White Wine

Modest and passionate about his vineyards, Abel and his wife Maite have been making understated wines in San Vicente since 1988.

Lying in the shadow of the Sierra Cantabria, Abel has vineyards in the finest parts of the Alavesa. His knowledge and understanding of the soils is enthralling and to taste in his cellar can be an education on the effects different soils have in different years. He wants only to express the fruit and the soil and unlike many Riojans, he leaves it more or less at that. He does not want to stamp the wines with any particular style or mark of his own other than his respect for the very natural quality of the grapes and for the magical places that they were grown.

Straw yellow. Intense aromas, floral, very perfumed, with good fruit expression in the foreground, and well integrated wood notes of balsamic and dried grass. In the mouth it has superb acidity with a bright, smooth, silky and pleasant finish.

Formerly known as "Golden Mullet Fury" this is 100% Semillon with 60% whole bunch fruit, gently pressed and wild fermented for 3 weeks on skins before 12 months in old barriques and a further 12 in large casks

Roasted nuts, spiced peaches, dried grass on the nose. The palate is oily, viscous, spicy, luscious, textured and chewy. Like caressing a crushed velvet couch in an apricot grove.

Semillon, Muscat and Pinot Gris were vinified separately. They are picked in the morning, destemmed, fermented on skins for 10 days, pressed gently, and aged in old barrels and steel.

With up-front aromatics and florals, it starts out all skinsy and tropical with notes of tangerine and stonefruits. Refreshingly dry on the end for an easy-drinking finish. Textural and interesting, fun and chewy.

One of my favourite white discoveries of last year; crisp, fresh and elegant with classic varietal character and a mouthwatering finish. - Chris Connolly

Gautier Marion is the fifth generation of the family to manage Domaine de la Couvette, tucked into the gently undulating countryside of Southern Beaujolais. If you could picture what a quintessentially small French producer should look like then Gautier's property would come very close. He takes great pride in making wines in the traditional carbonic macerated style using his trusty, old concrete vats, which he uses to age the wines as well. Respecting not only the winemaking traditions, but also their 11 hectares of land and the vines that are up to 50 years old, they demonstrate their commitment by making a fully organic Beaujolais.

Light yellow in colour the wine has a fruity, floral and mineral nose, and citrus notes. An elegant subtle Chardonnay that is supple, balanced and delightfully fruity.

From the eastern shore of the Neusiedlersee comes this beautifully botrytised blend of Welschriesling and Chardonnay. By affording the grapes an autumnal stay of execution whilst the early morning mists roll in off the lake to meander, untrammelled through the vineyard, growers are rewarded by the sight of their previously ripe, healthy grapes shrinking and shrivelling on the vine as the moisture is drained from them and they end up resembling a cross between a sun-dried tomato and Keith Richards. The trade-off of this risky procedure is to concentrate the sugars within the grape resulting in naturally sweet wines that combine a honeyed sweetness with refreshing acidity. Trust me, you are going to adore this.

This natural wine packs a punchy nose of crisp apple aromas. Crunchy green apple and a bit of lime lead on the palate which is rich in texture and a lemon drizzle cake finish.

Riesling (70%) and Gewürztraminer (30%) combined in an explosive cuvée made following biodynamic principles. Enlivened by the aromas of tropical fruit, underlaid with spice and citrus notes. Very appealing on the palate, complex with the freshness of Riesling and the juicy aroma of Gewürztraminer.

Weingut Pfluger

Made with grapes coming from the warmer southern end of Burgundy in the Maconnais this Bourgogne Chardonnay offers more in the way of richness than you might expect.

Aged in 25% new oak for about 10 months there's an attractive vanilla and toast edge to the nose, along with more floral aromas, white peacha dn almond. The palate is rich and round, echoing the flavours evident on the palate.

Moillard-Grivot

Maison Roche de Bellene

A perfect introduction to the delights and complexity of real white Burgundy, this is mainly Côte d'Or fruit together with some Mâconnais. Fresh with lovely weight, delicate creaminess and judicious oak making this a beautifully balanced dry white.

A nice aroma of ripe stone fruit, melon and honey with hints of fresh nuts. Flavours come in stages: first ripe pineapple and almonds, framed in a rich body, followed by dried fruits and fruitcake.

100% Touriga Nacional - a Blanc de Noir, though the warming copper tones you'll spot in the glass give a hint at this wines unusual style.

Complex aromatics with notes of fresh and preserved red fruits, spring blossoms, red apple, and much, much more. On the palate there's a fruity yet crisp freshness with a beautifully balanced acidity, with more white fruit character coming through. Great mouth-feel and a long persistent finish.

Cabriz

This is high altitude Chardonnay grown in the Tunuyan vineyards in Mendoza’s Uco Valley – 50% isfermented and aged in French oak barriques which lends a hefty creaminess to the citrus and stoneyminerality. It’s flipping good Chardonnay frankly

A sophisticated, elegant 100% Bellone wine that embodies its terroir. It is named after one of the mythical Dioscuri, venerated in the ancient Temple of Castor and Pollux, whose imposing ruins are among Cori’s archaeological treasures.

Brilliant straw yellow colour; delicate fruity nose, yellow peach, hawthorn; fragrant, fresh palate with mineral notes.

Cincinnato

On the nose there is a powerful explosion of guava and an aromatic mix of varietal herbal notes complemented with tropical fruits, citrus and stonefruits and a precise minerality. The palate is elegantly proportioned with lovely soft acid carrying the fruit flavours to a very long, mouthwatering finish.

Catalina Sounds

Aromas of honeyed, ripe stone fruit with citrus and lightly spicy notes. The palate is complex with lime, citrus characters balanced by a spicy minerality, structure and length. Showing some development, but with the potential to age for 5 years or more.

Cavit

Sileni's state of the art winery, vinifies grapes using modern and traditional methods which help to produce a dry, refreshing, all round well structured wine. Pale lemony green in colour with a satisfying nose of kiwi, lime, gooseberry, tropical fruits and a touch of grassiness. Whilst the palate displays taut acidity, zingly citrus fruits, gooseberry, stone fruits and minerality.

Sileni Estate

A generous vintage dominated by stone fruit, apple and melon with citrus and delicate apple blossom. Savoury minerality hovers in the background and supports the wine nicely, with long lasting acidity offering a bright finish and a food friendly profile.

Muscadelle & Sauvignon Blanc

A rich and expressive nose of exotic fruits and acacia flowers, accompanied by elegant oaky nuances with a fresh floral palate

Chateau Argadens

A pale, beautifully balanced chardonnay with hints of vanilla on the nose and a winning cool climate acidity. Careful oak treatment has resulted in a wine of depth and balance.

Larry Cherubino began his winemaking career with Houghton Winery but by 2004 he and his wife Edwina were already preparing to go solo having acquired a small plot in Frankland River. They released their first wine in 2005 and have gone on to receive worldwide acclaim including Winery of the year from James Halliday, Matt Skinner and, most recently Matthew Jukes.

Grapes were selected from various sites across the Great Southern. Great attention to harvest dates along with gentle de-stemming, minimal use of sulphur and using free-run juice from select parcels of fruit ensured the elegance and purity of flavour were maintained. Almost transparent in colour, this wine shows great purity and refinement. A fragrant bouquet, with flavours of lemon peel and bath salts all carried along by a soft texture and long fine acid.

2022 Vintage- 93 pts in 2024 Halliday Wine Companion

A blend of 59% Chenin Blanc, 29% Sauvignon Blanc, and 12% Semillon.

The Sauvignon Blanc aromas are prominent on the nose, with beautiful lime and prickly pear notes. Intense flavours, with great balance. A tight mineral core and creamy mid palate from the Chenin Blanc allows for great complexity and a persistent finish. The Sauvignon Blanc lends lovely, fresh acidity to the wine.

Waterkloof

Delicate aromas of poached pear and white spice. On the palate stone fruit flavours and white pepper lead to a gently textured, mineral and citrus finish.

100% Timorasso. Five generations of Massas laboured tirelessly to keep the Timorasso flame alight whilst cheap Pinot Grigio and Prosecco rolled past by the truckload. It’s not difficult to see the origins of Walter’s frustration. Here on the steep hills just east of Tortona grow the last few hectares of Timorasso in the world. An ancient variety with thick skins, low yields, high disease susceptibility and immense concentration, it ought to be served by the glass in every restaurant with even the slightest aspirations to a decent wine list. The Timorasso ‘Derthona’ is initially shy in the glass but develops red apple, apricot and tangerine with time. Extended lees contact gives it a creamy mouthfeel often mistaken for oak (there is none) and the acidity will keep it developing in bottle for ages.

"A pure and nimble albillo, showing nuanced green fruit, flint and some grapefruit. Slightly neutral, but the creamy texture and the nice phenolic bite in the medium- bodied palate are impressive. There is a twist of mineral austerity in the finish, too. Imprressive. Drink Now." James Suckling 92 Points June 2022.

Abruzzo's Pecorino grape is one of Italy's fastest growing white varieties. It's a perfect accompaniment to the fantastic seafood of the region. This is a great example from one of its leading proponents. Ripe honeyed nose with aromas of white peach and citrus fruits, and gently nutty, savoury notes. The palate is full and textured with pronounced minerality and delicate ripe fruit flavours leading to a long, spicy finish.

Wonderfully aromatic and pungent Sauvignon Blanc. From just outside the Sancerre region. Crisp and dry with a distinctive flavour of gooseberries and asparagus.

Vignobles Bertier

Floral nose of linden and verbena, and fresh apricot with a hint minerality. The palate is smooth, the liveliness of aromatic acid fruit creating a refreshing balance on the finish.

A harmonious blend of barrel fermented, old vine Franschhoek Semillon with Sauvignon Blanc from high altitude vineyards in Stellenbosch. Made with Wildeberg's cornerstone philosophies of minimal intervention winemaking, wild ferment and coarse filtration to capture the essence of the source vineyards and soils.

An expressive wine with aromas of apricot, fennel and floral scents. The wines roundness is a perfect match for its freshness and the finish reveals subtle notes of aniseed.

One tends to think of Maison Etienne Guigal in the same breath as the legendary Rhone houses of Chapoutier and Jaboulet, both established in the early 19th century, and yet Guigal is a relatively new kid on the block by comparison, founded in 1946 but rapidly building a reputation for some of the greatest wines of the region – their single vineyard La Landonne, La Mouline and La Turque are amongst the most sought after (and expensive) wines of Cote Rotie. Insofar as white wines are concerned, Viognier is very much the family passion and this Cotes du Rhone offers the perfect introduction - playing the leading role in a sextet of varieties this has classic apricot notes but without the intensity of the likes of Condrieu.

Fiona and Niall Shiner had been living in Hong Kong for 18 years when they returned to Britain to take on Niall's parents' property at Amberley. Niall continued with his career, but mother-of-three Fiona decided to plant some vines at the property following a comment by her mother-in-law that the Romans could have grown vines there. The first acre was planted in 2007, with the acquisition of an old cattle farm on the (really quite steep) hill opposite and converting an old barn into a winery in 2016. A third vineyard side since been acquired taking the current area under vine (but not all producing grapes yet) to 58 acres (23ish hectares), still firmly in the ‘tiny’ bracket.

Enticing notes of crisp and refreshing citrus and green fruits are beautifully balanced with subtle peach and hints of minerality. The barrel fermented Ortega gives great texture and balance. A delicious, dry white with a clean and pleasing finish.

A spectacular blend of indigenous and international varieties. With a combination of Grasevina, Muller Thurgau, Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Gris this giant white pleases a multitude of palate types. A fresh and light white, fruit forward, with a touch of meadow flowers. Top-quality wine with protected geographical indication Zagorje – Medimurje. A real treat for the adventurous wine lover!

Straw green hues, expressive freshness & rich fruity tones. This citrus & peach bomb also has mingling notes of celery and pine trees. Thus adding a more savoury element to this tangy white. Bursting with minerality, a harmonious crisp acidity and a beautifully long length. A truly fascinating, happy white!

Bolfan Vinski Vrh

Daschbosch is one of the country’s oldest wineries, dating back to 1754 and this is one of my favourites from the estate. From 60 year old vines, it’s on the intense side – the fruit has been worked pretty hard to give a real richness and texture with bags of stone fruit flavours balanced by a taut acidity on the finish.

60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Gris. The Chardonnay is aged in Hungarian and French oak barrels for 6 months whilst the Pinot Gris is aged and fermented in stainless steel prior to blending.

Clear and bright pale yellow in colour, the nose is pronounced stone fruit and lemon sherbert characters. The palate is zesty with delicious fleshy nectarine fruit underpinned with good acidity and minerality.

Kovacs Nimrod Winery

Simon of Domaine Capmartin has dusted off the historic traditions of Madiran and Pacherenc de Vic-Bil into a new, more progressive age.

He has set about significant changes amongst the vines and in the winery leading to his own unique versions of these truly exceptional AOP wines. Certified organic for the best part of a decade, Simon is now striving further with his sights firmly set on Biodynamic certification. Natural, low intervention winemaking are the watchwords. No added sulphur, all wild ferments and aiming for light tannins makes for previously unknown modern, fresh and delicious Madiran Tannat.