Weekend wines 7 top buys, £20-£50
Planning to splash out a little bit more to celebrate your weekend in style? As a companion selection to our 25 wines under £20, the Decanter team has selected seven standout bottles that are sure to impress, all available in the UK and priced between £20
Sugrue South Downs, The Trouble with Dreams, Sussex, England 2015
£43-£49.95 Champagne One, Fintry Wines, Hawkins Bros, Hennings, Hic, NY Wines, South Downs Cellars, Theatre of Wine, The Whisky Exchange, Wine Poole Aromatic appeal: brioche, apricot, lemon tart. Honeyed flavour, macadamia nut and broad toasty notes balanced by fresh citrus and stone fruit hints. Delicious. JS Alc 12%
Akitu, Pinot Noir Blanc, Central Otago, New Zealand 2020
£32-£35.99 Harrogate Wines,
The Champagne Co, Wine Reserve A white, not a rosé, as it spends no time on skins, but pressing gives a pale onionskin hue. This second vintage (a step up from 2019) shows musky apricot, melon and orange blossom characters, with crisp acidity and a round lemony finish. TG Alc 12.5%
Hedges Family Estate, Goedhart Family Syrah, Bel Villa Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington, USA 2015 92
£38 Roberson
Delicious old-vine Syrah: ripe cherry and dried herb aromas, then a savoury, stewed plum and dark chocolate palate with a stony, saline length. Modest weight for the hot vintage, and well-judged oak in support. TG Alc 14% £40.80 Alpine Wines
Yellow apple, pear and citrus on the nose. Oily and rich on the palate, with plenty of green and yellow fruits and bitter citrus. The mouthfeel is warming, but the limey acidity provides a lift. Apple and apricot notes linger on the finish. SW Alc 14% £38.68 Lay & Wheeler
Serious on the nose, like it’s wearing a frown. Blackberry, blackcurrant and a black pepper streak. Ferrous, iodine aromas, with sweet fruit and savouriness battling for space. A fine-grained tannic pull, enough acidity to keep it fresh, finishing long and harmonious. NE Alc 13.5%
La Castellina, Tommaso Bojola, Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy 2015
£21.19 Independent Wine
Late-picked Sangiovese and Merlot aged in barriques and tonneaux for 18 months. Ripe red fruit and plum aromas, and a touch of earth. Juicy yet structured, with ripe tannins and fleshy hedgerow fruits. Peppery spice, cream and chocolate with a herbal, minty edge. JB Alc 14.5%
Rall Wines, White, Swartland, South Africa 2019
£25.68-£35.99 Jeroboams, Justerini & Brooks, NY Wines, The Vineking, Wine Direct
A Chenin-led blend (68%) mostly from a Paardeberg vineyard planted in 1970, aged in used barriques, along with 28% Verdelho and 4% Viognier, both matured in 500-litre barrels. Incredible purity and vibrancy from first nose to persistent finish, with zippy acidity assuring a long life ahead. A crisp green apple bite moves through nutty pears, pithy lemon, florals and a sappy, saline minerality. A beauty! TG Alc 13% D