Muscadet can be one of France’s most underrated whites. This delightful, lees-aged Melon de Bourgogne from Jérémie Huchet hails from cooler, granite-rich soils in the commune of Château-Thébaud. Textured, racy, rich, yet bone-dry, it has notes of citrus, green apple and sea breeze and an intensely stony finish balanced by delightful mid-palate weight.
Partly inspired by the subject of my newsletter, this is an example of a producer taking a punt on a lesser known grape, in this case Austria’s Grüner Vetliner in the Cape. Thys Louw produces this tangy, stony, white pepper-scented white in cool climate Durbanville, close to the Atlantic Ocean. Lime and subtle stone fruit flavours combine appealingly on the palate.
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.
Working under the guidance of top consultant Ricardo Cotarella, the La Guardiense co-operative is making some delicious, value-for-money examples of Campania’s native Falanghina grape. Â Aged on its lees in stainless steel tanks to add weight and texture, this is a wonderful, highly aromatic dry white with aromas of orange blossom and Angelica root and a brisk, lively, focused palate of lime, citrus and fennel.
Beaujolais is so famous as a red wine region that people forget that it also produces a small amount of white wine made from Chardonnay. Indeed, some of its vineyards neighbour the Mâconnais, the southern outpost of Burgundy to the north. This is a delicious, textured white from William Trouillet, whose family domaine also make grander and more expensive Pouilly-Fuissé for Majestic. Perfumed, fresh and very lightly wooded, it has notes of cream, citrus and wet stones and a hint of brioche.
The Wine Society has made a specialism of Greece and it’s paid off in the quality of the stuff they import from one of Europe’s most exciting wine-producing countries. This is a scented, zingy blend of Moschofilero and Roditis that would be ideal with a piece of grilled fish and a bowl of green olives. Flavours of lemongrass, wild thyme and citrus peel  are complemented by notes of fennel and sea salt and a hint of quinine-like bitterness. Remarkably good at the price.
The kind of thing you’d be delighted to come across in a Heuriger, or wine tavern, in the hills above Vienna, this a cracking, unoaked white that’s perfect for spring. Refreshingly light bodied and spritzy, it’s based on Grüner Veltliner, Austria’s most distinctive variety, with support from 15% Müller-Thurgau and 5% Muskateller. Juicy, tangy and thirst-quenchingly refreshing, with appealing lime, passion fruit and boiled sweets’ flavours and a touch of balancing sweetness.
Consistently one of the best Chenin Blancs in the Cape, the Mary Delany Collection uses grapes from a 1960 block between 450 and 500 metres on the Citrusdal Mountain. Fermented and aged in older barrels, it has aromas of hay and wild flowers, flavours of lime and passion fruit, subtle wood and a tangy, tapering finish. An exceptional wine from an exceptional site.
It’s great to see a UK retailer selling a mature Jura white of such quality! This is a very well-priced, deliberately oxidised style of the local Savagnin grape from Domaine de Montbourgeau that’s savoury, dense and bone-dry, with hints of beeswax, citrus and salted almonds, some underlying tannic grip and a persistent finish. Try it with dried mushrooms or a piece of Comté cheese.
Pecorino  – not be confused with the cheese of the same name – is something of a minority white grape in Italy, but producers like Rocco and Pierpaolo Pasetti have helped to rescue it from relative obscurity.  This is an unoaked delight that delivers a lot of flavour for less than a tenner, with flavours of quince and wild Mediterranean herbs, appealing texture and weight, refreshing acidity and a fine bitter twist.
Aussie Chardonnay is increasingly impressive these days, especially if you’re prepared to trade up from the bargain basement. This bright, tangy, very lightly wooded example from the east coast of cool-climate Tasmania is fresh, vibrant and crunchy, Â with aromas of lemongrass and gunflint, a vivid citrus zest, pear and apricot palate, and a zingy, lingering finish.
Jean-Claude Mas is one of the most creative winemakers in France. As the man behind the Arrogant Frog brand, he also knows how to enjoy a joke at his own expense. This is a superb unwooded Languedoc blend of Grenache Blanc, 30% Vermentino, 25% Marsanne and 5% Viognier that has lots of zip and energy, flavours of kiwi fruit, apricot and pink grapefruit and a refreshing, tapering finish.