Yields are notoriously small on the volcanic island of Santorini, the best place in the world to grow Assyrtiko, while the price of land is high because of tourism. So you can’t blame Tesco for looking to the north of Greece instead to source their Finest* bottling. As it happens, it’s very tasty as well as good value, with a hint of spritz, peach, citrus and nectarine flavours and the zesty acidity that’s part of the grape’s DNA.
Food Match: Chicken
2023 Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay, Margaret River
( £16, 13%, Sainsbury's )Aussie Chardonnays have undergone a transformation in the last decade or so, moving towards greater freshness and less obvious oak. This beauty comes from Vasse Felix, one of the leading producers in Margaret River, where Virginia Willcock is making some very impressive reds and whites. Tangy, bright and sappy, it has a sheen of subtle vanilla spice, flavours of lemon zest and cardamom and a racy, lingering finish.
2020 The Society's Exhibition Côtes du Jura, Jura
( £19.50, 13.5%, The Wine Society )It’s rare to find a Jura white of this quality under £20, which makes this equal blend of Savagnin and Chardonnay is the ideal introduction to a unique style made close to France’s border with Switzerland. Best drunk with the local Comté cheese, although it’s heavenly with onion soup or a plate of wild mushrooms, it’s textured, racy and appealingly salty, reflecting the three years it spent “sous voile” (under a film of the flor yeast). Not unlike an unfortified Sherry, albeit with Alpine acidity, it reveals layers of citrus, almond and liquorice and a tapering finish.
2023 Piedra Fluida Majec, Tenerife
( £14.95, 13%, The Wine Society )I’ve recommneded a white from Piedra Fluida in the past, but I also wanted to let you know about this red, now that it’s available in the UK. Made from a more or less equal co-fermentation of white Listán Blanco (aka Palomino) and the local Listán Negro grape, it’s an intriguing tinto from the volcanic soils of Tenerife, with lots of old vine concentration, spicy red berry flavours, a waft of wild mountain herbs and savoury, fine-grained tannins.
2022 Taste the Difference Chablis Vieilles Vignes, Burgundy
( £17.50, 13% )This is far from the cheapest Chablis on the high street, but it’s a wine that’s worth paying a little extra to enjoy. Made by J Moreau, it’s a modern-meets-traditional style, with 6% new wood adding a hint of vanilla spice to a palate of citrus and lemon butter complemented by old-vine concentration and the stony freshness that’s harder to find than it used to be in a warming world.
2023 Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner, Wachau
( £13, 12.5%, Tesco )Grüner Veltiner is Austria’s best white grape, especially when it’s grown close to the Danube River. This appealingly priced example comes from Domäne Wachau, one of Europe’s best co-operatives, and is typically fresh, perfumed and stony, with aromas of white pepper and bay leaf and a palate of pear, lime and green apple.
2024 Domaine de Rouqemale Les Rocs Blancs, Languedoc
( £18.50, 13.5%, Yapp Brothers )So-called Mediterranean style white blends can be harder to sell than single-variety wines, but they have fascinating layers of flavour, with the components adding up to more than the sum of their parts. Valérie and Dominique Ibanez blend more or less equal parts Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Marsanne, Piquepoul, Roussanne, Vermentino and Viognier to make this fascinating white from vineyards close to the Bassin de Thau. Rich, textured yet refreshing, it has flavours of fennel, pear and greengage and a hint of peachy sweetness, balanced by a racy finish.
2023 Winzer Krems Orange Grüner Veltliner, Austria
( £10, 13%, Majestic )It’s great to see one of the biggest co-operatives in Austria taking a few risks and producing a tasty orange wine at an approachable price. Way less bitter or extracted than some skin-contact whites, this is a perfumed, elegant, refined Grüner Velltliner with subtle top notes of saffron and patisserie spices, flavours of quince, tangerine and lemon zest, a touch of tannin and a stony, refreshing finish.
2023 Domaine Huchet Muscadet Chemin des Prières, Loire Valley
( £12.50, 12%, The Wine Society )Muscadet can be one of France’s most underrated whites. This delightful, lees-aged Melon de Bourgogne from Jérémie Huchet hails from cooler, granite-rich soils in the commune of Château-Thébaud. Textured, racy, rich, yet bone-dry, it has notes of citrus, green apple and sea breeze and an intensely stony finish balanced by delightful mid-palate weight.
2024 Diemersdal Grüner Veltliner, Durbanville, Western Cape
( £11.50, 13.5%, Majestic )Partly inspired by the subject of my newsletter, this is an example of a producer taking a punt on a lesser known grape, in this case Austria’s Grüner Vetliner in the Cape. Thys Louw produces this tangy, stony, white pepper-scented white in cool climate Durbanville, close to the Atlantic Ocean. Lime and subtle stone fruit flavours combine appealingly on the palate.
2023 Zuccardi Q Chardonnay, Uco Valley, Mendoza
( £16.50, 13.5%, Tesco )Not many people realise it, but the cooler, high-altitude areas of Argentina’s Uco Valley are producing some delicious white wines at the moment, most notably from Chardonnay. This deftly wooded example from Sebastián Zuccardi, made with grapes from El Peral and Gualtallary, is wonderfully focused, direct and refreshing, with layers of lemongrass, citrus peel, fennel and oyster shell, mouth-watering acidity and a stony, tapering finish.
2024 Arbousset Tavel Rosé, Rhône Valley
( £13, 13.5%, Tesco )Tavel tends to make rosés that appeal to red rather than white wine lovers. As such, they are richer, denser and fuller-bodied than the much paler Côtes de Provence style. This wine from Domaine d’Arbousset is a case in point, a serious, savoury, richly coloured cuvée of mostly Grenache with lesser amounts of Cinsault, Carignan and Syrah. Wild strawberry, hibiscus and rooibos tea flavours are framed by subtle tannins and racy acidity.