The wine world continues to expand. While consumption decreases, there seems to be no shortage of regions and individuals who want to try their hand at wine production. This collection includes offerings from Armenia, the Canary Islands, Poland, Switzerland and Turkey – and these wines are not chosen simply because they are novel. They are all genuinely good quality as well as providing intrigue.
I’ve tried to select wines that I think represent excellent value, whatever their price tag. I would urge anyone interested in wine, especially those who, like one recent correspondent, wish I recommended more bottles over $100, to form a relationship with a good local independent retailer. Tell them which wines you have liked, and it’s in their interest to take you on a mutually rewarding wine journey.
White
Errázuriz, Gran Reserva Chardonnay 2024 Aconcagua 13%
Lots of (green) fruit and tension. Better than you would expect for the price.
£11.50 Tesco
Boisset, Louis Bernard 2024 Luberon 13%
60% Rolle (Vermentino). Young, fruity Provençal blend with notes of apple and herbs. Good value.
£12 Waitrose
Albert de Conti, La Cuvée des Conti 2024 Bergerac 13%
The old Tour des Gendres, once the flagship Bergerac estate, has now been split. There’s much more to this than the average dry white from nearby Bordeaux. Flavour, interest plus structure.
£12.50 The Wine Society
Les Fleurs, Vin Écoresponsable 2024 Vin de France 12.5%
Made by Bruno Lafon, ex-Meursault. High-elevation blend of 60% Rolle with Grenache Blanc and little Sauvignon Blanc. Light bottle, recycled paper label, no foil, and more refreshment that the average Languedoc white.
£12.95 Haynes, Hanson & Clark
La Casa de Marieta, Marieta Albariño 2024 Rías Baixas 11.5%
Light and marine. Off-dry Galician, but it’s certainly a please-all.
£13 Tesco
D’Arenberg, Dry Dam Riesling 2024 McLaren Vale/Adelaide Hills 10.5%
Good fruit/acid balance. I thought this might be heavy but it’s racy and good fun! I’d happily drink this bargain.
£13 Waitrose
L’Oratge Garnatxa Blanca 2024 Terra Alta 13%
From one of Catalunya’s cooler regions and it tastes like it. A pretty Grenache Blanc that’s certified organic and would make a fine aperitif.
£13.25 Stone, Vine & Sun
J M Brocard 2024 Bourgogne Chardonnay 12.5%
Pure Chablis nose, for which we must thank Brocard, which never disappoints. Grown on Chablis-like soils just outside the appellation. A clever buy, but not for ageing.
£13.50 The Wine Society
Château Roquefort, Les Roches Blanches 2024 Bordeaux 12.5%
100% Sauvignon Blanc with an unusually herbal aroma then mouth-filling fruit. A countrified French Sauvignon that would perplex those expecting something like a Marlborough Sauvignon but a very valid wine, with structure, for the money.
£13.75 Haynes, Hanson & Clark
Famille Testuz Chasselas 2024 Lavaux 12.2%
A Swiss ingredient in The Wine Society’s current determinedly eclectic push. Naff bottle but masses of flavour. Relatively low acid but very charming and surprisingly persistent for the money.
£13.95 The Wine Society
The Ned, Skyscraper Chardonnay 2024 Marlborough 13%
From Marlborough’s Southern Valleys. Some freshness and delicacy. Sleek and refreshing. Nice reminder than Marlborough is not all about Sauvignon Blanc.
£14 MajesticFelsner, Moosburgerin Grüner Veltliner 2024 Kremstal 12.5%
Young and fruity. Very enjoyable with classic apple-and-herbs fruit for the money.
£14 Waitrose
Domaine Mallory et Benjamin Talmard, La Bergerie 2023 Mâcon-Montbellet 13%
Rich and satisfying. Nutty and with more richness and depth than many Côte d’Or whites. Yet it’s not flabby. This is a ridiculous price!
£14.50 The Wine Society
Le Clos du Château L’Oiselinière, La Haie Fouassière 2018 Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine 12%
Why do Muscadets have such long names? Because the vignoble has been split into crus, of which La Haie Fouassière is the westernmost. This wine has picked up interest from long ageing on lees and proves just how well and deliciously a good Muscadet can age.
£14.95 The Wine Society
Château Rives Blanques, L’Eden Chenin Blanc 2023 Limoux 12%
Mouth-filling wine from the heights of the western Languedoc known more for its sparkling wine. Gives Loire Chenin a run for its money. Exciting wine with persistence.
£14.95 The Wine Society
La Compagnie de Burgondie, Les Vignes de la Croix 2023 Montagny 13%
Excellent value for a southern burgundy. Fresh with lots on the palate and real energy from the Côte Chalonnaise.
£15 Tesco
Christoph Bauer, Gemischter Schatz 2024 Weinviertel 12.5%
Traditional field blend of Welschriesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Neuburger and Traminer. Pure essence of Austria! Spicy, ripe fruit with creamy texture and a hint of dill pickle. Excellent value.
£15.95 Swig
Arnaud Aucoeur, Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes 2023 Beaujolais-Villages 13%
Friendly Chardonnay with real ambition and character from the heartland of the region. Lots going on here and proof that Beaujolais needn’t be red.
£15.95 Yapp
Klein Constantia Sauvignon Blanc 2023 Constantia 13.5%
Very pale. Very fresh nose, pure flavours and texture. Superior Sauvignon with a dry finish from the historic suburbs of Cape Town.
£16 Majestic
Boveri Luigi, Derthona Timorasso 2023 Colli Tortonesi 14%
Revived Piemontese grape that seems always to give wines a sort of burnished metal note. Should have considerable appeal as it’s a distinctive wine with great fruit and attraction.
£16 The Wine Society
Martin Codax, Anxo Martín 2023 Ribeiro 12.5%
A cool Galician from a little region that was all the rage in England in the 16th century. A Treixadura-dominated blend that’s full of flavour and freshness considering its relatively low alcohol.
£17 Majestic
Vignoble du Rêveur, Au Fil de L’ILL 2023 Alsace 13%
Personal project of Matthieu Deiss of Domaine Marcel Deiss with his maternal uncle’s vineyards. Lots of different grape varieties co-fermented – very 21st century. Heady. Lightly medicinal, but that’s not a bad thing. There is lime blossom and drive in spades.
£17 The Wine Society
Léon Beyer, Réserve Personnelle Pinot Blanc 2023 Alsace 12.5%
Real class and raciness. The sort of wine to recommend for a large party because no one could object to it. Lots of fruit but it’s dry and has real grip on the end.
£17.50 Yapp
Geyerhof, Hofstudien Pinot Blanc 2022 Kremstal 12.5%
Ultra-traditional methods from the Austrian hinterland of the Danube. Solid with more structure than is normal for a white wine. An exceptionally rewarding Pinot Blanc that repays study.
£17.50 The Wine Society
Füleky, Fülöp The Phenomenon 2021 Tokaj 13.5%
A blend of Furmint, Hárslevelű and Muskatoly named after a stork born on Spain’s Ebro River in 2003 who has been living in Bodrogkeresztür in eastern Hungary since 2006 and brought 37 fledglings. Sold in aid of preserving the Tokaj-stork tradition. Intense nose that still seems admirably youthful and attention-grabbing. Really pure Tokaj flavours of dried apricots, and excellent acidity, but beautiful fruit, too.
£18 Amathus
Cap Maritime, Coastal Chardonnay 2024 Cape South Coast 12.5%
From Marc Kent of Chocolate Block fame. Buttery nose. Lots of rich fun corrected by South Atlantic currents and a certain savoury element. A South African for those who hanker after old-fashioned Meursault?
£18 Majestic
Kellerei Kurtatsch Pinot Bianco 2024 Alto Adige 13%
This is the variety this Italian subalpine region seems to do best. Really confident fruit that absolutely expresses elevation, but with sunshine to add ballast, too. Very satisfying for drinking with or without food.
£18 Haynes, Hanson & Clark
Dom Passy le Clou 2023 Petit Chablis 12.5%
Not much nose but rewarding fruit on the palate. Just a tiny bit astringent on the end but no shortage of appeal. It has the stony freshness of an (approachable) true Chablis.
£18 Majestic
Abel Tasman Chardonnay 2022 Nelson 13%
This region in the north of New Zealand’s South Island deserves more credit for its excellent Chardonnays. Really exciting fruit, great balance and attractive texture.
£19 The Wine Society
Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2023 Alsace 13%
From an impeccable source, one of Alsace’s oldest families. Broad and almost rich, even though there is no sweetness to speak of – presumably because of the grapes’ low acidity. Not cheap but the sort of wine you could serve to anyone, connoisseur or neophyte, and know they’d like it.
£19 Majestic
Faustino, Gran Reserva 2020 Rioja 13%
A new wine from the frosted-bottle specialists. Deep straw. Heady with oak (new French and American) but ancient Chardonnay and Viura vines have produced fruit that can just about withstand it. Savoury and fun. Lots to get your teeth into, but I think I’d decant it.
£20 Waitrose
Domaine du Château de Demigny, Le Saut de Loup Chardonnay 2022 IGP Saône-et-Loire 13%
Racy, delicate white burgundy from the other side of the road from Chassagne-Montrachet. A well-sourced bargain.
£20.75 Private Cellar
L’Abeille de Fieuzal Blanc 2018 Pessac-Léognan 13%
Fine texture, a hint of honey and something almost adorable about this smart dry white bordeaux! As there should be for the money. But it’s a hit. Greengage flavours and persistence. Serious wine for the dinner table and guests looking for a (French) alternative to white burgundy.
£21 Majestic
Zulal, Vayots Dzor Voskehat 2022 Armenia 12.5%
Zulal apparently means ‘pure’. Ungrafted 50-year-old vines of an indigenous grape variety grown on volcanic soil in the heights of the south-eastern Vayots Dzor province. Light but characterful nose of walnuts and honeysuckle. There’s a green-fruit undertow to a full-bodied wine with real distinction. Great balance. Great stuff!
£21 Amathus
Kamil Barczentewicz, Béton Chardonnay 2023 Poland 13%
Convincing evidence of our warming climate from south-east Poland. Racy, lively and definitely Chardonnay. Grown on Burgundy-approved limestone, aged in concrete (béton) egg – and better than the Pinot counterpart. Great price – and a great choice for a blind tasting. So cool and refreshing.
£22 The Wine Society
Domaine Serge Dagueneau et Filles 2023 Pouilly-Fumé 12.5%
Not a silly price for a refined, obviously superior example of the popular Sauvignon Blanc in its Loire homeland. Great balance and masses of blackcurrant fruit impact for a 12.5% wine.
£23 Haynes, Hanson & Clark
La Calcinara, Clochard 2024 IGT Marche 13.5%
90% Verdicchio, 10% Chardonnay. Nutty nose. Broad, pleasing and it tastes fully mature already! Lots of delivery for the money! A fine Italian substitute for white burgundy?
£23.50 Swig
Domaine Guerrin & Fils, Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 2023 Pouilly-Fuissé 13.5%
Not quite as opulent as Lea & Sandeman’s St-Véran from Barraud below but very well behaved and satisfying, More proof that southern Burgundy is worth exploring. Baked apple flavours spread right across the palate. Rather glorious in a complete, rather than attention-grabbing, way.
£23.50 Tanners
Blank Bottle, Kortpad Kaaptoe Fernāo Pires 2024 Swartland 13.5%
Made from a Portuguese grape variety that found its way to South Africa, this is fiery and full of sour-plum fruit in a most attractive way. Really mouth-filling and distinctive.
£24.50 Swig
Buscado Vivo o Muerto, El Límite Chardonnay 2020 Uco Valley 12.5%
‘Wanted dead of alive’ is the name of this project of three leading lights of Argentine wine, in this case involving recuperating 55-year-old vines on volcanic soils in the foothills of the Andes. Big and bold but very savoury on the finish. Subtle and much more interesting than many a white burgundy. Long and opens out on the end but I wouldn’t keep it too long. Argentine Chardonnay can be particularly good.
£24.95 Corney & Barrow
Keermont, Terrasse 2023 Stellenbosch 13.5%
Chenin-dominated blend of six different grape varieties. Really satisfying ripe, honeyed nose transiting through green apples to an appetising dry, tangy finish. Great stuff!
£25 Swig
Eva Fricke, Riesling trocken 2023 Rheingau 12%
This hardworking young woman’s wines are never cheap but they rarely disappoint. Richly layered flavour with a dry finish and a real pleasure to drink as an aperitif or match with food. A very pure expression of Rheingau Riesling. Lasts forever in the mouth.
£25 The Wine Society
Alberto Orte, A Portela 2023 Valdeorras 13%
Single-vineyard Godello. Polished, sophisticated Galician answer to Puligny-Montrachet! Creamy and refreshing, persistent and rewarding.
£28 Swig
Domaine Barraud, En Crèches 2022 St-Véran 13.5%
Pale straw. Rich, hedonistic nose. Pure, ripe Chardonnay with terroir influence and savour. Somehow tastes green-gold (because there is no shortage of acidity) but you could also wallow in top quality fruit.
£29.50 Lea & Sandeman
Yaban Kolektif, Sungurlu Ayağıbüyük 2023 Turkey 11.7%
Another exciting wine from the wilder shores of the wine world, in this case based on the nearly-extinct local Sungurlu grape grown in the village of Ayağıbüyük very close to the Hittite capital, Hattuşa. Yaban Kolektif, the brainchild of Turkish architect Umay Ceviker with Spanish winemaker José Hernandez-Gonzalez, is dedicated to preserving Turkey’s rich grape heritage. So much flavour (and colour) with so little alcohol.
£33 The Wine Society
Domaine Huber-Verdereau, Pré aux Dames 2022 Bourgogne Côte d’Or 12.5%
It seems crazy that a wine on the bottom rung of white burgundy appellations costs more than £30 but in the current context, this is not gouging for a rather delicious, fully mature wine grown just outside the boundary of Puligny-Montrachet.
£33.50 Stone, Vine & Sun
Domaine de la Roche Aiguë 2023 Auxey-Duresses 13%
So sweet it almost tastes like a Mâconnais wine! But it’s punchy, too, and there’s no hurry to drink it. Not cheap but a nice wine.
£37 Waitrose Cellar
Domaine Vernay, Pied de Samson Viognier 2023 IGP Collines Rhodaniennes 14.5%
Rich and savoury. Not sure it’s absolutely GV (good value) but it’s a wonderful wine. Full-bodied, lychee-flavoured yet tingling.
£39 Yapp
Casa Althay 2023 Lanzarote 13%
Blend of local grape varieties grown on the island’s extraordinary black volcanic soils. Reminiscent of ripe golden peaches with a most attractive sprinkling of appetising salt. Serious and seriously exciting wine! Thank goodness the Canaries have become part of the worldwide wine scene.
£39 Amathus
Patrick Javillier, Les Clousots 2023 Meursault 13%
Correct and creamy – and nicely splits the difference between buttery and austere. Good wine, long. But is it really worth £60?
£60 in just eight Tesco stores(!)
Pink/Orange
Famille Lafont 2024 Tavel 13.5%
Mid orangey pink – much deeper than Provençal pink. I’m glad Tesco is introducing the mass market to this style of dry pink! Great food wine.
£13 Tesco
Vignoble du Rêveur, Rien Ne Bouge 2023 Alsace 13.5%
Another successful experiment from Mathieu Deiss with Emmanuelle Milan from Provence, who macerate Pinot Noir grapes with Gewurztraminer juice in contemporary mode. Pale garnet and smells like Pinot with some extra perfume. Exotic, this strange combo works – but serve cool.
£22 The Wine Society
Château Galoupet, G de Galoupet 2024 Côtes de Provence 13%
The first (of several) Provence rosé properties acquired recently by LVMH. Recycled pale grey/green bottle. Herbal and full of interesting flavour and true refreshment. Quite a standout.
£22.50 Waitrose
Vignoble du Rêveur, Artisan 2023 Alsace 14%
Another pink oddity from Matthieu Deiss. Glowing deep orange. Gewurz and Pinot Gris macerated for a fortnight. Edgy apple-peel nose with seductive fruit as well as a little chew on the end. Finishes bone dry. A success but not cheap.
£26 The Wine Society
López de Haro Classica Rosada Gran Reserva 2013 Rioja 13%
Proof that aged pink, actually a pale glowing amber, can be fine, this is it. A complete original. Creamy texture with definite hint of vanilla oak and lots of vitality. Amazing interest and fruit for the age. Slightly dry finish. But a gem!
£37 The Wine Society
For detailed tasting notes, scores and suggested drinking dates, see our 284,000-strong tasting note database. For international stockists, see Wine-Searcher.com.
Credit for the image of Kistler Chardonnay being poured at our 25th anniversary dinner at The Morris in San Francisco: Cat Fennell.
