The Douro Valley is mostly red wine (and Port) territory, but its whites can be brilliant too, as long as the site is cooler and at altitude. That’s the case with Rita Marques’ brilliant assemblage of local varieties, dominated by Rabigato, Arinto and Códega de Larinho. Aromas of saffron, fennel and wet stones segue into a palate that has lovely granitic minerality, layers of citrus zest, lime and wild thyme and a mouth-watering finish.
Score Range: 90-94
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.
2022 Kanakaris 10³ Agiorgitiko, Nemea
( £19.99, 13%, Cambridge Wine Merchants )I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to feel a little more autumnal, so I’m switching from the crisp, dry whites of summer to medium-bodied reds like this Agiorgitiko from the Greek Peloponnese. Made by brothers Stefanos and Michalis Kanakaris, it has an appealing bouquet of incense and sweet spices, enough tannin to give it some structure, a dab of oak and flavours of plum, redcurrant and summer berries. Surprisingly versatile with food.
2023 Gérard Bertrand Le Chouchou, Vin de France, Vin de France
( £12.99, 11% , Waitrose )So pale it could almost be sold as a rosé, this is a perfect end-of-summer red from Gérard Bertrand, something to serve straight from the fridge. Made with an unoaked combination of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault from the Languedoc, but sold as more lowly Vin de France, this is juicy, floral and lipsmackingly fresh, with flavours of pomegranate, raspberry and red cherry, subtle tannins, plenty of acidity and a twist of clove spice. Lots of fun.
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.
2023 M&S Expressions Marsanne, Voor Paardeberg
( £9, 13.5%, Marks & Spencer, Ocado )Outside the northern Rhône, Marsanne is rarely bottled as a stand alone grape. But it’s found an exciting new home in the Voor Paardeberg region of the Western Cape. This unwooded, lees-aged example is made by the talented Trizanne Barnard. Aromas of honeysuckle and anise guide you into palate of pear, peach and lemon zest complemented by plenty of zip and acidity.
2023 Eidosela Albariño, Rías Baixas
( £12.99, 12.5%, Waitrose )I sampled this good value Albariño in a large line-up at the Consejo Regulador in Pontevedra this week and it really stood out. Sourced from the warmer Condado do Tea region – but tasting more like a white from the cooler, more Atlantic Salnés Valley – it’s crisp, tangy and focused, with jasmine, beeswax and wet stone aromas, plenty of mouth-watering acidity and flavours of passion fruit and lime.
2022 Tesco Finest Steep Slopes Mosel Riesling, Mosel Valley
( £7.25, 11%, Tesco )On hot summer days – we’re due a run of them soon, surely – there’s almost nothing I enjoy more than a glass of chilled Mosel Riesling. This own-label bottling from Peter Mertes is something of a bargain: crisp, perfumed and refreshing with a hint of sweetness, flavours of lime, peach and fresh grapes and a stony, mouth-watering finish. Appealingly light-bodied.
2022 Taste the Difference Grüner Veltliner, Traisental
( £11, 12.5%, Sainsbury's )It always strikes me as something of a coup by Sainsbury’s to get top Austrian winemaker Marks Huber to produce their own-label Grüner Veltliner. Gloriously pure and perfumed, this has classic white pepper and bay leaf aromas, a palate of pear, peach and green apple, some extra texture from three months on lees in tank and plenty of racy, crunchy acidity. A delicious summer white.
2023 Mythral Côtes de Provence Rosé, Provence
( £11.99, 12.5%, Majestic )Good value by the standards of some Provence rosés – surely one of the most profitable wine styles in the world – this is an appealingly packaged, lip-smacking pink from Les Grands Chais de France. Based on Grenache, with the remaining 40% made up of six other red and white grapes, it has good focus and intensity, redcurrant, watermelon and rosehip flavours and a refreshing, chalky finish.
NV Graham Beck The Rhona Rosé, Western Cape
( £14, 12%, Marks & Spencer, Ocado )It’s no mean feat to produce a sub-£15 bubbly as delicious as this attractively packaged Cap Classique from sparkling wine specialists Pieter Ferreira and Pierre De Klerk of Graham Beck. Blended across the cooler regions of the Cape, it’s a cuvée of Pinot Noir, 49% Chardonnay and 1% Pinot Meunier with fine bubbles, raspberry, malt and summer pudding flavours, crunchy acidity and just enough dosage to sweeten the fresh finish.
2022 Laurent Miquel Lieu-Dit La Vérité Viognier, Pays d'Oc
( £19.99, 14.5%, Waitrose Cellar )I have to admit that I often find Viognier a one glass wine, but Laurent Miquel’s La Vérité from a special parcel on one of his Languedoc estates is the kind of thing I could drink by the case. Intense, textured, creamy, yet refreshing, it has aromas of honeysuckle and vanilla, a toasty top note from ageing in new French barrels, layers of peach, citrus zest and apricot and enough acidity to keep the palate barrelling along.