I’ve discovered the ‘New Wines’ section at Waitrose Cellar, so I thought I’d have a nose around what’s landed and share my thoughts on the new bottles. A couple of these will be in my next basket. Which ones are you excited for?
I’m most excited for…
2023 Garnacha Blanca Limited Edition, Montecillo – ‘On the QT’ range
Straight out of the gate they have a new addition to their ‘On the QT’ limited edition range: a Garnacha Blanca from Montecillo from Spain (£21.25 from Waitrose Cellar). Bodegas Montecillo has been making wines since 1870 with 758 plots across Rioja, but this Garnacha Blanca is described as their wnemaker’s “most personal and intuitive wine”. The grapes come from the Alhama River valley, more specifically in the Barranco del Cora, 590 meters above sea level, which was planted in 2014. The wine is fermented in concrete tanks slowly, for five months, enjoying plenty of lees contact. This adds texture and creaminess to the wine. It’s then transferred to lightly toasted, new French oak where it spends a further 7 months maturing before bottling. It’s then cellared for six months before release – that means the 2024 vintage now in Waitrose is fresh out of the cellar. How likely I am to buy it? 9/10. Waitrose says: This wine is unforgettable, with flavours of apple preserve, freshly baked bread and flowers.
Other new arrivals…
There’s two new arrivals from the Spanish winery CUNE: a White Rioja and Ribera del Duero for £15.00 and £13.00 respectively. To be honest, I wouldn’t get too excited about those. The Celeste Crianza by Torres (£15.00, Waitrose Cellar) I think is the one you should plum for if you’re after a solid Ribera del Duero red at this pricepoint. I have tried CUNE’s barrel aged white Rioja before and been underwhelmed; maybe this new addition will be superior, but given you can spend the same money on some fabulous Italian white wines with real character, I’d be careful!
There’s also a new Syrah from France, interestingly with 10.5% abv alcohol only. Either they’ve done something funny in the winery, or they’ve harvested this fruit very early. That’s incredibly low alcohol. The wine is a 2024 Dauvergne et Ranvier IGP Syrah (£11.00, Waitrose Cellar). Even though the pricing is good, it’s hard to imagine it being “ripe, fruity and peppery” as Cellar says. How likely am I to buy it? 4/10 – and at least 2 of those points are curiosity!
Although it’s out of stock, there seems to also be the new Produttori di Manduria Sarda Verdeca (£15.00, Waitrose Cellar). I’ve had Verdeca before from Puglia in southern Italy. It is similar to Vermentino or a less aromatic Sauvignon Blanc. The grape variety makes for good wines, even greater fizz, but you can find it for good value so £15.00 feels punchy. I’d taste it to see if it’s got something special going on when it’s back in stock, as a southern Italian white like this could be a reliable staple for the wine rack. How likely am I to buy it? 7/10.
