The best half-bottles of wine to buy this Christmas

The comedian Ellen DeGeneres once quipped, “I never see the glass as half empty – I drink out of the bottle.” I can imagine Ms DeGeneres buying wine in half bottles; it’s a good size for a straw. But the prospect of “small format” (as it’s known in the trade) makes some recoil in horror.

Despite drinking almost nothing – I’m talking about a couple who can make a normal-sized bottle of wine last more than three days – my parents are part of this aghast group. “I like having leftovers,” says my mum. Well, I like drinking wine before it oxidises and acquires a whiff of acetaldehyde, but to each his own.

Small bottles are not, to me, mean bottles. They are rather tiny parcels of joy. If you are not a big drinker, then why not spend the same on a half as you would on a whole and enjoy wine that is twice as nice? And yes, pedants, it probably will be (at least) twice as nice because although halves are usually more expensive in terms of cost per ml of the same wine, when you increase your per-bottle spending on wine then the proportion that goes on the wine itself (rather than on fixed costs such as duty, packaging and logistics) zooms up.

I like the idea of a stash of really good halves that can be breached without fear of waste; especially useful if, like me, you like a glass of white as an aperitif and one of red with dinner, or to match wines to each course. Halves are also great for sweet and fortified wines; if the thought of a whole bottle of port feels overwhelming, then crack open a half. Though my advice is to make sure you buy more than one half of port because once you remember how delicious it is you will probably want another a few days later; if not it will easily keep until next year.

In a year in which socialising has been severely curtailed more and more of us are seeing the point of the half bottle. Jamie Waugh, who is in charge of wine at Fortnum & Mason, says, “We have had the most phenomenal year with our still wines sales which are up 84 per cent, however half bottles are up 138 per cent.

“We’ve seen a great growth in halves of barolo and châteauneuf-du-pape in particular. Because of the increase in popularity during lockdown I have been busy adding classics to our half bottle range this Christmas.”

One of the halves Waugh has added is Greywacke Wild Sauvignon 2018 (Marlborough, New Zealand, 12.5%, Fortnum & Mason, £16.50 for 37.5cl; £30 for 75cl). A savoury and textured sauvignon blanc made using wild yeast and fermented in old oak, Greywacke is pretty much my idea of the perfect half. Each mouthful is so intense it goes a long way. Fortnum’s currently has 13 sparkling wines, 22 still wines and 31 sweet and fortified in half bottle.

I haven’t tried them all but as a way to experience fine wine in a small package I also recommend the deep richness of Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2015 (France, 14.5%, Fortnum & Mason; £36 for 37.5cl; £72.50 for 75cl); Barolo Massolino 2016 (Italy, 13%, Fortnum & Mason, £27.95 for 37.5cl; £52 for 75cl) which is a silky barolo from Serralunga from an excellent ­vintage and, yes, it’s young but one advantage of half bottles is that the wine matures more quickly; and Fortnum & Mason Oloroso Sherry 30 Years Old VORS (Spain, 20%, Fortnum & Mason, £28.50 for 37.5cl) which, like the ­excellent Fortnum’s Cream Sherry I recommended last week, is made by Bodegas Tradición.

The Wine Society has traditionally had one of the best half bottle selections in the business but, when I checked in with them last week, halves had been selling so fast that the range was much depleted. The more expensive wines, in particular, had gone or almost gone; another sign that buy smaller, buy better this Christmas is a thing. You could try the society’s lusciously fruity Côtes du Rhône 2019 (France, 14%, The Wine Society, £4.95 for 37.5cl; £7.95 for 75cl) which is made for them by Domaine Jaume Allegrini Valpolicella 2019 (Italy, 13%, The Wine Society, £7.50 for 37.5cl; £12.50 for 75cl) or Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos Vintage Port 2012 (Portugal, 20%, The Wine Society, £16.50 for 37.5cl).

One absolute gold mine for half ­bottles is Tanners of Shrewsbury. I highly recommend its Château Tour de Luchey Bordeaux 2018 (France, 14%, Tanners, £5.60 for 37.5cl; £9.60 for 75cl) which is a generous, smooth merlot-based claret that smells of warm raspberries; another really excellent buy is Pouilly Fumé Domaine Thibault André Dezat & Fils 2019 (France, 13%, Tanners, £8.90 for 37.5cl; £16.95 for 75cl) – this is a keen-edged and beautifully grassy Loire sauvignon, it tasted exactly as I hoped it would; Château Montaiguillon Montagne St Émilion 2017 (France, 13.5%, Tanners, £8.80 for 37.5cl) is a glossy merlot-based claret from a St Émilion satellite appellation; and if you fancy some mature port then I really enjoyed Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas 1995 (Portugal, 20.5%, Tanners, £19.40 for 37.5cl).

Ports from this quinta (estate) are always good value, and this half is almost a decade older than most of the 75cl bottles of Vargellas that you will see around. Finally from Tanners, Les Galets de la Berthaude Châteauneuf -du-Pape 2019 (France, 15%, Tanners, £13.40 for 37.5cl) is good – perhaps not the cracking value of some halves but a very pleasing drink with true châteauneuf personality.

Another really excellent source of sprauncy half bottles is Lea & Sandeman – this merchant has the likes of Domaine Tempier and Kumeu River, and a deep range of sauternes and champagnes in half bottles.

If you’re a committed half-bottler, visit halfwine.com, a website that only sells – you guessed it – half bottles. Founder Kevin Dilton-Hill has been overwhelmed by demand this year, particularly from people organizing Zoom tastings who wanted to open a few small bottles. Sadly my samples got stuck in courier mayhem, and had not arrived at the time of going to press, so I can’t advise you on which specific ones to buy just now; but I can say that the website is well worth checking out.

Half bottles are great. Just maybe try not to be like the friends of mine who always buy halves of champagne – and then end up opening three.

Wines of the week

M&S Classics No 12 Crémant de Bourgogne NV

France (12%, M&S, £10)

Crémant is the name given to sparkling wine made in France in the same way as champagne and this one is a real cracker: a toasty, vibrant, focused sparkling wine that punches way above its £10 weight. Currently out of stock online – M&S is trying to replenish – but apparently there’s plenty of bottles left in stores.

Definition Valpolicella Ripasso 2017

Italy (13%, Majestic, £13.99/15.99 mix six/single bottle price)

A thoroughly enjoyable red from Veneto that has a ruffled texture and tastes of sweet and sour cherries with a faintly baroque richness. It would be lovely with a turkey dinner. It’s also great with pizza, cooked tomato dishes and the bitter-sweetness of chargrilled radicchio with balsamic vinegar.

Château La Croix de Grézard Lussac-St-Émilion 2015

France (13.5%, Wholefoods, £17.99; drinkfinder.co.uk, £15.75; Noble Green Wines, £17.50)

This Bordeaux vineyard is owned by the family-run Imperial Hotels group and was originally bought to supply guests with a house claret. Has delicious hints of truffle and the sort of plummy fruit you’d expect from a St Émilion satellite.