Weekday wines

Looking but don’t to want try something to make an different expensive or mistake? adventurous, Decanter’s tastings director Christelle Guibert has done the hard work for you, picking out 25 exciting and accessible wines available in the UK for £25 or les

Want something more adventurous in your midweek wine selection but don’t want to make an expensive mistake? We recommend 25 exciting wines to try for under £ 25

Hush Heath Estate, English Apple Wine, England NV 89

£15 Hush Heath, Liberty Wines, Want something a bit different? This is made like Champagne, but apples, grown and picked on the estate, are used instead of grapes. The juice is fermented using Champagne yeasts, with the second fermentation in bottle. Deliciously refreshing and more refined than the average cider. Alc 8%

Bonnet-Huteau, Les Gautronnières, Muscadet Sèvre & Maine Sur Lie, Loire, France 2015 91 £10.95 Tanners

This lusty, biodynamic white is the perfect aperitif: refreshing, pure and crisp with lemon and orchard fruit, beautifully poised acidity and a lively, mouthfilling texture thanks to six months on its lees. A serious wine at a bargain price. Alc 12%

François Villard, Les Contours de Deponcins Viognier, Collines Rhodaniennes, Rhône, France 2015 91 £23.25 H2Vin

This is made in part with grapes from a declassified plot next to Villard’s famous De Poncins vineyard in Condrieu as well as some bought fruit. The result is a vin de pays that tastes like Condrieu, but at a fraction of the price. Rich yet elegant. Alc 13.5%

Mionetto, Prestige Collection Brut Prosecco, Treviso, Italy NV 89 £9 Bargain Booze, Budgens,

Costcutter, Nisa, Londis A leading Prosecco producer, as well as one of the oldest (1887). This is fresh and light with white peach, melon and elderflower notes. The palate is crisp and fresh with balanced sweetness. A cut above your average Prosecco, and top value. Alc 11%

Fattoria Kappa, Etabeta, Tuscany, Italy 2015 91 £18 Roberson

Created in 1999, this is a Tuscan dream for two Austrian friends in partnership with the former winemaker of Isole e Olena. This ripe and juicy Vermentino, with the addition of Viognier and Verdicchio, is naturally made without filtration. Floral, peachy and honeyed flavours on the fresh, textured palate. Alc 14%

Skylark, Orsi Pinot Blanc, Mendocino County, California, USA 2016 91 £23 Stannary St Wine Co.

From one of the most underrated grape varieties comes this floral-scented wine with flavours of green apple and lemon zest. The palate is juicy and ripe, supported by a bright acidity, fine complexity and a textured finish. A serious food wine. Alc 13.8%

Olivier Dubois, Cuvée Prestige Sauvignon Blanc, Touraine, Loire, France 2016 90

£9.99 Majestic This is exactly what Touraine Sauvignon should be: refreshing, zesty and aromatic and all for under a tenner. The palate is unpretentious with grassy, gooseberry characters and enough depth to leave you wanting more. This is the perfect bottle to have on standby in your fridge – I’d drink it any day over many similarly priced Kiwi Sauvignon Blancs. 12% Alc

Casa di Baal, Fiano, Colli di Salerno, Campania, Italy 2014 90

£18.50 Vini Italiani The fourth generation of this family estate took the reins in 2006, extensively replanting the vineyards. This Fiano has real energy of white peach, orchard fruit and a touch of walnut skin. The palate is complex and lively and it will complement many Mediterranean dishes. Alc 12.5%

Domaine des Forges, Le Moulin du Gué, Savennières, Loire, France 2015 90 £10.99 Co-op

An unbelievable price for a Savennières that tastes this delicious. The grapes are picked at full maturity over several passes. This gives classic Chenin characters of honeyed, rich and complex orchard fruit while lees ageing for a few months rounds out the full palate. Alc 13.5%

Kozlovic,´ Malvazija, West Istria, Croatia 2015 90 £11.64-£13 Corking Wines,

Strictly Wine With 17ha of vineyards bordering Friuli, this Malvasia is a great alternative to those rich and aromatic Italian whites. The nose is packed with nectarine, apricot and pear drops and the weighty, creamy palate has a rich, textured mouthfeel and herbal-scented finish. An exciting find. Alc 13%

Descendientes de J Palacios, Pétalos, Bierzo, Spain 2015 93 £17.95 AG Wines, Berry Bros &

Rudd, Fine & Rare Year in, year out, this wine excels, thanks to its dark red fruit aromas combined with a fresh and vivid palate of crunchy red fruit intensity. A memorable, complex and individual wine which will continue to develop in bottle. Alc 14%

Château Souverain, Chardonnay, California, USA 2014 90

£11 Waitrose Californian wines at this price are hard to find, especially when this tasty. Grapes were sourced from various cool-climate coastal vineyards and the result is a fresh, elegant wine with lemon peel and tropical flavours combined with buttery, yeasty intensity. Alc 13.8%

Jordi Miró, Garnacha Blanca, Terra Alta, Spain 2016 90 £9.50 Marks & Spencer

Terra Alta is not too far from Priorat and a source of great -value wines. This is mainly white Grenache with a dash of Macabeo, giving crisp and fruity ripe apricot, peach and lemon notes. The palate is complex, textured and rich in flavour, with lean herbal characters and a spicy finish. Alc 13.5%

Majestic Loves, Chardonnay, Western Cape, South Africa 2016 89 £6.99 Majestic

Majestic’s new own-label range aims to deliver approachable, fun wines – and this ticks the box. Fresh and fruity lemon zest, apple and peach notes, a touch of creaminess on the palate and medium acidity; it’s a well-priced crowd pleaser with cute packaging. Alc 13%

Domaine Alzipratu, Cuvée Fiumeseccu, Calvi, Corsica, France 2015 91 £12.50 The Wine Society

From the foothills of the Montegrosso at 2,000m comes this fragrant, lifted red, packed with rich berry fruit and roasted spices. A blend of mainly Nielluccio (aka Sangiovese) and Sciacarellu, it is medium-bodied but full in flavour and earthy on the finish. Alc 14%

Pasqua, 11 Minutes, Veneto, Italy 2016 91 £14.25 Corney & Barrow

It took 11 minutes for the harvested grapes to reach the cellar and another 11 minutes of skin contact during the gentle press to give the wine its pretty onionskin colour. While the nose is delicate, showing pure strawberry and raspberry fruit, it’s not shy on the palate with plenty of fruit concentration, grip and tension, lifted by refreshing acidity. A harmonious drop that will probably be gone 11 minutes after it has been opened! Alc 12.5% ➢

Rémy Ferbras, Ventoux, France 2016 91 £7.79 Waitrose

This Grenache-based blend is sourced from grapes from Mont Ventoux, made famous by the Tour de France, but a place where vines are protected from the region’s violent mistral winds. With no oak, this is pure red berry fruit juice in the glass, rich in flavour on a smooth, supple palate. Alc 14%

Cigliuti, Vigna Serraboella, Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont, Italy 2014 90 £21.50 Lea & Sandeman

An impressive Barbera whose grapes are from the Barbaresco cru Serraboella, one of the most famous vineyards in the east of Neive. It’s deliciously fruity, full of red cherry and floral notes with a juicy intensity on the palate. Lots of grip and energy for a long life ahead. Alc 14.5%

Highland Cellars, Koor, Armenia 2015 90 £15 Armenian Wine Importers

My first Armenian wine – and very impressive it is! A stylish blend from two local grapes: Areni, which gives elegant and fruity aromas, and Sireni, which adds tannin and structure. The result is a fresh, juicy red with lots of black fruit, refreshing acidity and smooth tannins. Serve slightly chilled. Alc 14%

Sainsbury’s, Taste the Difference, Douro, Portugal 2015 89 £9 Sainsbury’s

You can’t go wrong with this spicy and fruity red made by Quinta do Crasto, a leading producer in the Douro Valley. It’s big and bold, packed with black cherry and dark plum characters but it’s still harmonious and refreshing too. A wine crying out for barbecued red meat. Alc 14%

Blind Spot, GrenacheShiraz-Mourvedre, McLaren Vale, South Australia 2015 90

£8.85 The Wine Society This exquisite, budget-priced southern Rhône blend is made by the talented Mac Forbes. It’s aromatic with sweet, red cherry fruit and savoury herbs on a lifted, weighty, vibrant palate with refreshing acidity and smooth tannins. The perfect barbecue red. Alc 14.5%

Cooperative de Fleurie, Fleurie, Beaujolais, France 2016 90 £11.50 Marks & Spencer

A textbook Beaujolais – exactly what you’d expect from a Fleurie at this price level: light, fresh and juicy and packed with red cherry and violet scents. Light bodied and very smooth, it will impress when served slightly chilled with a picnic or cold meat platter. Alc 13%

Papa Luna, Calatayud, Spain 2013 90 £9.99 Majestic

Scottish winemaker Norrel Robertson MW worked with local growers to source grapes from old vines to make this great-value, full-bodied spicy red. Mainly Grenache with Syrah and Monastrell, it boasts lifted red cherry and herbal notes in a fruit-forward style with a hint of vanilla and plenty of firm tannins. Alc 14.5%

Contero, Brachetto d’Acqui, Piedmont, Italy 2016 90 £12.95 Liberty Wines, The Wine

Society This light-bodied, low-alcohol sparkler is the perfect summer tipple to enjoy in your garden on a Sunday afternoon: it’s fresh and grapey with rose petal hints mingled with wild strawberry fruit. Sweet but surprisingly refreshing – and dangerously quaffable. Alc 6%

Domaine de Fa, Fleurie, Beaujolais, France 2015 94 £21 Yapp Brothers

The northern Rhône’s legendary Graillot family has a long history of making outstanding Syrah, but its love for Gamay has led it to acquire 8ha in Fleurie and Morgon. This is the inaugural vintage and, as expected, it’s of a very high standard, showing pure red cherry and lifted violet aromas. The palate is rich, pure and fresh with lovely red fruit concentration and plenty of depth. One of the best Beaujolais I’ve tasted! Alc 13%