Romania is a secretly good source of everyday drinking (as opposed to sublimely hedonistic) pinot noir and this one shows why: it sings of summer with scents of red berries and cherry blossom, with a gentle rosewoody spice in the background. in , 11th July 2020

From one of the Sancerre satellites in the Loire, this white is a very classy sauvignon blanc that is thick with flavours of grass and nettles with an elderflower lift. So good at the end of a hot day. in , 11th July 2020

The great thing about Italian whites is that – unlike some others – they don’t taste sweet and blowsy when you start eating. Verdicchio is the grape and the flavour is cool and hydrating, with nips of green and a herbaceous background. in , 11th July 2020

When Piemonte Dolcetto is as good as Ca’ Viola Vilot, it’s an absolute treat, living up to its name ‘little sweet’, although it’s most definitely a dry red wine. It’s a grape variety that can have rather dry, sandpapery tannins (perhaps that’s why it’s been losing out to Barbera in the vineyards), but it doesn’t […]

An extremely good, shimmeringly pale pink made up in the hills of the Var department of Provence. The blend is syrah, grenache and cinsault with 20 per cent cabernet sauvignon. Has a gentle, red-berry-scented nose with a crisp structure and herbaceous twist. in , 29th May 2020

This is scintillating Sauvignon Blanc comes from a village called Quincy, which is just down the road from the more famous town of Sancerre. One of the most nerve-tingling and luxuriously appointed Sauvignons of the year so far, it is made by the finest estate in the region, and it is a cracker with the […]

A superb trio of recommendations from Matthew Jukes on SheerLuxe’s podcast: I have a £100 spend split up into three different bottles …and they are all utterly world class… Gatinois Brut Tradition, Grand Cru Aÿ NV 2017 Pouilly-Fuissé, Domaine Dominique Cornin 2012 Château Laroze, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé on the , May 2020

Corbières, in the south-west of France, is famous for its hearty red wines, but this amazing, keenly-priced rosé with hints of wild fennel and aniseed, intertwined with refreshing raspberry tones, is nothing short of beautiful. A perfect wine with the Black bean moussaka, this is one of the rosés of the year. in , 16th […]

…Haynes Hanson & Clark have long worked harder than most at sniffing out the bordeaux bargains. I was impressed by all four of their recent finds that I tasted, … but best value, I think, was Ch La Guérinière from the superb 2016 vintage. The Rambaud family’s Merlot and Cabernet Franc vines are grown in […]

I taste up to 40,000 wines a year and I can tell you that it is very rare to find a red Bordeaux of this calibre for a tenner. Made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, the silky fruit here is both beguiling and rewarding. There is stunning freshness on the finish, which is […]

Cabernet franc grown in the south-west facing vineyard of Les Poyeux: ample and plump like a stew of summer berries, but with pleasing threads of astringency and a scent of flowering currant leaves. Chill for 20 minutes before drinking with home-made burgers, salmon or Puy lentils. Victoria Moore in The Telegraph, 2nd May 2020

A superb specimen of an unassuming red bordeaux. Fresh, clean and unoaked, it is built on merlot with a splash of cabernets franc and sauvignon. Victoria Moore in The Telegraph, 2nd May 2020

Haynes, Hanson & Clark is a London-based wine merchant whose buyers favour wines that are clearly delineated and fresh. A refreshing white with a lick of salinity that makes it a perfect aperitif. Victoria Moore in The Telegraph, 2nd May 2020

Well-integrated ingredients make a most attractive whole with a bit more body than the simplest Muscadets. Crisp and fresh – a taste of spring? Great aperitif or accompaniment to shellfish. Clean as a whistle. in , 1st May 2020

80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Close to the border with St-Émilion. Unoaked. Straightforward crimson. Very little visible sign of evolution. Very frank, zesty unadorned Bordeaux fruit with very racy, agreeable sandy tannins on the finish. An honest country claret. Looking at the bottle, your guests could easily confuse this with a wine costing five times […]