One of the most exciting whites I’ve tasted from Sicily in ages, this is a finely judged, organically farmed cuvée of the local grapes, Catarratto and Grillo. Fermented on skins for a couple of days – which gives the wine extra weight and backbone – before ageing in large barrels called botti in Italian, it’s a rich, tangy, nutty delight, with loads of racy acidity, citrus, nectarine and pink grapefruit flavours and a waft of juniper and wild thyme.
Country: Italy
2021 Corte Alle Mura Chianti Riserva, Tuscany
( £6.99, 13%, Lidl )Lidl aren’t terribly forthcoming about the varietal make-up of some of their wines, but this is obviously Sangiovese-based, possibly with some other red and white grapes. At this kind of price, maybe the details don’t matter, because this is one the best reds in the discounter’s core range. Just the thing to drink with a plate of pasta, it has aromas of tobacco leaf and black tea and a palate of plum and red cherry fruit supported by savoury tannins and refreshing acidity. It looks pretty smart, too.
Credible Signals
by Sara Danese
To sell wine, the wine being of good quality is not essential. In fact, selling mediocre wine is easy; selling bad wine is easier still. Not easy in the sense...
Where Next For Appellations?
by Andy Neather
Massive hailstones ravaged Chablis last year and fires consumed thousands of hectares in Galicia last month: climate change is accelerating. Grape-growing conditions in classic regions simply aren’t the same as...
What’s The Point Of Bolgheri?
by Sara Danese
I started writing this as a piece about Bolgheri, and ended up writing about myself, but perhaps you will see that as we go along. As in, we talk about...
2024 La Guardiense Falanghina del Sannio, Campania
( £10.50, 13.5%, Majestic )Working under the guidance of top consultant Ricardo Cotarella, the La Guardiense co-operative is making some delicious, value-for-money examples of Campania’s native Falanghina grape. Aged on its lees in stainless steel tanks to add weight and texture, this is a wonderful, highly aromatic dry white with aromas of orange blossom and Angelica root and a brisk, lively, focused palate of lime, citrus and fennel.
The Dilution of Terroir
by Guy Woodward
First up, a trigger warning… I’m approaching this article from the premise that terroir exists. It’s a position to which I would hope most readers of this site would subscribe....
2023 Pietraia Pecorino, Abruzzo
( £9.99, 13%, Majestic )Pecorino – not be confused with the cheese of the same name – is something of a minority white grape in Italy, but producers like Rocco and Pierpaolo Pasetti have helped to rescue it from relative obscurity. This is an unoaked delight that delivers a lot of flavour for less than a tenner, with flavours of quince and wild Mediterranean herbs, appealing texture and weight, refreshing acidity and a fine bitter twist.
2023 Benanti Etna Bianco, Sicily
( £22, 12.5%, The Wine Society )Etna in north-east Sicily is better known for its reds than whites, but the best examples of the latter, made from the local grape Carricante, can be spectacular, somewhere between a Burgundian Aligoté and a top Soave in style. This is totally unoaked, but draws richness from six months of lees’ ageing. Stony and intense, with notes of lime, fennel and lemon juice, steely, palate-cleansing acidity and a mineral tang. Best drunk with the Mediterranean sun on your face, but it’ll cheer you up in winter too.
2023 Vito Mameli Grillo, Sicily
( £8.99, 12.5%, Majestic )Co-operatives don’t come much bigger than the Cantina Europa in western Sicily, but this wine proves that, assuming the winemaking is up to snuff, size can work to your advantage, giving you access to grapes grown by 2,000 members, This is fresh, spicy and savoury with notes of sea breeze and wild flowers on the nose and a palate of citrus, quinine and fresh herbs.
2021 Santa Tresa Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicily
( £11.50, 14%, The Wine Society )Cerasuolo di Vittoria often tastes as if its comes from a cooler place than the south-east corner of Sicily. This one from Santa Tresa is fuller bodied than some examples of the DOCG thanks to partial raisining on the vine, but retains the freshness and perfume that are so distinctive. Pairing Nero d’Avola and brighter, more charming Frappato, it has red cherry, plum and wild Meditteranean herb flavours, savoury tannins and a refreshing finish.
2023 Tenute Pieralisi Monte Schiavo, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico
( £8.99, 11.5% )Part of a really good new range of Italian whites from Majestic – look out for other arrivals over the next month – this is a bright, tangy, unwooded Verdicchio from one of the highest vineyards in the Marche region. As crisp and a freshly ironed white shirt, it has fennel and chamomile aromas, flavours of citrus and quinine, racy acidity and a waft of mountain herbs. Long and refreshing.