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: Fish
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.
2022 Azienda Agricola Cortese Vanedda Bianco, Terre Siciliane IGP, Sicily
( £18.95, 13.5%, Aitken Wines, Hoult's, Love Wine, Magnum Wine, Market Hall Wines, ND John, Reserve Wines, Slurp, Yorkshire Vintners )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.
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.
Famille Guerin Moulin à Vent La Vigne de Mon Père, Beaujolais
( £18, 13.5%, The Wine Society )Unfined, unfiltered and fermented and aged in concrete, this is a stunning Beaujolais Cru from Elisa Guerin, the kind of wine that showcases the brightness, energy and vivacity of the best Gamays from the northern part of the region. Elegant, nuanced and hauntingly perfumed, it combines aromas of rose petal and violet with a racy raspberry and pomegranate palate and a spicy undertone from whole bunch fermentation.
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.
2024 Springfield Estate Special Cuvée Sauvignon Blanc, Robertson
( £12 until August 19, 12.5%, Waitrose )Parcels on sandy, alluvial soils in Robertson supply the grapes for this tasty, crowd-pleasing Sauvignon Blanc from the son and daughter team of Abrie and Emma Bruwer. Broader in style than the same winery’s Life from Stone bottling, it has appealing flavours of greengage and lime, a touch of stone fruit sweetness and a textured finish. Worth trying as an alternative to Marlborough Sauvignons at the same price.
2021 Piedra Fluida Los Frontones, Islas Canarias Tenerife
( £32, 13%, Wood Winters )Piedra Fluida is the (pet) project of former dog food magnate Felix Becker, who has made it his priority to save venerable vineyards from abandonment. This delicious Listán Blanco comes from the 80-year-old parcel in Granadilla de Abona that is the highest in Europe at 1,680 metres. It partners aromas of iodine, oyster shell and dried herbs with a palate of lemon, wet stones and subtle nutmeg spice and a taut, chiselled, mouth-watering 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.
2024 Tesco Finest Tingleup Riesling, Great Southern, Western Australia
( £11, 12%, Tesco )A consistent favourite of mine at Tesco for more than a decade, the latest vintage of this Western Australian Riesling is right up to scratch. Made at Howard Park, it’s a bright, tangy, lime and citrus peel Riesling with a waft of jasmine, plenty of mouth-watering acidity and an appealing bitter twist.
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.