Weekday wines
Looking to try something different or adventurous, but don’t want to make an expensive mistake? The Decanter team has done the hard work for you, picking out 25 exciting and accessible wines available in the UK priced at £25 or less
Dopff au Moulin, Cuvée Julien Brut, Crémant d’Alsace, France NV
89 £13.95-£20
Widely available
A 50/50 blend of Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois, this traditionalmethod fizz spends at least 24 months on lees. Fresh and floral with hints of pear. Dopff au Moulin pioneered Crémant d’Alsace in the early 20th century, and has it down to a fine art. AW Alcohol 12%
Channing Daughters, Pinot Grigio, Long Island, New York, USA 2018
91
£18.50
Wanderlust Wine
New York wines aren’t common in the UK, and those under £25 are like hen’s teeth. This is a layered, concentrated Pinot Grigio, with skin contact and oak ageing to support juicy pear and peach fruit. It has a slatey, citrus edge and a sweet sultana finish. TG Alc 12.5%
Lievland Vineyards, Old Vines Chenin Blanc, Paarl, South Africa 2018
91 £13.49-£14.14
All About Wine, Corking Wines
You can taste the density from the dry-farmed bush vines, planted in 1976 and 1983, that give their fruit to this fullbodied Chenin. Stone- and exotic-fruit aromas and a rich, tangy, leesy palate with zesty green-apple acidity. TG Alc 13%
Walnut Block, Nutcracker Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2019 O
92
£13.99
Vintage Roots Marlborough’s oldest walnut tree sits among the organic vines here. This is weighty, with a savoury, textured palate from wild yeasts, lifted by crisp acidity. Pure and vibrant, bristling with grapefruit pith and guava. TG Alc 13.5%
Château Rahoul, Graves, Bordeaux, France 2016
91
£22.95
Champagnes & Châteaux Elegant, with aromas of white peach and a hint of smoke. Made with Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, it is fullbodied with texture and grip. The exotic, rich flavours include apple, mango and pear, with bone-dry, racy acidity and a lingering finish. An excellent example from 2016. GH Alc 13%
Chéreau Carré, Katharos, Sans Soufre, Muscadet, Loire, France 2018
90 £14.35-£17.50
All About Wine, Corking Wines, Great Wines Direct, Hallgarten, Noble Green, Wine Poole This wine, which has no sulphur added during vinification, aims to express the Melon de Bourgogne grape’s aromas. Crisp and focused, with red apple, white flowers and a saline finish. AW Alc 12.5%
Finca Viñoa, Ribeiro, Spain 2018
£16.75 H2Vin
Since 2003, brothers José and Javier González have resurrected vines in Ribeiro’s Avia Valley on their 10ha farm. Terraced plots of granite and schist at up to 325m give a blend of Treixadura with Godello, Albariño and Loureira. Aromas of citrus, melon, white stone fruit and pear meet a palate with more ripe fruit, plus texture and weight. It’s balanced by juicy acidity, with a long finish. Only 10,000 bottles made. JS Alc 13.5% ➢
Echeverria, No es Pituko Chardonnay, Curicó Valley, Chile 2019
90
£12.49 Great Wines Direct
No es Pituko (‘nothing fancy’) is a ‘natural’ range that includes a Viognier and Cabernet Franc, too. Fruit is from a low-yielding single vineyard on ungrafted, pre-phylloxera rootstocks. Its acidity is rather low, but its fresh apple and tinned peach flavours are appealing. TG Alc 13.5%
Frescobaldi, Tenuta Ammiraglia, Massovivo, Tuscany, Italy 2018
89 £15.35-£16.95 All About Wine, Corking Wines, Exel, GP Brands, Strictly Wine, Tannico, Vintriloquy, Vinvm, Wine Direct Massovivo means ‘live rocks’, describing the pebbles in this coastal vineyard that absorb the sun’s heat. Crisp, zesty and herby, with salinity and good weight. AW Alc 12.5%
Adega Artesanal, Boango Branco, Douro Valley, Portugal 2017
88
£12 The Wine Line
A field blend including Viosinho, Códega do Larinho, Malvasia and Rabigato. Ripe, honeyed aromas lead to a characterful palate of preserved lemon, baked apple and pineapple, with minerality and grapefruit acidity. Loads of regional expression and great value for money. JS Alc 13%
Hartenberg, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2016
92 £14.70-£19.95 Street Wines, Twelve Green Bottles, Vinvm Cellarmaster Carl Schultz knows his Cabernet Sauvignon. Cassis, pencil lead, seasoned leather, tobacco pouches and sweet vanilla spice are supported by supple tannins and fine structure from 14 months in French oak, 45% new. TG Alc 14.5%
Ktima Gerovassiliou, Estate White, Epanomi, Macedonia, Greece 2019
90 £14.99-£16.98 Corking Wines, Great Wines Direct, Hic, Strictly Wine, Vinvm
Savoury, structured Assyrtiko meets Malagousia’s juicy fruit, with no oak influence, so the character of the grapes shines. A Platinum winner in last year’s DWWA. Perfect with seafood: herby, citrus, long. AW Alc 13.5%
Majestic, Hexadique Blanc, Côtes du Rhône, France 2018
89
£11.99 Majestic
White Rhône like this is such a drinkable and food-friendly style – a perfect Sunday-lunch wine. A small proportion of this Viognier-Grenache Blanc blend was aged in oak, adding weight, but it remains fresh and fragrant with white flowers and some pear fruit. AW Alc 13.5%
Bizarra Extravaganza, Naranja, Canelones, Uruguay 2018
89 £12.99 Wines of Uruguay
Made by Santiago Deicas of Familia Deicas, this Viognier is a perfect place to start for those new to orange wines. It has a nutty, savoury nose with lifted orange notes, toffee and apple; a fresh, unfiltered palate with apples, oranges and marmalade; plus great acidity and a zesty finish. JS Alc 13%
Salentein, Barrel Selection Malbec, Tunuyán, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina 2018
92
£15.90 Corking Wines, GP Brands This vintage marks Bodegas Salentein’s 20th year in the Uco Valley. Deep savoury aromas with black fruit and violets, then a floral, silky palate balanced by fresh acid, smooth tannins and spice. Lingering and elegant. JS Alc 14%
Brash Higgins, MCC Lennon Vineyard, McLaren Vale, South Australia 2018 O
Alc £20.95-£21.99 All About Wine, Hic Chicago-born Brad Hickey was given the nickname ‘Brash Higgins’ when he moved to McLaren Vale (via Paris, Oregon and New York City) in 2007. Here, 60% whole-bunch Mataro meets Cinsault and Carignan. It all spends 20 days on skins before co-fermenting in neutral oak hogsheads. A mouthwatering melange of ripe red cherry, perfumed rose and exotic spices – wild and honest. TG 12.5%