Great wine doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag to deliver quality and character. At Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), wines from every price point get their chance to shine.
The Top 30 Value Golds list highlights Gold winners with the strongest performance in Price Band A – wines under £15 a bottle. And these awards aren’t handed out lightly. ‘Value Gold medals are more difficult to find than Gold medals in other price bands,’ says DWWA Co-Chair Andrew Jefford. ‘You need more confidence to get behind those wines. There’s always a real frisson of excitement when you find them!’
Inside the judging room
DWWA is committed to celebrating excellence in winemaking while reflecting real-world market conditions. The competition is renowned for its rigorous judging process with wines organised for tasting by country, region, colour, grape, style, vintage and price.
This means a £10 wine is never judged against a £50 counterpart. ‘No wine at this price will aspire to the complexity that a boutique or icon wine should display,’ says Jefford. ‘They can however be outstanding for their price. That’s what our Value award recognises.’
DWWA judge and Master Sommelier Gareth Ferreira adds: ‘We certainly look at price points in the Value bracket, we look at a wine that’s extremely valuable for the level of quality it is … Gold medals, they don’t just get handed out.’
While wines of all medal levels can fall into the Value category, 2025 marks a milestone with the first-ever Value Platinum medal awarded. (For all Platinum-awarded wines, including our first Value Platinum, see our article here.)
Building on the momentum of last year’s debut list of 20, this year’s Top 30 Value Golds features 30 exceptional wines. From the full pool of Value Gold winners, the DWWA Co-Chairs select those that truly stand out for their quality at this price point.
Scroll down to see the full list of Top 30 Value Gold wines from DWWA 2025
The 2025 winners
In the 2025 competition, 109 Gold medal-winning wines fell into the Value category. From Italy’s fresh Prosecco, to red wines from China and dessert wines from New South Wales in Australia, there’s great diversity of Value wines that can be found.
Spain leads the way with eight Top Value Golds. During judging week Co-Chair Sarah Jane Evans MW noted ‘I’ve been overseeing the Spain panels and one thing we do is really focus on Value wines – wines I’m actually going to go out and shop for today and tomorrow. Spain is one very good source’.
France follows with five winners including two from the Loire Valley and Portugal received four Top Value Golds. Other winners hail from Argentina, Australia and Greece as well as wines from lesser-known wine producing countries such as China, Bulgaria and Moldova.
See all winners from DWWA at awards.decanter.com
Argentina
Domaine Bousquet, Finca Lalande Organic Malbec, Tupungato, Mendoza 2024
95 points, Value Gold
Brilliant blackberry and sweet cherry fruit with ripples of graphite and savoury spice. Electric with super ripe tannin, zesty acidity and a very long finish. Alcohol 14%
Santa Julia, Family Reserve Malbec, Mendoza 2024
95 points Value Gold
A broad abundance of red and blue fruit with hints of violet and mint. Richly structured with chalky cocoa tannins and generous acidity showing great varietal character. Alc 13.5%
Australia
McGuigan, Bin 9000 Semillon, Hunter Valley, New South Wales 2018
95 points, Value Gold
Resplendent in charred lemon, lime curd, unctuous melon and white peach undercut by a meticulous line of smouldering acidity and united in the endless salivating length. Alc 11.5%
Austria
Steinschaden, Albert Heijn Selectie Grüner Veltliner, Kamptal, Niederösterreich 2023
95 points. Value Gold
Freshly cut celery stalks, white asparagus and lime wrapped around a luscious core of yellow apple and quince, and complemented by the classic hallmark white pepper spice. Excellent! Alc 12.5%
Bulgaria
Angel’s Estate, Rosé, Thracian Valley, Southern Region – Thracian Lowland 2024
95 points, Value Gold
Exudes superb fruit-driven elegance; bustling with raspberries, cherries, strawberries and cream with a searing freshness and smooth acidity to transport you to sunnier climes. Alc 13%
Chile
Errázuriz, Max Carménère, Aconcagua Valley 2023
95 points, Value Gold
Wonderfully concentrated with buoyant florals and joyous black fruits embellished with spicy mint and red pepper notes and emboldened with piquant tannins and nourishing oak. Alc 13.5%
China (Mainland)
Dongfang Yuxing Winery, Geruihong Marselan, Helan Mountain East, Ningxia 2024
95 points, Value Gold
Resplendent in its deep cassis and peppery spice inkiness which is carried across the nose and palate by a juicy structure and silky tannins. Great future ahead. Alc 13.2%
Croatia
Vina Bernobić, Malvazija, Hrvatska Istra, Coastal 2024
95 points, Value Gold
Intense candied citrus, pineapple, peach and yellow flowers frolic under the nose and envelop the palate with a mouth-filling texture and long, spritely finish. Alc 13.5%
France
Bonpas, Grande Réserve des Challières, Luberon, Rhône 2024
95 points, Value Gold
Laden with appetising green apples, bright peaches and a dazzling tang of saline. Vivacious and grippy with a cleansing nerve of acidity running towards the spicy length. Alc 13%
Château La Grave, Expression Rouge, Minervois, Languedoc-Roussillon 2022
95 points, Value Gold
Supremely concentrated with vivid damson, blueberry and sloe fruit flavours that fuse into the chunky frame of tannins and creamy structure and are elevated by the long, refreshing finish. Alc 13%
Lionel Gosseaume, Les Marcottes, Touraine, Loire 2023
95 points, Value Gold
Mouth-filling dark cherries and fleshy plums marry nicely with black pepper and perfumed violets. Very smooth and silky with ample acidity and an opulent finish. Alc 12.5%
Maison Mirabeau, X, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, Provence 2024
95 points, Value Gold
An explosion of crunchy red fruit and sherbet aromatics which blissfully unfurl onto the precise, well-defined palate and simmer towards the pithy, grapefruit finish. Alc 12.5%
Paris-Simoneau, Réserve Sauvignon Blanc, Touraine, Loire 2024
95 points, Value Gold
Generous ripe citrus peel and crunchy green apple fruit coupled with grassy nettle characters offset the verdant acidity and racy, pithy texture. Long and abiding. Alc 12%
Greece
Diamantakis, Vidiano, Crete 2024
95 points, Value Gold
Appealing peach, pineapple and limestone with a background of fresh herbs and florals. Viscous and succulent on the palate with peppy acidity and an enhancing mineral length. Alc 14%
Italy
Spar, Extra Dry, Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore, Veneto NV
95 points, Value Gold
Authentic and pure with a drive of green apple, lemon and pear drop which merges flawlessly with the supple, orange blossom mousse. Zippy and crisp on the finish. Alc 11%
Vallebelbo, Le Filere, Langhe, Piedmont 2023
95 points, Value Gold
Frisky and fresh with keen floral and pristine fruit aromas and plenty of lively acidity and juicy tannins on the palate. Very long and energising. Textbook. Alc 13%
Moldova
Black Crane, Viorica, Stefan Voda 2024
95 points, Value Gold
Action packed lemon blossom, rose petal and honeysuckle aromas give way to a lush baked apple and yellow plum juiciness on the palate. Long and zesty. Alc 13.5%
Portugal
Bacalhôa, Moscatel de Setúbal, Setúbal 2022
95 points, Value Gold
A delectable composition of white nectarine, honeysuckle and orange peel with a generous core of acidity to diffuse the unctuous sweetness. Simpering with marzipan and nutty dried fruit to end. Alc 17%
Provam, Varanda do Conde, Monção e Melgaço, Vinho Verde 2024
95 points, Value Gold
Inviting acacia florals, crushed herbs and juicy white peaches intertwine with a tangy nerve of acidity and a gorgeous saline mineral character which persists towards the long finish. Alc 13%
Rui Roboredo Madeira, Castello d’Alba, Douro 2024
95 points, Value Gold
Charming citrus and tropical fruit notes with an attractive zip of fennel and mint. Rounded, rich and peachy on the palate with a lively dose of vibrant acidity. Alc 12.5%
Rui Roboredo Madeira, Castello d’Alba, Douro 2023
95 points, Value Gold
Confident, structured and immersed in layers of fleshy dark fruit, rosemary, mint and graphite, with firm tannins and a long mineral finish. True Douro power! Alc 14.5%
Spain
Asda, Exceptional Marques del Norte, Rioja Reserva 2019
95 points, Value Gold
Crammed with plump red cherry, cranberry and redcurrant with a moreish espresso, dark chocolate edge. Compact and embracing with a mouth-watering fruit driven length. Alc 14%
Bodegas Alceño, Cibolo Monastrell, Jumilla 2024
95 points, Value Gold
A flirty, fruit-driven wine, beaming with blueberries, sour cherries and violet florals and a soft clove note to intrigue. Deliciously pure with a sustaining succulence. Alc 13%
Bodegas Castillejo de Robledo, Altos de Valdoso Roble, Ribera del Duero 2024
95 points, Value Gold
Refined and polished aromas of black plum, cherry, sweet clove and coconut oak which enthral and empower the rich tannins, refreshing acidity and lingering black pepper length. Alc 14.5%
Celler Masroig, Solà Fred, Montsant 2024
95 points, Value Gold
Alive with red fruit pastille and floral perfume with punchy cranberry acidity and a sweep of peppery spice and fresh herbs to end. Characterful and friendly. Alc 13.5%
Leon & Niné, Compartir Joven, Somontano 2024
95 points, Value Gold
Teeming with violet and rose petal aromatics and a sublime crunch of freshly picked bramble fruit garnished with a dash of white pepper. Structured and long. Alc 13.5%
Tapias Mariñan, Quinta das Tapias Colección Godello, Monterrei 2024
95 points, Value Gold
Concentrated stone fruit and fragrant herbaceous, grassy notes envelop the scrumptious, rounded palate, and the seam of zesty grapefruit acidity flows eloquently towards the lengthy saline finish. Alc 13.5%
Vilarnau, Reserva Organic Brut, Cava 2022
95 points, Value Gold
Unmistakably Cava; complete with Golden Delicious apples, honeyed flowers, warming almonds and an enticing citrus acidity. Beautifully effervescent with a soft lemony mousse which lingers beyond the finish. Alc 11.5%
Vinicolas Reunidas, Sot Neral Syrah, Costers del Segre 2024
95 points, Value Gold
Overspilling with youthful energy! Floral notes combine with blueberries, black cherries and black pepper which melt into the sweet tannins and frothiness of the structure. Alc 14%
Ukraine
Shabo, Reserve Saperavi, Odesa 2023
95 points, Value Gold
A brooding beast with black fruit, chocolate and spice abound. Fleshy and ripe with velvet tannins, a dollop of tobacco oak and a lengthy finish. Alc 12%
