Majestic Weston-Super-Mare

The second visit on our Wine Weekend was to Weston-Super-Mare, not to a vineyard but to Majestic Wines. They are one of my favourite wine suppliers with stores across the UK many of which we have visited.

Knowing Majestic hold various wine tastings hosted by their knowledgeable staff I asked Richard, Weston-Super-Mare's manager, if he would arrange a tasting for our group. To our delight and subsequent enjoyment he did just that on Sunday afternoon. 

From the outside a Majestic store looks like any retail outlet but inside a Majestic store is always amazing, this one even more so inviting with a superb tasting table laid ready for our visit. Each place was set with 6 glasses each and in the centre a variety of cold meats, bread and cheese to accompany our wines.

It's always good to begin with a bottle of bubbles, this being said Richard opened a bottle of Graham Beck Brut Rosé NV to start our tasting.  This is a superb Methode Cap Classique sparkling wine from South Africa made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. 

With its beautiful salmon colour, bright fast bubbles it's on par with many rosé champagne. Raspberries and soft summer fruits filled the glass both in aroma and flavour with a slight background of mineral leaving a long enjoyable finish; perfect way to start our afternoon of wine. 

Richard had just returned from visiting Graham Beck in South Africa. The photos he had from his visit were amazing, such a vast lush green vineyard with dramatic mountains in the distance. He explained about how as the business increased the buildings were extended, visable by the shades of paint, the darker being the newest addition. Graham Beck produce only sparkling wine with just two of their range, Brut and Brut Rose, available in the UK. It's an amazing bottle of bubbles at an amazing price - £12.99. 

Following on from rosé bubbles we had rosé wine; I only usually drink rosé when in France but I'm always looking to find one for enjoying in our garden in the summer...... and this could be the one.

It's a Southern French Malbec full of richness, reminding me of the Carmargue.

This is such a fun wine with a great quirky label depicting flamingos  a road trip and an equally quirky name - Zingo. Full of pink sparkle in the glass it had a full nose of inviting summer fruit. Fruity in the mouth too with plenty of raspberries and a light white pepper high note, this medium-dry rosé had a very elegant finish. A bottle is now resting in our rack ready for that English summer day.


Richard had selected new wines for all our tastings: Falaghina from Italy, Tokaji from Hungry, French Morton and Australian Primivito.

As the driver my tasting was limited to a small sip of each wine, and I didn't take notes, so for these reviews I've used Majestic tasting notes (italics) along side my memories.

Falaghina 2016 - this wine has no oak used but being 3 months on less gives it a depth to it's citrus flavour.  A brilliant all-rounder, with plenty of citrussy fruit and faint notes of apple and quince, with the merest hint of nutty complexity. I found it light and crisp and would be lovely enjoyed on its own or with light dishes.

Royal Tokaji Dry Tokaji 2015 - this was much richer in the glass both in colour and density.  This is a wine that is in perfect balance with fine green fruit and herbal flavours complimented by a touch of oak. The finish is long and complex with a crisp cleansing acidity. For me this wine needed food and matched beautifully with the cold meats Richard has provided.

Chateau de Pizay Morton 2016 - this wine split our group as some like Gamay and some are not so sure. This is the grape used for Beaujolais and is not often seen as a named grape - as in this bottle, a Morgon. This top class wine has a nose dominated by blackberries and cherries and a silky smooth palate with fine tannins showing the fruit of Beaujolais and the charm of Burgundy. Being a fan of Gamay I enjoyed this red that was full of fruit with a lovely finish.

Kangarilla Road Primivito 2015 - Richard asked us to guess the grape in our final red, I knew what it wasn't but couldn't name it, mainly because we don't often drink Zinfandel/Primivito and have certainly not had one from Australia before.
Exuberant flavours if fruit cake, stewed rhubarb and scents of wild herbs. This red was superb, especially with mature cheddar which enhanced it's deep fruit, logical really as mature cheddar is amazing with rich Christmas Cake.

Thank you Richard for a superb tasting, we all had a great afternoon and certainly discovered new wines. It was also a pleasure to wander round your well laid store discovering old favourites; purchases made all round we just about had room in our 7 seater BMW for us plus wine.

A really super time, thank you!