Wine Note
Expressions Ribolla Gialla 2023 (Marks and Spencer £8)
Do you remember M&S brands such as Collection, Collezione, Portfolio and Classic? The company has dropped them all in the last few years because, it says, “we have simplified what had become confusing sub-brands”.
It’s surprising therefore to find that that in the last two years they’ve introduced four new wine brands – Expressions, Found, Collection (not a new name!) and Classics (a ‘wardrobe’ brand that disappeared in 2001).
Collection contains ‘Premium’ wines.
Classics, says M &S, “is all about a range of the best-loved wine styles and regions, but highlighted with the M&S confidence and assurance to make it easier for customers.”
That’s nothing new; it’s a description of what Majestic have been doing for the last ten years with their Definition range.
Expressions consists of “the region’s best single variety wines.” Found consists of “unexpected and undiscovered wines.”
Ribolla Gialla (yellow ribolla) is a very old variety found in the northeast of Italy and, as it was seen as being ‘undiscovered’, its obvious home was the Found range.
But, ever eager to confuse customers, M & S have now rebranded it as an ‘Expressions’ wine.
Never mind the label, try the wine. It smells and tastes of peach and orange. There’s delicate refreshing acidity and a long finish and it’s very good value for £8.
Autograph seems to be one of the few brands that’s built to last. So here’s a memo to Marks and Spencer – stick the winemaker’s signature on the label and launch the wine under the brand ‘Autograph wines’.
John Freeland (u3a Wine Tasting Group)
Langtoberfest 2025
