The winemaker behind this southern Italian white is the famous Dr Riccardo Cotarella, who certainly appears to have a magic touch with this increasingly popular grape. It’s spicy and fresh with notes of pear and citrsu fruit and a tangy, unoaked finish. Very focused.
Wine Type: White
2009 Kumeu River Coddington Vineyard Chardonnay, Kumeu
( £20, 13.5%, The Wine Society )Master of Wine Michael Brajkovich crafts some of the finest whites in New Zealand, wines that wouldn’t look out of place in Burgundy but also have a Kiwi edge to them. This is typically fresh and refined with adeptly integrated oak, a hint of toasty, a creamy texture and pure, focused, citrus and mineral flavours. These wines age extremely well, too.
2005 Château Pierre-Bise, Coteaux du Layon Rochefort, Loire Valley
( £17.50 for 50cl, 11.5%, Stone, Vine & Sun )Sweet wine heaven! I often prefer the Chenin Blancs from the Loire to Sauternes and, sure enough, this is a candidate for my dessert wine of the year. It’s very rich, yet elegant and poised at the same time, with only 11.5% alcohol. Honey, apple, quice and vivid acidity combine to perfection on your tongue. A remarkable wine that only seems to get better with age.
2007 Nikolaihof Steiner Hund Reserve, Kremstal
( £45, 12.5%, Berry Bros & Rudd )This brilliant biodynamic estate is based in the Wachau on the “wrong” side of the Danube, but this wine hails from vineyards in neighbouring Kremstal. It’s an incredible Riesling: intense, focused and minerally with remarkable texture, density and concentration. Honey, white flowers and a stony undertow, with spice, creamy lees and a finish that lasts for minutes. The wine will develop for at least another decade in bottle.
2010 Errazuriz, Max Reserva Chardonnay, Casablanca Valley
( £12.49, 13.5%, Berry Bros & Rudd, The Leamington Wine Company )A comparatively old-fashioned, worked style of Chardonnay, with lots of sweet peach and coconut flavours, but plenty of fresh acidity to keep the whole barrage ballon up in the air. Mealy and slightly sweet, with bags of fruit.
2011 Abadal, Picapoll, Pla de Bages
( £10, 13%, Martinez Wines )Sourced from the Pla de Bages appellation in Catalonia, this is made from the same grape as Picpoul de Pinet, but is somehow weightier and spicier than many French examples. Pear and apple with an undertone of peach, Mediterranean herbs and crunchy, zesty acidity.
2010 Domaine Brocard, Saint Céline, Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu, Burgundy
( £16.99, 12.5%, Sainsbury's )It’s worth paying a little extra to secure a bottle of this special Premier Cru from Domaines Brocard, as it has even more weight and concentration. There’s great texture here, with notes of citrus fruit and fresh cream and a stony, chalky finish. Fantastic value and a brilliant expression of a very good Chablis vintage.
2012 Grosset Polish Hill Riesling, Clare Valley, South Australia
( £23, 12.5%, Liberty Wines )Polish Hill is always the tightest and most restrained of Jeffrey Grosset’s wines and that’s the case here, but this excellent dry Riesling seems a little more open than usual. It’s floral and delicate with lovely, minerally acidiity and notes of lime and green apple. Long and complex.
2011 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio, Friuli Colli Orientali
( £12, 13%, Liberty Wines )Just to prove that I don’t always have it in for Pinot Grigio, this one from Friuli is deliciously drinkable. It’s spicy and intense, with notes of pears and citrus fruit, with a nice undertone of fresh fennel and a zesty bite on the back palate.
2011 Mairena Torrontés, Mendoza
( £10.45, 14%, Cupari Wines )If you’ve never tasted Torrontés before, this is an excellent place to start. It’s abndantly aromatic with notes of orange peel and lemon sorbet, a fresh, flavoursome palate that has more acidity than many examples and a fine finish.
2011 Coeur des Anges, Vin de France
( £9.99, 12.5%, Laithwaites )The palest of rosés made from the Sauvignon Gris grape in the south-west of France. The wine is delicate and fragrant, with a touch of green pepper and summer fruits and plenty of crunchy, food-friendly acidity.
2010 Verget, Terroir de Pouilly, Les Combes Vieilles Vignes, Pouilly-Fuissé, Burgundy
( £20, 13%, Oddbins )Comparatively developed for a 2010, but this still has attractive aromas of white flowers and acacia honey, with fresh acidity and good concentration. I’d just like to see a little more zip in its step.