Co-op is the UK’s fifth-largest food retailer, and one that puts an emphasis on sustainability and fairness, as well as good value. A roundup of top-performing wines from this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards emphasises all three.
With two Value Golds at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards, Co-op had a lot to shout about. Just 42 wines from the 18,244 wines tasted earned the Value Gold accolade at this year’s competition, so it’s no mean feat.
Judges awarded 95 points to Grove Mill Sauvignon Blanc 2021 from New Zealand’s Wairau Valley. With its aromas of cut grass and asparagus, this wine has plenty of varietal character – and at £9.95 per bottle, it offers excellent value as well as exuberant fruit.
The other Value Gold (also with 95 points) went to another New World wine, Co-op Irresistible Carmenère 2021 from Chile. This wine, too, showed plenty of varietal character. Judges noted its typical red pepper and soy aromas and cassis flavour and called it ‘A lot of wine for the price.’ At £7 a bottle, it’s hard to beat.
Scroll down to see our Co-op shopper’s guide
The Irresistible range is Co-op’s premium own-brand food and drink range. Two further wines from the range, made in very different styles, were awarded Silver medals.
The Marsanne grape variety doesn’t turn up on many supermarket shelves, so well worth seeking out is Co-op Irresistible Marsanne 2021 from the Pays d’Oc in southern France. Fans of this grape variety will enjoy the wine’s combination of gentle tropical fruit and citrus acidity.
Its stablemate, Co-op Irresistible Pedro Ximénez NV, is one that sherry lovers shouldn’t miss, showing loads of caramel richness and dried figs on its generous palate. It’s a wine that lives up to its ‘Irresistible’ label.
Co-op is well known for supporting and promoting Fairtrade wines and at this year’s competition, six Co-op Fairtrade wines earned Silver or Bronze medals. Topping the list with 92 points and a Silver was a wine from Argentina: Co-op Fairtrade Bonarda-Malbec 2021 from the Famatina Valley, with an enticing mix of sweet fruit and savoury undertones, costing just £5.25 a bottle.
Co-op has some 2,500 shops across the UK, and you can shop for your wines online too. Find our full Co-op shopper’s guide below, including tasting notes and prices. All wines listed have been tasted and rated by some of the world’s leading wine experts at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards.
DWWA Shoppers’ Guide: Co-op
*Value Gold denotes wines under £15 retail. Learn more about DWWA Value categories here.
Gold
Grove Mill, Sauvignon Blanc, Wairau Valley, New Zealand 2021
Value Gold, 95 points
£9.95
Very attractive, clean lifted generous nose displaying scents of fresh cut grass, asparagus, gooseberry and peaches. Slightly sweet, with a vibrant harmonious acidity. Alc 13%
Co-op, Irresistible Carmenère, Maipo, Chile 2021
Value Gold, 95 points
£7
A deliciously peppery style and a lot of wine for the price! There are attractive varietal aromas: roasted red pepper, soy, rich cassis, and a hint of mint. The palate is dense, with firm-ish tannins, yet rounded and showing a lovely freshness. Impressive. Alc 14%
Silver
Co-op, Irresistible Marsanne, Pays d’Oc, France 2021
Silver, 90 points
£8
Broad and expressive nose of peaches, banana, stony notes. Juicy fruit palate, lime and melon, minerality through long finish. Alc 13%
Quinta da Lixa, Vale dos Pombos, Vinho Verde, Portugal 2021
Silver, 90 points
£6.25
Apple and floral nose. A smart well-made blend with lemon sherbet character and white pepper notes. Very pretty! Alc 9.5%
Co-op, Fairtrade Bonarda-Malbec, Famatina Valley, La Rioja, Argentina 2021
Silver, 92 points
£5.25
Floral and fragrant with red fruit, herb and olive aromatics, and the palate is laced with inky, dark fruit. Alc 13%
Kleine Zalze, Shiraz-Grenache-Viognier, Western Cape, South Africa 2020
Silver, 92 points
£7.85
A dark, broody wine. Loaded with black plummy fruits, cherry cola, and notes of white pepper on a subtle smoky finish. Alc 14.5%
Barón de Ley, Varietales Graciano, Rioja, Spain 2019
Silver, 91 points
£12
Prune, dried fig, chocolate and purple fruit nose. The palate is rich and concentrated with attractive, well-integrated oak, wood spice and lively acidity. Good potential. Alc 14%
Co-op, Irresistible Pedro Ximénez, Jerez, Spain NV
Silver, 90 points
£6 | 37.5cl
This is stupendous stuff for an entry level PX. Deep flavours of carob fruit, caramel and dried figs. Great balance for such a sweet wine. Superb PX expression! Alc 17%
Bronze
Bosman, Adama, Blouvlei, Wellington, South Africa 2021
Bronze, 89 points
£10
Roasted pineapple tropicality on the nose. Light, fresh, zesty palate of apple and stone fruit.
Alc 12.3%
Co-op, Irresistible Viognier, Pays d’Oc, France 2021
Bronze, 89 points
£8
Earthy stone and orchard fruits with notes of anise. Fresh with some apricot-kernel bitterness. Alc 13.5%
Paul Mas, Silène Chardonnay, Limoux, Languedoc, France 2021
Bronze, 87 points
£10
Honeydew melon, lemon, and lots of vanilla-edged toasted oak. A rich and rounded palate with cleansing acidity. Alc 13.5%
Co-op, Fairtrade Pinot Grigio, Famatina Valley, La Rioja, Argentina 2021
Bronze, 86 points
£6.50
Lovely aromas of pear, white flower and green apple; palate of vibrant pineapple and lemon. Alc 12.5%
Co-op, Fairtrade Torrontés-Chardonnay, Famatina Valley, La Rioja, Argentina 2021
Bronze, 86 points
£5.25
Inviting aromas of orange blossom and lemon zest lead to a floral palate braced with a lovely acidity. Alc 12.5%
Les Vignerons d’Aghione, Casanova Costa d’Oru, Ile de Beauté, Corsica, France 2021
Bronze, 88 points
£7.50
Copper gold colour. Peach and strawberry leaf aromas. Fresh and zippy peach on the palate. Alc 12%
Barón de Ley, Reserva, Rioja, Spain 2017
Bronze, 89 points
£12
Intense blackcurrant, black cherry, oak spice and herbal nose. The palate is rounded with some spice and red fruit characters. Drink soon. Alc 14%
Co-op, Fairtrade Irresistible Malbec, Famatina Valley, La Rioja, Argentina 2020
Bronze, 88 points
£7.50
Pretty nose of sweet spice and blueberry, palate of plush plum, cherry and silky tannins. Alc 13%
Kleine Zalze, Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Coastal Region, South Africa 2020
Bronze, 88 points
£8.25
Coffee bean mocha edge to black fruits with violet edges. Dark berry fruitcake on the finish. Alc 14.5%
Bosman, Adama, Western Cape, South Africa 2020
Bronze, 87 points
£10
Wild dark berries and sour cherry mix with menthol aromatic and exotic spices. Plenty of appeal. Alc 14%
Co-op, Fairtrade Cabernet Sauvignon, Famatina Valley, La Rioja, Argentina 2021
Bronze, 86 points
£6.50
Inviting toasty aromas on the nose lead to a palate of red and black fruit braced by neat tannins. Alc 13%
Co-op, Fairtrade Merlot, Famatina Valley, La Rioja, Argentina 2021
Bronze, 86 points
£6.50
Pretty aromas of balsamic, blackberry and herb, the smoky palate is laced with plush, plumy fruit. Alc 13%
