Wine 3 Best wines from the High Street

2019 Taste the Difference Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi £6 – instead of £7 until March 23 – at Sainsbury’s

A wet May followed by two scorchingly hot months, helped make 2019 a great vintage for Central Italy – as this gentle white testifies. Delicate with a nutty edge, it brings us clean tasting quince, apple and peach flavours with firm grapefruit and sherbet acidity and green herb influences too.

Grapevine Shiraz £4.69 in Scottish branches of Aldi

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2020 Brancott Estate Flight £7 – instead of £8 until April 21 – at Asda

Brancott (as Montana) were first to produce sauvignon blanc commercially in Marlborough but have never rested on their laurels. Here, innovatively, they have created a lively, light (9% alcohol) version even though (like most lower alcohol wines) it has only limited depth. Floral and, as I say, light in body, it has smooth and attractive, grassy apple and ripe melon flavours accompanied by fresh grapefruit acidity.

If you demand substantial texture in your wine then I fear you must skip to the next item. Fans of light, bright, fruit elements, however, will love this bargain priced Spanish red’s bold, sweet-edged, raspberry, red cherry and baking spice flavours but, I repeat, only very modest texture.

ON-WINE SHOPPING 2016 Domaine La Reze Minervois £8.99 at Majestic

One notable aspect of Languedoc’s ascendancy from being merely “jug wine” country, is the sophisticated (mainly red) wines now produced in sub-regions like Minervois. This classic blend from there adds carignan to their Rhone Valley counterpart’s traditional GSM recipe to produce dark, rich red wine with full, raspberry and red plum flavours. It also contains lively acidity, firm tannin and attractive ripeness embellished by thyme, butterscotch and aniseed depth. ★ Brian Elliott is a wine judge and blogger and a widely read wine writer throughout Scotland who reminds us that promotions can change at short notice. Although prices are verified as the magazine goes to press, shoppers should enquire in store.