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Slideshow
Top 10 wines in the UK press
Pedro’s Almacenista Selection Fino Jerez, Spain
Susy Atkins revealed her favourite summer apéritifs writing in The Telegraph this week, explaining its all about the “tang”.
She said: “Dry sherry has a briny, green-olive attack,” advising: “Serve it very cold, the better to bring out its lemon-peel bite and salty edge. Then there’s dry sparkling wine, the most obvious apéritif of all. In decent sparklers, there’s high acidity as well as masses of tiny bubbles waltzing on the tongue. So, there’s a certain sharpness, piquancy, tart edge to each. Yep, a tang is what makes the perfect apéritif.”
She described Pedro’s Almacenista as “a fine and distinctive fino, very pale copper, olive-scented with a nutty hint, and whistle-clean taste of grapefruit peel.”
Price: £10.99, Majestic, or £9.74 each for two or more until 1 September
Vilarnau Brut Cava Nature Reserva Penedès, Spain
Moving on to a sparkling apéritif, Atkins recommended this brut Cava from Spain – a perfect pre-supper sip.
She said: “Worth seeking out, this superior Cava has 15% Chardonnay in the blend, unusually, rounding out its otherwise lean, exceptionally dry style a little.”
Price: £10.48, thedrinkshop.com; Ocado, £11.99
2012 Sandhi, Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County, California
This “devastating” Chardonnay from California’s Santa Barbara Country was enough to get Matthew Jukes waving the flag for California this week – a region he said he had not been “truly excited about” for well over two decades – writing in Money Week.
He said: “Years ago, dearly departed Geoffrey Roberts shipped incredible Californian wines to the UK and we were all spoilt for choice. In the intervening 25 or so years, Californian wine has lost its lustre in the UK thanks to exorbitant pricing and a scarcity of decent wine (they tend to keep the best wines to themselves). This mood was lifted at a recent Roberson Wine tasting where 17 estates were on show under the banner ‘New California’. It was a triumphant event and I am fired up again about the excitement and class shown.”
Of thd Sandhi, he said: “This devastating Chardonnay, a product of a collaboration between Rajat Parr (wine director for the Michael Mina restaurant empire), Charles Banks (formerly managing partner at Screaming Eagle) and winemaker Sashi Morman is a case in point. It shows as much finesse and élan as any Chardonnay I can think of. I urge you to peruse the Roberson Californian collection – it is fascinating and rewarding in equal measure.”
Price: £32.95, Roberson Wine, 020-7381 7877
A Bonhomme ‘Fiefs de la Brie’ Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie, France 2013
For David Williams it was all about which wines worked best with seafood, writing in The Guardian this week, explaining that acidic wines have the sharpness and zest to bring out all the flavour of seafood.
He said: “Across the Bay of Biscay and into the Loire estuary, the white wines of Muscadet have a similarly stripped back approach. You’re never going to go into a thesaurus-bothering rapture over the fruit character of these wines made from melon de Bourgogne; and even I find some of the cheaper versions stray beyond the pleasingly tart into the austerely sour.
“What you do get in the better bottles, such as this one from François Bonhomme, however, is a hint of yeasty, ozoney savouriness to go with the lemony fruit. Add that to a bowl of moules marinières or oysters and you have one of the world’s great food-and-wine combinations.”
Price: from £7.99, Tanners; Adnams
Barone Pizzini Pievalta Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore, Italy 2013
Another wine which Williams said was “one of the best” to serve with seafood was this “refined” Italian white.
He said: “There is usually a fine-line of acidity in the white wines made from the verdicchio grape in the Marches region of central Italy, too, the snap of green apple that makes them the seafood wine of choice in this area of Italy, whether produced in the Matelica area or near to the town of Jesi, just inland from the city of Ancona.
“In the case of this refined example from the relatively small, organic and biodynamic verdicchio specialist Pievalta, however, you wouldn’t really say acidity was the defining character: while it teases and tingles and matches wonderfully with grilled fish, it also has notes of fennel, almond and ripe pear.”
Price: £10.25, Vintage Roots
Mayu Syrah Reserva 2007, Chile
It was all about Shiraz for Olly Smith this week who, writing in The Daily Mail, revealed the fruity grape was responsible for his “first love affair with red wine.”
He said: “Twenty years ago, I couldn’t get enough of those big rich flavours that pounded through bottles of Australian Shiraz, often with alcohol levels stretching up towards 15%. But Shiraz can also make wines of surprising elegance and finesse. So how can you tell one bottle from another? Look at the label. Shiraz and Syrah are the same grape in different expressions: Shiraz tends to be fruity and boozy, Syrah offers more elegance and lower alcohol.”
One of his top recommendations was this Chilean Syrah which he described as: “A stunning hoard of huge black fruit flavours with smoky depth and spicy richness from Chile’s amazing Elqui Valley. Seize it!”
Price: £10.50
Domaine de Rosette Chinon 2013, Loire, France
Jamie Goode, writing in The Express, aimed for “lighter, brighter wines for summer sipping” this week picking a number of wines made for relaxing in the sun.
He said: “One of the great things about wine is its diversity. There’s a bottle for every occasion and every season, which is why I’m always stumped when people ask what my favourite is. It all depends on the time, the place and the mood, but right now I’m enjoying lighter wines in the summer sunshine – and here are some of my favourites.”
Of this light red from the Loire he said: “Made from the Cabernet Franc grape, this is a typical Loire red, with vivid raspberry and cherry fruit, a hint of chalk and subtle green sappiness. It’s a super summer red, but not for those who like bold, ripe wines.”
Price: £8.99, Marks & Spencer
Tesco Finest Fiano 2013, Sicily, Italy
Another of Goode’s favourites was this Italian Fiano from Tesco’s Finest range.
He said: “Fiano is a white grape variety that has been transplanted from Calabria to Sicily, where it’s doing very well. This is a lovely white with intense stone fruits and some grape, pear and melon notes.”
Price: £7.99, Tesco
2013 Taste the Difference Beaujolais-Villages
A number of light reds were also recommended by Hamish Anderson writing for the The Telegraph, who picked out three of his favourites.
Of Sainsbury’s own brand Beaujolais-Villages he said: “Summer heat changes completely the type of red I want to drink: fresh and bright is what I look for. Lighter wines help and serving temperature is key; don’t let anything get warmer than 19C. Wines such as this – vibrant, raspberry- and spice-scented, low in tannin – are best after a couple of hours in the fridge.”
Price: £7.25, Sainsbury’s
2012 Wien 2, Pfaffl, Weinviertel, Austria
Finally, Anderson picked this Austrian red made from a blend of Pinot Noir and the Austrian variety, Zweigelt.
He said: “It is the perfect balance of juicy, uncomplicated berry fruit that demands to be drunk and, lurking in the background, a leafy, herbaceous side that adds elements of complexity. This wants to be cool rather than fridge cold.”
Price: £12.60, Bottle Apostle