An unusual but (for Argentina) rather appropriate blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Malbec, this bronze-tinged rosé is savoury and flavoursome with notes of summer fruits, toast and leesy richness. A very drinkable bottle of bubbles at the price.
2012 Innocent Bystander Syrah, Yarra Valley, Victoria
( N/A, 13%, Liberty Wines )Phil Sexton’s Yarra Valley winery is one of the most innovative in the region. It’s got a lot of tourist appeal, but it’s wines are deadly serious, too. This is a typically elegant, refined red, with fine-grained tannins, subtle pepper spice and plush raspberry and blueberry flavours and a minerally, refreshing finish.
2010 Seméli Reserve, Nemea
( £10.95, 14%, The Wine Society )It’s not the easiest grape in the world to love (those tannins can be a little firm, like a Greek version of the Portuguese Baga grape) but Agiorgitiko is that country’s best variety. This is a very fruity example, but it’s still got backbone and acidity behind the chalky red cherry and pomegranate flavours. Make sure you eat this with robust food or cheese.
2013 Le Grand Cros, L'Esprit de Provence, Côtes de Provence, Provence
( £11.49, 13.5%, Noel Young Wines )A pale coloured Provençal blend of Syrah and Grenache that’s just the thing for summer, this has more weight and concentration than many examples of an increasingly popular style. Raspberry fruit, bright acidity and a whiff of Mediterranean herbs all add to the sense of balance here.
2013 Attis, Albariño, Rías Baixas
( £14.49, 12.5%, www.ralphswinecafe.com )Made in a pithy style, this tasty Albariño comes from the Val do Salnés sub-region. Pear, quince and white pepper notes are deftly combined on the palate, supporting good texture and concentration. Tangy and refreshing on the finish, with notes of lemon peel and oyster shell.
2013 Tabor Winery Vineyards, Adama Gewürztraminer, Galilee
( N/A, 12,3%, Kedern Europe )An off-dry Gewürz from Galilee is not something you come across every day of the week. It’s a spicy, hedonistic wine, with plush, palate-coating flavours of ginger spice and paw paw and enough acidity to balance the residual sugar.
2013 Silvano Follador, Brut Nature, Valdobbiadene Superiore Cartizze
( N/A, 12% )Regarded by many people (including me) as one of the best Prosecco producers, Silvano Follador makes drier and more complex wines than most of his competitors. This has fresh, floral aromas, notes of pearskin, banana and citrus and a long, dry finish. Unusual, but delicious, showing the class of the Cartizze cru.
NV LS Cherlin, Brut, Champagne
( £18, 12.5%, 31 Dover )A broad, fruity, easy drinking fizz that’s great value at under £20, this combines malty, strawberry fruit flavours with a frothy mousse and chalky minerality. It looks the part, too.
2011 Mas Cal Demoura, L'Infidèle, Languedoc-Roussillon
( £19.90, 14%, Cambridge Wine Merchants, I'Anson Wines )A blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault from one of the best terroirs in the Languedoc region of southern France, this is a very stylish wine with a minty edge to it. Smooth, subtle and complex, with refined tannins, sweet blackberry and bramble fruit, subtle oak and refreshing acidity. Balanced, nuanced winemaking.
2013 Pazo Barrantes, Albariño, Rías Baixas
( £18.49, 13% )Owned by the same family that makes Marqués de Murrieta in Rioja (they were originally from Galicia). It’s a white pepper scented, bone dry style with plenty of texture and weight on the tongue, showing notes of stone fruit and pear and a crunchy, stony finish.
2008 Wynns, Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, South Australia
( £15.99, 14%, Waitrose )Sue Hodder is one of the best winemakers in Australia and bestrides the Coonawarra region with the quality of her reds. This, the 53rd vintage release of Black Label, more than lives up to the example of its predecessors. It’s sillky, elegant and low-key with cool climate finesse, filigree tannins and stylish plum and blackcurrant fruit. The acidity drives the wine here.
2012 Neudorf, Moutere Pinot Noir, Nelson
( N/A, 13.5% )Consistently among the top three Pinots in Nelson, the Finns’ best cuvée comes from the famous Moutere clays and tends to be quite a structured red, showing more tannin than many Kiwi Pinots, as well as backbone and acidity. It’s a thinking person’s Pinot that needs food to show at its best. Ambitious, cherrystone, pomegranate and raspberry fruit with a firm finish.