Introducing Mr. Wheeler Wine – A wine merchant with pedigree

Where does this pedigree come from?

Mr. Wheeler Wine goes all the way back to the Victorian era in 1883, where a certain George Wheeler’s passion for fine, quality wine began with the opening of their store in Colchester. Fast forward to today and you’ll find George’s great-great grandson at the helm – it’s a family business after all.

Mr. Wheeler have often been at the forefront of the wine market from providing early cellarage services to being the first wine retailer outside of London to receive an almost full page spread in The Times thanks to some smart buying of Bordeaux’s finest wines. Not long after, the awards began to rack up - National Wine Merchant of the Year, Wine List of the Year three times over, Independent Wine Merchant of the Year, Best Mail Order Merchant and Leading Burgundy Specialist. They even got involved in a joint venture in Marlborough to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the famed Clayvin Vineyard which is largely considered to be Marlborough’s very best. As you can see, pedigree indeed.

It is this foresight and innovation that Mr. Wheeler Wine is fiercely proud of and continues in the family tradition today. Regardless of whether you are looking online or are lucky enough to make it to their Colchester store, they excel in providing personal service helping you find the perfect wine – just give them a call or email!

Better Wine

Better wine is one of the cornerstones of the Mr. Wheeler mandate. This is wine chosen on quality above all else. Here’s how they do it:

• Careful sourcing & Heritage - Wine is sourced from established family run vineyards where passion creates better wine.
• Provenance - Almost all their wine is bottled at source. This gives the winemakers full control over the quality and end result of their wine.
• Superior wines - Supermarket wine may cost less, but the stretch to the £10 and up mark gains you a world of value over the mass-produced offering. Your money here actually goes towards the wine juice itself rather than all the bottling and marketing costs!
• Personal Service - As I’ve already said, just ask their experts and get free personal advice on the right wine for you and the occasion.

The Mr. Wheeler Bestsellers

If you’re new to the Mr. Wheeler range, you will probably want to know where to start. And don’t forget our £20 Voucher either! My recommendation would be to email or call them for some expert advice, but if you don’t want to, these bestseller will be sure to make you a lifelong advocate!

Champagne Michel Guilleminot - £27.95

This is a grower Champagne; in other words, they make their own label with grapes exclusively sourced from their own vineyards and processed in their own winery. It is fully in their control. Oh, and much better value for money as you aren’t paying for a brand name!

Last Christmas it was so popular it entirely sold out. But fortunately, it is back to let you have a taste of what it is really all about. It is 100% Pinot Noir, making it a Blanc de Noirs Champagne, which means it is more on the punchy and richer side. This is further helped by the extended 3-year minimum ageing period which gives it toasty, bready notes and great complexity. This is supported by elegant red fruit notes and excellent freshness, resulting in a delicious Champagne with a long, persistent finish and creamy mousse. From just £27.95 per bottle, it really is exceptional.

Maison Angelvin Provence Rose - £14.50

It is Summer after all, and no sunny day is ever really complete unless you’ve had a sip of mouthwatering, red-berried wine. And Provence is certainly the place to go to get your fix. Enter the beautiful Masion Angelvin.

Hailing from the slopes of Saint-Tropez is this crisp, dry, elegant, wonderfully balanced rosé, filled with red fruits of strawberry and raspberry, supported by blossom, honeysuckle and a dash of spice for complexity. The finish is both long and lively, leaving you begging for more.

Chateau de Clotte, Cotes de Castillon - £14.95

Château de Clotte has been Mr Wheeler's best-selling Claret over the last year and the value for money might indicate why. It's Saint-Emilion-styled but from Côtes de Castillon which is one of Bordeaux's satellite appelations. It shares a similar terroir to Saint-Emilion- limestone, gravel and clay - meaning that the prices are more amenable and the offering is much better value than those of Saint-Émilion.

Château de Clotte’s 2019 vintage is a blend of 50% cabernet franc, 40% merlot and 10% malbec, with lovely rich berry fruit flavours and a hint of spice, tobacco and vanilla from its oak aging. It is still youthful, but opened an hour beforehand and it blossoms in the glass. Utterly delicious now, it promises at least 5-7 more years of sumptuous drinking pleasure.

Mâcon Uchizy, Domaine Talmard - £17.95

This sells in vast quantities which is quite impressive for one of the lesser-known villages of the Macconais – it must be excellent. In their own words, “we’ve never come across a better-value white”.

It exemplifies the delicacy and purity of unoaked chardonnay and the terroir of Uchizy. Fruit-forward and with some extra time on lees has resulted in an expressive Chardonnay that would be worth considerably more in other regions of Burgundy. Expect citrus fruits abounding as well as fleshy melon and stone fruit. There is a gentle tropical note too bringing some zing to the wine. All in all, one excellent Chardonnay.

Cepas Single Vineyard Malbec, Mendoza - £14.95

Mendoza and Malbec are the grape equivalent of peas in a pod and this one is so desirable it is shipped directly to the Mr. Wheeler cellars as an exclusive. A step-up against other Malbecs, it comes from a tiny 48-hectare vineyard.

The nose is immediately intense with minty blackberry, coffee and woodsmoke. Despite this hefty sounding nose, the palate is remarkably fresh and balanced, helped along by sweet(ish) bramble, baking spices and soft, velvety tannins. Sumptuous, vibrant and luscious, a great Malbec.

Albariño, Abadia do Seixo - £15.45

The producer, Bodegas Pazo de Villarei, make one of my favourite Albariño wines which fills me with confidence. Their origins date back to the Iron Age Celts with vineyards situated right in the heart of Rías Baixas region. The vines have some age too at 20 years old and they are grown at high altitude which gives full ripening and flavour development for a superior wine.

And this is about as expressive as Albariño comes! It bursts with ripe citrus fruits and zingy, fresh apple. This comes alongside a lovely mineral backbone, floral aromas and of course that signature crispness. The perfect Summer wine.

Time to Shop!

So there we have the top picks from the Mr. Wheeler loyalists, and they are almost certain to enter your wine sphere once you get your hands on them. The value of the wine is far superior to much of the competition out there and the flavour, well, it goes without saying how good that is too. Just check out the reviews and their entire expansive range of wines. Save £20 whilst you shop with our new customer voucher and enjoy better wine!

Prices correct as of 27/06/2024