9 wines a gentleman should be drinking this year

Gentlemen, it’s time to give up the supermarket own-brand bottle you’ve been drinking and start becoming a bit more discerning about your Jesus water. We enlisted the expert option of Geordie Willis, creative director of Mayfair’s Berry Bros. & Rudd, for his top bottles every gentleman should sample this year.

Increasingly we are seeing wines produced at higher altitudes. This upwardly mobile trend can only be a good thing for wine, enabling “cool climate” wines to be grown in some of the hotter, drier places on Earth. This De Martino Syrah is from the highest vineyard in Chile (1,950 metres).

£22.95

Low-intervention wines are becoming increasingly desirable. This Sicilian white from Arianna Occhipinti is a stunner. Floral and herbal notes intertwine with fresh fruit – grapefruit and candied clementine dancing across the nose. A great introduction to the sometimes weird and wonderful ways of natural winemaking.

£16.50

For a long time overlooked, the wines of the Jura have seen their fan-base growing in recent years. Stéphane Tissot is particularly known for his exceptional whites, but this red wine is also worth a look. Brilliant ruby, the nose is almost exotically floral with a backbone of bright cherry fruit.

£27.50

The demand for Prosecco continues to grow but more adventurous customers are looking elsewhere for quality fizz. This complex Cava from Raventós i Blanc is a joy; 100 percent Xarello, the wine is aged for seven years on the lees, producing rich flavours of roasted nuts, smoke, toast, honey and caramel.

£55.00

Top-end South African wine is on the rise and the buzz around the region is growing by the day. This Chenin Blanc from Swartland is delightful; a thread of minerality cuts through the classic apple-laden Chenin, producing a chiselled profile.

£17.95

It won’t be long before English Sparkling Wine is taken as seriously as Champagne. This is a great example of what is fast becoming an incredibly exciting category.

£24.95

We’re also seeing the re-emergence of Australia, a wine region with huge potential. This rosé could give many Provençal versions a run for their money. A delicate nose filled with herbal-edged strawberry fruit perfectly complements a moreish palate laden with more red fruit and a mineral finish.

£17.95

Italy is definitely on our radar at the moment. A new addition to our list, this juicy Carignano hails from Sardinia. The wine is particularly pretty, both in the glass and on the nose, with rich berry fruit and a mineral – almost saline – note. The palate is no disappointment with a fresh raspberry lift to the fruit.

£15.95

Our best-selling wine for many decades, Good Ordinary Claret brilliantly highlights the sheer drinkability of modern red Bordeaux. This year we teamed up with designer Sir Paul Smith to create a limited edition version with only 5,000 bottles produced.

£9.00