Great value in elegant rosé of Provence, in a versatile lunchtime guise. A pale salmon hue and lingering watermelon, pomegranate and guava flavours are enticingly subtle. The palate is softly textural, restrained and almost dry. $20 at Banks.

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An impressive, savoury Valpolicella, softly textural and pizza ready. A blend of corvina veronese, rondinella and molinara, aged in stainless steel tanks to retain a bright, medium red-purple hue and dark berry and plum fruits. There’s a note of saltbush and a hint of game to keep things engaging, structured with fine tannins. Reliable and […]

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Thanks to a screw cap closure, this sherry is surprisingly fresh after two years in bottle (bottled 2011, indicated by the 1 as the first digit in the bottling code). A notably salty and characterful Fino, filled with signature Jerez aromas and flavours of the sea, very mineral in its seasalt structure, with youthful persistence […]

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Mercurey is a lesser commune of Burgundy, but its best wines can represent great value. Faiveley has been doing impressive things here in recent years, and you’ve read about my admiration of Clos des Myglands pinot noir here before. I’ve recently discovered its chardonnay partner, another clos of early-drinking appeal. If you’re looking for a […]

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JL Chave is a legend of the Rhône and a master of whole bunch fermentation to draw out the exotic nuances of top class fruit. His top cuvées land at scary prices, but this bargain grenache syrah blend has clearly learnt some of the same tricks. It’s a captivatingly spicy style, with exotic pipesmoke, dried […]

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Benchmark sauvignon and definitive Sancerre, this taut and fine style presents well-balanced concentration of grapefruit and lime with subtle notes of green pea. It’s framed in pure and tight lemon juice acidity of considerable persistence and accurate line, making it appealing right away and infusing the endurance to improve for a few years. $52 at […]

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Tucked in behind Chassagne-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin may not be a rockstar commune of the Côte de Beaune, but its best premier cru sites can produce outstanding chardonnay, often at realistic prices. This one represents very impressive white Burgundy that out-performs its price and its appellation. Excellent fruit concentration of accurate and pure white peach, lemon and […]

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I’ve been impressed with the trajectory of Fèvre in recent times, bringing its oak under control and its fruit into focus. Vaillons is my favourite of its 2010 premier crus. This vineyard expresses lovely taut acidity in this vintage, drawing the wine out long, fine and pure, with fresh grapefruit and lemon expression. Excellent persistence […]

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Egon Müller is one of Germany’s most revered names in riesling, capturing the slatey minerality of the Mosel with exacting skill. His 2011 Kabinett presents a pure bouquet of preserved lemon, lime drops and a hint of kerosene. The palate melds generous and long-lingering candied citrus rind with glacé peach and a taut backbone of […]

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From Christopher Cannan’s estate in Priorat, this blend of mostly grenache, with a little carignan and syrah and a touch of cabernet, spends a year in mostly older oak to preserve its crunchy berry fruit definition and black plum skin depth. This is a wine of great tannin poise, with very fine structure of soil-derived […]

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