Nowadays, as any Scot will tell you, Ned is not a meek, stick-thin shepherd boy. He is a surly, often hooded young ruffian, usually found hanging about on a street corner. A scallywag. A reprobate. A ‘Non-Educated Delinquent’. Except when we’re talking about The Ned, in which case the name refers to one of the highest mountains close to Marlborough’s Waihopai Valley, around which winemaker Brent Marris has established some fine vineyard sites. Happily, the wines are far from delinquent, but are smartly presented, brimming with class, and have excellent table manners. Brent is one of the founding fathers of Marlborough winemaking as we know it, so I couldn’t resist going along to an intimate tasting evening last week hosted by the man himself, where we would have a personal insight into Brent’s winemaking and the opportunity to compare some of The Ned’s latest releases.

Sauvignon Blanc is of course the cornerstone of the range. The 2010 vintage has only just been bottled, and is showing just as well as the excellent 2009, with well-defined citrus and herb aromatics. Although supremely fresh and youthful, the fruit showed surprising ripeness and a soft edge, but a touch of minerality helps the wine maintain a tight structure all the way to the finish. Interestingly, The Ned has been the Sauvignon Blanc of choice on KLM Airlines for the last couple of years, chosen for its ability to cut through the palate-dulling effects of 30,000ft of altitude.

Next up was the 2010 Pinot Grigio. This grape variety is rarely among the first plantings for New World winemakers, who have traditionally concentrated on the usual benchmark whites of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Surprising in a way, seeing as Pinot Grigio has long been established as one of Europe’s most versatile varieties. Employed in both the sweet style of Alsatian Pinot Gris, and in the dry Pinot Grigio of Italy, where the much warmer conditions also allow production of the delicate ramato rosé, when the sun-soaked Pinot Grigio grapes turn lobster pink (as you and I might well do in the heat of a Tuscan summer). The Ned wine is labelled as Pinot Grigio, which is intentionally indicative of its dryness and its fresher fruit profile, which place it closer in style to that of Italy. Marlborough’s abundant sunshine is also in evidence in the wine’s pale pink tinge. However, this wine still doffs its cap to Alsace, with the merest hint of residual sweetness helping to bring out the grape’s melon and honeysuckle characters, and adding a touch of palate-coating unctuousness to an otherwise light and crisp wine. When asked if he’d ever consider making an actual rosé, Brent’s answer was a resounding ‘no’, despite the style’s current popularity. Having seen and tasted The Ned Pinot Grigio, I can clearly see why he doesn’t feel the need: it straddles the bases normally covered by dry rosés and apéritif wines, while still maintaining its own unique stance.

A back-to-back tasting of the 2008 and 2009 Pinot Noirs followed, giving us a gentle pull back to the old school, with both vintages showing remarkably prominent savoury, Burgundian characters against a backdrop of Marlborough’s pure and precise fruit. 12 months’ bottle age is a fair amount in Pinot Noir terms, and the 2008 wine was noticeably displaying more development than the 2009, with softer fruit, and those classic wild mushroom notes on the nose. The acidity was still nicely taught, balanced out by plenty of red berry fruit on the mid-palate, and offered plenty of grip, despite the light tannins. By comparison, the 2009 was decided more youthful, with seemingly brighter fruit and with its secondary character defined more by smoky, bacon-like notes on the nose. Although a little bolder than the 2008 at present, the 2009 had the feel of a wine that will age and mellow in a nice linear fashion, with all its elements being well-balanced and smartly structured.

Rounding off The Ned range was the 2009 Noble Sauvignon Blanc. While the Sauternes, Raisined Muscats and Tokaji heavyweights of this world are here to take on the big, chocolatey puddings, as dessert wines go, this Sauvignon is perhaps in the welterweight division: fruit-based desserts and tangy, creamy cheeses are the likely opponents. I say ‘division’, but I can’t think of many dessert wines with a similar blend of lightness and punch. Using around 70% botrytised grapes, fermented partly in barrel, the wine possesses some complexity, with a pleasant blend of lychee and candied citrus zest flavours. However, it’s the lightness with which these are delivered that marks this out as a potentially more versatile partner for a range of desserts. Brent explained that his main focus was on providing a drying finish to what is a sweet wine, the aim being to help refresh the palate after each spoonful of pudding, readying it for the next spoonful!

Following our tasting of The Ned range, we were treated to an extensive preview of the results of Brent’s latest endeavour, The King’s Series. As you might expect from the name, this is a range of varietals which are a step up in what you might call ‘seriousness’, having extra depth, cellarage potential and sense of occasion. Like Ned, but with added nobility. We’ll be getting our hands on the Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir from The King’s Series here at Majestic some time this winter, but as that’s a little way off, I won’t tease you by telling you if they’re any good yet (OK, I will: they’re delicious, but they’re not here yet, so you’ll just have to wait!) The range was also inspired by a fascinating story, relating to the Marris family’s noble heritage, but that’s a whole ‘nother blog post. Watch this space.

It’s not just us that thinks this Champagne is simply stunning – our customers are big fans too:

Read Customer Reviews….

Buy Louis Roederer now…

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Marlborough

Our most popular Kiwi Sauvignon at an outstanding price!

£8.74  
Improved Offer = £7.49
Buy any 2 New Zealand still wines save 20% = £5.99

Taittinger Brut Réserve NV

Beautiful Champagne from a house with a history going back to 1734.

£25.00
Improved Offer = £22.50

Fleurie Flower Label 2008/2009 Georges Duboeuf

A new look for Georges Duboeuf’s Flower label Fleurie – still one of our most popular summer reds.

£10.99
Improved Offer: Buy 2 bottles save £7 = £7.49

Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene Extra Dry NV Italy

Deliciously light and perfect summer drinking. See Becky’s video for more!

£11.99
Improved Offer = £10.65
Buy 2 bottles save 25% = £7.99

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Jim Button, Dorchester Assistant Manager, shares his advise on Italy’s top picks this summer!

Italy is one of the largest producers of wine in the world. It has a viticultural history stretching back to the pre-Roman era, when the Etruscans trained indigenous vines up tree trunks – a practice echoed in the high-training systems found mainly in the North of the country. With over 800 grape varieties grown, there is an amazing range of styles- some are well known, some you will only encounter in a trattoria tucked away in a side alley of a small village.

There is something Italian for everybody:

If you are a Cabernet fanatic, why not try a Barolo from Piedmont. Made from Nebbiolo, it is very tannic and forceful when young, yet evolves into a scented, multi-dimensional masterpiece with age. The Ciabot Berton (£25 for one or buy 2 save £6 = £22) is a fantastic example from a fine vintage.

Prefer Pinot Noir? Why not try the Barbera variety? Lighter in body, it has fresh cherry and herb flavours and a pleasingly fresh acidity. The Sucule Lanata Barbera d’Alba (£7.99*) is a great example. But be warned: you may find that you no longer consider Pinot Noir to be your drink of choice!

If you fancy something a bit different, the Locoroso Carmignano (£11.99*) is well worth a try. A blend of 70% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet and 10% Merlot, it offers dark fruits, sweet spice and a herby lift.

My favourite value-for-money red from anywhere in the world is the Ca’Del Pipa Corvina Rosso (£7.59*). Corvina is the main grape variety found in Valpolicella and Amarone and so clearly has a distinguished track record. This wine has lovely red fruit and licquorice, balanced by a touch of sweet spice and herbs. As with almost all Italian wines, the acidity is pretty high. This perfectly offsets the fruit intensity, and makes it ideal with a homemade pizza topped with parma ham and other Italian delights.

Prefer something white? The Suavia Soave Classico (£8.79*) is a beauty. Medium bodied, it has delicate floral aromas backed up by a slight nuttiness and tons of minerality and acidic verve. I have a feeling that if you like Chardonnay or are bored of Sauvignon Blanc, partnering this wine with some fish will be the best decision of your week!

There are masses of Pinot Grigio’s that come out of Italy. The worst are watery and fairy neutral in flavour, however the better examples have fresh tropical flavours and floral aromas. Something like the Banfi Serena Pinot Grigio (£5.99*) will see you through many barbecues over the summer.

Finally, the Orvieto Classico (£5.59*) is a lovely crisp aromatic wine, a great match with a fresh lettuce based salad or a simple seafood starter.

Yes, Italy is a minefield of laws and labels, but part of the pleasure is discovering something new. Why not pop into your local store between Friday 14th and Monday 20th May to see what we have available to taste during our Italian Tasting Week.

*20% off when you buy 2 or more still Italian Wines between £4.50 and £19.99

For those who love white wine you can pick up Fairleigh Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2009 for only £5.99 per bottle when two or more are purchased. Or if you are more of a red wine drinker why not try Côtes-du-Rhône Belleruche 2008 M.Chapoutier :an absolute steal at £5.99 per bottle when two or more are purchased!

If you need to stock up on some fizz we have three amazing champagne offers ending, Canard-Duchêne Brut NV at £17 per bottle, Oeil de Perdrix Rosé NV at £17 per bottle and finally Laurent-Perrier Rosé NV at £45 per bottle. If Champagne is not your favourite but you like a good glass of bubbles why not grab some of our Lindauer Special Reserve NV at £6.99 per bottle once two or more are purchased.

So why not treat yourself to a bottle or two for the up coming Easter festivities. To see all the offers which are ending on 22nd March click here.

This heralds the arrival of our winter promotion which kicks off in-store tomorrow morning, but which has just gone live online this afternoon. There are literally hundreds of offers available.

Highlights include:

• 20% off New Zealand
• 20% off Chile
• 20% off Rhône wines
• Some brilliant parcels and deals from Bordeaux and Burgundy
• Big savings on wines from Italy, Spain, Australia
• Great value Vins de Pays wines
• £10 off any 2 bottles from California’s Robert Mondavi.
• Loads of new arrivals to try – so many in fact that we’ve divided them up into New World and Old World listings.

As you’d expect from Majestic our Champagne offers are second-to-none, including Veuve Clicquot reduced to £24.99 and Jacquart Brut Tradition for just £14.99. We’ve also got some fantastic offers on sparkling wine, including Lindauer Special Reserve at the stonking price of £6.99 – this is going to be a very popular fizz as we head towards the party season!

In short, a parcel is an exclusive one-off opportunity for us to buy a finite quantity of wine at a truly amazing price. A producer may be keen to sell mature stock, eager to get on with their next vintage, or it could simply be an issue of storage. Alas these opportunities don’t come around often and once the stock is gone, it’s gone. But thanks to our manoeuvrability as a business, our buying strategy and close relationships with suppliers, we are renowned for sourcing these parcels from around the world, whenever they arise. For you the customer, that means the chance to enjoy great wines of all styles and origins – all at exceptional prices.

This selection has something to suit most palates and budgets, from a rich, concentrated Chardonnay to vibrant Côtes du Rhône with some fabulous and sensibly priced Beaujolais and Bordeaux reds to complete the list.

Château La Croix Guillotin 2006, Puisseguin St-Emilion
NEW! £9.99 or £7.99 when you buy 2 bottles*

From this up-and-coming satellite appellation, this is stylish and supple with elegant rich  fruit and a lovely texture. Perfect with roast meats, casseroles and game.

Fleurie 2007, Chanson Père et Fils
NEW! £9.99 or £7.99 when you buy 2 bottles*

With a fresh red berry nose featuring a hint of liquorice and spice, Chanson Fleurie is a complex and harmonious wine.

La Galine Chardonnay 2007, Vin de Pays d’Oc
NEW! £3.99*

Crisp, fresh, unoaked Chardonnay with real varietal character – hazelnut, nectarine, melon and banana.

Morgon 2007, Château de Pizay
£8.99 or £6.99 when you buy 2 bottles*

Hedgerow fruits combine with a silky smooth palate and refreshing acidity to give a classic Morgon, showing the fruit of Beaujolais and the charm of Burgundy.

Côtes du Rhône 2006, Clos de Mont-Olivet
NEW! £8.99 or £6.99 when you buy 2 bottles*

Fresh, intense and brimming with ripe black cherry fruits; complex with fine tannins and a long, complex finish.

Château Lachesnaye 2003/04, Haut Médoc, Cru Bourgeois
NEW! £9.99 or £7.99 when you buy 2 bottles*

This well situated Cru Bourgeois displays earthy black fruit, cedar and seamless structure. It will drink well over the next 4-6 years, a versatile food wine.

*All prices valid until 29th October 2009

First is the 2007 Lirac from Cave Saint Desirat, one of France’s most impressive and well-regarded co-ops whose various wines I consistently enjoy when I taste them. Lirac is an underrated appellation separated by the river Rhône from the more prestigious, and expensive, Châteauneuf-du-Pape. There’s all the soft, warming Grenache fruit you’d expect from the southern Rhône, but with real depth and complexity – there’s bags going on for your £5.99 (reduced from £7.99 when you buy 2 or more).

Another great Autumn red is Paul Mas Cabernet de Cabernet. I’m not always a fan of southern French Cabernets but this 50-50 blend of Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc has changed my mind completely – not to mention those of the judges at this year’s Decanter awards, where it picked up a silver medal. At £5.49 it’s a snip. Fans of left bank claret looking for some affordable everyday drinking wine should look no further.

Before I get too carried away I’ll restrict myself to just one more recommendation. Please, if you like good white Burgundy, or even if you prefer good New World Chardonnay, try Bourgogne Blanc Jean de la Vigne from Domaine Cordier.

Cordier has achieved fame in the wine trade for making brilliant wines from some of Burgundy’s less prestigious appellations, particularly in the Chalonnaise. Although we carry quite a number of Cordier’s wines, they are available in relatively small quantities, and as an independent domaine they lack the familiarity of a major negoçiant. I would love to put a glass of this “basic” Bourgogne in the hands of everyone who has splashed out on a Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet and say “try this” – I know they’d be impressed. Cordier’s style is always very rich and buttery, but with the recently arrived 2007 vintage there’s a lovely fresh, mineral character. There’s quite a lot of oak on the nose, but it’s classy, expensive-smelling oak and I love it with my Sunday chicken.

But just as regions such as Chianti and Valpolicella have enjoyed a resurgence in interest in (and the quality of) their wines, so has Soave. Increasingly, the best wines are highly sought-after, and justifiably so.

The Soave region is located to the east of Verona, on the gentle slopes of the Lessini Hills (also home to Valpolicella). As with other famous Italian DOCs is centered on a ‘Classico’ zone that is Soave’s heartland and where the majority of the finest wines come from. Soave is the spiritual home of the Garganega variety, and although it is commonly blended with Trebbiano it is Garganega that provides Soave with its most distinctive wines.

The best wines have a texture that is soft and creamy but with a pleasant freshness, with aromas of flowers, minerals and apples. Some producers use a limited amount of oak ageing, as well as extended lees contact, to enhance the complexity of their wines, which may come from late-picked grapes to increase richness.

We do receive a small allocation from Pieropan, probably Soave’s most respected producer, which disappears very quickly (and rightly so – it’s fantastic), but the wine you should be seeking out at your local store at the moment is the Soave Classico from Inama. Made from 100% Garganega, there’s a lovely balance of freshness and complexity. I enjoy it as a treat with summery salads; it would go down a storm at an al fresco dinner party. There’s 20% off when you buy any 2 bottles of Italian wine this summer, bringing this down from £12.49 to £9.99 – it’s more than a match for, say, an equivalent priced white Burgundy.

Highlights include 20% off any 2 bottles from Chile, Italy and Beaujolais, plus a big range of offers on summertime favourites such as rosé, the Loire, Australia and New Zealand.

We’re also launching our first ever Summer Fizz Festival, with at least a third off all Champagnes and sparkling wines. Highlights include 40% off the most famous names in Champagne, including Veuve Clicquot, Perrier-Jouët, Taittinger, Pol Roger, Bollinger and Dom Pérignon. The timing is perfect if you’re planning an event for the summer season or a wedding, but bear in mind that many of the offers are only available until 9 June.

2004 was a fantastic vintage in Rioja – it’s official. The consejo regulador, the regulatory council responsible for the denominacion, provides official ratings for Rioja vintages and 2004 rates as ‘excellent’, alongside famous vintages such as 2001, 1995 and 1994. (Admittedly, the lowest rating on the scale is ‘average’ – it seems there’s no such thing as a bad vintage in Rioja, much like fast food restaurants don’t have small sizes, only medium.)

The first of the 2004 Reservas are just coming on stream, and we have a couple of absolute stunners, from CVNE and Muga. These two well regarded bodegas make an interesting comparison – CVNE’s modern, gravity fed winery contrasts nicely with the very traditional Muga, although slightly perversely I find the classically elegant CVNE a bit more of a ‘traditional’ style of wine (light and fresh with elegant strawberry fruit), with the Muga just a little richer, with darker, chocolatey fruit.

What’s amazing about these wines is that they deliver such amazing complexity, depth and ageworthiness for the money: £7.99 for the CVNE, £9.99 the Muga. Like most Rioja, the extended barrel maturation and bottle ageing before release means that these wines are already approachable, but Rioja never ceases to amaze in it’s ability to age, so I expect these to continue to improve for years to come. If you are looking for a wine to cellar for a few years that doesn’t cost the earth I can’t think of anything that comes close – and I’ve put my money where my mouth is, squirrelling a case of each away in my Vinotheque account.

As if these early 2004s weren’t enough, we’re still enjoing some of the later arriving 2001s, making the Rioja range a real treasure trove. If you’ll hurry your local store may have some Marques de Caceres Reserva 2001 for £10.49, and if not the recently arrived Gran Reserva is a steal at £12.74. CVNE’s very elegant Viña Real Reserva 2001 (£10.49) is delicious, but for me the real superstar is their slightly more forceful and deep Imperial Reserva 2001 – at £11.99, this is a proper fine wine a crazy price (and another wine destined for the Weaver cellar).

If you’re not sure just how serious Rioja can be, our Fine Wine Centre currently has a few cases of the stunning 2001 Contino Reserva for £25. This beautiful winery, set on a very picturesque bend in the river Ebro, is a single estate property managed as a separate operation by CVNE. It produces relatively small volumes of stunning Riojas, and is a particular champion of the the local Graciano grape variety.

The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted that our Spring price list runs out today. We’ve prepared a downloadable list as a PDF, which includes the Spanish offer, to cover the period until 5 May, so if you prefer to shop with a paper list you can download it here.

The new list (which is available for download) will be mailed out later this week and should arrive with customers by the weekend. It includes deals such as 20% off the South of France, 20% off South Africa, 20% off Argentina, 20% off Portugal and up to 50% off Champagne. Among the other highlights are deals from Spain, Australia and the Loire.

We also have a range of deals from New Zealand, including a great offer on Lawson’s Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc (down from £9.99 to £6.99 when you buy 2 bottles or more) which is featured on the front cover. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has become a hugely popular style, and this is a wine we are really proud of.

Hot on the heels of the new list will come our week-long South of France tasting; it’s a little closer to the mailing of the list than usual, so time to get it in the diary now! Call in to any Majestic store between 8th and 14th February for a free tasting of a range of southern French wines.

The website will update around 4pm on Monday with our new Spring offers, which are valid in-store from Tuesday morning until mid-April.