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LinkedinAs the days draw in and the air becomes crisp, Round & About magazine’s resident wine columnist, Giles Luckett, recommends the best wines for cosy autumn evenings.
With summer officially over, even if the sun didn’t get the memo, it’s time to celebrate the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. Or if 2026 continues as it is, with smoke from wildfires and alarming scarcity.
So, with Keats’ love of wine in mind, here are a dozen autumnal wines to fall for.
First up, Esporao’s Monte Velho (Noble Grape £9.50). Esporao was my winery of the year in 2024, and this is another gem. Gentle and generous with an unexpected lightness of touch, it’s berry-driven with complexity added by prunes, sage, and a touch of tapenade on the finish. Another example of a great Portuguese wine; try this on its own or with lamb or game birds.
Next up, the Gaia Malbec from Domaine Bousquet (Waitrose £18). This is a beautifully composed, fragrant Malbec that effortlessly delivers black fruits, cherries, spices, and its signature floral lift. Medium-bodied and refined, toward the finish, a seam of minerals and rounded tannins adds structure and length. I found it the perfect foil for red meats or tomato-heavy dishes.
If you are thinking of firing up the BBQ for an Indian Summer cook-up, then crack open a bottle of the Folklore Merlot (Tesco £10/£8 with a Clubcard). This Western Australia wine is a little cracker. So much Aussie Merlot is gloopy and lazy, but this is crisp and full of energy. Deep purple, it blends plums, cherries, raspberries, chocolate and spices in a tangy, refreshing fashion. Just the thing for rosemary-infused lamb steaks.
The French know a thing or two about red wines, or so a bloke in the pub told me last week. Tasting the Parallèle 45 (Majestic £14/£13.50 on a mixed 6) makes me think he had a point. Weighty with plenty of red and black berry flavours with plum, bramble, and spice notes, give it a light chill and summer berries and flowers come forth, making it a delicious partner to smoked fish or cold meats.
Heading south into the Roussillon, we have the Bila-Haut Occultum Lapidem (London End Wines £20). This stonking wine combines power and intensity with freshness and finesse. Dried black fruits, smoke, leather, and seductive aromas of pepper and herbs are followed by a mouth-filling combination of blackberries, damsons, and black cherries before raspberries ride in on the firm finish. Châteauneuf-du-Pape lovers, take note.
Provence is best known for its rosés, but I often find the reds are where the real excitement lies. Take the Domaine de la Croix Eloge (Perfect Cellar £29.95). This Grand Cru Classé blends Syrah and Mourvèdre to give an intense, juicy red offering layers of blackberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, and cherries, with pepper and toasted vanilla. A serious wine, savour it with wild mushroom risotto or a baked camembert.
Bordeaux has had a torrid year. Wildfires have threatened the region as temperatures reached an unprecedented 107°F. While it’s too early to say how the harvest will turn out, fears of smoke taint are rife; other hot years such as 2022 produced wonderful wines such as the Right Bank 2022 (Perfect Cellar £39.95). Claret was Keats’ favourite wine, and I’m sure he’d find suitably honeyed words for this fascinating wine. Produced from Merlot and Cabernet Franc from a selection of right-bank communes including Saint Emilion and Pomerol, it’s big, juicy, exotic and refined. Inky blue-black, aromas of plums, cherries, crushed rocks, and liquorice rise from the glass. Medium-bodied and refined, layers of black berries, plums, chocolate, vanilla, and Asian spices make for a superb young claret. Drink now with roasted meats or hold for another 5-7 years.
Pinot Noir encapsulates autumn for me, and while I’d like to recommend the Romanee Conti 2022, I won’t, as a) I haven’t tried it and b) at £21,000 a bottle I’m not likely to. Instead, I’ll give a thumbs up to the Louis Jadot Couvent Des Jacobins Pinot Noir (Sainsbury’s £21 or £18.50 with a Nectar Card). This is the best value red Burgundy I’ve tasted this year. Deep ruby, complex aromas of summer and autumnal fruits, married to oak and tart, sour cherries. The palate conveys everything from strawberries and loganberries to cherries and mushrooms with an effortless air, giving the impression that the winemakers have left its natural beauty shine through. Give this a couple of hours open and pair with mushrooms, steak and ale pie, or gammon.
If you need a lift as the nights descend, try the Leone 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon (Perfect Cellar £21). Aussie Cabernet can be a little forthright, in the same way that Gordon Ramsay can be forthright when presented with an overcooked turbot. The Leone is a jolly charmer of a wine. The usual bold black and fruits, eucalyptus and green pepper, earth and spices are all there, but the intensity’s been turned down, allowing a subtle filigree of citrus, cinnamon, and grilled meats to come into the equation. A super sipper; enjoy this with lasagne, herby sausages or roasted veg.
Italy is probably the most exciting wine nation on earth right now. Innovation within established regions and the emergence of new ones has created a vibrant scene with so much to enjoy. The perfect example of innovation in a classic region is G.D. Vajra in Piedmont. Founded in 1973, this family-owned estate makes classical wines with a modern outlook. Their G.D. Vajra Barbera D’Alba 2025 (Vinum £23.90), for example, shows considerable freshness and focus, while maintaining Barbera’s natural enthusiasm and weight. The nose offers red berries, plum jam, and tobacco. The first sip brings a surge of cheering cherries, mulberries, black pepper and fresh, tangy raspberries. This exuberant opening is followed by subtle tones of coffee, smoke and minerals, before the firm, taut finish brings things to an elegant end. Brilliant on its own, it’s perfect for all manner of hearty Italian dishes and is guaranteed to bring a smile to your lips.
Next, a wine I wouldn’t have drunk, let alone recommend ten years ago.Saumur-Champigny is a red from the Loire made from Cabernet Franc. Until climate change got its hot hands on the region, this meant growing a naturally green and tangy grape in a cool, marginal climate. The results were invariably harsh, acidic, and stalkier than a freshly combined wheat field. Things have evidently changed, as the Saumur-Champigny Le Boisclair, Joseph Mellot 2023 (Noble Rot £17.50) is a delight. Deep purple, the nose offers a classic mix of leafy blackcurrants, strawberries and black and green pepper. In the mouth is smooth, soft, and plump. At the periphery, there are green notes, but these just go to show the berry fruits in an even better light. I had this chilled (with chèvre) and at room temperature on its own, with equally impressive results.
I’ll finish with the best Rioja I’ve tasted this year (and it’s a crowded field), the Viña Real Gran Reserva 2018 (Hic! £32). Made only in the finest years, aromas of summer pudding, toast, and sage are followed by bold blackberry, cherry, and cranberry fruits, minerals and mint, orange zest and vanilla smoke. Remarkably easy to drink for a wine of such tender age, give it a couple of hours open and serve with sausages, roast beef, or a hearty vegetable stew.
Cheers! Giles
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