This looks and tastes suspiciously like Vat 1, Tyrrell’s sublime Hunter Semillon. It’s light and unoaked, but with lovely aged aromas and flavours of toast, cream and citrus fruit. On past performance, these wines age for decades, but you’ll have trouble keeping your hands off the screwcap here. Wonderfully complex. A bargain on the 25% off deal, so hurry.
Score Range: 91-95
2010 Terres des Chardons, Marginal, Costières de Nîmes
( £12.95, 13.5%, Vintage Roots )Sourced from one of the most under-rated appellations in the Midi, this old vine, biodynamic blend of mostly Syrah with 20% Grenache would blow most Crozes-Hermitages out of the water. It’s silky and aromatic, with classic Syrah scents of black olives and blackberries, supple tannins and remarkable length. There’s no oak here, so the fruit really sings.
2007 Passopisciaro, IGT Sicilia
( £29.99, 14%, Corney & Barrow )If your impression of Sicily is of a sweltering island making chunky reds, cheap, New World-style whites and Marsala, you haven’t discovered the Nerello Mascalese grape from Mount Etna yet. Andrea Franchetti’s Burgundian-style red, sourced from vines as old as 120 years, is remarkable: perfumed and elegant, with notes of red cherry and wild strawberry, savoury tannins, refreshing acidity and impressive length and complexity.
2010 Cerutti Moscato d'Asti "Suri Sandrinet", Cassinasco
( £11.75, 5%, Berry Bros & Rudd )Moscato is one of my favourite summer aperitifs, capable of greatness as well as perfume and zing in the hands of a top producer like Gianmario Cerutti. This one comes from a sunny (“suri” in Italian) vineyard located at 350 metres, combining freshness with fruit concentration. This has 125 grams of residual sugar, but you don’t notice it thanks to the citrus fruit acidity. Grapey, frothy, filligree bubbles with a palate-cleansing finish.
2009 Langhe Nebbiolo Bricco Maiolica
( £12.50 by the case, 13%, Lea & Sandeman )If the price of Barolo and Barbaresco leaves you spluttering into your pasta, some of the regional wines made from the Nebbiolo grape can be good value alternatives, enabling you to enjoy this most brilliant (and temperamental) of Italian varieties without raiding your savings account. This is very elegant and comparatively forward, showing considerable finesse and poise, medium-weight tannins, a core of sweet and savoury tobacco and red cherry fruit, fresh acidity and a fine tapering finish.