Natalie MacLean - delicious wine picks and pairings
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Vintages Release April 11, 2026

Paid Members of my site can access all 102 wines that I've reviewed for April 11, 2026, with my scores, food matches and the stock for each wine in their closest stores.

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Reviewed Wines | All Wines | Group by Wine Type | Group by Country/Region

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Please note that our reviews are based on a variety of sources: samples sent to our team, those we purchase in store, tasting events, those tasted in restaurants and while traveling domestically and internationally.

Red Wine

Montes Limited Selection Carmenère 2022, Rapel Valley D.O., Chile: Montes 2022 is a great value Rapel Valley Carmenère at $18. A juicy and plushy, medium-plus-bodied Carmenère with fresh ripe cherry, strawberry, red currant, blackberry, vanilla and toasty oak spice flavours fresh on the palate, it is a perfect pairing to southwest veggie burgers or a roast duck and lentil ragu. Carmenère food pairings: hamburger, ribs in a rich sauce, spicy dishes, tomato-based dishes, beef tenderloin. Drink: 2024 - 2028 256685 14.5% D 750 mL $17.95 Score: 91/100. April 2026. Best Value Red Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart

White Wine

Maison Couillaud Réserve Du Chiron Muscadet 2024, Sèvre Et Maine, Loire A.O.C., France: From the Sèvre et Maine appellation in the Loire Valley, Maison Couillaud's Réserve Du Chiron is a pristine, 100% Melon de Bourgogne Muscadet crafted sur lie, meaning the wine rests on its spent yeast cells to build a subtle creamy richness that sets it apart from everyday Muscadet. It is light-bodied, bone dry, and refreshingly low in alcohol at just 12%, with bright notes of green pear, white peach, a squeeze of lime zest, and a distinctly stony, oceanic minerality on the finish. Serve it well chilled and enjoy through 2028, as its lively acidity and fine structure give it more staying power than most wines at this price point. Interestingly, Muscadet was once dismissed as a simple, neutral wine, but sur lie aging has helped transform the world's perception of this underrated Loire appellation into one capable of genuine complexity and age-worthiness. The wine earned a Gold Medal at the prestigious Concours Mondial des Féminalise Paris in 2025, a competition judged entirely by women sommeliers and wine professionals. Pair it with steamed mussels in a white wine and shallot broth, where the wine's saline minerality and citrus lift will mirror the briny sweetness of the shellfish, or serve it alongside a light herbed goat cheese and tomato tart for a lovely warm-weather lunch. Muscadet food pairings: herbed quiches, steamed mussels in their own juices, green salad, shellfish. Drink: 2026 - 2028 413757 12% XD 750 mL $16.95 Score: 90/100. April 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart


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