XMAS EVE SPARKLING
NV Prosecco, Romeo & Juliet, Treviso, Italy (£11.99, reduced to £7.99 each until December 11, and then £9.99 each until January 1 for a Mix Six deal, Majestic) ASIDE from the gorgeous label, which will surely summon up some romance from even the most stony-hearted of Scrooges, this is a delightful wine with bright citrus fruit and a fabulous prickly palate. At the deal price this is a superb buy and will get the party well and truly started.
NV Tesco finest* 1531 Blanquette de Limoux, France (£9, Tesco) I HAVE championed this wine for a good few years now and it never fails to impress. Made from the little-known mauzac grape with 10 per cent chardonnay and chenin blanc, and a deft touch of oak, you are in the presence of a lovely and rather racy sparkler. At this price, few sparkling wines add this much flair or bite. This smart bottle has both.
NV Sainsbury’s Brut Champagne, France (£18, Sainsbury’s) LISTEN in friends, because this is a very accomplished wine indeed and it might escape your attention on the shelves. The new arty label signals a wine with ambition and it is more than surpassed by an elegant champagne. Made from 40 per cent chardonnay, 40 per cent pinot meunier and 20 per cent pinot noir, and aged for three years before release, this gets the full treatment at a bargain price for champagne.
2016 Taste the Difference, PouillyFumé, Loire, France (£12.50, Sainsbury’s) Sainsbury s) THE word fumé doesn’t refer to smoke, but flint or old-fashioned gunsmoke. This flintiness is so important in the Pouilly’s vineyards and gives these mineral-soaked, citrusy sauvignon blancs their unique flavour. Very dry, very lean, but oh so sophisticated, this is a lovely version of an iconic wine flavour.
2016 MâconVergisson, Les Rochers, DomaineDom Domaine Guerrin & Filss, Fils, Burgundy, Fra France (£12.40, Tanners Tanners, 01743 234455 & tanne tannerswines. winescouk) THIS is one of my favourite white burgundies of the season at a competitive price. With lush chardonnay fruit and masses of flair, I venture that it will turn out to be one of the most delicious chardonnays of the year.
2016 Tesco finest* Greco Beneventano, Campania, Italy (£9, Tesco) MADE by the great Feudi di San Gregorio winery, this is a triumphant white. Weighing in at a tidy 13.5 per cent, it ramps up the drama on the nose with green apple notes and again on the zesty finish. This shows just how delightful the greco grape is. It’s perfect when paired with seafood starters.