This is the first of two columns offering wine recommendations for the summer months. In this selection I’ve concentrated on refreshing wines that should be relatively easy to track down, in the UK anyway. But I have avoided retailers’ many own-label wines as these definitely aren’t available internationally.
Sauvignon Blanc, with its zesty acidity, is in the ascendant this summer, while Chardonnay is arguably in retreat.
As usual, France can deliver many of the least expensive wines, notably Touraine Sauvignon 2023 and Muscadet, although it’s good to see retailers recognising the great value (and real quality) to be found in Portugal, Greece and South Africa.
One response to the embarrassing surplus of red wine in south west France in general and Bordeaux specifically is the second still white wine recommended below, made from dark-skinned Merlot grapes.
As for sparkling wines, I found the supermarkets’ ranges rather predictable but the growing Amathus chain of wine shops has been especially good at seeking out sparkling value.
The quality of France’s Crémants, made all over the country in the same way as champagne but with different terroirs and, sometimes, different grape varieties, is increasing every year. These bottles are generally much less expensive than champagne.
The UK’s new duty regime that is linked to alcoholic strength seems to have encouraged a few wines under 11.5% on which duty is “only” £2.35 rather than the £2.67 for wines between 11.5% and 14.5%. (Duty rises to £3.21 for wines of 15%.) This is all before VAT at 20% is levied.
Sparkling
The Uncommon Bubbly Rosé 2023 England (11.5%)
The best of Waitrose’s canned wines. 100% Pinot Noir. Provençal pale pink. Not that bubbly but just the job for portability. Good balance.
£3.74 for 25cl can Waitrose
Paul Ginglinger, Prestige Extra Brut 2021 Crémant d’Alsace (12.5%)
Great-value organic blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc aged on lees in bottle, just like champagne.
£15.81 The Wine Society
Regateiro, Aplauso Brut 2017 Bairrada (12%)
Unusual, mature wine based on dark-skinned grapes from Portugal’s answer to the Champagne region. Extremely crisp on the palate with some lemon flavour. Looks good too.
£16 Amathus
Château des Cossé, Réserve du Marquis 2019 Crémant de Loire (12.5%)
Based on Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. Pretty nose with some development. The slight sweetness comes across as richness. Appetising finish.
£16.50 Amathus
Bernard-Massard, Cuvée de l’Ecusson Brut Rosé NV Moselle (12%)
100% Pinot Noir. As delicate a wine as you’d expect from somewhere as far north as Luxembourg. Traditional method. Off dry.
£19 Amathus
Le Vigneron Savoyard NV Crémant de Savoie (12%)
From the Chautagne co-op, another good-value fizzy find by Amathus. Light, but quite intriguing, alpine nose. Very pretty and lightly floral. Afternoon wine?
£21.50 Amathus
Caves Trasmontanas, Vertice Branco 2019 Douro (12.5%)
The Davies of Napa Valley’s Schramsberg were originally involved in this. Really substantial, serious wine — for the table?
£24 Amathus
Jean de Foigny, Brut Premier Cru NV Champagne (12.5%)
Bargain champagne from Castelnau. Relatively simple but it has the magic word on the label. Slightly astringent, sudden finish.
£24.31 The Wine Society
No1 Family Estate, Blanc de Blancs NV Marlborough (12.5%)
NZ fizz pioneer Champenois Daniel Le Brun’s family venture. Clean and lightly soapy on the nose but really substantial on the palate.
£28.50 Amathus
A Bergère, Blanc de Blancs Solera Brut NV Champagne (12%)
50% 2018 and 50% older Chardonnays from a solera dating back to 2013. Some oak and bone dry. A pure aperitif style with some depth and length.
£47 Amathus
Leclerc Briant Réserve Brut NV Champagne (12%)
Organic, biodynamic and brimming with interest. A rewarding wine that happens to sparkle rather than standard-issue champagne.
£50 Berry Bros & Rudd
Laurent-Perrier, Grand Siècle No 26 NV Champagne (12%)
Hugely successful version of this house’s de luxe blend of wines from the celebrated 2012 vintage with 2008 and a smidgin of 2007 gaining complexity but not a trace of heaviness from a full 10 years on lees in their cool, dark cellars.
£180 Waitrose Cellar (online only) and elsewhere
Still, dry whites
Boland, Shallow Bay Chardonnay 2023 Western Cape (14%)
Thanks to its slightly honeyed character, this tastes almost more like a Chenin Blanc, South Africa’s most-planted vine variety, than a Chardonnay but it’s a very acceptable wine for the price.
£6.75 Tesco
Black & Wine, Blanc de Noirs 2023 IGP Atlantique (11.5%)
An answer to Bordeaux’s red wine surplus: a white wine from Merlot grapes made by a group of 10 co-ops in Entre-Deux-Mers and Duras. Good fruit and an initiative preferable to pulling out vines.
£7.95 The Wine Society
Kintonis, G & L Malagousia 2023 PGI Peloponnese (11.5%)
Great value from Greece. A fine introduction to this leafy but fruity variety. Not for ageing but very good for early drinking. Admirably light bottle.
£8.95 The Wine Society
Calvet, Cuvée du Cap Sauvignon Blanc 2023 Bordeaux (11%)
From the heartland of Bordeaux misery (Entre-Deux-Mers), this bone dry wine should please those looking for half-price-or-less Sancerre. Obviously it doesn’t have as much subtlety on the mid palate but would be a clean, refreshing drink in midsummer.
£8.99 Waitrose
LB7 2023 Vinho Verde (10%)
Very pale with lots of spritz. Slightly sweetened up but not aggressively so. More interesting than most apple juice. And very useful for alcohol-watchers.
£8.99 Majestic
Castel 2022 AOC Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie (12%)
Not showy but very satisfying and persistent for fans of Muscadet who want immediate pleasure. Bring on the oysters . . .
£9 Tesco
Fournier, The Pebble Sauvignon Blanc 2023 Touraine (12.5%)
Very obviously Loire Sauvignon and friendlier than many a wine from a fancier appellation, though definitely not a cellar candidate.
£9.50 Tesco
Plaimont, Grande Cuvée Tradition 2020 St-Mont (12.5%)
Beautifully intriguing blend of grapes from south-west France with real presence in the mouth and it goes on and on. Fabulous value.
£9.50 Tesco
Bosman, Amandla Our Future Sauvignon Blanc 2023 Greater Cape (12.5%)
Attractive punchy green fruit. Zesty and salivatory. Good attack!
£9.50 Tesco
Saget, La Perrière Sauvignon Blanc 2023 Touraine (13%)
Another bargain from downriver of Sancerre.
£9.99 Waitrose
AA Badenhorst, The Curator White Blend 2023 Coastal Region (13%)
Chenin Blanc plus Chardonnay and Viognier equals value. Rich but not sweet.
£9.99 Waitrose
De Martino Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2022 Maipo Valley (13%)
Sleek, sophisticated bone dry Chilean Sauvignon with real structure and persistence. Great value.
£10.99 Waitrose Cellar (online only)
Domaine de la Tourmaline 2023 Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine (12.5%)
Real bite and salinity. Seriously sappy and refreshing. Proper, persistent wine that vibrates in the mouth.
£11.29 Majestic
District 7 Chardonnay 2021 Monterey (13.5%)
Unmistakably California (popcorn) on the nose, but with quite enough zest on the palate. A great buy sniffed out by buyer Sarah Knowles.
£12.95 The Wine Society
Von Kesselstatt, Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett 2022 Saar (9.5%)
The touch of sweetness is a delight in this Riesling. Precise balance, and wonderful delicacy and transparency. Amazing value for a wine worth ageing.
£12.95 The Wine Society
Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner Federspiel 2022 Wachau (12%)
Fun and mouth-filling with masses of dill pickle, white pepper and freshness. Bargain example of Austria’s signature grape.
£13 Tesco
South By South West, Treeton Chenin Blanc 2022 Margaret River (12.5%)
Quite complex and a welcome addition to what Western Australia has to offer. Quite saline — not the honey of South African and Loire Chenins but well balanced and not overpriced.
£14.95 The Wine Society
Stellenrust, Stellenbosch Manor Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2022 Stellenbosch (14%)
Old vines and imperceptible oak influence adds up to a sophisticated wine worth ageing. An alternative to white burgundy?
£15 Tesco
Tyrrell’s, Brookdale Sémillon 2022 Hunter Valley, New South Wales (11%)
Already approachable example of a low-alcohol Australian classic. Perfect for summer.
£15 Tesco
55 Malbec, Zaha La Consulta Sémillon 2021 Uco Valley (13.5%)
Confusingly named Argentine producer makes this distinctive, full-bodied dry white from 50-year-old vines. Well worth trying and, probably, well worth ageing too.
£17.50 The Wine Society
Domaine Rostaing, Puech Noble Blanc 2021 Languedoc (13.5%)
Blend of Vermentino, Grenache Blanc and Viognier that’s fresher and tenser than most Languedoc whites, presumably thanks to a hefty proportion of Vermentino. From Rostaing of the northern Rhône.
£22.50 Berry Bros & Rudd
Dom Pierrette et Marc Guillemot-Michel, Quintaine 2022 Viré-Clessé (13.5%)
A white burgundy at last! And showing that wild-flower thing that many biodynamic wines have. Pizzazz, glamour and quite a bargain for Burgundy!
£24 The Wine Society
Sweet whites
Bersano, Monteolivo 2023 Moscato d’Asti (5.5%)
A good example of the refreshing, grapey, lightly sparkling wine style from Piemonte that is one of the few to benefit from the new UK duty regime linked to alcoholic strength.
£9.99 Waitrose Cellar (online only)
Tesco Finest Sauternes 2016 (13.5%)
From the family Dumon who own Ch Béchereau du Ruat in Bommes. Delicious now with some noble rot/botrytis evident. Horribly cheap — for the future of Sauternes.
£13.50 for 37.5cl Tesco
Disznókő, 1413 Édes Szamorodni 2021 Tokaj (12.5%)
Hungary’s famous elixir. As sweet and tangy as lime marmalade. Creamy texture and lots of botrytis. Very easy to like.
£21.99 for 50cl Waitrose Cellar (online only)
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