To herald in the warm weather, UK supermarket Marks & Spencer showcased 111 sparkling, white, rosé, red and fortified wines.
These include 13 new wines and 34 new vintages of existing wines, many of which are under the popular Found and Classic ranges.
Scroll down for tasting notes and scores of the best Marks & Spencer buys for summer
Introduced last winter was the premium wine range, Collection: own-label wines made in collaboration with producers in the world’s best wine regions. A standout is the delicious 2022 Sainte-Victoire rosé from Côtes de Provence, which is new to the range and great value at £13.
Andrew Shaw, head of trading for drinks at Marks & Spencer, says its market share of English wine is up to 18%, with English sparkling wine sales up 50% year on year, making the category bigger than Cava. To try a great fizz for yourself, the 2018 cuvée made by Hattingley Valley (£30) – another new wine to join the Collection range – is excellent.
Value, own-label and branded wine picks
With the cost of living crisis showing no signs of abating, Shaw says M&S is moving away from broad offers on existing lines to ‘invest in incredible newness at everyday low prices… starting from just £5.50-£6’.
While we didn’t find anything at that price worth recommending on this occasion, for a few pounds more, the 2022 Saint-Mont Fleur de Lise rosé (£8), 2022 Found Vinho Verde (£8.50) and 2022 Classics Picpoul (£9) – all new vintages – are great buys for under a tenner.
Other fine own-label wines from Marks & Spencer include the non-vintage Champagne de Saint-Gall Premier Cru Brut rosé (£30) and 2022 Tradición Malbec from Susana Balbo (£12), both new to the Collection range.
In the branded wines, you can’t go past South African reliability with Graham Beck’s The Rhona Brut NV sparkling (£16) and, from Mr Chenin himself, Ken Forrester’s 2020 Reserve Chenin Blanc (£12), which earned Silver at this year’s DWWA.
Marks & Spencer wines to try this summer
The 20 wines below are from tastings in May 2023. Wines are available from one or both of M&S (in store and on online) or Ocado (online only).
