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.
Food Match: Pasta
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.
2024 Domaine Bousquet Finca Lalande The Land Cabernet Franc, Uco Valley, Mendoza
( £10.99, 14.5%, Waitrose )Domaine Bousquet is one of the biggest and best organic producers in Argentina, so it’s good to see this newly released Uco Valley Cabernet Franc on a UK supermarket shelf. Full-bodied yet fresh, Finca Lalande is an appealingly floral, focused expression of the grape that has found a home in the higher parts of Mendoza. Entirely unwooded, it has aromas of cut grass and green herbs, lots of zip and acidity and flavours of plum and black cherry.
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 Benanti Etna Bianco, Sicily
( £22, 12.5%, The Wine Society )Etna in north-east Sicily is better known for its reds than whites, but the best examples of the latter, made from the local grape Carricante, can be spectacular, somewhere between a Burgundian Aligoté and a top Soave in style. This is totally unoaked, but draws richness from six months of lees’ ageing. Stony and intense, with notes of lime, fennel and lemon juice, steely, palate-cleansing acidity and a mineral tang. Best drunk with the Mediterranean sun on your face, but it’ll cheer you up in winter too.
2023 Vito Mameli Grillo, Sicily
( £8.99, 12.5%, Majestic )Co-operatives don’t come much bigger than the Cantina Europa in western Sicily, but this wine proves that, assuming the winemaking is up to snuff, size can work to your advantage, giving you access to grapes grown by 2,000 members, This is fresh, spicy and savoury with notes of sea breeze and wild flowers on the nose and a palate of citrus, quinine and fresh herbs.
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.
2021 Santa Tresa Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicily
( £11.50, 14%, The Wine Society )Cerasuolo di Vittoria often tastes as if its comes from a cooler place than the south-east corner of Sicily. This one from Santa Tresa is fuller bodied than some examples of the DOCG thanks to partial raisining on the vine, but retains the freshness and perfume that are so distinctive. Pairing Nero d’Avola and brighter, more charming Frappato, it has red cherry, plum and wild Meditteranean herb flavours, savoury tannins and a refreshing finish.
2020 Samartzis Dío Potámia Kontoura Barrique, Thiva
( £16.50, 12.5%, Tanners )A brilliant new find by one of the the UK’s best wine merchants, this is a pure Kontoura from vines in the Valley of the Muses north-west of Athens, made by ex-pharmacist Panos Samartzis. Surprisingly rich and textured for a wine with just 12.5% alcohol, it has aromas of beeswax and toast, lots of racy acidity, lemongrass and yellow apple flavours and a stony finish. The oak is especially well integrated. Outstanding value for money.