Aiming to champion the very best retailers out there, there's perhaps no better time than the holidays to shine a light on this year's Decanter Retailer Awards winners for a top selection of wines and outstanding service.
If you’re in the UK this holiday season, look no further than the winners of the Decanter Retailer Awards as your guide to the best wine shops, online retail, wine support services and wine lists across the nation.
Whether looking for the perfect gift for a wine lover or advice on which wines to pair with your Christmas dinner, these expert retailers have you covered, and with 18 award-winning Specialist Retailers alongside the best local, national and online retailers, we recommend you check out the shortlist and results, and seek out the retailers that appeal most.
Scroll down to see our holiday wine recommendations, available now from a selection of this year’s award-winning retailers
But if short on time, we’ve highlighted some of this year’s winning Specialist Retailers below with a selection of holiday wine recommendations available to buy now – all tasted and rated by our expert judges at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards.
From food-friendly whites and reds to evening digestifs, plus top-scoring sparkling wines from France, Spain and the UK to ring in the New Year, these award-winning wines and retailers are worth discovering…
Award-winning wines for the holiday season from the UK’s best retailers
*Prices correct at the time of publishing, but subject to change.
Lay & Wheeler
Champagne & Sparkling Specialist Retailer of the Year
Charles Heidsieck, Blanc des Millénaires Brut, Champagne 2006
Silver, 94 points
£121.63 ex VAT
White toast and sourdough opens the show; flowers behind. This hums along with quite a spritzy motor. Long and luxuriant.
Perrier-Jouët, Belle Epoque Brut, Champagne 2004
Silver, 90 points
£176.23 ex VAT
Evolved fig, quince and plum nose; attractive flowers on the mid-palate, along with lemons, lime juice and a flinty elegant backdrop.
Grape Britannia
England & Wales Specialist Retailer of the Year
Gusbourne, Blanc de Blancs Brut, Kent 2016
Platinum, 97 points
£59.00
Taut and elegant with a fine mousse. Hawthorn and elderflower give way to crisp green apple and quince characters. The palate explodes with buttered brown toast and thickly spread lemon curd. Super crisp and long.
Chapel Down, Rosé Brut, Kent NV
Platinum, 97 points
£29.99
Wonderful power here. Aromatically concentrated with bright, fresh strawberry and raspberry characters. Lively and zesty on the palate with vivacious raspberry flavours, creamy mousse, and toasty complexity. Long, finessed finish.
Decanter World Wine Awards 2021 Winners Case
Six top medal-winning wines from the UK
Current Offer while stocks last – £173.21, usually £192.46
Includes Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2016 (Platinum), Chapel Down Rosé Brut NV (Platinum), Chapel Down Kit’s Coty Bacchus 2019 (Gold), Ashling Park Cuvée Brut NV(Silver), Albourne Estate Bacchus 2019 (Silver), Harrow & Hope Brut Rosé 2018 (Silver)
The Tapas Room
Spain Specialist Retailer of the Year
Sumarroca, Gran Reserva Brut Nature, Cava 2017
Silver, 90 points
£22.00
Buttered toast, hazelnut, brioche and caramelised lemon peel nose. A developed style with excellent integration and depth and layers of flavour continuing through the long finish.
Lustau, Del Puerto, Fino, Sherry NV
Silver, 90 points
As part of Spanish Hamper – £60.00
Yeasty, savoury smoky notes, with almond skin, zingy vibrant freshness; very classic and pure with lots of intensity. Saline finish.
Majestic Wine
New Zealand Specialist Retailer of the Year
Yealands, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2020
Silver, 90 points
£10.99
Punchy herbaceous, lime nose, some tropical hints. Flavours follow through attractively, focused notes of gooseberry and elderflower under bright tropical character.
The Vinorium
Australia Specialist Retailer of the Year
Domaine Naturaliste, Artus Chardonnay, Margaret River, Western Australia 2019
Silver, 91 points
£31.50
Ripe, balanced wine with yellow apples, pears and spicy oak character. Good weight and intensity, with a hint of vanilla showing at the finish.
Goedhuis & Co
Burgundy Specialist Retailer of the Year
Henri & Gilles Remoriquet, Au Dessus des Malconsorts, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru, Burgundy 2018
Silver, 90 points
£97.68
Black cherry and plum aromas. Smooth and delicate texture with polished, silky tannins and earthy, smoky notes. Lovely long length.
Taste Argentina
Argentina Specialist Retailer of the Year
Viña Cobos, Bramare Malbec, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza 2019
Gold, 96 points
Current Offer while stocks last – £28.99, usually £29.99
On the nose, showing complexity and elegance with vanilla and lovely juicy dark fruits. Well-judged oak use on the palate with ripe resolved tannins.
Cambridge Wine Merchants
Sweet & Fortified Specialist Retailer of the Year
González Byass, Del Duque VORS Aged 30 Years, Amontillado, Sherry NV 37.5cl
Gold, 96 points
£24.99
Complex array of aromas, from toasted nuts, honeycomb and burnt orange through to leather and wood polish. This follows through on the palate and through to the spectacularly fresh and zesty finish, too.
Bodegas Hidalgo, Wellington 20 Years, Palo Cortado, Sherry NV 50cl
Gold, 95 points
£27.99
Sweet vanilla and toasted nut bouquet. Spicy and round on the palate, very well balanced with great freshness and a slight tannic grip. Hints of 90% dark chocolate and cocoa round off the finish. Long treacly finish.
The Wine Society
South & Regional France Specialist & Portugal Specialist Retailer of the Year
Domaine de La Rectorie, Cuvée Léon Parcé, Banyuls, Languedoc-Roussillon 2018
Platinum, 97 points
£22.00
Opulent and inviting with layered aromatics of plush blackberry, rich plum and creamy damson, then to a palate textured with blueberry, violet, damson, chocolate, cinnamon, clove and a hint of spiced liquorice.
The Society’s Exhibition, Crusted, Port NV
Silver, 91 points
£16.50
A bright, ripe-fruited nose with cassis and black cherry. Quite linear and focused but with a silky smooth texture.
