Majestic is the UK’s largest specialist wine retailer, with more than 200 stores. Its latest press tasting showcased an eclectic range of 109 sparkling, still, sweet and fortified wines, with the aim of highlighting diverse styles, price points and grape varieties in the run-up to the festive period.
Scroll down to see our picks at Majestic
The own-label wines are always worth a look. The Definition range, introduced nearly 10 years ago and relaunched in spring 2024, aims to capture the quintessential qualities of the world’s greatest wine styles, and make them accessible to all wine lovers. The range sits above – and generally offers more excitement and individuality than – the Chosen by Majestic range, which was launched last year, though there are still good buys to be found here.
Highlights
A particular highlight of the autumn press tasting was a line-up of fantastic-value reds from Languedoc-Roussillon, sourced by regional France buyer Matthew Fowkes. ‘I often feel that regional France can get overlooked, but these harder-to-find growing regions offer some of the best wines, and value for money that I’ve seen in my career.’ The selection of 30 wines below includes six of these cracking buys, which span a range of appellations and grape varieties. Five of the six are priced at under £15 for a single bottle, and are even cheaper at the mix-six price. The full-bodied Minervois-La-Livinière wine from the Gérard Bertrand-owned Ch. Laville Bertrou, is more expensive (£29.99, single bottle), but would be a delicious treat on a chilly winter’s evening.
Another highlight was the range of sweet and fortified wines, offering inspiration for anyone looking for a festive treat. The Fonseca LBV offers a great-value way into vintage Port, but explore the more offbeat styles that were on show too: the sweet Marsala and the Recioto della Valpolicella are both a steal at the price, even for a half-bottle.
Prices
The dual pricing system sees customers paying higher, single bottle prices where they buy up to five bottles at any one time. When customers buy six or more bottles (any mix of bottles is fine), the lower mix-six price applies. There is sometimes a considerable difference between the two prices, and the single-bottle prices often seem a little high, so it really is worth waiting until you want to buy at least six bottles before visiting Majestic (or its website, which operates the same pricing policy).
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Top picks from Majestic’s current range:
The 30 recommendations that follow are mainly a mix of new wines and new vintages tasted by Amy Wislocki in September 2024 at Majestic’s Autumn 2024 press tasting in London, and wines tasted by the Decanter tastings team at previous press tastings that are still available.
All prices listed below are single-bottle prices. There are savings to be made, sometimes significant, when you buy a minimum of six bottles (any mix). The mix-six prices are given within the individual tasting notes. All bottle prices are correct at time of publication; however, the single-bottle and mix-six prices do tend to fluctuate, so check on the Majestic site for the latest prices.
