French wines that finish in style

Sam Wylie-Harris wheels out some delicious wines to celebrate the closing stages of the Tour de France

As we reach the peak of the 103rd Tour de France and watch the teams power their way through France and Switzerland, by the time the Grand Boucle reaches Paris, we’ll have worked up a thirst as big as the competitors. To keep us refreshed at every stage, Asda’s French Wine Buyer Ed Betts has donned a green jersey to create a wine tour of France that mirrors its greatest sporting event. “The riders are in for a treat when it comes to cycling through the Pays de la Loire. Situated right in the heart of France, the Loire Valley is famous for its natural beauty and more importantly great wine,” says Ed. In fact, this is sauvignon blanc’s original home and currently produces the crisp yet refreshing Wine Atlas Sauvignon Blanc, Touraine 2014 (£5.97, Asda). Riding down to the plains of SouthWest France and the foothills of the Pyrenees, Jurancon is known predominantly for its sweet whites but the local grapes (gros and petit manseng) can also produce dry whites with a citrusy edginess, such as Domaine Cauhape, Jurancon Sec Chant des Vignes 2014 (£8.75, www.thewinesociety.com). Fresh and aromatic, as soon as you’ve poured a glass, the fruit races off the starting line and it’s zingy with citrus, grapefruit, spice and a hint of white pepper on the finish. produces some fantastic wines at fair prices and this award-winning white sports a peloton of grapes to hold our interest.

Try Domaine de Sainte Rose Coquille d’Oc Blanc 2014 (£7.49, Waitrose), which has racy sauvignon blanc, heady viognier, fruity chardonnay and floral muscat. With delicious peachy overtones, it’s bright, fresh and juicy.

Blazing saddles will find the flinty freshness of Morrisons Petit Chablis 2014 (£8.50, Morrisons) extremely reviving with plenty of lemon and citrus fruit and well-balanced acidity.

Alternatively, this breakaway Burgundian from the Cote de Beaune is a real stage-winner. With a creamy note from time spent in oak, Albert Bichon Saint-Romain 2012 (£24, Oddbins) chardonnay shows depth and texture with bright acidity and a citrus note on the refreshing finish.

The sunny Languedoc in the South of France Clockwise, from left: Domaine de Sainte Rose Coquille d’Oc Blanc 2014; Domaine Cauhape, Jurancon Sec Chant des Vignes 2014; and Albert Bichon Saint-Romain 2012.