Interesting to see New Zealand’s biggest producer branching out into the production of high end, late picked dessert-style Sauvignon Blanc and selling it on line through its own channels. The result is very tasty, with syrupy, but not cloying flavours of exotic mango and pink grapefruit, light alcohol and well judged sweetness.
Price Range: £10-£20
2009 Lions de Suduiraut, Sauternes, Bordeaux
( £15, 14%, Averys, Berry Bros & Rudd )That’s £15 per half by the way, just in case you were amazed by the bargain on offer here. Still, it’s a lovely Sauternes, made by a property that made some of the best sweet wines in Bordeaux in 2009. This is honeyed and intense, but with less concentration than the same château’s grown up wine. Sweet vanilla pod and crème brûlée notes combine with a citrus lift on the palate. Classy stuff.
2010 Montes Alpha, Merlot, Apalta Vineyard, Colchagua Valley
( £12.99, 14.5%, Majestic )Montes is a winery that has mastered the art of delivering flavour and some complexity at affordable prices, as typified by this ripe, deeply-coloured Merlot from the Colchagua Valley. This has some classic Chilean mint, with attractive plum and black cherry flavours, mid-weight tannins and sweet, assertive oak.
2004 Cune Imperial Reserva, Rioja
( £14.99, 13.5%, The Co-operative )This was a Christmas deal at The Co-op, so the price may have crept back up again in 2013, but this is still one hell of a wine: a Reserva Rioja from a top producer in a legendary vintage. It’s just starting to show its class, so don’t be afraid to tuck it away for a few years. Savoury and sweet with good structure and spice and finely judged oak.
2012 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
( £12.50, 13.5%, The Wine Society )The guys behind this outstanding Marlborough operation stopped emphasising their historic link with Cloudy Bay some time ago, and you can see why. These days Dog Point is cheaper and invariably better than the wine that inspired it. Where many local Sauvignons are one dimensional, this one has layers and nuances, with notes of struck match and minerals, some pink grapefruit and beautiful line and length.
2012 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
( £14.95, 13%, The Wine Society )The fourth release from Kevin Judd’s Marlborough winery is an example of what great winemakers can achieve in tricky vintages. It’s a more restrained style than in the past, owing to a cooler season, but it’s still a lovely wine: fresh, focused and long with attractive gooseberry, pear and orange peel complexity.
2011 Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache, Barossa Valley, South Australia
( £11.99, 14%, Ocado, Slurp, Tesco, The Co-operative )Grenache should be all about sun-kissed drinkability, which is exactly what you get in the bottle here. It’s quite pale in colour (as Grenache can be), with notes of Asian spices, red fruits and deftly handled oak. Savoury, peppery and deceptively forward, this is a wine that develops with time in the glass.
2011 Yalumba Running with Bulls Tempranillo, Barossa Valley, South Australia
( £10.99, 13.5%, Auswinesonline.co.uk, Direct Wines, Noel Young Wines, The Oxford Wine Company )Tempranillo ought to be more widely planted than it is in Australia, given its adaptability. Think Somontano and Toro in terms of the diversity of Spanish climates it works well in. This is a very decent, wine bar style red that wouldn’t look out of place in Pamplona, the city to which its name alludes. Brambly and supple, with gentle oak and sweet red fruits.
2010 Mazzei, Fonterutoli, Chianti Classico, Tuscany
( £16.75, 13.5%, Great Western Wine )When it’s good – and 2010 is a very classy vintage in Tuscany – Chianti Classico can still deliver a lot of flavour and complexity for less than £20. That’s certainly the case here, because I can’t remember a better basic wine from this estate. Its texture is almost Pinot Noir-like, but with a nip of tannin to add some extra backbone. On the palate, it’s silky and sweet with subtle oak and notes of dried tea, raspberry and wild strawberry. Essence of Sangiovese.
2009 Yalumba Shiraz/Viognier, Eden Valley, South Australia
( £11.99, 14%, Harrods, Slurp, Winedirect )The Viognier is more obvious in this wine than it is in most Côte Rôties, but that’s part of the style. It’s ripe, soft and slightly apricotty, with supple red fruits, touches of oak. liquorice and blackberry and medium weight tannins.
2010 Hill-Smith Estate Chardonnay, Eden Valley, South Australia
( £11.99, 13.5%, Negociants )This doesn’t have a stockist in the UK yet, but it surely won’t be long before it does. It’s more immediate than the subtler FDW Chardonnay from the same Yalumba stable, but it’s still a very tasty modern Chardonnay with notes of citrus and honeydew melon, subtle oak and a bright, lemony finish.
2012 Pewsey Vale Riesling, Eden Valley, South Australia
( £11.99, 12.5%, Auswinesonline.co.uk, Noel Young Wines, Slurp, Winedirect )An Eden Valley Riesling that rarely disappoints, this is as reliable as ever, a dry, aromatic, minerally white with notes of apple and pear and an underlying seam of fresh limes. The wine will get toastier with age, if you can keep your hands off it.