THE SOCIETY AND EXHIBITION WINES - The Wine Society

THE SOCIETY AND 

EXHIBITION WINES 

MASTERGLASSES 

SESEP11 

thewinesociety.com/societyoffer

DOING 

WHAT IT 

SAYS ON 

THE LABEL 

The aim of any wine bearing our 

name is to give members the 

authentic taste of a region, as in 

The Society range, or a deeper 

understanding of its communes, 

as afforded by our Exhibition 

bottlings. 

To achieve this, we rely on a team 

of buyers who know – both from 

profound experience in their 

respective regions and the ongoing 

discourse with members that our 

mutual status makes possible – 

exactly what we want from such 

wines. We can also call on some of 

the world’s best producers, with 

whom The Society enjoys excellent 

relations, to deliver them. They are 

not the cheapest wines on our List, 

but given the source of the grapes, 

and the time, effort and expertise 

that go into every bottle, our 

own-label ranges represent 

exceptional value for money. 

We stake our reputation on them. 

CHAMPAGNE AND 

SPARKLING WINE 

After a century of co-operation, 

relations between The Society and 

Alfred Gratien are still fizzing. 

The variables involved in the 

Champagne process – a complex 

vineyard classification system, three 

grape varieties, three pressings, two 

fermentations and time in the cellar – 

offer the options of minimising price 

or maximising quality. Only the truly 

fortunate drink Champagne daily, 

so Marcel Orford-Williams favours 

the latter. 

Marcel Orford-Williams 

Society Buyer 

The Society’s Celebration 

Crémant de Loire 

A high proportion of chardonnay and a 

generous ageing before release add creamy, 

toasty notes to the classic Loire sparkler, 

made by Gratien & Meyer in Saumur 

according to the méthode traditionnelle of 

secondary fermentation in bottle that 

produces Champagne. 12% 

ref SE- SG1241 £10.50 bottle £126 dozen 

The Society’s Champagne Brut, 

NV 

The Society’s Champagne benefits from 

high-calibre grapes, fermentation in small 

oak barrels and three years’ bottle age. See 

our List (or website) for a choice of 

formats, from halves to Salmanazars, 

demi-sec and rosé options and, for 

ultra-special occasions, the grand cru 

Exhibition Blanc de Blancs. 12.5% 

Special 6 for 5 price. 

ref SE-CH331 £26 bottle 

£130 special 6 for 5 price 

£21.67 equivalent bottle price 

FREE UK delivery when 

you order any 12 bottles 

or if your order value is 

£75 or more 

This offer is a selection of the wines 

that bear The Society’s name with 

those of Jane Hunter OBE, 

La Rioja Alta, Hugel, Domaines 

Lafite-Rothschild and JP Moueix 

among others. The itinerary is a 

matter of personal choice. Four 

mixed cases provide both an instant 

tour of the globe and a masterclass 

in the subtleties of the world’s most 

famous vineyards. 

KEY 

See page 144 of the July to September 

List for full details on alcohol levels 

bone dry, to 

intensly sweet 

Synthetic closure 

Screwcap closure 

● Exhibition Wines 

★ Society Wine Champion 2011 

2

BORDEAUX 

From everyday Claret to the greater complexity of the individual communes of the Haut-Médoc, our Society and Exhibition 

Bordeaux selections aim for authenticity, consistency and value for money. Buyer Joanna Locke MW is adept at snapping up 

a choice parcel that delivers on these fronts: equally, we reserve the right to miss out on a vintage or cuvée that doesn’t. 

Red 

The Society’s Claret 

The challenge for buyer Joanna Locke MW 

is to deliver, with every vintage, and in 

sufficient quantity, a wine true to its 

origins, that repays the extraordinary 

loyalty shown towards it over the years 

by members. Our trusted local guide is 

the Sichel family, über-négociant and 

owner of Château Angludet. The merlotdominant 

blend is currently based on the 

terrific 2009 vintage, with the promising 

2010 in prospect. 13% 

ref SE-CL61 £5.95 bottle £71 dozen 

The Society’s Saint-Emilion 

A dash of elegance and red-fruit charm are 

a good start for a copybook Saint-Emilion. 

In a nerve-wracking vintage like 2006, 

smart picking and painstaking husbandry 

were needed to dodge both rains and rot 

and the wines that emerged unscathed are 

delicious. How reassuring to be able to rely 

on JP Moueix to deliver one of them. 

Now to 2013. 12.5% 

ref SE-CL31 £11.95 bottle £143 dozen 

★ 

The Society’s Exhibition Pomerol, 

2006 

This small right-bank commune coaxes 

from merlot and cabernet franc grapes a 

bewitching floral element on the nose and 

the texture of velvet on the palate. We turn 

once more to the Moueix family for a 

Pomerol in the restrained classic style 

favoured by our members. From the 2006 

vintage, this has gathered momentum with 

bottle age, and is good for another couple 

of years at least. Now to 2014. 13% 

ref SE-CS7291 £14.95 bottle £179 dozen 

The Society’s Exhibition Pauillac, 

2007 

Home to three of the five grands crus, this 

left-bank commune produces perhaps the 

most classic of Clarets. To achieve just the 

right balance of muscle tone, complexity 

and flavour, we involved Domaines 

Lafite-Rothschild, who own a fair few of 

the classed-growth properties hereabouts. 

The generous fruit of the 2007 vintage has 

nicely upholstered the Pauillac pecs, so 

much so that this was a Society Wine 

Champion this year. Now to 2015. 12.5% 

ref SE-CM14101 £20 bottle £240 dozen 

White 

† The Society’s Bordeaux 

Sauvignon 

The success of the New World with this 

variety spurred the reinvention of modern 

Bordeaux sauvignon, crisp and aromatic, 

but retaining a Bordelais reserve. The 

component wines come from a network of 

tried and trusted growers in the Entre-Deux- 

Mers and Joanna Locke MW’s blend is 

youthful, verdant and bone dry with not a 

whisker of oak. 12% 

ref SE-BW4021 £6.75 bottle £81 dozen 

Joanna Locke MW 


To order thewinesociety.com/societyoffer ☎ 01438 740222 

3

BURGUNDY AND BEAUJOLAIS 

A welter of appellations, small 

enterprises and myriad variations on 

the theme of chardonnay and pinot 

noir makes the essence of Burgundy 

one of the trickiest to bottle, while 

further south, in Beaujolais, the 

deceptively straightforward gamay 

grape drives ten crus and countless 

villages. Knowing the lie of the land, 

having a good man on the ground 

and understanding the art of blending 

are all-important here. 

Toby Morrhall 


Red 

The Society’s Beaujolais-Villages 

The many different soils that make up the 

region all leave their imprint on the gamay 

grape. Our benchmark Beaujolais is blended 

by Society buyer Marcel Orford-Williams 

from three distinctive villages clustered 

around Brouilly, the southernmost of the 

ten crus. Marcel’s job is to ensure that 

together, in the right proportions, they add 

up to more than the sum of their parts. 

13% 

ref SE-BJ4601 £6.95 bottle £83 dozen 

The Society’s Exhibition 

Savigny-lès-Beaune, Nicolas Potel, 

2005 

In this most complex of regions, Toby 

Morrhall combines a mental database of 

promising appellations and trustworthy 

producers with a sharp eye for a perfect 

parcel to assure the continuity, from year 

to year, of the glass appeal and good value 

members expect from our Exhibition wines. 

The charming pinots produced in the 

commune of Savigny, north of Beaune, 

fit the brief perfectly, as does the expressive 

style of Nicolas Potel, son of the late Gérard 

of Volnay’s legendary Domaine de la Pousse 

d’Or. The outstanding 2005 vintage was one 

more reason to put our name on this 

sumptuous red Burgundy. Enjoy this year 

and next. 13% 

ref SE-BU35721 £ 13.95 bottle £167 dozen 

White 

★ 

The Society’s White Burgundy 

Our best-selling wine by a country mile 

starts with a strict selection of a dozen 

different Mâcon-Villages by local oenologist 

Jean-Marc Darbon, continues with 

a painstaking assemblage by Marcel 

Orford-Williams, for whom this is the 

toughest blending job of the year, and ends 

very happily in countless members’ glasses, 

where its consistency of concentration 

and creamy flavour make the hard work 

worthwhile. Unoaked. 13% 

ref SE-BU2481 £7.50 bottle £90 dozen 

The Society’s Chablis 

Chardonnay at its most minimalist, 

the best Chablis has a mineral edge that 

provides welcome underpinning for 

the ripe, almost honeyed fruit of 2009. 

Toby Morrhall selects ours from Jean-Marc 

Brocard, whose stainless-steel cuverie 

delivers racy wines that bristle with 

flavour. 12.5% 

ref SE-BU48301 £10.95 bottle £131 dozen 




£75 or more 

4

THE LOIRE 

We can’t quite manage to bottle every kink in France’s longest river under our 

own name, so Joanna Locke MW concentrates on the classics. As well as the two 

featured here and the Crémant de Loire in the sparkling section on page 2, our 

range includes an Exhibition Pouilly-Fumé which can be found in our main List or 

on our website. 

White 

The Society’s Muscadet 

Sèvre-et-Maine-sur-Lie 

The ripe 2009 vintage sparked a renaissance 

for Muscadet, and the crisp, racy 2010s 

maintain the momentum. Our own leesaged 

bottling has, for 25 years now, been 

made by Bernard Chéreau at Château 

Chasseloir in Saint-Fiacre-sur-Maine. 12% 

ref SE-LO9001 £6.50 bottle £78 dozen 


Sancerre, 2010 

Never has sauvignon been so fashionable 

and, ultimately, so competitive, with 

tempting innovations from New Zealand, 

Chile and the Cape causing ripples in the 

grape’s Loire heartland. This new vintage, 

sourced from Serge Laloue in the 

perfectly-exposed commune of Thauvenay, 

should please members who like their 

sauvignon in a less overtly grassy, more 

reserved style. Now to 2015. 13% 

ref SE-LO9091 £12.50 bottle £150 dozen 

ALSACE 

Society members buck several national trends with reassuring enthusiasm. A perfect example would be the wines 

of Alsace, still something of a trade secret and mostly drunk by merchants, who appreciate their pure fruit, 

subtle spice and enormous versatility with food. That makes them good value, a fact not lost on our members, 

and the presence of our partners Hugel and Josmeyer at Society tastings has doubtless helped too. Society 

buyer Marcel Orford-Williams’ good relations with these and other fine Alsace Houses has earnt for The Society 

the accolade of International Wine Challenge Alsace Specialist Merchant for the third consecutive year. 

White 

The Society’s Vin d’Alsace 

Made to Marcel’s specifications by Hugel in 

Riquewihr, this is a blend of several Alsace 

varieties. The heart of the wine is sylvaner, 

with riesling, gewurztraminer, pinot gris 

and a touch of muscat adding flashes of 

lime, ginger, lychee and elderflower, all in 

perfect balance. 12% 

ref SE- AL49161 £7.95 bottle £95 dozen 


Gewurztraminer, 2007 

An exceptional vintage in Alsace secured 

a ‘bonne continuation’ for this popular gewurz, 

a worthy successor to its predecessor, the 

2005 vintage. Dry and clean on the finish, 

it has oodles of ripe, potent, perfumed 

fruit, enlivened by the sweet heat of a 

middle- eastern spice-jar. Exotic and 

delicious. Made by Marc Hugel. 

Now to 2012. 13.5% 

ref SE- AL7401 £13.95 bottle £167 dozen 


5

THE RHONE 

Benchmark Rhônes mean sleek, savoury syrahs in the continental north, ample, 

spicy grenache-driven blends in the Mediterranean south. With years of highly 

successful en-primeur Rhône offers under his belt, Marcel Orford-Williams is 

well placed to find them early. 

The Society’s Côtes-du-Rhône 

This unpretentious and popular red is made 

largely from grenache, which provides 

warmth and generosity, lifted by the 

peppery tang of syrah in the blend. The 

elements are brought together with the 

help of Ogier, a house that has been at the 

heart of Châteauneuf since 1859. 14.5% 

ref SE-RH101 £6.50 bottle £78 dozen 


Crozes-Hermitage 

This new bottling, from the perfect 2009 

Rhône vintage and the Tain co-operative, 

founded in 1933 and one of the smartest 

in France, is a good illustration of our 

Exhibition philosophy – to seize the 

moment when nature and nurture deliver a 

wine worthy of its name and ours. Supple, 

dark and spicy, this is a fine encounter with 

the syrah grape. Now to 2016. 13% 

ref SE-RH28801 £9.95 bottle £119 dozen 




£75 or more 

THE SOUTH OF FRANCE 

It’s Marcel Orford-Williams’s job to 

capture for The Society the essence of 

the lesser-known southern French 

regions, such as the Roussillon, and 

points north and west too. To qualify 

for the Society label, they have to be 

good and true examples of the 

unpretentious country wines that 

make informal drinking so enjoyable. 

Red 

The Society’s French Full Red, Vin 

de Pays des Côtes Catalanes 

The quality-conscious Cases de Pène 

co-operative in the Roussillon has 60 

members growing a variety of grapes, and 

can offer us some premium blending wines. 

The current blend is based on carignan and 

grenache, with a dash of syrah. This ripe, 

savoury red does exactly what it says on the 

label and tastes much more expensive than 

it is. 13.5% 

ref SE-FC371 £5.75 bottle £69 dozen 

★ 

The Society’s Corbières 

We were delighted to give Pierre Bories 

at Château Ollieux Romanis the Society 

Corbières warrant. His is an untypically 

large property of 150 hectares, in the 

commune of Boutenac, one of the best 

of the appellation, and there is no shortage 

of quality, diversity and quantity – a rare 

blend from the same stable. This plummy, 

herb-tinged red is a mix of carignan, 

grenache and syrah that could come from 

nowhere else. 14% 


Rosé 

The Society’s Rosé, Vin de Pays 

d’Oc 

When it comes to toothsome, affordable 

dry pinks, the Languedoc is hard to beat. 

This one owes its verve and spice to 

perfectly ripe syrah, which dominates the 

blend, with just a touch of grenache. 

Like our Dry White, it’s assembled at 

Domaine du Bosc, from grapes cooled 

by Mediterranean breezes. 12.5% 

ref SE- FC611 £5.75 bottle £69 dozen 

White 

The Society’s Vin de Pays des 

Côtes de Gascogne 

Saving surplus colombard grapes from the 

distillation vats and turning them into wine 

instead was the inspired idea of the Grassa 

family, originally Armagnac producers, 

who make this fresh, grapey crowd-pleasing 

white for us. Perfect for parties, and much 

appreciated by those keeping an eye on 

alcohol levels. 10.5% 


The Society’s French Dry White 

The Bésinet family at Domaine du Bosc 

in the Hérault, are our men on the ground 

for this hugely popular white. The recipe in 

this vintage is 40% sauvignon blanc for 

freshness, enriched by 30% roussanne, with 

a savoury note from 20% terret and grapey 

charm from 10% colombard. 12% 


6

SPAIN: RIOJA 

Though Rioja is a region of reinvention, from cutting-edge architecture to Alta Expresión, the premium style aimed at the 

cosmopolitan in-crowd, our heart remains resolutely in the mellow, vanilla-spiked, blackcurrant charm of the original and 

classic style. Here are two such wines, one youthful, the other demonstrating what extra time in cask and bottle can do. 

Red 

The Society’s Rioja Crianza 

Bodegas Palacio in Laguardia was founded 

over a century ago and translates more than 

200 hectares of vineyards into a comprehensive 

range of award-winning wines from everyday 

reds and whites to the prestigious new flagship, 

Cosme 1894. Society buyer Pierre Mansour 

blends with winemaker Roberto Rodriguez, 

who understands what we like, in this instance 

a 100% tempranillo in the Alavesa style, full of 

intensely ripe fruit kept cool by Cantabrian 

breezes, and rounded by 12 months in 

American oak. 13% 

ref SE- SP6251 £6.95 bottle £83 dozen 

† The Society’s Exhibition Rioja 

Reserva, 2005 

If The Society Rioja is so good, why spend 

more? Firstly, time is money. This is a reserva, 

aged in cask and bottle for five years, which is 

two more than the three required by law. 

Secondly, only the best cuvées will do, with the 

tannin and fruit concentration to keep the wine 

in good health as it ages. Thirdly, our partner 

here is La Rioja Alta, named after the very best 

part of the region, and the leading exponent 

of the traditional mellow and velvety style. 

Now to 2015. 13% 

ref SE-SP6641 £12.95 bottle £155 dozen 


7

ITALY 

Italy has more than a thousand different grape varieties, but the merest 

handful accounts for the lion’s share of sales and these are big business. 

The aim of buyer Sebastian Payne MW is to take the contempt out of 

familiarity by sourcing from producers whose wines still have a sense of 

place, and who can help us convey Italy’s unique selling points of honesty, 

diversity, food-friendliness and outstanding value for money. 

GERMANY AN 

Despite their undeservedly low profile in 

the wider take-home trade, these wines 

are never out of fashion with Society 

members. Of late, fans of German 

riesling have been spoiled by a run of 

breathtaking vintages that have made 

buyer Sebastian Payne MW a very happy 

man. Joanna Locke MW puts the case 

for Austria with our own take on the 

chic grüner veltliner. 

White 

The Society’s Ruppertsberg 

The essence of what a good, everyday German 

white should be, but rarely is: dry, crisp, 

relatively modest in alcohol and thoroughly 

refreshing. The blend is riesling and silvaner, 

sourced from the best vineyards in the 

Mittelhardt, and blended exclusively for us by 

the Ruppertsberger Winzerverein, one of 

Germany’s smartest co-operatives. 11.5% 

ref SE-GE4531 £6.25 bottle £75 dozen 

8 

Red 

The Society’s Montepulciano 

d’Abruzzo 

Not to be confused with Tuscany’s 

sangiovese-based Vino Nobile, the 

characterful montepulciano grape is a 

native of Italy’s Adriatic hinterland, where 

it stands up well to the hearty local diet 

of pork, lamb and bracing peppers. The 

Roxan co-operative near Pescara, which 

has the advantage of dynamic members – 

the late Edoardo Valentini, a brilliant local 

vigneron, was one – and the services of 

an excellent winemaker, reserves some of 

its best vats for us. 13% 

ref SE-IT2471 £5.95 bottle £71 dozen 

† The Society’s Exhibition Chianti 

Classico, 2009 

The seductive tea-bread and spice-jar 

aromas of ripe, high-quality sangiovese, 

a smooth, velvety texture and dry, 

palate-bracing finish evokes Tuscany as 

surely as a row of cypresses. We rely on 

the high-performing Poggiopiano estate 

in San Casciano, a few miles east of 

Florence, to tick all these boxes, and the 

ripe, charming 2009 vintage makes this 

early-maturing style even more engaging. 

Now to 2017. 13.5% 


White 

The Society’s Pinot Grigio 

There’s an awful – in all respects – lot of 

pinot grigio about, but this hugely 

popular white should be crisp, clean, 

aromatic and redolent of a spring walk in 

mountain pasture. Our secret source is 

the Lorenzon family in Isonzo del Friuli, 

near Trieste, notable for its excellent fruit 

and technical know-how. 12.5% 


Sebastian Payne MW 

Chief Wine Buyer 

SOUTH 

AFRICA 

The rise and rise of sauvignon blanc 

and syrah have stolen some of the 

limelight from two long-standing 

Cape heroes, chenin blanc (or ‘steen’ 

as it’s called here) and pinotage, 

a true South African original. 

White 

The Society’s South African 

Chenin Blanc 

The Cape take on the classic Loire grape is 

fuller and softer. Buyer Joanna Locke MW 

sources this from Villiera in Stellenbosch, 

where the Grier family specialises in fragrant, 

pillowy whites that work brilliantly with 

spicy food. 13% 

ref SE-SA6461 £6.50 bottle £78 dozen 

Red 

The Society’s Pinotage 

The unique offspring of cinsault and pinot 

noir, and heaven knows how they got together, 

has an army of fans who adore its trademark 

smokiness and lively mulberry flavours, a 

balance perfectly (and organically) struck by 

the Du Preez family at Bon Cap vineyards in 

the Robertson Valley. 13.5% 

ref SE-SA6881 £6.95 bottle £83 dozen

D AUSTRIA 

The Society’s Saar Riesling 

This racy, aristocratic white is drawn from 

a fine vintage and an impressive trio of 

vineyard sites. For that, we are indebted to 

Annegret Reh-Gartner of Reichsgraf von 

Kesselstatt, a great supporter of The Society 

and frequent sight at our grower tastings. 

10.5% 

ref SE-GE4931 £8.95 bottle £107 dozen 

The Society’s Exhibition Grüner 

Veltliner, 2010 

Austria’s original après-ski grape has 

conquered the world with its blossomy 

flavours, subtly peppery kick and great 

versatility with food. Ours, now in its sixth 

vintage, owes its racy brilliance and fine 

minerality to the outsanding Willi 

Bründlmayer, whose vineyards in the scenic 

Kamptal region, overlooking the Danube, 

produce some of Austria’s very best wines. 

Now to 2013. 12.5% 

ref SE-AA1141 £11.95 bottle £143 dozen 

USA 

A close relative of southern Italy's 

primitivo, zinfandel quickly became 

California’s emblematic variety. 

Always fruity and easy to drink, it is 

capable of greatness in the right 

hands, which have shepherded its rise 

from simple ‘jug’ wine to quality red. 

Red 

The Society’s California Old Vine 

Zinfandel 

The family firm of Delicato is an old hand 

at striking the right blend of informality 

and focus that Society buyer Pierre Mansour 

seeks in the Golden State’s adoptive grape. 

It’s achieved by lifting the brambly intensity 

of ripe grapes from the warm Lodi delta 

with the freshness of cooler Monterey fruit. 

14% 

ref SE-US4301 £ 6.95 bottle £83 dozen 




£75 or more 


9

CHILE 

The International Wine Challenge has honoured The Wine Society with the accolade of Chilean Specialist 

of the Year no fewer than three times and it’s consistently one of the top three regions for members. Our 

own bottlings reflect three key Society assets here: the passion of Society buyer Toby Morrhall, the genius of 

winemakers Ignacio Recabarren and Marcelo Papa, and the run of the 8000-odd hectares of vineyard 

owned by thoughtful colossus Concha y Toro. 

Red 

The Society’s Chilean Cabernet 

Sauvignon, Maípo 

How do we do it? Dark, elegant cabernet 

from Maípo, the acknowledged ‘Bordeaux 

of South America’, aged in proper barriques 

(they see no chips!) for months on end and 

now nicely bottle-aged to boot, all for 

under £6. 14% 

ref SE-CE2601 £5.95 bottle £71 dozen 

The Society’s Chilean Merlot, 

Rapel Valley 

Another casualty of the 2010 earthquake, 

our merlot is back in action, as plummy, 

spicy and delicious as ever as befits the 

grape that put Chile on the international 

map. The fruit is sourced from the merlot 

hot-spot of Rapel, south-west of Santiago 

and, like the cabernet, it’s matured in 

225-litre barrels for eight months. 14% 


★ 

The Society’s Chilean Pinot Noir, 

Leyda Valley 

As the Chilean wine industry has evolved, 

so have the concepts of terroir and regionality 

which underpin our Society-label 

philosophy. The Leyda Valley, on the Pacific 

Ocean west of Santiago, is a haven for cool 

customers like sauvignon blanc and pinot 

noir. Here, the latter achieves a fragrant, 

cherry-spiked charm that delivers striking 

varietal honesty. 14% 


White 

The Society’s Chilean 

Chardonnay, Limarí 

Following massive stock losses in the 2010 

earthquake, it’s a delight to welcome the 

excellent 2010 vintage of this crisp 

chardonnay from the ocean-cooled, sunlit 

Limarí Valley in the north of the country. 

Bright and creamy with a hint of oak – a 

tenth of the blend is barrel-fermented – it 

was one of The Society’s Wine Champions 

this year. 14% 


NEW The Society’s Exhibition 

Limarí Chardonnay, 2010 

Limarí, now reckoned to be a Chilean 

grand cru for chardonnay, is also the source 

of our new Exhibition bottling. Compared 

to the moreish drinkability of the Society 

wine, this cool, elegant chardonnay, with 

the barest hint of barrel, expresses the poise 

and minerality that defines the best wines 

of the region, and is made with food in 

mind. Now to 2014. 14% 


★ 

10 

ARGENTINA 

Buyer Toby Morrhall works closely with one of the country’s 

most dynamic enterprises to produce this benchmark 

malbec, a grape the country has made its own. 

Red 

The Society’s Argentine Malbec 

This dark, potent red, made by leading winemaker Susana Balbo, is 

Mendoza in a bottle, the intensity of ripe fruit from vineyards in the 

warm Maipú district beautifully moderated by the cooler, more 

restrained character of south-easterly Luján de Cuyo. A revelation at 

the price. 13.5% 

ref SE-AR1301 £6.50 bottle £78 dozen

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND 

We talk no longer in terms merely of ‘Aussie Shiraz’ or ‘Kiwi Pinot Noir’, because The Society’s Australia and New Zealand 

buyer Pierre Mansour has rounded up a royal flush of regionally-minded producers to help us demonstrate the regional focus 

now driving wine production down under. 

Red 

The Society’s Spicy Australian Red 

Quintessential South Australian syrah from 

the balmy climate of Langhorne Creek 

where the grape ripens to a peak of 

opulence and generosity. For all that, 

Bleasdale wines never taste soupy or 

overpowering. This is succulent shiraz for 

colder evenings and meaty suppers. 

14.5% 

ref SE-AU9791 £6.75 bottle £81 dozen 

The Society’s Australian 

Shiraz-Cabernet 

The gutsy blend that South Australia has 

made its own became an instant classic for 

its juicy fruit and ease of drinking. This 

sweet but peppery, rich, mouthfilling red 

comes from Bleasdale, the Potts’ family 

winery in Langhorne Creek. 14.5% 



Marlborough Pinot Noir, 2009 

Reflecting not only the importance of 

the grape, but its different nuances in 

Marlborough (juicy and sappy), Otago 

(fragrant and cuddly) and Martinborough 

(dark and savoury), you'll always find a 

selection of Kiwi pinot noirs in our List. 

For this plumptious cuvée, Villa Maria 

supplies fruit both from the cool Awatere 

Valley at the eastern tip of Marlborough 

and the warmer Wairau district at its heart. 

Now to 2013. 14% 

ref SE-NZ5141 £12.95 bottle £155 dozen 

The Society’s Exhibition Victoria 

Shiraz, 2005 

For small glasses and reverential sipping, 

this sumptuous red comes from 

slowly-ripening vineyards in the cool 

heights of southern Victoria. Made for us by 

shiraz legend Dan Buckle of Mount Langi 

Ghiran it is bewitching on the attack, 

voluptuous on the palate and amazingly 

clean-cut and fresh on the finish. 15% 


White 

The Society’s Unoaked 

Australian Chardonnay 

Working with the inspired young 

winemaking team at Wirra Wirra in 

McLaren Vale, Pierre Mansour has managed 

to address two issues a number of members 

feel strongly about: excessive oak and 

creeping alcohol levels. The exotic, tropical 

fruit-salad charm of prime McLaren Vale 

fruit, unmasked by oak, is a revelation, at a 

strength more typical of northern France. 

12.5% 

ref SE- AU13501 £6.50 bottle £78 dozen 

Pierre Mansour 


The Society’s New Zealand 

Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 

Neither sauvignon fever nor competition 

from elsewhere show signs of abating. 

Quality-obsessed Marlborough growers 

rarely engage in price wars, but it is 

sometimes possible to have it both ways. 

The glorious 2010 vintage prompted some 

enthusiastic buying on our part, so some 

bribery is now required to tempt members 

to do the same. Made for us by Villa Maria’s 

Alastair Maling MW, it’s classic, zippy, 

verdant Kiwi sauvignon with the added 

appeal of a special dozen discount of 

£15.00. 13.5% 

ref SE-NZ5111 £9.50 bottle 

£99 special dozen price 

£8.25 equivalent bottle price 


Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, 

2010 

As the Marlborough vineyards mature, 

a hierarchy of quality has emerged, from 

the younger vineyards that produce bulk 

wines to the historic heart of the district. 

At the top is Jane Hunter OBE and 

pioneering viticulturalist, who was one 

of the first to plant sauvignon blanc in 

Marlborough. Her wines have breathtaking 

class, real old-vine focus and remarkable 

longevity for this grape. 13.5% 

ref SE-NZ5401 £10.95 bottle £131 dozen 

The Society’s Exhibition New 

Zealand Chardonnay, 2009 

Kumeu River, near Auckland, is arguably the 

last word in Kiwi chardonnay, producing 

poised, subtly oaked wines of great finesse, 

reflecting the passion of proprietor Michael 

Brajkovich MW for Burgundy. We were 

delighted to induce him to part with this 

single-vineyard chardonnay, matured in 

small French barrels. 12.5% 

ref SE- NZ5041 £12.50 bottle £150 dozen 


11

MIXED CASES 

SOCIETY 

MASTERGLASS REDS 

ref SE-MX11159 at £79 

Equivalent to £6.58 per bottle 

A 12-bottle case containing two 

bottles of each of the following: 

The Society’s Australian Spicy 

Red 

The Society’s Chilean Pinot Noir 

Leyda Valley 

The Society’s Rioja Crianza 

The Society’s Claret 

The Society’s Côtes du Rhône 

The Society’s Argentine Malbec 


MASTERGLASS WHITES 



A 12-bottle case containing two 

bottles of each of the following: 

The Society’s Vin de Pays des 

Côtes de Gascogne 

The Society’s Unoaked 

Australian Chardonnay 


Chenin Blanc 


The Society’s Bordeaux 

Sauvignon 

The Society’s White Burgundy 


MASTERGLASSES 



A 12-bottle case containing a bottle 

of each of the following: 

Reds 

The Society’s Chilean Merlot 

Rapel Valley 

The Society’s Beaujolais-Villages 

The Society’s Corbières 

The Society’s Australian 

Shiraz-Cabernet 

The Society’s California Old Vine 

Zinfandel 

The Society’s Montepulciano 

d’Abruzzo 

Whites 

The Society’s Chilean 

Chardonnay, Limarí 

The Society's Muscadet 

Sèvre-et-Maine sur Lie 

The Society’s French Dry White 

The Society’s New Zealand 

Sauvignon Blanc 



Chenin Blanc 

EXHIBITION 

MASTERGLASSES 

ref SE-MX11162 at £139 

12th bottle free 

A 12-bottle case containing one 

bottle each of the following wines 

including a free bottle of The 

Society’s Exhibition Marlborough 

Pinot Noir, 2009 (worth £12.95) to 

encourage exploration. 

White 


Gewurztraminer, 2007 

The Society’s Exhibition Limarí 

Chardonnay, 2010 


Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, 

2010 

The Society’s Exhibition Sancerre, 

2010 

The Society’s Exhibition Grüner 

Veltliner, 2010 

The Society’s Exhibition New 

Zealand Chardonnay, 2009 

Red 

The Society’s Exhibition Chianti 

Classico, 2009 

The Society’s Exhibition Victoria 

Shiraz, 2005 


Savigny-lès-Beaune Nicolas Potel, 

2005 

The Society’s Exhibition Pomerol, 

2006 

The Society’s Exhibition Rioja 

Reserva, 2005 

Including a free bottle of: 


Marlborough Pinot Noir, 2009 

This offer is open until Sunday 2nd October, 2011 while stocks last. 


The Society’s Guarantee 

Drinking wine bought from The Wine Society should be a pleasurable experience. If at any time 

you are dissatisfied, we would like to hear from you. Contact us and we will be pleased to help. 

twitter.com/TheWineSociety 

societygrapevine.com 

facebook.com/TheWineSociety 

The International Exhibition Co-operative Wine Society Limited. 

Registered Office: Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2BT 

Register Number: 1824R (IP) 

Website thewinesociety.com 

Enquiries 01438 741177 

Orders 01438 740222

THE SOCIETY AND EXHIBITION WINES - The Wine Society

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