93

2021 Pepe Mendoza Mares de Luz Monastrell/Giró, Alicante

( £9.95, 14%, The Wine Society )

Pepe Mendoza is Alicante’s most celebrated winemaker, well known for the quality of his reds and whites as well as their outstanding value for money. This lightly wooded cuvée marries equal amounts of Monastrell and the rare Giró grape and is a charming, enticing delight. Aromas of rose petal and Turkish Delight segue into a palate that’s savoury and spicy, all white pepper, thyme and summer berries and a nip of tannin.

BuyDrinking window: 2023-28Similar Wines: £5-£10, 90-94, Spain, Red, Giró, Monastrell
93

2021 Yalumba Samuel's Collection Viognier, Eden Valley

( £15.99, 13%, Amazon, Taurus Wines )

This is one of three Viogniers that Louisa Rose makes at Yalumba, and it’s my favourite of the trio, despite being the mid-priced offering. Wonderfully pure, enticing aromas of orange blossom and stem ginger segue into a palate of cream, white peach and citrus zest. This has lovely freshness and zip, subtle texture, understated oak and a spicy finish.

BuyDrinking window: 2023-27Similar Wines: £15-20, 90-94, Australia, White, Viognier
94

2022 Blank Canvas Holdaway Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough

( £21.50, 13%, Noel Young )

One of the most exciting Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs I’ve had in a long while, Matt Thomson and Sophie Parker-Thomson MW’s brilliant white is a nuanced, layered single vineyard expression from Dillons Point. It has lime, gooseberry and pink grapefruit flavours, subtle, stony reduction and sappy, mouth-watering acidity. Satisfyingly dry, focused and long on the palate.

BuyDrinking window: 2023-29Similar Wines: £20-25, 90-94, New Zealand, White, Sauvignon Blanc
91

2021 Taste The Difference Chardonnay, Trentino

( £9.25, 12.5%, Sainsbury's )

There are so many native grapes in Italy that it’s easy to forget that the place makes really smart Chardonnay too. This example from Alpine Trentino is bright, fruity, tangy and refreshing, with a touch of the appealing bitterness that you often find in the country’s whites, citrus, pear and clementine fruit, lots of vibrant acidity and a faint hint of vanilla spice.

BuyDrinking window: 2023-26Similar Wines: £5-£10, 90-94, Italy, White, Chardonnay
91

2022 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Marche

( £7, 13.5%, The Co-op )

Basic Italian white wines can be pretty neutral. Indeed, you could argue that blandness is a huge part of Pinot Grigio’s success. But it doesn’t have to be that way. This stylish cuvée of Verdicchio – one of the country’s most characterful white grapes – with 15% Malvasia tastes every bit as good as it looks. Pear, citrus peel and aniseed flavours are supported by lip-smacking acidity, a hint of jasmine and a stony, mineral-etched finish. An incredible bargain.

BuySimilar Wines: £5-£10, 90-94, Italy, White, Verdicchio
94

2020 Sylvain Pataille Aligoté, Burgundy

( £17, 12%, The Wine Society )

Burgundian winemakers used to be a bit sniffy about Aligoté, but climate change has prompted a shift in attitude to the tangy, famously acidic grape variety, exemplified by the Aligoteurs movement of which Sylvain Pataille is a leading figure. This is a brilliant wine from an outstanding producer that could sell at twice the price, showing a touch of older oak, citrus, wet stone and green apple flavours, nice texture and weight and the concentration that often seems to come from old vines.

BuyDrinking window: 2023-29Similar Wines: £15-20, 90-94, France, White, Aligoté
92

2021 Bellingham The Bernard Series Chenin Blanc, Coastal

( £11, 13.5%, Tesco )

I’ve just spent the best part of a month in South Africa and I’m more in love with Cape Chenin Blanc than ever. This is not the cheapest example in the high street, but it’s worth spending a little more to buy a wine of this quality. Sourced from 40-year-old vineyards, it’s a rich yet refreshing white that shows the cool elegance of the 2021 vintage. Honey, peach and citrus fruit flavours are framed by scented oak, green apple acidity and a dusting of patisserie spices.

BuyDrinking window: 2023-28Similar Wines: £10-15, 90-94, South Africa, White, Chenin Blanc
92

2022 Paul Mas Réserve Languedoc Blanc, Languedoc-Roussillon

( £9.99, 13%, Waitrose )

Jean-Claude Mas is making some of the best wines in the south of France right now and is next to unbeatable for value under £10. This brilliant white blend is a more or less equal cuvée of Vermentino, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc with a splash of Viognier for extra perfume. Lightly but stylishly wooded, it has jasmine and rose petal aromas and a palate that combines flavours of peach, pear and citrus and a twist of Mediterranean herbs.

BuyDrinking window: 2023-27Similar Wines: £5-£10, 90-94, France, White, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Vermentino, Viognier
91

2022 Taste the Difference Discovery Collection Lugana, Lugana

( £12, 13%, Sainsbury's )

Made with the Trebbiano di Lugana grape, sometimes called Turbiana in the region, this tasty, refreshing, summery white hails from vineyards close to the shores of Lake Garda. Floral and enticing, it has aromas of jasmine and honeydew melon, plenty of acidity and zip, lemon zest, peach and pink grapefruit flavours and a slightly bitter, nutty twist. Perfect for a picnic.

BuyDrinking window: 2023-25Similar Wines: £10-15, 90-94, Italy, White, Trebbiano di Lugana
91

2022 Santa Teresa Rina Russa Organic Frappato, Vittoria, Sicily

( £10.99, 13%, Waitrose )

Has summer finally landed in the UK? Fingers crossed. If so, this wonderful organic Frappato from the Vittoria area in south-eastern Sicily is just the thing to serve straight from an ice bucket. Pale and ethereal, it has aromas of rosehip and Turkish Delight complemented by a light, tangy, refreshing palate with gentle, savoury tannins and flavours of pomegranate and wild strawberry. Perfect for Pinot Noir drinkers on a budget.

BuyDrinking window: 2023-27Similar Wines: £10-15, 90-94, Red, Frappato
91

2021 El Jardín de Ana Godello, Monterrei, Galicia

( £10, 12.5%, Tesco )

Albariño is Galicia’s most famous white grape, but Godello from the same part of so-called green Spain can be every bit as good. This appealingly packaged number from Martín Codax is engagingly fresh and perfumed, with jasmine and chamomile scents, tangerine and pink grapefruit flavours and thrilling freshness and minerality. Amazing value for a tenner.

BuyDrinking window: 2023-25Similar Wines: £5-£10, 90-94, Spain, White, Godello
91

NV Anna de Codorníu Brut, Catalonia

( £8.99 each for six, 11.5%, Waitrose )

There’s so much focus on Prosecco these day when we’re looking for a good value sparkling wine that we often forget about the joys of Cava. This cuvée of mostly Chardonnay with 10% each of the three local grapes – Parellada, Xarelo-lo and Macabeo – is complex, dry, energetic and well-balanced, with fine bubbles, notes of pear, citrus and fennel and a long, faintly savoury finish.

BuyDrinking window: 2023-27Similar Wines: £5-£10, 90-94, Spain, Sparkling, Chardonnay, Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel-lo