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.
Price Range: £15-20
2020 The Society's Exhibition Côtes du Jura, Jura
( £19.50, 13.5%, The Wine Society )It’s rare to find a Jura white of this quality under £20, which makes this equal blend of Savagnin and Chardonnay is the ideal introduction to a unique style made close to France’s border with Switzerland. Best drunk with the local Comté cheese, although it’s heavenly with onion soup or a plate of wild mushrooms, it’s textured, racy and appealingly salty, reflecting the three years it spent “sous voile” (under a film of the flor yeast). Not unlike an unfortified Sherry, albeit with Alpine acidity, it reveals layers of citrus, almond and liquorice and a tapering 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 Olifantsberg Grenache Noir, Breedekloof Valley
( £16.50, 13.5%, Tesco )Proof that you don’t have to source grapes from Piekenierskloof to make great Grenache in South Africa, this Breedkloof red from Elizma Visser uses comes from a densely planted parcel at 400 metres. Redcurrant and blood orange flavours contribute acidity and a touch of bitterness here, with top notes of rose petal and summer pudding and fine-grained tannins. Ludicrously good value.
2021 Rupert & Rothschild Classique, Western Cape
( £16, 13.5%, Majestic )Producing 1.2m bottles of a wine as good and consistent as Classique isn’t easy, so hats off to the winemaking team of André Roux and Kayla Oertle-Morse at Rupert & Rothschild. Blended across the Cape, it’s a cuvée of more of less equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with 10% Petit Verdot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec. Smooth, floral and precise, with subtle oak and bramble, plum and blackcurrant flavours. The perfect early autumn red.
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.
2023 Zuccardi Q Chardonnay, Uco Valley, Mendoza
( £16.50, 13.5%, Tesco )Not many people realise it, but the cooler, high-altitude areas of Argentina’s Uco Valley are producing some delicious white wines at the moment, most notably from Chardonnay. This deftly wooded example from Sebastián Zuccardi, made with grapes from El Peral and Gualtallary, is wonderfully focused, direct and refreshing, with layers of lemongrass, citrus peel, fennel and oyster shell, mouth-watering acidity and a stony, tapering finish.
2022 Terrazas de los Andes Organic Malbec, Mendoza
( £16.50 or 25% off if you buy six, 14%, Sainsbury's )There are cheaper Argentinian Malbecs on the market, but this one only uses grapes from the high-altitude Uco Valley regions of Eugenio Bustos, Los Chacayes and Paraje Altamira, so it’s especially vibrant and refreshing, even in a hot vintage like 2022. Perfumed and engaging, it has textbook top notes of violet, liquorice and Andean wild herbs, glossy tannins, tangy minerality and juicy plum and blackberry fruit embellished by subtle, toasty oak.
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.
2022 Peter Lehmann Portrait Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley
( £15, 14%, Tesco )Australia’s Barossa Valley is generally regarded as Shiraz country, but can also produce very smart reds from Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon. This textured, well-structured red from winemaker Brett Schulz is a case in point. Plush, glossy and slightly minty, with understated French and Aussie oak, it has ample concentration, supple tannins, cassis and blackberry fruit and undertones of liquorice and dried herbs.