I tasted 97 new wines from the UK’s biggest supermarket – here are the best (and worst)
A classy chardonnay from one of the hottest producers in Argentina? An atmospheric Brunello di Montalcino, drinking nicely now and perfect for pairing with a rib of beef? No, we’re not in a smart wine merchant but looking at the new wines in Tesco. The supermarket has just conducted the biggest review of its wine range in more than 15 years, launching 130 new products (and removing a similar number from its shelves, to make space) and some of them are really good.
“A key focus of the range change has been premium wines, over £10,” says product development manager Graham Nash, who looks after Tesco’s wines from Australia, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. Many of the switches have involved swapping, say one French red for another French red, but, says Nash, “We have given South American whites a bit more space because we felt there were some really good wines and they deserved a bit more attention.”
This week I tasted a long line-up of 97 of the new Tesco wines alongside some new vintages from bottles that have been in the range for a while. There were good wines from all over the globe and I found clusters of particularly impressive new additions from South Africa, Bordeaux, Australia and Spain as well as a couple of excellent South American reds. I’ve listed nine of the best new wines below – but kick off with one that’s not new, because it’s such a great budget buy.
10 bottles to buy
Palais St Vigny Côtes du Rhône 2023,
France 14%, Tesco, £5.45
This first bottle, from the Rhône, isn’t one of Tesco’s new wines but it is unbelievably good value. Gently spicy, it has juicy berry flavours and a hint of fig compote (the blend contains quite a wallop of carignan, a grape that gives that really figgy flavour often found in reds from the Languedoc). It’s also dry, unlike most cheap reds.
Tesco Finest Côtes de Gascogne Rosé 2023, France
12%, Tesco, £7.50
If you like to carry on drinking rosé in woolly-jumper season, try this rosé. Fruity (but not too fruity) and just off-dry, it’s a change of pace from Provence-style pinks. It’s made in south-west France using cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes, which give it a hint of blackcurrant flavour, like a very light kir.
Errazuriz Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2023, Chile
13.5%, Tesco, £9
A fairly traditional cabernet sauvignon that smells of red peppers and cassis, from one of Chile’s reliable and well-known brands. There’s a lot of intensity here for the price. A good one for autumn casseroles, enchiladas and cottage pie.
Querencia Garnacha 2023, Calatayud, Spain
14%, Tesco, £11
Free-wheeling, smooth and juicy, this is a gorgeous new-wave garnacha from north-eastern Spain. There’s no oak here, what you get is the soaraway flavours of red berry coulis with a hint of dried herbs. A super wine. And it’s organic.
Piccozza Alto Adige Pinot Bianco 2023, Italy
13%, Tesco, £12
One of a new pair of subtle, crisp whites (the other is a pinot grigio, also recommended, at the same price) from the mountains of northern Italy. Refreshing and bright with hints of orange blossom.
Olifantsberg Grenache Blanc 2023, Breede River Valley, South Africa
13.5%, £15 in 48 stores only
White grenache is having a big moment right now, popping up in lots of new supermarket wines, either as a stand-alone or part of a blend. It makes very sensual whites, with an airy, layered, caressing texture. This one combines that with notes of jasmine, orange zest and apricot.
Zuccardi Q Chardonnay 2023, Uco Valley, Argentina
13.5%, Tesco, £16
If you know, you know. Most people associate Argentina with malbec but among wine insiders the country also has a reputation for excellent chardonnay. Made by the immensely talented Sebastián Zuccardi, this is a brilliant wine, with subtle oak, that should please the Burgundy-drinking crowd.
El Enemigo Semillon 2022, Uco Valley, Argentina
13%, £18, Tesco, in 200 stores
Not a wine you expect to find at Tesco, this is absolutely brilliant, though definitely one for the “wine explorers” among you rather than the “pour me a prosecco or a Kiwi savvy B” crowd. With a creamy texture, and a subtle complexity that makes me think of waxy handmade paper with fragments of flower and fruit pressed into it. Think meadow grass, guava, pear, chalk and crystallised lime.
Alta Yarí Gran Corte 2022, Uco Valley, Argentina
14.5%, Tesco, £22
A big, glossy, cushioned, concentrated red that’s made from cabernet franc (60%), malbec (35%) and cabernet sauvignon. It smells of ripe red and black berries, oak spice, flowering redcurrant leaves and grilled red pepper. One for rich food.
Poggio Landi Brunello di Montalcino 2018, Italy
14%, £26, Tesco, 208 stores
Give me a plate of pasta, or a porchetta and rocket sandwich, a bit of autumn sunshine and a glass of sangiovese from Montalcino in Tuscany and I am happy. I didn’t expect this to deliver but it does.
Three to avoid
Casa Maña Chardonnay 2023, Spain
11%, Tesco, £4.09
A little bit sweet, with the flavour of tinned fruit, this is a white that does nothing for me. I know it’s cheap but anything you put in your mouth needs to taste better than this.
Paul Mas Sauvignon Blanc-Souvignier Gris 2023, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
12.5%, Tesco, £10
Paul Mas makes a lot of very reliable and a lot of very good wines. This one is a blend of sauvignon blanc with souvignier gris, which is one of the new hybrid Piwi grapes developed to be more resistant to diseases and vineyard pests, allowing for less use of chemicals when growing the grapes. But for me its strange, spice-and-nettles flavours don’t quite make the grade.
Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Rosé Champagne NV, France
12%, Tesco, £32
I know this is a brand that a lot of people reach for when they’re looking for an inexpensive champagne, but it’s just a bit bland and I could recommend at least half a dozen other sparkling rosés, from Champagne and beyond, that do a better job at the price.
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