Best wines of 2023 – from rad reds to fantastic fizz
When asked for my wines of the year it should be noted than drinking wine never happens in a vacuum. We are all influenced by the good times, occasions and more often than not, company that goes into that memorably enjoyable glass. Many of these wines are on my 2023 Top Ten list because of the influences that surrounded them, but they are all utterly delicious and wines I would not hesitate to recommend.
Billecart Salmon Nicolas Francois 2008
£165.95, Lea and Sandeman
A glass of Billecart Salmon rosé champagne was what first turned me onto wine, so I was thrilled to be not only at the launch of this exceptional cuvée but also given the first taste at the party. This is a special bottle of vibrantly brilliant champagne but a house that knows what it is doing when it comes to classy wines with personality and passion. Traversing all levels from oyster-shell minerality to marzipan nuttiness this is a bottle to covet.
Pere Ventura Brut Gran Reserva Cava 2015
£36, Great Wine Company
Cava has had a bad reputation for too long and frankly, it is undeserved. The winemakers here are going above and beyond to deliver premium, reputable wines that over deliver each time. This was the Cava that first opened my eyes to the quality of the wines and on a recent visit to this winery, it was cemented as an incredibly expressive, delicious example of what Cava can be. A clever blend of Chardonnay and Spain’s excellent Xarel-lo in a stunningly eye-catching bottle too.
Armand de Brignac Champagne Rosé
£500, Harrods
Admittedly, a certain part of this wine being on the list is that I would never be able to afford a bottle this bling myself, so tasting it was a total treat – but also this is an exceptional rosé champagne and memorable through the fact it is so surprising. On the nose it is all red berries and light and on the palate it transforms into this altogether more serious and seductive beast. Though I am still missing the baller lifestyle, a sip of two of this from the metal-clad bottle and at least I can imagine it for a while.
Pinot Gris Grand Cru Sporen ‘Grossi Laüe’ Famille Hugel 2015
£38, The Wine Society
As soon as I tasted this, I knew it was my Christmas Eve wine. Classic without being boring. Sophisticated without any snobbery. It is fresh and delicately joyful yet beautifully balanced by a complex richness. I am a huge fan of the quality, value and range The Wine Society offers and this is another exceptional example of what they do so well. Membership is a one-off payment of £40, of which £20 is immediately credited back to spend, making it a no brainer for any wine lover.
Ken Forrester The FMC 2022
£44, Great Wine Company
I was recently reminded of this South African Chenin Blanc during a stand-out wine pairing at the Mauro Colagreco at Raffles London at The OWO. A near-perfect white wine experience from the King of Chenin Blanc himself, Ken Forrester with overlapping layers of sunshine-flavoured stone and tropical fruits and spiced vanilla whispers, skilfully reigned in with careful use of refined oak. A finely tuned balance of richness and freshness, this is enduringly excellent.
Denbies English Sparkling Bacchus
£20, Ocado
I know I should be more patriotic, as it is a grape we grow so very well in England but the hedgerow-esque Bacchus never did much for me until I tried this delightful sparkling version from Surrey’s Denbies Winery. Not only is the price almost embarrassingly low for an English bubbly of this calibre, the flavours are delicate, fresh and beguiling with a pleasingly silky effervescence. The fact you can stay over and roam the grounds of this expansive estate only adds to the attraction.
Sassicaia 2020
£290, Hedonism
Never turn down a chance to taste an icon. This classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc is legendary for a reason. A plush, aromatic, sumptuous wine from Tuscany, the fruit is precise and pure but backed by dusky floral notes of rose petal and lavender. This wine feels as indulgent as it should for the price and is as captivating a glass of red as I have had the pleasure to try in its youth – but let it age for a real treat. Patience will be rewarded.
Ibizkus Totem Rosé
£40 ,Wanderlust Wine
We all have a story where we try a wine on holiday and, blissed out with the setting, the sunset and the lack of work deadlines, decide this is the best thing we have ever tasted and buy a case – only to return home and find it doesn’t taste half as good on a wet Wednesday in Milton Keynes. However, this is the exception to that rule. I tasted this on a holiday in Ibiza this summer, having not tried any wines from the island before – and I was blown away. Here was a serious rosé, it could almost have been an elegant white if tasted blind. Totally unique and gastronomic and a fabulous surprise.
Domaine Joseph Burrier Juliénas Beauvernay 2020
£17.50, The Wine Society
In truth I spent a long time debating on which bottle to choose as this has been the year of Beaujolais for me. I visited the region for the first time and found out no one parties like a Beaujolain, it was a truly hedonistic few days and I find these gamay wines to be particularly joyful and uplifting. I was not alone in the wine writing sphere to get on board chilled reds this summer, it is a definite trend, but it continues into winter as this particular bottle is what I chose to serve with my Turkey this Christmas.
Black Chalk Wild Rose 2020
£43, Black Chalk Wine
It is hard to pick only a couple of English wines as I truly believe we are one of the most exciting up-and-coming premium wine industries in the world. However, this was the wine of my Summer and therefore deserves a top ten slot. An overwhelming bouquet of red berries, strawberries and rose petals with lovely biscuitty nuances, playful effervescence and a long, satisfyingly Indian-Summer-style finish.
Lismore Estate Reserve Viognier 2021
£41.35, VINVM
They say never meet your heroes, but I am so glad that I did. Winemaker Samantha O’Keefe was everything I hoped she would be: fierce, friendly and witty as well as passionate about wine and supporting the women around her, we shared the most wonderful dinner. Her South African wines have been some of my favourites for a long time and she has triumphed over some serious setbacks including a terrible fire that destroyed much of her work. Floral viognier is one of my favourite grapes and here we see a master at work, coaxing out the finer delicacies of this wine with its richly textured peaches and honeysuckle blossoms.