This is an outstanding bargain at £6.50. At the cheaper offer price, it’s close to a steal. Sourced from Monte Schiavo, it’s a wine that looks as good as it tastes. Perfect for seafood or white fish, it’s crisp, tangy and dry, with citrus and pine needle notes and the faintest hint of the salty seashore.
Country: Italy
2016 Nunzio Ghiraldi Il Gruccione, Lugana, Veneto
( £15, 13.5%, Winetraders UK )This delicious Italian white comes from the shores of Lake Garda and shows the pepper spice and perfume that are typical of the Lugana style. Savoury and tangy, with a touch of spritz, bracing, almost salty acidity and a long finish.
2015 Masseria Pietrosa Verdeca, Cantine San Marzano, Puglia
( £6 down from £8, 13%, Morrisons )Even at its normal price, this fine-looking Italian white from the country’s boot heel is a total bargain, but at £6 it shoudl ahve people queueing out of the door. Blending the local Verdeca grape (not the same thing as Verdejo) with 2.5% each of Sauvignon Blanc and Malvasia, it’s a tangy, crunchy thirstquencher with flavours of pear and orange zest and lovely texture.
How the other half drinks
by Matt Walls
Is there a quicker way to get to know someone than by flicking through their music collection or browsing their bookshelves? Both feel like a little glimpse into their soul....
2015 Poggio Civetta, Tuscany
( £6.99, 12.5%, Majestic )If you’re looking for an easy drinking pink to quaff over the next few weeks, this pale rosé made from “typical Tuscan varieties” is a snip at under £7 (as long as you buy five other bottles at Majestic). There’s a spicy, wild herb-like note to the raspberry fruit that’s backed up by a nip of tannin.
Donald Trump’s World Atlas of Wine
by Ron Washam
What is it with you people that you want to know what I think about wine all the time? When I became the new Emperor of Wine, and, really, I’m...
NV Majolini Altèra Brut Rosé, Franciacorta
( £30, 12%, Bat & Bottle )Pinot Noir is the sole grape on this very pale pink bubbly and it shows in the poise, balance and perfume of the wine. Red fruits, attractive, bottle-aged maturity and complex, toasty undertones make this an excellent alternative to Champagne.
2012 Torre del Falasco, Cantina Valpantena, Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore, Veneto
( £9.99, 14%, Rude Wines )Less sweet than many commercial Ripasso bottlings – and none the worse for that – this is also showing a bit of bottle-aged complexity, combining notes of plum, strawberry and fig, a nip of tannin and no obvious oak. The combination of fruit, acidity and residual sugar is very well handled here.
The shock of the new
by Matt Walls
When tasting my way through a large number of unfamiliar wines, there are a few tell-tale signs that I’ve encountered something special. Firstly, an involuntary smile creeps over my face....
Top 50 Italian Wines – Classifica 2015
by Tim Atkin
Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio – Monprivato Barolo DOCG 2010 – Piemonte Giuseppe Rinaldi – Brunate Barolo DOCG 2011 – Piemonte Duemani – Duemani Costa Toscana – IGP Cabernet Franc 2012...
2013 G.D. Vajra Dolcetto d'Alba, Dolcetto d'Alba, Piedmont
( £13, 13%, Liberty Wines )This is only the “entry point” Dolcetto from the Vajra family, but it’s still a deliciously aromatic example of Piedmont’s everyday red. Aromatic and fruity, showing flavours of plum and black cherry, as well as aromas of violets, it’s at its best when lightly chilled. Aren’t we all? Long and refreshing with chalky acidity.
Braver New World
by Matt Walls
“Sorry I’m late sir. Ignore the bandage, I had an unexpected visit to the hospital to get my ear seen to. Anyway – I understand you’d like me to paint...