Sales of Sauvignon Blanc as a stand-alone grape vastly outsell those of so-called white Bordeaux blends, but combining it with Semillon (70% of the mix here) often adds layers of complexity. This unwooded example from the Xanadu winery in Margaret River is a refreshing, tangy delight, with flavours of lemongrass, cream soda and fresh green herbs and a racy, energetic finish.
Food Match: Vegetables
2025 New Dawn White, Western Cape
( £10, 13.5%, Majestic )A wonderfully drinkable example of what’s known as a Cape White Blend in South Africa, this cuvée from talented young winemaker Rüdger van Wyk combines Chenin Blanc, 42% Roussanne and 4% Verdelho, using grapes from the Breedekloof and Stellenbosch regions. Fresh, tangy and perfumed, it marries flavours of pear, peach and yellow apple with racy acidity and a herbal twist. A great party white.
2024 M&S Collection Stepp Riesling *S*, Pfalz
( £14, 12%, Marks & Spencer )It’s often said that we wine writers love Riesling more than consumers do, but I defy anyone not to enjoy this wonderful example from two nearby vineyards in Gerd Stepp’s native Pfalz region – Kallstadter Saumagen and Herxheimer Goldberg. Deliciously toasty, tangy and focused, it has lime and wet stone characters and a long, mouth-watering finish. Refreshingly low in alcohol too.
2024 The Society's Exhibition Godello, Valdeorras
( £14.95, 13%, The Wine Society )Valdeorras in the eastern part of Galicia makes some of Spain’s most exciting white wines, using the local Godello grape. This was blended by Wine Society buyer Harriet Kinninmonth and star consultant Jorge Navascués of Virgen de Galir. Showing the structure and intensity that are typical of the variety, it has flavours of pear, quince and aniseed and a whisper of oak spices.
2024 Azienda Agricola Cortese Orange-utan, Bianco Terre Siciliane IGP
( £14.45-£15.50, 12.5%, Amps Wine Merchant, Appellation Wines, Connolly's, Davies Belle & McCraith, Gwin Dylanwad, Hedley Wright, Hoult's, Love Wine, ND John, Organica Wines, Reserve Wines, The Wright Wine Company, Villeneuve Wines )It’s good to see a producer having a bit of fun. This is a skin-macerated Sicilian blend of Inzolia and 20% Zibibbo from the Girelli family that has appealing grip, freshness and intensity, combining flavours of quince, tea leaf and citrus with a touch of sourdough bread and a twist of quinine-like bitterness.
2024 Bellingham The Bernard Series Old Vine OVP Chenin Blanc, Coastal
( £13.50, 13.5%, Sainsbury's )A white that’s made in large volumes – and at a bargain price – this brilliant Chenin Blanc should encourage people to buy more wines from old vines. It’s a beautifully judged, naturally fermented white from Ricardo Cloete, sourced from Durbanville and Stellenbosch. Vanilla-scented thanks to 30% new wood, it has pear, yellow apple and nectarine flavours and zesty, cool-climate acidity.
2024 Domaine du Clos Saint Martin Sancerre, Loire Valley
( £22, 12.5%, Majestic )I don’t buy or drink much Sauvignon Blanc. Too much of it is predictable, running what Dorothy Parker might have termed the gamut of flavours from A to B. And yet when you come across a great one, you realise why it’s a world-class variety. This one from Isabelle and Pierre Clément was one of the highlights of the recent Majestic tasting: racy, herbal and slightly salty, with layers of citrus, elderflower and wet stones and commendable energy and palate length. Utterly delicious.
2023 Cape Point Fairtrade Sauvignon/Semillon, Western Cape
( £8.35, 12.5%, The Co-operative )It’s good to see a Cape Sauvignon Blanc, blended here with 30% Semillon, with a little bottle age rather than released and drunk within a few months of the vintage. This is a tangy, very lightly wooded cuvée from the talented Riandri Visser at a very appealing price, with layers of gooseberry, gunflint and lime and an appealing herbal twist.
2024 Zwartwater Estate White, Paardeberg, Swartland
( £24, 13.5%, The Wine Society )Something of a coup for the Wine Society, where buyer Victoria Mason MW is doing exciting things with the retailer’s South African range, this is a new wine from a historic estate on the Paardeberg, now under new ownership as they say in the hotel trade. It’s a brilliant, layered, complex blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne and the Hungarian grape Hárslevelü, with aromas of honeysuckle, fennel and wet stone and a tangy, racy palate of orange zest, pear and pink grapefruit. A wine that looks every bit as good as it tastes.
2024 Winzer Krems Grüner Veltliner, Kremstal
( £9.50, 12.5%, Majestic )Winzer Krems is one of the best co-operatives in Europe, especially well known for its great-value Grüner Veltliners. This is a delicious summer white, best sipped by the Danube, but equally delicious wherever you choose to enjoy it. White pepper and bay leaf aromas are complemented by a palate of citrus and pear and a bitter twist from 18 days of skin contact.
2025 te Pā Signature Rosé, Marlborough
( £10.25, 12%, The Co-op )A wine for people who like a bit of colour in their rosés and are bored of the identikit stuff from Provence, this is an appealingly unusual blend of mostly Pinot Noir with 3% Riesling and 2% Merlot from Marlborough in New Zealand. Just off dry, it’s reminiscent of a Tavel from the Rhône Valley, with raspberry, pink grapefruit and red cherry flavours, a nip of tannin and more than enough acidity to lift and freshen the finish.
2023 Domaine Jones Les Parcelles, Languedoc
( From £16.50, 13%, Booths, Loki Wines )English winemaker Katie Jones is making some of the most characterful wines in the south of France at the moment, curating small parcels of old vines to produce really special whites and reds. This assemblage comes from five sites around her home village of Tuchan in the Aude, combining Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc and Muscat. Tangy, herbal and garrigue scented, it has layers of quince, pear and lemon zest, a hint of oak and an appealing bitter twist.