has increased by about £2,500 a hectare to £40,000-£50,000 a hectare over the past year – about £15,000-20,000 more than basic farmland. 

“Over the past 12 months the number of calls we have received from people interested in either buying a vineyard or establishing a new one has tripled,” the firm’s Nick Watson told The Times.

What are the options for retail investors?

There are two listed English wineries, both based in Kent: Gusbourne (GUS) is listed on London’s small company exchange Aim. Chapel Down (CDGP) is listed on the similar pan-European exchange Aquis, though it’s planning to move to Aim. 

Gusbourne’s sales have tripled since 2020, expanding far faster than its expenses, says Lex in the FT, with a focus on pricier sparkling wines. It earns a gross profit but has yet to report an operating profit. 

Chapel Down, the market leader, does make a profit (more than £1m after tax last year on revenues of £15m). But its shares have underperformed Gusbourne’s in recent years and, at just over three times its trailing sales, its valuation is cheaper than Gusbourne’s seven times. 

These businesses are not for the cautious, says Lex: they are relatively small companies with considerable debt financing and “little immediate prospect for dividends”. But they are both fast-growing businesses with long-term potential and “both should cheer the patient investor”.

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The market for old rum in Britain has been having a... well, a rum old time. Sales of all types of rum passed £1bn last summer for the previous 12 months – a 51% increase on 2019, according to market watchers CGA by NielsenIQ. Younger drinkers in particular have acquired a taste for the spirit and that in itself bodes well for rum prices. But drinkers are also becoming discerning. The premium segment of the market grew by 85% in the second quarter of 2022.

In other words, rum has come of age. However, while rum of all types now counts for a bigger slice of the market than whisky in terms of the value of sales in the UK, it still has a fair way to go before it rivals its Scottish cousin in the market for rare, collectable bottles.

A long way behind

The most expensive single bottle of whisky sold at auction fetched £1.5m in 2019. For rum, it is in the region of £30,000. Whisky Auctioneer sold a bottle of Wray & Nephew from 1982 that had been created to commemorate the visit of US president Ronald Reagan to Jamaica for £31,500 before fees in 2019 as part of its inaugural rum auction. That sale was so successful that the auction site has launched a dedicated platform, Rum Auctioneer.

“From an investment point of view, I think the jury’s out,” Simon Aron, founder of cask whisky specialists Cask Trade, told me recently. The market in rare, aged rum is still “very young” and it is “a bit of a Wild West”. The trouble is partly down to the tropical climate in places, such as the Caribbean where the rum is made, and partly because, unlike with Scotch, the industry regulations have yet to be put in place to ensure quality. “You can put... [new-make rum] in a barrel, stick it in the sunshine or somewhere nice and warm, cook the stuff... [and] it will smell super sweet, it’ll look amazing and give you nightmares, because it will be sitting at 63% [ABV] or higher,” says Aron. This is a particular problem with older rums. Aron advises collectors to buy young rum in the cask – “You know where it came from, you know how it’s been stored... and then you are onto a winner”.

For these reasons, some buyers choose to age their rum in the British Isles. Last year, Cask Trade partnered with Renegade, a new rum distillery in Grenada founded by Mark Reynier, who is a veteran-expert of the whisky-making industry. Buyers can choose the wood for their barrels and whether to mature it in Grenada or in Waterford, Ireland.

Still in its infancy

“The world of collectable rum is in its youth compared to whisky,” Rum Auctioneer agrees. “In many ways [that makes it] more accessible, with more affordable prices.” Rums from “lost” distilleries, such as Caroni from Trinidad, are “generating particular interest”, along with rums from new distilleries, the platform notes. Regions, individual distilleries and bottlers “are all things to think about when starting a rum collection”.

Britain is getting warmer. This year’s record-breaking 40.3°C, recorded at Coningsby, Lincolnshire, followed years of hotter summers – the ten warmest years in Britain have occurred since 2002.

That is, however, good news for Britain’s wine growers. English sparkling wine already competes with the best Champagne has to offer and regularly wins international awards. When it comes to reds, however, the climate is still too cold and clammy. Not for much longer, says a recent paper in the viticulture science journal OENO One.

By 2040, more sunshine and less rainfall will make pinot noir, the mainstay of Burgundy reds, viable in the south of England, while areas further north will be opened up to the production of other wines, according to the authors from the Climate Resilience in the UK Wine Sector project. That may seem like a long way away, but the time it takes for vines to mature means wine growers need to decide now which wines to make in 2040.

Land for vineyards is at a premium

The area under vine in Britain has expanded by 70% in the last five years, according to the trade body WineGB. Even prestigious French producers have made the hop across the Channel. “This boom in UK wine has translated to strong demand for land suitable for planting vines and there is no sign of this letting up,” says Nick Watson of Strutt & Parker. The property consultancy’s viticulture wing has seen even hobbyists come knocking at its doors, along with those looking to start new winemaking ventures on 20 to 30 acres or more.

That puts land suitable for growing vines at a premium, due to the requirements of climate and terroir. Free-draining, sunny, south-facing slopes below 100 metres above sea level, that are sheltered from winds and late frosts, “must be proactively sought out and purchased privately”, says Watson. And while most arable land sells for up to £10,000 an acre, budding wine growers can expect to pay up to £25,000 an acre for the best spots in Sussex and Kent. An acre already planted with vines commands up to £35,000.

One such vineyard is for sale with Cheffins, with a £2m guide price. Chilford Hall, outside Cambridge, is one of England’s oldest established commercial vineyards. Its 22-acre vineyard (18 are under vine) comes with a winery, wine-making equipment and around 45,000 bottles of wine produced on the estate.

The late Sam Alper, designer of the Sprite caravan and founder of the Little Chef restaurant chain, established the vineyard in 1972. Since then, Chilford Hall’s wines have scooped up WineGB awards, and the estate today produces up to 18,000 bottles of red, white, rosé and sparkling wines. The seller, Alper’s widow, Fiona, feels it’s time to move on and is looking for “someone with passion and energy” to take over. Judging by the trends in British winemaking, she should have no trouble finding a buyer.

2020 Rall, AVA Syrah, Swartland, South Africa

£52.68, justerinis.com

Every winemaking country in the world has its icon wines and superstar winemakers, and South Africa is no exception. Over the last couple of decades, Eben Sadie (Sadie Family Wines), Marc Kent (Boekenhoutskloof), Chris and Andrea Mullineux (Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines), among other luminaries, have captured the attention of the world’s keenest wine collectors with their scintillating creations.

I first came across Donovan Rall’s wines over a decade ago when I tasted his inaugural 2008 vintage releases. It was clear that he was a force to be reckoned with. Over the last ten years, I have been shadowing his new releases, and the other day, he came to London to present his current portfolio and a few soon-to-be-released wines. Every single bottle was a work of uncompromising art. I would say he is the most exciting talent in the Cape today.

My chosen AVA Syrah is one of the most triumphant incarnations of the syrah grape I have tasted. While it will set you back a few quid, you can get in among his portfolio of stunning wines for as little as £20. The 2020 Rall Cinsault and 2020 Rall Grenache Blanc (both £21.68) and 2020 Rall White and 2019 Rall Red (both £25.68) are all soaringly delicious. Donovan manages to engender in his wines, whether white or red, a depth of minerality and integrity many winemakers can only dream of.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com).

2021 Akitu, Pinot Noir Blanc, Lake Wanaka, Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand

£28.12, thedrinkshop.com; coming soon to nzhouseofwine.co.uk, harveynichols.com, harrogatefinewinecompany.com

Akitu was established in Lake Wanaka two decades ago by Andrew Donaldson. Andrew planted 12 hectares of pinot noir, and his two red wines, A1 and A2, have climbed swiftly to the higher echelons of the New Zealand pinot ladder.

The latest red wine releases, 2019 Akitu A2 Pinot Noir (about £33, from the four stockists listed) and 2019 Akitu A1 Pinot Noir (about £43, ditto) are the finest yet from this elite estate. Showing refinement and unshakable integrity, while A2 is designed for relatively early drinking, I feel that 2019 A1 is set to be a superstar given five more years in the cellar.

But, this week, I have a less predictable treat for you – New Zealand’s finest “white” pinot noir, and only 270 cases were made, so you must act without delay to secure stock. With the faintest of pink hues, this will be labelled a rosé by many, and it certainly possesses the most enchanting cherry-skin perfume, but Andrew is insistent it is a white wine made from swiftly crushed pinot noir grapes.

There is an inevitable, albeit very faint skin influence, and this slight colouration baffles the senses, but it is genuinely white-shaped on the palate. Keen-edged with acidity underpinning the beguiling fruit and oak and lees both playing subtle supporting work, the dramatic terroir shines through with laser accuracy, and it is this setting that you are drinking. I urge you to taste this wine – there is nothing like it on earth.

2021 Château La Mascaronne, Rosé, Côtes de Provence, France

(£81.00, per six bottles in bond, laywheeler.com)

There are few properties in the south of France as breathtakingly beautiful as La Mascaronne. There are 60 hectares of organically farmed vines here, and they form one contiguous plot surrounded by oak and olive trees on all sides.

Michel Reybier, owner of Château Cos d’Estournel, a 2ème Cru in Saint-Estèphe, and the elite La Réserve hotels in London, Paris, Geneva, Zurich and Ramatuelle, bought this exquisite estate in 2020, and I raved about his inaugural vintage last year. On the whole, 2021 is not as lush a vintage as 2020, and lesser wines feel a little skinny and undernourished.

However, the top estates have brought a singular definition and elegance to their creations, and La Mascaronne is nothing short of a work of art in 2021. I tasted this beauty back in March, and it has been a rare form of torture waiting for stock to make it to the UK. In the intervening months, I have tasted hosts of 2021s, and this wine soars above all others with its grace, refinement and impressively long finish.

This wine’s endearing hallmark flavours are English rhubarb, pomegranate arils and delicate pink melon tones balanced by crystalline acidity. While I tend to single out grenache-dominant wines in my scribblings, La Mascaronne is made from 40% grenache, 25% cinsault, 20% syrah and 15% vermentino. This layering of ingredients brings the kaleidoscopic flavours found in this divine creation.

To fully understand the 2021 vintage, you must digest the uniquely challenging weather conditions during the growing season. A series of interlinked climatic occurrences shaped this vintage such that it cannot be compared to any previous year. Last year presented Bordeaux with a volley of viticultural challenges that pushed every château to the edge of exhaustion. In many cases, they can rightly say that they triumphed over Mother Nature thanks to their tenacity, experience and tireless work ethic, and the finest wines are singular in their purity, freshness and uncommon resonance.

I drove nearly 1,000km in four days last week, tasted well over 300 wines and visited 51 individual châteaux as well as several industry-organised, larger, sub-regional tastings, and I enjoyed every minute. It has been three years since I last visited Bordeaux to taste the primeurs, and while mild Covid measures were still in place, the welcome afforded by the Bordelais was exceptional.

Early reports emerged from shoddy journalists suggesting 2021 was a disappointing vintage. I wish these doom-mongers would keep their ill-informed thoughts to themselves. You cannot assess a vintage by looking at weather forecasts and only fools would think this was an accurate picture of a very complicated scenario. It would be best if one tasted the wines first and then formed opinions with a complete picture of both the climatic events and the wines’ accompanying flavours. Then it is obvious that 2021 produced one of the best vintages in the region’s history.

Unsettled seasons

After a mild and wetter-than-average winter, bud-break took place relatively early in late March and until the end of May, it was unrelentingly cold (the lowest average temperature in 30 years). In April and May, a series of devastating frost episodes pulverised both sides of the Gironde, and while some estates fortunately escaped with minor damage, others were hit hard. Flowering was even and untroubled during a bout of fine weather, but the summer was unsettled and persistently stormy, and disease pressure was ever-present. Only those châteaux with exceptionally well-drilled viticulture teams managed to protect their most important plots. This meant staff (and in some cases, friends and family) were on standby 24/7, and we all know how preciously the French guard their weekends.

This was not a vintage where weekends were sacrosanct if you wanted to get to harvest time with clean bunches on your vines. Luckily, warmer weather in July and August naturally halted much of the mildew pressure and this period allowed veraison (when red grapes change colour from green to black). This stretch of decent weather was critical in kickstarting the long process of ripening the bunches. In September, there was more inclement weather, and disease pressure was still on red alert. Still, experienced estates let the grapes hang out as long as possible, bringing in delicate merlot first and gambling on conditions remaining dry into mid-October to bring in the cabernets in excellent condition. Thus 2021 is a vintage of the haves and the have-nots.

Taste every wine

If a château has noble terroir, an entirely dedicated team, state-of-the-art technology (to sort out the clean, pure, ripe fruit from the weaker berries) and a slice of luck, then there is no excuse for not making fabulous wine. If you lack these elements, you will have most definitely failed. So, this is a classic example of a vintage where every single wine must be tasted individually.

Reputation counts for nothing when Mother Nature starts to throw every trick in her playbook at you. Suffice to say that I found some exquisite wines in 2021, and they are all pure, long, refreshing, pristinely elegant and refined, and the epitome of the plots of vines from which they were harvested. If you would like to read my full 2021 Bordeaux En Primeur Report, I will be publishing it later this month on my website. In the meantime, here is a sneak preview of some of my favourite elite wines.

Ten “great value” 2021 En Primeur red Bordeaux (in alphabetical order)

Ten “top end” 2021 En Primeur red and white Bordeaux (in alphabetical order)

2021 Thistledown, Gorgeous Old Vine Shiraz, Small Batch, Riverland, Australia

£14.75, vagabondwines.co.uk

The shiraz or syrah grape variety is equally at home flying solo or being used as a component in a blend. It dominates the partnership in this thrilling wine by taking up 86% of the bottle, and the remaining proportion is a rather unlikely 14% zibibbo, or muscat. I have never tasted a shiraz/zibibbo blend before, and it occurs to me that the name Gorgeous is entirely apt here. This is a wine that majors on fresh berry fruit notes drawn from a single vineyard of old-vine shiraz while the zibibbo adds lustre and gloss, a little like those wines that employ viognier to do a similar, but perhaps more perfumed, task.

While some find shiraz/viog blends a little heady and fulsome, I doubt they would have a problem here because the white-grape addition augments the silkiness and slipperiness of this delicious wine. With only 13.5% alcohol on board, there is a freshness here, too, that lifts the finish and completes the picture.

From the same stable, there is another spot of cunning blending in the form of 2021 Wilder & Wilder, Cloud Cuckoo Land Montepulciano/Nero d’Avola (£69 for a case of six bottles, thefinewinecompany.co.uk; £12.99, haywines.co.uk). The blend is a three-way combo of 60% montepulciano, 28% nero d’Avola and 12% barbera. There is always something new to discover in this wonderful world of wine!

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

NV Exton Park, Reserve Blend RB32 Brut, Hampshire, England

£40, swains.london

I am continuing my occasional spotlight on indie wine merchants with a glowing review of Swains on Parliament Hill (London, NW5). This new epicurean haunt was set up at the end of last year by my old pal Victoria Sharples and my new pal Ruth Morrell. Ruth comes from a famous New York dynasty of wine merchants and Victoria has worked in all aspects of the London and Melbourne wine trade, notably at Bibendum Wine, St. John and also Philglas & Swiggot.

Swains is a stunning new wine shop and it will soon open a 20-seater bar with a 60-seater terrace looking directly across to Hampstead Heath. Specialising in seasonal produce and Melbourne-inspired dishes, along with cheese, charcuterie and rillettes, this is a place where you can pop in for a glass and then stay for the afternoon and into the evening if you so desire.

Its wine list is divine and I have chosen a celebratory English sparkler to toast Swains’ success. RB32 is a 60% pinot noir, 40% chardonnay blend and an electrifying, lively, hard-acid-soaked stunner. In addition, here is Victoria’s secret list of beauties to order for your cellar – 2017 Dirupi Valtellina Superiore; 2020 Botijo Rojo; 2020 Alemany I Corrio, Principia Mathematica; 2020 Lyrarakis Liatiko Kerdros Vineyard Rosé and NV Lacourte-Godbillon 1er Cru Brut Terrois d’Ecueil Champagne. Consider yourself fully briefed and please say hi from me!

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com)

2019 Bila-Haut, M. Chapoutier, Côtes du Roussillon Villages, France

£12.25, Kenrick’s, kenrickswines.com, 07311-020125

I love high-quality, independent wine retailers, which is not surprising because this métier is in my blood. I started working in the wine business in 1987 in a brilliant indie in southwest London, and I was fortunate to learn from one of the finest palates in the country.

The independent wine merchant, the butcher, baker, cheesemonger and other genuinely passionate and knowledgeable small businesses form the heart of the community. I spotted a new arrival in Fulham last year, and I finally managed to pop in last week in mystery shopper mode, and what a treat it was. I earwigged the manager talking to another customer through a couple of wines, and it was clear he knew each inside out. I bought five bottles and each was a delight.

My featured hearty red is a tremendously juicy and spicy fellow with a wicked price tag. In addition, 2020 First Flight Syrah Graeme & Julie Bott (£28.65) is a spectacular Côte-Rôtie taste-alike; 2019 Cline Old Vine Zinfandel (£15.50) is a fragrant, aromatic, super-juicy zin with masses of charm and a liquid velvet texture; and the 2020 Laureatus Albariño Rías Baixas (£16.30) shows what this beguiling white grape can do when you trade up from a ten quid high-street wine to a genuine, artisanal creation.

The 2019 Domaine Mas Barrau, Cabernet Franc (£10.45) is a bargain-priced, organic beauty, pulsing with energy and style. Kenrick’s is a magnificent addition to the wine skyline and I urge you to load up.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com)

2020 Tapanappa, Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills, South Australia

£36, reduced to £27 each for a case of six bottles, threshers.co.uk; £29.50, thechampagnecompany.com

I have a trio of tremendous whites from Tapanappa for you this week, all new vintage releases. In reverse order, starting with the grandest of the three: 2019 Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard Chardonnay (£32, in bond per bottle, Cellar Circle Exclusive, laywheeler.com; £40, thechampagnecompany.com). Only 2,700 bottles have been made and the UK received just 588, so get in quick. There is no doubt that this is one of the most extraordinary wines I have tasted from this legendary site.

Next, 2020 Tapanappa Tiers Vineyard 1.5M Chardonnay (£35, thechampagnecompany.com) is made from a 2003 re-planting of Dijon clone chardonnay and it sits across the road from the original 1979 block. This is only the second time that this “close-planted” wine has made it to the UK, and I noted Chassagne-Montrachet-like presence here coupled with a very long finish. The oak is superb, and the depth of fruit, while prodigious, is not quite as lusty as that found in Tiers.

Finally, my featured wine. Only 525 dozen were made, and this is the most forward-drinking and invigorating chardonnay under this famous label. Well-balanced and not too exuberant nor expressive, the fruit is calm, layered, detailed and impressive. There are none of the exotic notes found in the other wines in this lithe beauty, making it a finely tuned and deliciously mesmerising creation.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com)

2020 Crozes-Hermitage Rouge, Maison Les Alexandrins, Northern Rhône, France

£29.70, hedonism.co.uk

The 2020 Rhône Valley offers are whizzing around the wine world like racing pigeons. One eminent wine merchant tells me that, in spite of this annual flurry of activity, the Rhônes En Primeur season is often a veritable damp squib, sandwiched each year by the frenzied bun fights of Burgundy EP in January and Bordeaux EP in April/May. This is a great shame because, unlike the aforementioned mega-regions, the Rhône still manages to offer world-class wines at affordable prices. While I know keen fans will sink their teeth into their favourite wines, I thought I would sound the alarm from this page with a wine that you do not have to wait to buy or indeed drink. If any wine will rev you up to the joys of elite French syrah, then this is it!

After the unusually warm 2018 and 2019 vintages, the latter affected with severe hail damage in parts, 2020 was a year in which the vignerons had to nurse their oft-damaged vines back to health. It was a vintage when precision viticulture paid huge dividends and challenges came thick and fast. Some of the finest wines are made in years like this because minds are focused and talent is acutely reflected in the bottle.

I nearly dropped my glass when I first tasted this exquisite Crozes. With a brief ten months spent in barrel and a mere 13% alcohol, this expressive syrah, soaked in granite and garrigue, is as aromatic and evocative as many wines twice the price.

2017 Quinta da Leda, Casa Ferreirinha, Douro, Portugal

£59.10, hedonism.co.uk; £49, vintagewineandport.co.uk

I enjoyed an epiphanic tasting the other day at the brilliant Corrigan’s Mayfair. The restaurant formed a perfect backdrop for a simply spectacular line-up of Casa Ferreirinha wines. The Vinha Grande white, rosé and red from this historic Portuguese estate are three of the country’s most highly specced wines.

The focus of the tasting was the 2011 Barca-Velha (£545, hedonism.co.uk), Ferreirinha’s iconic red. I tasted the 1982, 1991, 1999 and the new 2011, and every wine was revelatory. The 2011 is the finest young Portuguese red wine I have ever tasted and awarded it a score of 19.5+/20 in my notes – this is a first for a Portuguese red. I have written up my full tasting notes and published them on my website.

But today my focus is on Quinta da Leda, Ferreirinha’s most famous vineyard and its eponymous single-plot wine. While Barca-Velha is a late-released, multi-site blend, Quinta da Leda is a very different beast, and I tasted the 2007, 2016, 2017 and 2018. I must insist that you buy the 2017 now. Do your research, drink another bottle, read more and drink another one. Then try the 2018, which will gain retail listings shortly. Then search for the 2016 – it must be out there. These are all magnificent wines, and while they are a tenth of the price of Barca-Velha, they lack nothing in passion, build-quality, epic skill and deliciousness. I can guarantee you your own vinous epiphanies if you follow my instructions this week!

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com)

2018 Petit Verdot by Belle-Vue, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France

£28.95, bbr.com

I have recently tasted several 2018 clarets. Many of the finer wines seem to deliver stylish, controlled characters with bright, pure fruit notes. Their freshness and balance sets them apart from the more muscular 2019s and the more decadent and opulently fruity numbers found in 2020.

While this is a rather simplistic overview of these three excellent vintages, I have found a wine that combines a soupçon of each in one bottle. The reason for the unusually delicious flavours in this wine is that it is made from 100% petit verdot, a grape that is increasingly important in this mighty region.

Petit verdot is famed for its deep, dark-tasting notes and inky colour. Isabelle Mulliez, the mind behind Belle-Vue, has used her oldest vines to make this enthralling wine. When her husband, Vincent Mulliez bought Belle-Vue in 2004 then sadly passed away in 2010, she was galvanised by the unique setting as well as the 80-year-old petit verdot in her vineyards. She makes small quantities of this fantastic cuvée alongside her more traditional blends.

Partly matured in terracotta amphoras, this is a thoroughly modern wine with a profound flavour that imprints a unique signature on your taste buds. Exciting, suave, vigorous, refreshing, and just starting out on a ten-year lifespan, I urge you to buy this inspirational wine and marvel at the vision and talent of the Mulliez family and their bold portfolio.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com)

2020 Régnié, Vallières, Jean-Marc Burgaud, Beaujolais, France

About £18, quercuswines.co.uk, golbornefinewinedeli.com, glugwines.co.uk, Nysa Wines, 020-7924 5727

There are two things that I love about this week’s tip. Firstly, a select handful of independent merchants have spotted this truly awesome wine, and they are to be applauded. Secondly, the wine itself is utterly thrilling, and it does a neat job of explaining the virtues of the 2020 vintage in Burgundy and Beaujolais in red-wine form.

January is Burgundy month, and I have already written copious notes on my website about the finest wines, which you should already be securing for your cellar. But as very few of the reds have found their way into bottle yet, and purchases are made as En Primeur “futures”, I thought I would find the most expressive example available in the UK right now and implore you to drink it. This very wine will explain the vintage in a couple of truly delicious gulps.

While many think of the 2020 Burgundy vintage as a high-quality white-wine year, the very best reds are dark coloured, ripe, and refreshing. The best reflect their vineyards precisely with crisp acidity and supple tannins. Jean-Marc Burgaud is considered one of Beaujolais’ superstar winemakers. While his Morgons are long-lived and his expressive Villages wine, Les Vignes de Lantignié, is always a beauty, it is this Régnié that combines the fruit clarity of the Beaujolais and the profound depth and elegance of his top Cru wines. Give a few bottles a road test, and if you like what you see there are many more recommendations to track down in my online notes.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com)

2020 Silver Lining, Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills, South Australia

£19.95, reduced to £17.95 by the case, greatwine.co.uk

Marty Edwards started his working life as an elite navy clearance diver. He then moved from special ops to working at his family vineyard, The Lane in the Adelaide Hills, where his wines won countless awards and legions of fans.

With 20 years of experience as a specialist viticulturalist, last year Marty struck out on his own, releasing a trio of scintillating wines under his new Silver Lining label.

Marty uses specific parcels of vines in the Hills and overlays them with the elegance and control found in the finest of European wine styles. My featured 2020 sauvignon blanc is as sophisticated and refreshing as any Loire superstar’s creation and, in addition, there is a 2020 chardonnay and 2020 shiraz available, too.

The sauvignon has the flavour silhouette of a Pouilly-Fumé, and the chardonnay is reminiscent of an infinitely detailed Premier Cru Chablis. His shiraz could not be further from the traditional Australian model, given it treads the boards between a crisp, nervy Crozes and a mineral-soaked Morgon. I have been given a sneak preview of the 2021 whites, too, and it is clear that this is a label to follow.

Marty was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2012, and in 2018 he embarked on cutting-edge treatment, undergoing a complex deep-brain stimulation operation. Sales of these terrific wines support Parkinson’s research and this vinous trio is a testament to his considerable talent.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com)

2017 Château Capbern, Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France

£20.68, justerinis.com

If you’re looking to keep the cash under control while drinking world-class wines this month, then look no further than these fine Bordeaux blends. Firstly, the extraordinary 2017 Capbern. Back in early 2018, during En Primeur week, winemaker Vincent Millet explained there were no problems with frost in Saint-Estèphe, so the yields were perfect in 2017 while others suffered.

The blend is 55% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot. When the wine was “born”, the fruit was smooth, clean and forward with classic Saint-Estèphe hall-marks of earthiness balanced with black fruit juiciness, and I strongly tipped it to blossom early in its life. Only a few years down the track, my predictions have come true – this is a stunning wine with amazing plumminess and a depth and nobility rarely found for £20.

Shave two pounds off this price, fly down to Bolgheri, and you will find a wine with a very similar blend (60% cabernet, 40% merlot): 2018 Yantra, Tenuta Sette Cieli, Monteverdi Marittimo, Tuscany, Italy (£18.28, laywheeler.com). It is a cool-climate “claret”, loaded with sublime minerality and pristine, energetic fruit. Made with sensational care and attention by the immensely talented Elena Pozzolini, this is a wine that points the way to an epic future for this perfectly situated estate.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

2018 Beeslaar, Pinotage, Stellenbosch, South Africa

£38, The Wine Society, 01438-741177, thewinesociety.com

Abrie Beeslaar made this magnificent wine from 25-year-old bush vines, and it was fermented in concrete tanks with regular punch-downs to gain as much extraction from the powerful pinotage skins as possible. It was then aged for 21 months in 40% new French oak barriques. There is nothing particularly unusual about this recipe, so why is this the most attractive pinotage I have ever tasted? It is extraordinarily expressive with silky black fruit and a hugely decadent mid-palate that runs on for minutes and then segues into a stunning, savoury, spicy, earthy finish. There is no pelt, burning rubber or pox of any kind – it is clean, fresh and structured and has more layers than a millefeuille.

All too often, South Africa’s most important local grape has a certain sort of funkiness which turns me off completely. Beeslaar has nothing but pristine, gloriously appointed, velvety fruit – it is shaped like a super Tuscan, built like a Cape(d) crusader and I know everyone who feels like me about this tricky grape will go nuts about this wine. Well done, Abrie – you are a veritable magician.

If you would like to dip your toe into the pinotage grape at a lower price point, may I direct you to the 2020 Radford Dale, Vinum Pinotage (£11.50, The Wine Society) – another squeaky-clean red with exquisite, deep, dark fruit and lashings of cocoa. Jo Locke MW, The Wine Society’s South African buyer, has done the impossible and found not one but two perfect pinotages this year!This the most attractive pinotage I have ever tasted, – clean, fresh and structured and with more layers than a millefeuille.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

A million dollars for a bottle of wine? It might seem a steep price to pay for a nice Californian red – even if it’s a six-litre “methuselah” bottle – but that’s what one bidder shelled out at a charity auction in November this year.

The bottle of Setting Wines’ “Glass Slipper Vineyard” Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 was auctioned off during the Carnival du Vin auction in New Orleans. It’s thought to be among the highest prices ever paid for a bottle of wine at auction.

While the auction was for good causes, and the bottle itself unique, the record price achieved is reflective of increasing interest from investors in a broad range of wine. Despite an increasingly crowded field of alternative asset classes – including new arrivals such as cryptocurrency – the appeal of wine continues to grow.

In part, that reflects the attractive investment returns that wine has consistently delivered. In the year to 30 June, wine as an asset class delivered gains of 13% according to the latest report from the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index. That was more than double the return achieved by any other asset class included in the index, from works of art to classic cars.

Nor was this a flash in the pan. Over 10 years to 30 June, wine delivered a total return of 119% according to Knight Frank. To put that figure into context, the UK stock market, as measured by the blue-chip FTSE 100 Index, returned around 22% over the same period. “The Covid-19 pandemic has underscored the resiliency of fine wine, which has enjoyed strong returns while displaying low volatility relative to most financial markets,” says Tom Gearing, CEO of Cult Wines, which he co-founded in 2007 to introduce fine wine as an asset class to investors.

Demand for investment quality wine has been boosted in recent years by growing interest from buyers in markets such as Russia and China, where wealthier investors are looking for international opportunities to deploy their savings. Supply, moreover, is limited; the most prestigious vineyards are already fully planted, and weather conditions can limit production in some years.

Investors tend to focus on the best wines from France – Bordeaux wines in particular, but also wines from Burgundy and Champagne. Italian wines are also attracting growing investor interest, and the investment market in the wine’s “new world” – including Australia and the US – is picking up.

Looking beyond the potential for strong returns, investment in wine has other benefits. Most importantly, investing in wine is enjoyable. Indeed, in many cases, wine investors start out almost by accident; their portfolios develop as a natural extension of their interest. They enjoy drinking wine, gain pleasure from exploring new wines and broadening their knowledge, become increasingly interested in collecting wine, and eventually begin investing more seriously.

Many investors also like wine for its physicality – it is a tangible asset unlike, for example, bonds or digital financial assets. Diversification is another benefit – the returns generated by wine investment have very little correlation to the performance of both traditional investments and to some rather more volatile alternative assets, such as cryptocurrencies.

Wine is also – pardon the pun – relatively liquid compared to other assets often grouped under the “alternative” category, some of which can be difficult to buy and sell quickly, potentially locking you in at times when you might want to do something else with your money. By contrast, there is an increasingly strong secondary market for wine trading; investors are typically able to buy and sell at the time of their choosing.

“At Cult Wine Investment, we passionately believe that an investment in wine benefits you more richly than traditional – or even other alternative – investments,” says Gearing. “By working closely with vineyards to support and champion their pedigree, we are able to deliver unprecedented access to rare, highly sought-after investment-grade wines. Connecting wine lovers with respected experts via exclusive events and bespoke experiences, while actively managing clients’ portfolios provides clients with an enriching experience.”

Cult Wine Investment works with investors to help them construct bespoke portfolios of wine according to their investment objectives and attitude to risk. It buys and sells the wine on investors’ behalf, and, importantly, it also takes care of issues such as storage and insurance. Investors have access to an online portal so they can monitor the value of their portfolios.

Investors are required to begin with a minimum stake of £10,000 for the business’s Cru Classe service. This minimum investment allows for the creation of a diverse portfolio of wines from different regions, producers, and vintages at a range of price points. A healthy wine portfolio will likely contain a mix of top vintages from iconic names from Bordeaux and Burgundy as well as new releases and wines from up-and-coming producers. For navigating these opportunities, Cult Wine Investment charges an annual management fee of 2.95%, though fees are lower on larger portfolios (2% for investment portfolios over £1m) invested with the company, with investors also benefitting from tastings and vineyard visits.

Finally, one word of warning. It is important that investors in wine deal only with reputable companies with a track record in the sector. Investment in wine is an unregulated investment – and there have been several high-profile scams - so unhappy investors have little recourse to financial watchdogs.

Learn more about Cult Wines

Disclaimer: Past performance is not indicative of future results. Returns calculated in GBP and may vary depending on exchange rates.

2019 Swinney, Farvie Frankland River Syrah, Western Australia

£85, greatwine.co.uk

Last year, I alerted you to the inaugural 2018 vintage of Farvie grenache and its sibling syrah. With scores of 19.5/20 and 19/20 respectively, these are two of the finest debut wine labels I have ever tasted. So how did these daring wines fare in the cooler 2019 vintage, and did they suffer from the all-too-familiar “second album syndrome”? I am beyond excited to announce that they are a triumph. The Farvie syrah gains a near-perfect 19.5 mark in my notebook, and Farvie grenache has to make do with a mighty 19!

In top-flight wines from warmer climes, such as South Australia’s Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, and the Rhône and Languedoc in France, syrah and grenache tend to summon up deep black-fruit notes only occasionally spiked with regal red-fruit tones. Spain has more luck with true red-fruit details, especially with bush vine garnacha. But Matt Swinney’s epic vineyards in Frankland River coupled with Rob Mann’s celestial winemaking mean these two wines taste densely red and labyrinthinely earthy, and therefore like nothing else on earth. Only 176 cases of each were made and you simply must have some in your cellar.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

2015 Château Laforge, Grand Cru Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, France

£18.99, available nationwide in Aldi

It is probably bad form to quote one’s own previously published work in this column, but here we go. To set the scene, back in April 2016 I tasted this wine out of barrel in preparation for my annual Bordeaux En Primeur Report.

This is what I wrote: “There are a few more members of the Laforge orchestra, in terms of flavour complexity, this year, and there is also more tannin here than I have seen before. This means it is a slightly bigger wine than expected and one that needs a few years before one can drink it. With a dark tone and a lovely luxurious nose, this is a black fruit compote of a wine, and there are even touches of mint here to freshen it up. This is a treat for wine lovers. 17/20.”

Made from 92% merlot and 8% cabernet franc and weighing in at around a hearty 14.7% alcohol, it is clear that six years down the track 2015 Laforge is an absolute stunner. Imagine my surprise when I found it in the Christmas line-up at Aldi.

I’ve searched the internet and can only find it overseas and at double this price! While it might seem a little strange to buy super-fine Right Bank claret in Aldi, I can assure you that this is one of the knockout clarets of the year and at just shy of 20 quid I would back up the estate car in the Aldi carpark and load up with as much as your suspension allows. Hurry, though, and get ahead of the stampede of SUVs starting any minute now.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

2018 Littorai, The Pivot Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, California

£470 in bond for six bottles, rennaisancevintners.com; £380 in bond for six bottles, Wimbledon Wine Cellar 020-8540 9979

The topic of top-end Californian pinot noir might seem a little esoteric, but I cannot get through this week without flagging up this wine for you because I know that there are super-nerd fans out there, and they will go gaga for this wine. The 2018 The Pivot is the finest American pinot noir I have ever tasted.

Made by Ted and Heidi Lemon from a 2.8-acre biodynamic vineyard, this is the most beautifully thought through, carefully judged, respectfully oaked and finely tuned red wine, and it manages to add a whisper of whole-bunch detail (37%), too – Ted and Heidi adding ravishing “seasoning” to their pristine fruit with consummate accuracy. I was so taken by this wine after first encountering it, I immediately bought three bottles and opened them for a series of my most forensic wine pals to enjoy. It passed every analysis with flying colours, accompanied by oohs and aahs.

I then poured it at a corporate event and a further 25 wine lovers fell at its feet. Please do look up Littorai and learn more about the Lemons and their talents because they are a fascinating pair. This wine has yet to secure a wine-shop listing, but two merchants have put their hand up with rather differing prices! My advice is to get in quickly because only 515 cases were made of this soon-to-be legendary wine.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

2007 Quinta do Noval, Colheita, Tawny Port, Portugal

£49.99, ocado.com

I have been struggling to find retailers for this wine, and it is a source of complete bafflement and exasperation for me because this is, without doubt, the most sensational tawny port I have ever tasted. I first sampled it on 8 April, and I still remember every single facet of its excellence. It ought to feature on every serious wine list in the country, but, as I file this copy, Ocado, while listing the 2005 vintage, has taken delivery of the 2007 vintage, and its wine buyer assures me that it will be updated on its website imminently.

The first word I wrote about this vintage tawny in my notes was “paradise”. There have only been seven Colheita releases in the 28 years that Christian Seely has overseen the historic Quinta do Noval estate. The single-vineyard, single-harvest wine, bottled after spending 13 years in barrel, is one of the most profound and moving wines of any style I can remember. It is drinking perfectly right now, with just the right amount of venerable, aged characteristics balanced by masses of admirable vigour and boundless energy.

But although my featured port is an absolute stormer, there was no Quinta do Noval Nacional declared in this vintage, so I wonder if we might see a 2007 Colheita Nacional appear on the market one day. If we do, I would feel compelled to give it a 21/20 score on the assumption that it might be a finer wine than this one, to which I have awarded my highest ever score for a tawny port – a perfect 20/20.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

2019 The Society’s Exhibition Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, France

£13.50, thewinesociety.com

Alexandre Caso started an agency in the Rhône supplying specialised labour for vineyard work, and his first employee was Guillaume, son of legendary Hermitage winemaker Marc Sorrel. After early successes, it was not long before they decided to branch out and so, in 2009, they rented some neglected vines in Saint-Joseph, followed by a hectare in Crozes-Hermitage in 2011 and a further parcel of Saint-Joseph in Tournon in 2012.

In the same year Nicolas Jaboulet, from the sixth generation winegrowing family in Tain l’Hermitage, joined forces with this intrepid duo, and they later created Maison & Domaines Les Alexandrins. You will find their wines in the best restaurants and wine merchants in the country. The sage palates at the Wine Society know a good thing when they see one. They commissioned this incredible Exhibition Crozes-Hermitage, which combines the remarkable tricks of tasting utterly sensational while sporting a thoroughly competitive price tag.

I cannot think of a red wine with as much heart and soul as this one. It is a sensationally accurate Crozes from a perfume and flavour point of view, as well as being laser-sighted with all autumn/winter recipes. I was going to save this stunning creation for my MoneyWeek Christmas special, but I would be devastated if it sold out in the next two months. You are the first to hear about it here.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

2016 Roda I Reserva, Bodegas Roda, Rioja, Spain

£38 per bottle, £228 for a case of six, laywheeler.com; £289.67 per case of six, goedhuis.com

We have all had to wait an eternity for the new Bond film to be released, and I have had to sit tight for a slightly shorter period for my favourite ever Roda I to arrive on our shores, and, in truth, it has felt longer than the 007 delay. But, as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait, and the world’s most famous secret agent and this epic Rioja have both hit impossibly high notes with their respective performances. I have followed Bodegas Roda for all of its 34 years, and I have tasted virtually every wine this imperial estate has made, so when I say that this is the most impressive Roda I Reserva I have ever tasted, I hope it spurs you into action. The merchants listed have indicated their enthusiasm for selling this wine, and at give or take 50 quid, it is hard to think of a Spanish red to compare with this cosmic creation.

It is stunningly well-made and everything from the epic nose to the profound palate, to the oak, fruit and depth of flavour is nothing short of astounding. It is still a baby, but is perfectly balanced and can be enjoyed now. This prodigious wine will run for a decade with ease, and it is a true vinous gem that deserves to strut its stuff on the very best dining-room tables in the land. If you want to grab a cheeky little bit of Roda’s magic for everyday drinking, then look no further than the fabulous 2018 Sela (about £20, albionwineshippers.co.uk, bottleswineshop.co.uk).

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

2020 Soalheiro, Primeiras Vinhas, Alvarinho, Vinho Verde, Portugal

About £26, thegoodwineshop.co.uk, wineandwhisky.co.uk

I experienced a eureka moment in August. While dining at a smarty-pants fish restaurant in Portugal, a wine waiter asked me if I wanted to taste a “special wine” they had just received but that hadn’t yet made it onto the wine list. Of course, my answer was yes. I am sure many readers will be familiar with Soalheiro – Portugal’s most famous, ubiquitous, bargain-priced and, it has to said, delicious Vinho Verde.

Goodness knows how many cases are made of this stuff because it lines up on every supermarket shelf in the country. In fact, it is one of the most exciting things about summer hols! I was aware of a hierarchy of VVs from this terrific winery, but I rarely come across them, and so when I was presented with 2020 Primeiras Vinhas by a sommelier who was bursting with pride and eager to know my thoughts, I was a little more than excited. This is, without any shred of doubt, the finest VV I have ever tasted, and it arrived in the country a few weeks ago.

We tend to drink Vinho Verde ice-cold under a blazing sun, but this top-of-the-range wine, made from the original and oldest vines and seeing the merest hint of oak, is a true epicurean’s delight. It is exquisitely expressive in every department without ever overstepping the mark. Chablis fans will know what I mean when I say it is the Raveneau of Vinho Verde. And when you have experienced this epic treat, track down 2020 Granit (handford.net, butlers-winecellar.co.uk, vinoteca.co.uk), another sensational wine from the Soalheiro portfolio.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com)

2020 Lirac Blanc, La Fermade, Domaine Maby, Southern Rhône, France

£14.50, yapp.co.uk

The wine-tasting invitations are flooding in and, when Yapp sounded the trumpet announcing a specialist Rhône extravaganza, I dropped everything to attend. Yapp has been the most famous Rhône specialist in the UK for all of my 35 years in this wonderful business, and so you will forgive me for writing you a shopping list of essential purchases this week, starting with this heavenly and extremely keenly priced white Lirac. Exotic, smooth, detailed and refreshing, give white Burgundy the heave-ho for a week or so and invite this wine into your repertoire.

In addition, 2020 Argiles Blanc St Gayan (£9.95) is a crazy bargain and a lovely light-white glugger for all-purpose entertaining. The 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Père Caboche (£25.50) is one of the finest value and most impeccably balanced whites I have seen from this renowned estate. The Crozes-Hermitage Blanc Alain Graillot (£25) is a snip to secure a white Crozes from the most famous of all estates in this dramatic region. The 2020 Le Petit Caboche (£11.50) is an ebullient, forward-drinking red from Vaucluse, and it is already into its stride. The 2019 Lirac Rouge Maby (£15.25) is the red version of my featured white, and it is sensational. The 2019 Sainte-Agathe Domaine Vernay (£24.75) is an epic syrah with Côte-Rôtie-esque pretension. The 2017 Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude Graillot (£42) was simply jaw-dropping. And finally, the NV Clairette de Die Achard (£17.95) is a hilarious fizzy sweetie.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

2017 Sino da Romaneira, Quinta da Romaneira, Douro, Portugal

£17.95, reduced to £15.95 by the case, leaandsandeman.co.uk

I find myself talking up great wines every single day. Last year I talked up 2016 Quinta da Romaneira Reserva on this very page, and it is a magnificent wine slowly evolving into a titan of the Douro. The 2017 vintages are in stock this year, and at 30 fewer pounds per bottle, this grand estate’s Sino is sounding genuine alarm bells in the wine trade. So, in contrast to my lifelong, spend-more-and-spend-accurately mantra, I am genuinely talking you down this week so you can experience a thrilling red wine with a thoroughly reasonable price tag.

Romaneira is run by Christian Seely of AXA Millésimes, which controls the interests of legendary estates such as Châteaux Pichon Baron and Suduiraut as well as super-star Douro leviathan, Quinta do Noval. Carlos Agrellos makes Romaneira’s ports and wines and while this is a small property and a less starry name, the wines crafted here are stunning.

Sino is made from traditional varieties Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional and Tinto Cão, it is matured in old oak for ten months, and it sports a genial 13.5% alcohol level. It is a pure and sonorous wine with immediate charm and drinkability – an epic advert for classic Douro red wines. There is more than a smattering of claret-like flair here – not surprising given Christian’s vinous heritage. So save some cash with this alluring, autumnal red wine.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com).

2016 Áster, Finca El Otero, Ribera del Duero, Spain

£38.50, reduced to £35.00 by the case, Bon Coeur Fine Wines 01325 776446, bcfw.co.uk

This is the fourth wine that I have written up from the La Rioja Alta wine company in the 783 times I have put pen to paper on this page. That’s a good percentage of appearances for a single wine company, but this red is not from Rioja. I must admit that I got a little excited as I tasted this masterful Ribera, and then my palate took a step back when I learned that the alcohol percentage is a little over 15% by volume! Hefty, but I can assure you that this lusty fellow is impeccably balanced on the palate. It is one of the most expressive old vine Riberas I have tasted, and given it is only five years old, the fruit and tannin, and the 16 months spent in new French oak, are all very integrated.

My wine-scribe pal Tim Atkin has awarded this beauty a heady score of 96/100. There is a phenomenon in the wine world called score-creep. This is when seemingly mesmerised wine journos hand out nosebleed scores to all manner of ill-deserving wines. This disease is rife in our industry and something which punters have wisely learned to ignore after having consumed far too many wines with high-nineties scores and dreary flavours. Mr Atkin is not one of these fools. If I scored wines out of 100, I would also be up among the clouds. There is another attractive number attached to this wine, too – £35 is a small price to pay for this degree of sophistication.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com).

NV Louis Roederer, Collection 242, Champagne, France

£52, Waitrose

I am out on a limb this week because, as I write this column, nothing is confirmed. I am crossing my fingers that Waitrose receives its stock on time so that come Monday you can be first in the queue to buy the finest-ever release of this exquisite wine. Hot on Waitrose’s heels, thefinestbubble.com should also have receive their allocation of 242.

Roederer is a serious House and the wine trade has held its breath, willing this wine to work. The 2017 vintage is the 242nd at this illustrious wine business and forms the base of this Champagne. Blended into the picture are reserve wines from 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, and oak is more than present in the whole.

Does it work? Yes, yes and yes again. It is very rare in our helter-skelter existence to have a world-famous wine company launch an affordable wine (yes, £52 in this context is affordable) with this much élan and obvious build quality. The 242 is every inch a Roederer wine, but it is a little more forward, lustier, more expressive and more palate-coating than the more refined, classical vintage releases which we traditionally treasure.

This is Roederer’s short-cut wine – it gives us an illusion of flamboyance and decadence, and it lasts just until you take the next sip and this, in itself, is a triumph. This is not a wine to cellar, nor is it one to analyse too closely. It is a wine to celebrate and drink with enthusiasm, and we all need things like this in our lives.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com).

2018 Château Deyrem Valentin, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, Margaux, Bordeaux, France

£31.99, available at 218 Waitrose stores and at waitrosecellar.com

It’s funny how my drinking habits have remained relatively constant over the years, even though my palate veers all over the place on account of the tens of thousands of wines that I taste. I don’t think I have dipped into a single claret since writing my Bordeaux En Primeur Report back in May, but I have been quietly willing September to arrive. Each year this glorious month signals to me, at least, that the Bordeaux season is back on, and it will stay with me for the next eight months. While it is always amusing to pluck bottles from the cellar, it is very rare to find top-flight, reasonably priced bottles of claret on the high street, and it is rarer still when they happen to be drinking rather well.

I have long been a fan of Deyrem Valentin, a hidden jewel in the Margaux crown. Made from 50% merlot, 49% cabernet sauvignon and 1% petit verdot, and spending 15 months in 50% new French oak, this classic recipe could result in any manner of flavour, but at Deyrem you can always rely on subtlety, balance, silkiness and style.

My mother told me some 50 years ago that her favourite style of red wine was Margaux. The wines these days are, on the whole, a lot more extracted and powerful than they were a couple of generations ago, but this is the sort of wine she would have adored. Deyrem has never altered its style – honed, engaging, polished and in perfect equilibrium; this is fabulous for autumnal drinking.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

2020 Dog Point Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand

£14.95, thewinesociety.com

Ivan Sutherland and James Healy met at Cloudy Bay over three decades ago. Along with fellow wine legends Kevin Judd and David Hohnen, these visionary gentlemen put the sauvignon blanc grape variety on everyone’s lips.

Long before Cloudy Bay launched in the mid-Eighties, Ivan and his wife Margaret were among the earliest Marlborough wine industry pioneers planting grapes in the late 1970s. After leaving Cloudy Bay, the Sutherlands and Healys set up Dog Point Vineyard and launched this stellar label in 2004.

I have followed this brand from day one, and they have only ever released exemplary wines. With this extraordinary history, pioneering spirit and genuine influence on the whole of the wine world and its drinkers, it was exciting to read that Ivan highly rates the 2020 vintage.

“For overall fruit quality, this is one of the best I have experienced in over 30 years in the NZ wine industry,” he says. His assessment is spot on: this is as classy, long, lean, brittle and invigorating as any Dog Point Sauvignon I have tasted. The Wine Society has just received a shipment from New Zealand, and the prices seem incredibly keen.

Alongside my featured wine, do pick up some 2018 Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc (£20) with its subtle, resonant oak-influenced palate; and also the majestic 2018 Dog Point Pinot Noir (£25), which is one of the finest and most controlled reds made here.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com).

2019 Dalrymple, pinot noir, Pipers River, Tasmania, Australia

£172.20 for six bottles (£28.70 each), vinvm.co.uk; £32.99, flagshipwines.co.uk; £29.95, fieldandfawcett.co.uk; £31.95, nywines.co.uk

As every year passes Dalrymple makes finer and finer wines. The 2011 vintage of this very wine made my 100 Best Australian Wines Report, back in 2013, and beautiful wines from this estate have popped up four times since. Every time they gather more intensity, flair and accuracy. Tassie’s climate is perfect for both elite pinot noir and chardonnay and over the last decade or so the wines have graduated from being diverting and enjoyable to seriously collectable and globally relevant.

Winemaker Peter Caldwell is a brilliant chap, humble, great fun, honest, and aware of just how bright the future is for his winery. As he says, “What I’ve learned is patience. Knowing that a vineyard is an evolving organism buffeted by climate and wind and rain and sun. There are no repeat years. No textbooks. The vineyard and I work together, each within our own limitations”. As you can see, Pete is intricately involved in his wines and so it is desperately exciting for me to introduce you to this scintillating 2019 vintage.

A genuine tour de force, this is one of the most exciting Aussie pinots of the year and the value for money is tremendous. With a heavenly black-cherry perfume, stunning depth of fruit on the palate and a liberal dusting of spice, coming from 24% new oak for 11 months, this is a must-buy for pinot freaks everywhere!

2018 Danbury Ridge, Chardonnay, Essex, England

£32, cambridgewine.com; £32.50, tivoliwines.co.uk, grapebritannia.co.uk, luckinswinestore.co.uk, padstowwinecompany.co.uk; £32.99, lokiwine.co.uk; £33, oldbridgewine.co.uk; £33.10, hedonism.co.uk; £35.50, jnwine.com

I have been waiting a while to taste the amazingly talented Liam Idzikowski’s new creations since he left Lyme Bay to work with Michael and Heather Bunker and their exceptionally well-situated, young vineyard in Danbury in Essex. Its wines are everything I hoped they would be and more, and you ought to do everything you can to find a bottle or two. Only 10,132 bottles were produced of my featured wine and the other three in this piece (MoneyWeek has many more readers than the bottles made at Danbury Ridge).

The reason for my excitement about these wines is their sheer impact and luxuriousness on the nose and palate. These are wines that do not, in any way, shape or form, seem like they come from a cool climate. My featured chardonnay is terrifically smooth, mildly exotic, juicily oaky, incredibly long, amazingly ripe and fabulously ostentatious. Its big brother, 2018 Chardonnay Octagon Block (£52), is even more structured and concentrated and, even though the oak is ridiculously expressive, it is a sensationally balanced wine. The 2018 Pinot Noir (£34) is equally posh and plush, with Volnay-like appeal and its texture is unlike any English pinot noir to date. The 2018 Pinot Noir Octagon Block (£55) adds even more spice, drama, head-turning fruit density and prodigious length. These are true signposts – pointing the way for us all to a stunning future for English wine.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com).

2018 Close Encounters, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Famille Perrin, Southern Rhône, France

£20, in 400 Co-op stores nationwide

This wine is absolutely delicious, it is only £20, it is a Châteauneuf-du-Pape made by the Perrin family – owners of the most famous CHNF (my time-saving abbreviation) of all, Château de Beaucastel – and it is available nationwide. My notes could, and probably should, end here because this is surely enough to get your vinous juices flowing. But there is a little more to the story.

This wine is an homage to an homage. The label refers to a genuine CHNF by-law that prohibits UFOs (or cigare volant, literally “flying cigar” in French) from landing in their vineyards. Back in 1984 Californian wine legend Randall Grahm, owner of Bonny Doon Vineyard, launched a red wine called Le Cigar Volant made predominately from syrah and grenache, thereby introducing the US to the joys of Rhône varieties.

I remember selling the very first release of this wine at The Barnes Wine Shop back in 1987. Three and a half decades later the Perrins have decided to thank Randall for his vision by making Close Encounters, referencing US cinema and also Randall’s own stunning artwork on the label. The story shows just how much respect there is flowing around the wine world – I can almost taste the thought and love that has gone into this wine. Congratulations to Co-op for putting it on our shelves at an affordable price.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

2018 Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Limited Release John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, South Australia

About £100 from all great fine-wine merchants from 1 September 2021

This is the most incredible Wynns Cabernet I can remember. This is a fairly heavy statement because I have been drinking these wines for 35 years and on my website you will find vertical tastings of Wynns epic reds going back to 1957. Wynns is Coonawarra’s most famous and historic wine estate and John Riddoch is its flagship wine. This is one of only a handful of Australian wines sold via La Place de Bordeaux, the elite distribution system for top Bordeaux châteaux and a limited number of top-class vins étrangers.

I am convinced this wine will be one of the most sought-after non-French wines since La Place opened up its portfolio to wines like Opus One. With only 35% new French oak barriques and hogsheads involved, the sensational Coonawarra Cabernet is allowed to sing at its purest and most melodic in this spectacular vintage. What amazes me is the extraordinary complexity of perfume, flavour, depth and length in this wine. It expands on the palate in all directions without being a heavy or imposing wine. I have awarded the wine a score of 19.5+/20 in my notes, which puts it in the very highest echelons of cabernet sauvignon in the world. The balance is extraordinary, not least because, at only three years old, it can be swallowed and savoured with ease, and yet there must be three or four decades ahead for this majestic wine.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

2016 San Leonardo, Trentino, Italy

£352.20 excluding VAT for six bottles and £776.40 excluding VAT for six magnums, honestgrapes.co.uk

When we were allowed to venture back into restaurants in May, the very first dinner I attended was at steak-haven Hawksmoor Seven Dials, in London, because on Monday nights it is a fiver for corkage. Feel free to check out my Instagram feed and you will see a bottle of 2004 San Leonardo sitting in a line-up of crazy bottles that my pals and I had been itching to share for over a year. I tasted the soon to be released 2016 San Leonardo a couple of weeks ago and, this time, I am itching to share it with you.

Owner Marchese Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga decided that this legendary Italian red, Trentino’s finest, deserved an extended period of ageing prior to release and his decision has paid dividends. Made from a blend of cabernet sauvignon, carménère and merlot in very much a Bordeaux style as opposed to a Super-Tuscan or Napa Valley manner, this wine is the epitome of class and restraint and it is just starting to drink, too. At a mere 13% alcohol, it is impeccably balanced and there is so much freshness and brightness on the nose and palate it is astonishing. Ripe cabernet cassis notes joust with greener tones from the carménère and wild lustiness from the merlot, and these elements combine beautifully on the sleek palate. Hurry to secure your stock now.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com).

2019 Donna Elvira, Fink Fiano di Avellino, Campania, Italy

£18, campaniawines.co.uk

Wine samples arrive thick and fast every day and they usually come from importers, distributors, wineries and merchants I already know. Occasionally, bottles appear from new discoveries and, because of the short lead times at MoneyWeek, I can get them on the page in a trice. From Sarah Fink’s first email introduction, via samples, tasting, research, checking and filing copy to these wines appearing here today has taken less than a month. This means you are hot on my heels in making these epic discoveries.

My lead wine, a fiano, is terrific, accurate, exotic, bitingly fresh and genuinely rewarding. I adore this stone-fruit-kissed variety and it sums up an Italian summer perfectly. There are three more beauties to recommend: the 2019 Donna Elvira, Fringilla Falanghina (£15) shows accurate fruit and herb notes and bracing freshness, underpinned by a volcanic tang and steely acidity; the 2019 Donna Elvira, Aegidius Greco di Tufo (£18) is calmer than the other two whites and more lemony in its theme; and a true rarity, the 2018 Donna Elvira, Settemazze Aglianico (£18), a delicious red made from a particularly obtuse, indigenous grape variety that, in the wrong hands, makes some of the driest and most tannic wines around. At Donna Elvira, it is juicy, smooth, intriguing, cherry-and liquorice-soaked and the polite astringency only arrives at the very end of the finish. What a line-up!

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

2018 Susana Balbo, Brioso Single Vineyard, Agrelo, Mendoza, Argentina

£22, thewinesociety.com

I usually prefer the entry-level red wines from the top Argentinian wineries to their top-of-the-range creations. More often than not the expensive wines are excessively concentrated and raucously over-oaked. Not so the wines from Susana Balbo. I listed her wines back in the Nineties on my Bibendum Restaurant wine list and she was so pleased she paid me a visit. Susana is not obsessed with scale and power in her reds, but with complexity, harmony and length. Try her 2020 Susana Balbo Tradición Malbec (£12, Marks & Spencer) to get you in the mood for my featured wine.

Brioso is the finest Argentinian red I can remember tasting. It is deep, long, controlled and luxurious, and every element of the 43% cabernet sauvignon, 26% malbec, 17% cabernet franc and 14% petit verdot blend resonates with extraordinary class, refinement and balance. It comes from the Dominio vineyard in Agrelo, situated at 980 metres, and this imbues freshness and poise in the fruit. Amazingly, it is aged for 15 months in 100% new French oak barrels, and the oak nuances have melted perfectly into the wine.

In terms of value, there are few wines in the world to touch this epic creation given its grand “Bordeaux” shape and unmistakable harmony. It is also drinking now –further proof that Susana is one of the planet’s most talented winemakers.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

2016 Yalumba, The Caley, Coonawarra & Barossa, Cabernet & Shiraz, South Australia

About £501 for three bottles in bond, frw.co.uk, bordeauxindex.com, bgvintners.co.uk, vinquinn.com, nickollsandperks.co.uk, uk.cruworldwine.com

I am so passionate about the blend of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz that, back in 2006, I started an annual competition in Australia to determine the finest wine that is made from what I call “the blend that defines Australia”. I believe that this partnership makes some of the most legendary red wines on earth. Penfolds Bin 389, Wolf Blass Black Label and Yalumba’s own Signature are three awe-inspiring interpretations of this historic style of fine red wine.

Back in 2014, an unlabelled 2012 vintage wine from Yalumba won my award and the next year the very same wine won the title again. The chances of this happening are akin to a lottery win. This wine was eventually released as 2012 Yalumba The Caley – Yalumba’s inaugural, super-premium, flagship red wine. Each release since has been nothing short of epic. I tasted the 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and my featured and soon to be released 2016 the other day and declared it the finest five consecutive vintage “vertical” I have ever tasted. I awarded the 2012 a perfect 20/20 score and this wine’s subsequent vintages have never dipped below 19/20.

The 2016 arrives in the autumn and you can reserve your stock now. A maximum of 250 cases are made so it is one of the rarest great red wines on earth. I awarded this 2016 another perfect 20/20 in my notes. You can see detailed tasting notes of each wine on my website.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

2019 Quinta do Romeu, Westerlies, Douro, Portugal

£15, xistowines.co.uk, 07980-616927.

Xisto Wines is run by Anton Mann and Lela McTernan and they import wines from Portugal under sail. Working with a new wave of young winemakers, they source sustainable, limited-release, high-quality wines bursting with character and a true sense of place. They have reconnected Bristol with its twin city of Porto, using sailing ships laden with their zero-carbon wine cargo.

I have picked two terrific red wines from their portfolio for you to enjoy – my featured suggestion for this week’s column boasts this legend on its label: “Made by Rebels, Shipped by Pirates, Drunk by Heroes!”.

My featured “Port O’Bristol” red is bursting with velvety bramble and spice flavours and, in spite of its youth, it is already drinking perfectly. The 2017 Quinta do Boavista Rufia (£17), made from 40% rufete, 40% jaen and 20% touriga nacional, has a sour cherry-cola flavour and a wondrous, bitter acidic kick on the finish.

Both wines are great fun, genuinely engaging and superbly responsible. While their method of transport to our shores is certainly ancient, and to be applauded, the flavours in these delicious red wines are modern, accurate and unlike any others I have tasted.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

2019 Stonier, Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia

£22.99, reduced to £18.99 in a “mix six”, majestic.co.uk

The delicious 2018 is perilously low in stock in store (and has sold out online), but I am told there will be no out-of-stock calamities for this wine! The Mornington Peninsula region, situated an hour south of Melbourne, makes arguably the finest boutique pinot noir in the world, outside of the Côte d’Or in Burgundy. I hosted an online masterclass last month and every single wine was a winner. I urge you to seek out examples from Moorooduc Estate, Paringa Estate, Ten Minutes by Tractor, Kooyong, Ocean Eight, Scorpo, Crittenden Estate and my featured Stonier. These are all elite wineries with epic wines and I do not use these descriptors lightly.

Stonier is the least expensive wine in the line-up and yet stood shoulder to shoulder with the big guns. It is, therefore, my nominated “cheerleader”. If you are new to Mornington, let Stonier be your guide to the treasures found here. The 2019 draws on fruit from across this unique maritime region and, with 5% of whole bunches used and even 10% new French oak in the mix, it has some of the filigree detail that adds complexity and flair to these exquisite wines.

I have known Stonier winemaker Mike Symons for nearly 20 years and he is one of the most considered, modest and supremely talented chaps in the country. His skill is not to be understated, particularly when you weigh up the value afforded by this impossibly beautiful wine.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com).

2020 Bob Short for Kate, Sauvignon Blanc, Glover Family Vineyards, Marlborough, New Zealand

£16.99, bancroftwines.com

Winemaker Ben Glover’s sister Kate passed away, after a long battle with cancer, in 2018, and this wine is a wonderful homage to her. The “Bob Short for Kate” label is a reference to a TV show she loved, Blackadder, and it is fitting that this is an energetic, organic, expressive, uniquely fascinating and memorable wine. Ben has been making stunning wines since 1998 and is responsible for hundreds and hundreds of labels, but this is, not surprisingly, his most sincere and considered wine.

On the surface, it might look to the casual observer like just another New Zealand sauvignon blanc, but no. Made from 88% sauvignon blanc and 12% semillon, and sourced from three of the oldest and most famous organic vineyards in the region, these two grapes are co-fermented to combine their aromas and flavours from the very first moment possible. The depth of flavour of the semillon brings gravitas to the sauvignon’s levity and the result gives us a Marlborough “sauvignon” with remarkable textural appeal under its haunting citrus and fresh herb perfume.

Fabulous value for money and utterly delicious to boot, I would urge you to taste this wine because it is a pioneering style that, with a handful of other creations, is charting a new course for this region.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com).