Waitrose’s performance at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) highlights a number of wines worth seeking out, including one of the 50 Best in Show award-winning wines.
This prestigious accolade was awarded to Chapel Down, Rosé, Kent, England NV, which was highlighted for its aromatic fruits and clean and emphatic palate. For an ideal apéritif, try the Gold medal winner La Val, Gran Añada Albariño, Rías Baixas, Spain 2019 which impressed with its harmony of tangerine riches and its crisp acidity.
Amongst the Silver medal winners you can find at Waitrose, Fief Guerin from France was awarded 94 points for its Muscadet Côtes de Grand-Lieu, Loire 2023, described as attractively aromatic with a savoury palate of stone fruit – at just £9.99 this wine is a brilliant value.
Scroll down to see our Waitrose Shopper’s Guide for DWWA-winning wines
For full-bodied red wines that make a perfect companion with your next BBQ meal, try one of the three Silver awarded wines: Bousquet, Finca Lalande Organic Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 2023 (94 points), El Piadoso, Gran Reserva, Rioja, Spain 2015 (91 points) and Gaia Organic Malbec, Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina 2022 (90 points).
This wine specialist has also long been committed to introducing shoppers to quality sweet and fortified wines across all styles. Kopke, Colheita Port 2010 (92 points), impressed the judges with its dried orange blossom, preserved peach and orange marmalade. Apart from the classics, the retailer has unique suggestions for wine-explorers, such as the Silver medal winner from Greece, Samos, Vin Doux, Aegean Islands 2023. The judges described the wine as well layered with aromas of honey, orange oil, papaya and lychee.
Of the eight Bronze medal winners you can find at Waitrose, there’s a wide variety of styles for every occasion.
Waitrose is a creative-thinking retailer that goes from strength to strength. The below list of award-winning wines is well worth a look before your next shop, in-store or online.
DWWA Shoppers’ Guide: Waitrose
Best in Show
Chapel Down, Rosé, Kent, England NV
Best in Show, 97 points
£31.99
The UK category is always a focus of great interest during our second week of judging – so there was excitement among the Co-Chairs when it became clear that, for the first time, an rosé sparkler was the English wine which had fought its way through to our Best In Show selection. A sign of climate change? Perhaps: red grapes are ever-easier to ripen here. But perhaps its success is also a function of the complex blend crafted by the winemaker – one that includes Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir Précoce (Frühburgunder in Germany) as seasoning for the 61 per cent of Chardonnay, the 23 per cent of Pinot Noir and the 9 per cent of Pinot Meunier. Whatever the reason, we found the wine hard to resist. Its petal pink couldn’t look prettier in the glass, while the aromatic fruits are satisfyingly restrained and subtle, and the palate clean and emphatic. The English-season acidity – always prominent, but satisfyingly ripe here — is lent interest by a mineral-salt undertow as well as a soft sherbet charm. Alcohol 12%
Gold
La Val, Gran Añada Albariño, Rías Baixas, Spain 2019
Gold, 95 points
£29.99
A showcase of granitic terroir: serious, taut and engaging with a harmony of tangerine riches and a wonderful crisp acidity evoking its origins beautifully. Stunning. Alc 12.5%
Silver
Fief Guerin, Muscadet Côtes de Grand-Lieu, Loire, France 2023
Silver, 94 points
£9.99
Attractive aromatics of ripe pear and light mineral notes, with a savoury palate of stone fruit and hints of fresh dough. Alc 11%
Camel Valley, Pinot Noir Brut, Cornwall, England 2021
Silver, 92 points
£35.99
Ripe freshly crushed red fruit flavours, with floral, verbena aromas. Broad and expressive with some vanilla notes giving complexity. Alc 12.5%
Paul Mas, Réserve Blanc, Languedoc, France 2023
Silver, 92 points
£9.99
Complex fruit aromas of apple, kiwi, banana, pineapple and citrus fruit. Textured and fresh on the palate with a persistent finish. Alc 13%
Kopke, Colheita Port 2010
Silver, 92 points
£42.99
Dried orange blossom, preserved peach and orange marmalade, along with sherbet and candied citrus notes and a lovely fresh bees wax character. Alc 20%
Inama, Foscarino, Soave Classico, Veneto, Italy 2021
Silver, 91 points
£24.99
Ripe fruit with tropical and smoky volcanic notes. Evolved, intense, with a very secure follow through and salted lemons finish. Great purity. Alc 12.5%
Mirabeau, Classic, Côtes de Provence, France 2023
Silver, 90 points
£13.99
Sweet spice on top of ripe red fruit aromas. Lemon sherbet and herbal citrus fruits on the palate, with a delicious, lipsmacking ‘want more’ finish. Alc 12.5%
Samos, Vin Doux, Aegean Islands, Greece 2023
Silver, 90 points
£9.99
Well layered nose showing aromas of honey, orange oil, papaya and lychee. Lusciously sweet palate, with a long honeyed finish. Alc 15%
Bousquet, Finca Lalande Organic Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 2023
Silver, 94 points
£10.99
Bright blackberry and raspberry fruit aromas with notes of violets. Very juicy, with really smooth tannins and a lovely core of fruit. Alc 14%
El Piadoso, Gran Reserva, Rioja, Spain 2015
Silver, 91 points
£17.99
Delicate oaky and plum jam aromas, with touches of red apple peel. Well-crafted and lovely to drink. Fully mature character. Alc 13.5%
Gaia Organic Malbec, Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina 2022
Silver, 90 points
£16.99
Lively nose displaying aromas of violets, plums, sage, black pepper and hints of tobacco. Rounded, with well integrated tannins. Alc 14.5%
Bronze
Waitrose Blanc de Noirs Brut, Champagne, France NV
Bronze, 87 points
£27.99
Inviting nose of smoked stone, then to a palate of raspberry, cherry skin, tart red fruit and a buzzy acidity. Alc 12.5%
Altos de Torona, Albariño, Rías Baixas, Spain 2023
Bronze, 88 points
£14.99
Aromas of lemon pith and peach yogurt, with touches of pear. Mineral with a crisp texture. Alc 12.5%
Blind River, Sauvignon Blanc, Awatere, Marlborough, New Zealand 2023
Bronze, 87 points
£13.99
Elegant floral nose with notes of lime and grapefruit. Crunchy with a light saline note and a long finish. Alc 13%
Waitrose, Loved & Found Carignan Blanc, Vin de France 2022
Bronze, 86 points
£8.99
Subtle pear, honeydew and peach aromas on the nose. Fresh and pithy on the palate with a citrusy finish. Alc 13%
Waitrose No1 Foundation Syrah, Cederberg, South Africa 2022
Bronze, 89 points
£12.99
Dark fruit, white pepper and a touch of coffee aromatics. Elegant and bright yet quite powerful with a long finish. Alc 14%
Château Tanunda, Shiraz, Australia, 2022
Bronze, 88 points
£9.99
Smoky nose of plum, tobacco and tar, with crunchy dark blackberry, charred oak and liquorice on the palate.
Alc 14.5%
Paul Mas, Réserve Rouge, Languedoc, France 2023
Bronze, 88 points
£9.99
Fresh concentrated dark fruit, blackcurrant and leather nuances. Mellow and soft tannins, ripe and fruity. Alc 13.5%
Château Lalande d’Auvion, Médoc Cru Bourgeois, Bordeaux, France 2020
Bronze, 87 points
£14.99
Subtle cedar and red cherry nose, with a juicy strawberry fruit palate, and chalky tannins. Alc 12.5%
