Valle de Viento, Old Vine Carignan, Cariñena 2013
The Carignan used for this wine is sourced from 25 year old vines grown on stony soils. The result is elegant, fresh and vibrant with a nice intensity...
Christelle Guibert joined Decanter in 2001 as tastings manager and – after a brief hiatus at Waitrose as wine promotion manager – she led the team as tastings director until 2018. During this time, she oversaw the monthly buying guides, the Decanter World Wine Awards and Asia Wine Awards competitions.
She is now wine director at The Conversion Fund.
When not in London, she is tending her single hectare of Melon de Bourgogne vines at Terre de Gneiss in Muscadet, Loire Valley.
The Carignan used for this wine is sourced from 25 year old vines grown on stony soils. The result is elegant, fresh and vibrant with a nice intensity...
This wine actually consists of 9% Semillon alongside the Sauvignon Blanc. Combined with an extended lees contact of 100 days, the result is a creamy textured palate with ripe exotic fruit...
Such a reliable wine from the experienced hand of Paul Cluver. There is some residual sugar (10.3 grams per litre), although it is not cloying...
An exclusive blend for Waitrose, which has a proportion of declassified Regnié cru in it. Lovely vibrancy, showing fresh, juicy and bright cherry fruit with hints of rose...
This may not be the most complex Barbaresco, but what do you expect when buying a sub-£10 bottle from a fine wine appellation...
Grown in the slate and clay soils of Bierzo, this wine is all about complexity and structure. A lovely aroma of ripe citrus and tropical fruits with almond and herbal hints leads into a rounded body with good grip and nice weight...
Jean-Claude Mas is a winemaker who knows a thing or two about how to get the best out of vines in this part of the world...
This extremely good value, all-Pinot Noir Champagne comes exclusively from grand cru vineyards. While it is packed with ripe pear and apricot fruit aromas, it is lifted by citrus and white flower notes...
The Marsanne grapes are sourced from the commune of Chavanay, home of Condrieu. This charming wine is from Yves Cuilleron’s entry level range, however, it offers much more in quality...
Chandon saw the potential of the Uco Valley in Mendoza and focussed on what they are doing best - sparkling wine made in a Champagne style using the classic grape varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir...
Distinctively Italian, this medium-bodied red is very approachable with fresh, juicy red cherry aromas and some spice...
It’s not often you see an almost 10 year old wine sub-£25 and quite rightly so. It will probably sell out in the blink of an eye so don’t miss it...
What started as one hectare plot, a gift from his father-in-law, has today become 180 hectares. Brocard is now the largest family-owned producer in Chablis, making benchmark wines...
This cuvée was launched last year and this is the 2nd assemblage, hence the name.
Made by the Ogier family, this is a slightly lighter style and it doesn't have the concentration of a textbook Châteauneuf-du-Pape...
Previously blended with other grapes, these two specific Chenin Blanc bush vine plots have always delivered superior quality and, since 2011, they are now bottled on their own to show their true colours...
Founded in 1946 by several farmers who created a small co-operative with the aim of improving the quality of the wine from the area...
Gorgeous floral scent with hint of elderflower and lemon zest...
Christelle Guibert recommends five of the best Marks & Spencer wines to drink this winter...
From the Aragon province in Spain, where big and alcoholic wines have been replaced with lighter, fresher and fruitier wines...
This typical white Rhône blend is full of personality with aromas of ripe peach, and apricot flavours with some herbal and almond notes...
From the most northerly Beaujolais cru, located just south of the Mâconnais, this St-Amour is a more elegant style with notes of red cherry and violet...
This is made from the indigenous grape Maratheftiko, which is often used to boost the colour and body of the more productive local grape Mavro...
Built in 1630, this Château was bought by an already well-established vigneron, Pierre Perrachon, in 1973. Today, Pierre-Yves and his daughter Charlotte manage the domaine with its 20 hectares...
This is a top-quality sparkling wine at a bargain price...
This reliable Burgundy house is family-owned...
Tailor made by the famous Bodegas Muriel, this 100% Tempranillo is made from old vines, with the oldest being 80 years old...
An unpretentious offering from the Gavi area run by a third generation family tending 65 hectares. This 100% Cortese is delicate, with white peach and crisp apple aromas...
Why are concrete eggs beginning to be used in place of more conventional fermentation tanks? Christelle Guibert provides an eggs-planation...
The best wines offered good value, found our judges...