Wine: ‘Majestic has come a long way since it’s formation’

The half-year results for Majestic are due then and will be required reading for most industry analysts. Scary writing could be on the wall for more vulnerable outfits if a business like Majestic sees its steady upward sales trend run out of steam.

Majestic has come a long way since its formation, by a former John Lewis merchandiser in 1980 – and its spell in receivership a year or so later. Under the 20-year stewardship of Tim How – and, since August 2008, of Arsenal fanatic Steve Lewis – things have gone well. The customer count has topped the half-million mark and the number of stores has expanded to 165 (although only 13 of them are in Scotland) with up to 150 more throughout the UK planned. More significantly perhaps for viability, the overall price per bottle is around £7, almost a third higher than the average retail price.

The business plan is relatively simple – focus on reliable products and knowledgeable staff while avoiding high-rent town-centre properties and sites without car parks – all stitched together by a sure-footed management team. They judged wisely when they reduced the minimum purchase from 12 bottles to six and led the field in responding positively to the new Scottish embargo on multi-buy promotions by just applying any “two for” discounts to single bottles. Since this change does not yet apply in England, Scots, ironically, can actually pay less than their southern neighbours as a result of the new legislation.

Since even a low price for a poor wine is of little use, I have sifted through the current Majestic list to pick a few highlights. The prices apply at least until the winter catalogue comes into force, on 1 November. With some good-value New Zealand sauvignon blanc around, there are few better places to look for a good entry-point white – such as 2011 Riverlands Run Sauvignon Blanc (£5.99). Its restrained acidity seems to have lemon at its heart rather than the more usual intense gooseberry flavours of Marlborough, and this gives the whole package real subtlety without compromising verve and freshness.

A step or two up the price ladder brings us to 2010 Pazo de Señorans Albariño (£13.99), which is a nicely balanced yet complex Spanish white with lemon and red apple fruit and enough nutty grip on the finish to work really well with food. There is, nevertheless, a concentration and smoothness that makes the wine stand out even when being drunk on its own.

For a special-occasion white, look no further than South Africa’s 2009 Rustenberg Five Soldiers Chardonnay (£27.99). I was impressed by the clean, elegant and integrated style of this wine that has spent 15 months in oak (almost three quarters of it new) yet retains powerful melon and lemon-based fruit, lively acidity and, on the finish, takes on rather pleasant hints of orange.

Switching to the reds, the entry-point star is 2010 Yali Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (£5.99) from Chile. This has soft and mellow, plum fruit juiced up nicely by touches of blackcurrant and rounded off with a typical cabernet minty finish. Dropping back to the old world, I was much taken with 2001 Rioja Gran Reserva Bodegas Muriel (£9.99). This has been matured for three years in bottle and for 30 months in American and French oak and, no doubt, has acquired some of its raisin and caramel flavours. Nothing, however, overshadows the wine’s smooth, bramble fruit and lively acidity.

Canny advance purchases for Christmas could include a fizz in the shape of Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene Extra Dry (£9.99) with its nice apple and lemon fruit and the lively freshness that is making prosecco so popular. Similarly, a perfect dessert wine for the pudding would be 2010 Rustenberg Straw Wine (£9.99 for a half-bottle) that uses hefty lumps of viognier and chenin to create a rich, honey style nicely underpinned by firm, clean acidity.

Since these are but a few highlights from the hundreds of wines each store carries, there is clearly plenty of good stuff to celebrate (or drown sorrows) with when those financial results are actually released.

2010 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

New Zealand, 13.5 per cent Nice entry-point sauvignon with zingy lemon and greengage fruit, given depth and complexity by orange-based texture on the finish. £5.98, Asda

2010 Louis Jadot Combe aux Jacques Beaujolais Villages, France, 13 per cent Award-winning wine that has all the lively acidity and balanced, intense raspberry fruit of top class Beaujolais. £9.49, Waitrose

Domus Colombard Sauvignon

Gascogne, France, 11.5 per cent Unusual but effective blend combining pink grapefruit acidity with textured pear flavours. £8, WoodWinters, Bridge of Allan and Edinburgh