The Wine Society has made a specialism of Greece and it’s paid off in the quality of the stuff they import from one of Europe’s most exciting wine-producing countries. This is a scented, zingy blend of Moschofilero and Roditis that would be ideal with a piece of grilled fish and a bowl of green olives. Flavours of lemongrass, wild thyme and citrus peel are complemented by notes of fennel and sea salt and a hint of quinine-like bitterness. Remarkably good at the price.
Food Match: Chicken
2023 Tesco Finest Sancerre Rosé, Loire Valley
( £16, 12.5%, Tesco )So many French rosés are are uninspiring – white spot on a white wall material – that it’s great to come across something with as much personality as this Pinot Noir pink from Fournier Père et Fils in Sancerre. Savoury, perfumed and appealingly bronze-hued, it has layers of wild strawberry, hibiscus and rooibos tea, a nip of tannin and a bone-dry finish.
2023 Botanica Mary Delany Collection Chenin Blanc, Citrusdal Mountain
( £27, 13%, The Wine Society )Consistently one of the best Chenin Blancs in the Cape, the Mary Delany Collection uses grapes from a 1960 block between 450 and 500 metres on the Citrusdal Mountain. Fermented and aged in older barrels, it has aromas of hay and wild flowers, flavours of lime and passion fruit, subtle wood and a tangy, tapering finish. An exceptional wine from an exceptional site.
2018 Domaine de Montbourgeau L'Etoile Savagnin, Jura
( £27, 14.5%, The Wine Society )It’s great to see a UK retailer selling a mature Jura white of such quality! This is a very well-priced, deliberately oxidised style of the local Savagnin grape from Domaine de Montbourgeau that’s savoury, dense and bone-dry, with hints of beeswax, citrus and salted almonds, some underlying tannic grip and a persistent finish. Try it with dried mushrooms or a piece of Comté cheese.
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 Devil's Corner Chardonnay, Tasmania
( £15, 12.5%, Tesco )Aussie Chardonnay is increasingly impressive these days, especially if you’re prepared to trade up from the bargain basement. This bright, tangy, very lightly wooded example from the east coast of cool-climate Tasmania is fresh, vibrant and crunchy, with aromas of lemongrass and gunflint, a vivid citrus zest, pear and apricot palate, and a zingy, lingering finish.
2023 Paul Mas Côté Mas Blanc, Languedoc
( £8.99, 13%, Majestic )Jean-Claude Mas is one of the most creative winemakers in France. As the man behind the Arrogant Frog brand, he also knows how to enjoy a joke at his own expense. This is a superb unwooded Languedoc blend of Grenache Blanc, 30% Vermentino, 25% Marsanne and 5% Viognier that has lots of zip and energy, flavours of kiwi fruit, apricot and pink grapefruit and a refreshing, tapering finish.
2022 Nocturne Treeton Chardonnay, Margaret River
( £31, 13%, 92 or More, Oz Wines, Parched )Is Chardonnay Australia’s finest white variety? Riesling and Semillon lovers might disagree, but I reckon so. This one comes from two vineyards in the landlocked Margaret River sub-region of Treeton and is a beautifully judged wine from Julian Langworthy’s personal project. Textured, aromatic and finely wooded, it has layers of cream, citrus, apricot and wet stones, plenty of zip and energy and a focused, mouth-watering finish.
2022 Famille Cordier Saint-Véran En Faux, Burgundy
( £25, 13.5% )White Burgundy prices have spiralled in recent years, but there are parts of the region – Chablis, the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais – that still deliver impressive value for money. Christophe Cordier makes fantastic Mâconnais Chardonnays such as this one that combine richness and texture with freshness and balance. This Saint-Véran offers masses off flavour and intensity on the palate, with notes of honey, stone fruit and cream supported by stony minerality and a touch of oak spice. Delicious.
2019 Plaimont Producteurs Le Faîte Blanc Grand Vin, Saint Mont, Gascony
( £22.50, 14%, Corney & Barrow )It would be entirely fair to say that the Gers department in south-west France is not one of the country’s most celebrated wine regions, but the Saint-Mont appellation is producing some remarkable whites from local grapes such as Petit Courbu and Petit and Gros Manseng. This delicious, judiciously aged blend is every bit as good as more expensive white Bordeaux, with lots of zip and acidity, flavours of pink grapefruit, quince and white peach and a touch of oak spice.
2023 Domaine de la Tourmaline Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie, Loire Valley
( £9.99, 12.5%, Majestic )Is Muscadet, like Beaujolais Nouveau, experiencing a revival in fortunes? Sometimes considered a neutral grape variety, Melon de Bourgogne can achieve impressive things in the right hands. The Gadais family source this one from 30-year-old vines and the concentration is evident on the palate. Wet stone, pear, green apple and lemon butter flavours combine beautifully on the palate here, with some extra weight from eight months’ ageing on the wine’s post-fermentation lees.
2021 Manda Huevos Carramainas, Calatayud
( £15, 13.2%, The Wine Society )Norrel Robertson MW, known as the Escocés Volante (Flying Scotsman), is making some of the most distinctive wines in northern Spain right now. Manda Huevos – Spanish slang for “no way!” – is a remarkable, barrel-fermented cuvée of Macabeo and 5% Garnacha Blanca from an 85-year-old vineyard at 850 metres in Calatayud. Creamy, spicy and stylishly wooded, it has notes of beeswax and citrus zest, stony intensity and a hint of vanilla spice.