#white

May 30, 2019

WINE OF THE WEEK: Plaimont Les Vignes Retrouvées 2016, Saint Mont, France

£8.95, The Wine Society Mouthwatering, juicy quince, apricot and citrus fruit, supple texture and zingy acidity – the latest vintage to be released of an old favourite from one of France’s least well-known appellations, Saint Mont in Gascony, southwest France. Here the admirable quality-focused Plaimont co-operative specialises in rediscovering and restoring production of old, indigenous grape varieties, both red and white – in this case white Gros Manseng, Petit Courbu and A

May 16, 2019

WINE OF THE WEEK: Elephant Hill Chardonnay 2016, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

£19.95, Corney & Barrow Much as I love discovering quirky, unsung grape varieties, I've never given up on Chardonnay. I love it – good Chardonnay from anywhere in the world. New Zealand makes beautiful, complex, bright Chardonnays, but they often struggle to get the recognition they deserve under the weight of the country's Sauvignon Blanc. Time, then, to take a look at this one from Hawke’s Bay – and, in case anyone thinks it represents any kind of conflict of interest, time

May 2, 2019

WINE OF THE WEEK: Moss Wood Semillon 2016, Margaret River, Western Australia

£16.99, waitrosecellar.com and 8 stores Sémillon is in decline pretty well all over the world, often losing out to the more aromatic, feisty Sauvignon Blanc. Sémillon is still big in Bordeaux, of course, giving the world exceptional botrytis sweet wines, but as a dry wine it's just not in vogue. And yet it can be wonderful, with flavours not unlike Sauvignon, but more muted, and a distinctive, rich, lanolin-like texture. With age, it often develops a nutty or toasty character

Apr 25, 2019

WINE OF THE WEEK: Château Ksara Merwah 2017, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

£12.99–£15, All About Wine, Strictly Wine, Corking Wines, Whole Foods, Harrods, Handford Wines Unless you've had this wine before, I can confidently say that you've never drunk a Merwah. Château Ksara, Lebanon's oldest and largest winery, is the first to release a wine made entirely from this centuries-old, indigenous white grape variety (it's been suggested that it could be a local clone of Sémillon but without DNA testing there's no way of knowing). Ksara's Merwah vines are

Apr 4, 2019

WINE OF THE WEEK: Château Pierre-Bise Clos de Coulaine Savennières 2016, Loire France

£20.50/£18.50, Lea & Sandeman Savennières from a favoured vintage and good producer is an absolute treasure – dry and mineral, yet honeyed, especially after a couple of years' age, and always carried by pivotal acidity. The appellation is just west of Angers on schist hills on the north bank of the Loire and 2016 was a year in which frost wreaked havoc, but for the vineyards that were spared it closed on a high with a sunny, warm late summer. The result is intensity of flavou

Mar 21, 2019

WINE OF THE WEEK: Casa Da Passarella Somontes Branco 2017, Serra da Estrela, Dão, Portugal

£11.95, Davy's Portugal isn't as known for its dry white wines, other than Vinho Verde, as it deserves to be. Dão is certainly much more familiar for its reds, but this branco is exactly what I like about Portuguese whites: medium-full and quite succulent with a lip-smacking, almost bracing salty mineral character, juicy lime and herb flavours and a hint of spicy white pepper. The grape varieties are Encruzado, Malvasia and Verdelho and part of the key to the wine's quality a

Mar 7, 2019

WINE OF THE WEEK: Bohoek Semillon 2017, South Africa

£6.66 on offer, Marks & Spencer (stores only) This is made for M&S by Boekenhoutskloof, a winery that never seems to put a foot wrong, whether it's producing its cult red, The Chocolate Block, or the good value, dependable Porcupine Ridge range. The Bohoek Semillon, reduced to £6.66 from £10, is practically being given away. It's from old vineyards dating back to the 1900s, which means small crops but with the benefit of intense flavours (all the more reason to marvel at the

Feb 21, 2019

WINE OF THE WEEK: Krasno Pinot Bianco 2017, Goriška Brda, Slovenia

£7.99/£9.99, Majestic Pinot Blanc, or Bianco, is one of those grape varieties that has a bit of a B-list image, certainly in Alsace where it plays second fiddle to Pinot Gris, not to mention Riesling and Gewurztraminer, but where it's especially valued, such as in Goriška Brda in the far west of Slovenia by the Italian border, it can give wines full of charm. Witness this deliciously approachable, fresh dry white, with its gentle citrus and jasmine perfume, soft citrus and re

Feb 7, 2019

WINE OF THE WEEK: Barta Egy Kis Furmint 2017, Tokaji, Hungary

£13.75–£13.95, The Daily Drinker and Corney & Barrow I chose a dry Furmint as my Wine of the Week in November and make no apologies for choosing another. This cheaper one is a great introduction to a grape variety, which, as I said then, "is up there with the best". It's also timely: Furmint is being promoted in London this month by Wines of Hungary UK, under the banner Furmint February. I tasted it with a slew of other good examples at the trade tasting that kick-started pro

Feb 5, 2019

Affordable Italians from the south and Tuscany

My latest Wine of the Week was one of six Italian wines I tasted from Tanners. I could happily have chosen any of the other five, so I'm posting notes on them. The first two are new in and from the same Abruzzo producer as my Wine of the Week. The other three are described as "old faithfuls" by Tanners. Tenuta del Priore Col del Mondo Sunnae Abruzzo Bianco 2017, £10.95 You don't see white Abruzzo very often – a shame if this lees-matured blend of Trebbiano, Passerino and Peco

Jan 24, 2019

WINE OF THE WEEK: Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

£14.95–£17.99, Divine Fine Wines and other independents Maybe it's hankering after something to match, rather than beat, the mood of bracing January weather. Maybe it's the thought of a vitalising tonic. Maybe it's just that a lot of the new-vintage southern hemisphere Sauvignons take to the shelves. Whatever, there's always a moment in January when I crave Sauvignon Blanc. The latest Greywacke Sauvignon hits the spot. I tasted it before Christmas then again last week when w

Jan 21, 2019

6 ready to drink white Burgundies from The Wine Society

Eyes and palates have been focused on the 2017 white Burgundies being offered en primeur this month, and it's an excellent vintage in decent quantities, but it'll be a while before most are shipped, so I've tasted half a dozen of the The Wine Society's current wines, four 2016s and a Meursault from each of 2014 and 2013. Stored well, they can be drunk any time over the next fours years, or in the case of the Coche-Bizouard Premier Cru Meursault six or even seven years. Domain

Jan 10, 2019

WINE OF THE WEEK: Yalumba The Y Series Viognier 2017, South Australia

£5.49 mix-six sale price, Majestic Even at £8–£8.25 (Sainsbury's and Morrisons) this is great value, so at Majestic's mix-six sale price (until 27 January) it's an absolute bargain. I've just had a bottle of the 2014 that I'd forgotten about (bought in a 'buy 6 save 25% offer', probably in May 2016). I didn't expect it to have lasted – Viognier isn't long-lived – but it was stunning: bursting with ripe apricot and peach fruit, zippy grapefruity acidity, Viognier's oily richne

Dec 20, 2018

WINE OF THE WEEK: Bodegas Pazo Tizón Extramundi Blanco 2017, Ribeiro, Spain

£14.99 (£12.99 in a 6-bottle mix), Majestic; £16, Booths This is already in my Festive White Wine Guide, but it's an absolute favourite and has reasonable distribution through Majestic, Booths, Berry Bros and a few others, which is useful when last-order dates for Christmas are sailing by. It also gives me the opportunity to say a bit more about it. Why a favourite? It's the combination of floral perfume, citrus, white peach and pear flavours with the textural richness from l

Dec 19, 2018

The Festive Champagne Guide 2018

We're there: my Champagne picks for Christmas, New Year and every other kind of festivity, whittled down with difficulty to what I hope is a manageable number, but I'm posting this before The Wine Gang's annual Ultimate Champagne Evening, so I may well add one or more top-end bottles next week. I've largely steered away from Champagnes featured in the last two years' round-ups, which means missing out some with particular regret, but it spans the spectrum of styles, producers

Dec 18, 2018

The Festive White Wine Guide 2018

Dry and off-dry whites from around the globe to cover the festivities and all eventualities at prices from £6 upwards and from the supermarket giants to small independents. Listed in ascending order of price, as usual. Moncaro Verdicchio dei Castelli Jesi Classico 2017, Italy A rounded, off-dry white with almond nuttiness, leafy freshness and a hint of citrus-pith bitterness on the finish to off-set the touch of sweetness. Good value. Can be drunk solo or with light fish, pa

Dec 17, 2018

Festive fizz for 2018: anything except Champagne

17 December: I've updated this post (first published on 3 December) with the addition of two more English wines: Denbies Cubitt Blanc de Noirs 2013 and Nyetimber Classic Cuvée. The first of the season's round-ups is anything sparkling except Champagne. (That comes next.) They're selected for quality, interest and value for money and cross four continents, spanning the spectrum from easy-drinking crowd pleasers to quirky Pet Nat. There is, though, nothing ultra cheap. If you w

Dec 6, 2018

WINE OF THE WEEK: Domaine Le Clos des Cazaux Vacqueyras Blanc, Vieilles Vignes 2016, Vacqueyras, Fra

£43 magnum, The Wine Society I was going to put this in my Festive White Wine Guide, which will be out shortly, but have decided it deserves the full-on spotlight here because it's such an impressive and delicious example of rare white Vacqueyras (a blend in this case of Clairette, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc). It's generous and silky textured – sumptuous, even – but with crystalline definition and intensity and flavours that are smoky, floral and peachy. It would be perfect

Nov 22, 2018

WINE OF THE WEEK: Barta Öreg Király-dulo Dry Furmint 2015, Mád, Tokaj, Hungary

£23.50, Corney & Barrow Don't be put off by the the thought of having to pronounce the name. This is a wonderful dry white, full of flavour and character, and Öreg Király-dulo translates simply and memorably as Old King vineyard. The steep, stony, traditionally terraced vineyard is on the majestic Király-hegy (King's hill), near the old town of Mád in the heart of the Tokaj region, and has belonged to the Barta family since 2003. They and their winemaker Vivien Ujvári are com

Nov 21, 2018

Cristal Vinothèque: the quest for eternal youth

The tasting of the first two vintages, 1995 and 1996, of Roederer's ultrarare Cristal Vinothèque When Louis Roederer released the first vintage of Cristal Vinothèque in September last year, the 1995, there was a launch for the press in France, but no tasting in the UK. When you know that the entire UK allocation is 48 bottles of the white (out of a grand total of 400) and 18 bottles of the rosé, you can see why. On Tuesday, for the launch of the 1996 (500 bottles of white pro