The best white wines for summer, chosen by leading wine expert Helen Moore.
Bolney Wine Estate Bacchus 2015
An excellent alternative for Sauvignon Blanc lovers. This fragrant wine has aromas of green apple, elderflower and gooseberry. This blends well with the tropical fruit notes, herbaceous character and refreshing acidity, with spicy nettle notes coming through on the palate. A well-balanced wine with medium length and good minerality.
Food match – goats cheese or crumbly white British cheeses like Wensleydale, fresh crab or a lightly dressed seafood salad.
RRP £16.99 from bolneywineestate.com.
Authentique Keeler Estate Chardonnay 2014 (750 ml)
A poised, moderately endowed Chardonnay. It is an all-rounder! It has vanilla notes with a hint of spice and the creamy texture coats the palate. It has lots of fruit still which can be associated with summer drinking, but this very slightly chilled will warm up the soul, no doubt! Paired with some roast pork, sage and apple and you will be very happy indeed…
RRP: £33.17 from thevinobeano.com/shop/.
Palette Series Topsy-Turvy Chardonnay 2013
Whimsical in looks but sporting serious stuff in the bottle, the Palette Series Chardonnay is made by the De Bortoli Family in the Yarra Valley. Fruit for this Chardonnay was sourced from a selection of controlled vineyards from Dixons Creek, Yarra Glen, Tarrawarra and the Upper Yarra. Fruit was gently pressed and allowed to settle overnight. Turbid juice was then racked to both French oak casks and stainless tanks. Lees were stirred in late autumn and a little in winter and then left to rest until the finishing stages.
This is an elegant Chardonnay with hints of grapefruit and nutty oak. Dry and light bodied, this is a mineral and fine wine. Perfect companion to grilled flat head tails.
RRP £9.99 from Morrisons.
Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay 2014
Marcelo Papa, winemaker, is working towards a fresher style of Chardonnay that expresses its sense of origin. In doing so, he is lowering the usage of new oak to attain a more lifted style.
It comes from the Quebrada Seca vineyard, in the Limarí Valley, which is at the edges of the Atacama Desert. This is one of the driest places on Earth and thus at the outer limit of wine production in Chile. Despite the extreme conditions, it is a paradise for grape production, and the cool night-time temperatures produce a lovely fresh style.
Rich and elegant, this is a silky and textured white, with opulent fig, pear and mineral aromas.
It is the perfect partner for salmon and lean white meat such as chicken in cream sauce and caramelized apples.
RRP £11.98 from Asda.
The Ned Sauvignon Blanc 2016
Classic but still surprising with its tropical twist, this Sauvignon Blanc is made by Brent Marris in Malborough, New Zealand.
The classic tropical tinged, citrus based aromatic theme drives a palate that is crisp and fruit focused whilst bright acid edges add length, structure and an overall sense of liveliness.
Classically matched with most seafood, you can push the boundaries and try it with a twice baked Chèvre soufflé, served with a rocket, apple and walnut salad.
RRP £10.99 at Majestic.
Plaimont Producteurs Colombard IGP Côtes de Gascogne
From Gascogny, in the south-west of France, this Colombard made by the cooperative Plaimont lends a special fruity note. The wine was fermented in temperature controlled stainless-steel tanks and aged on lees.
The floral bouquet, a blend of grapefruit, acacia and honeysuckle is completed by a predominant freshness on the palate. The finish has grassy notes with fruit flavours and floral aromas. Easy to drink alone as an aperitif, but also perfect with fish, chicken and pasta.
RRP £6.99 from Adnams Cellar and Kitchen.
Lot 21 Argentinian Chardonnay
This fresh and enticing wine has elements of ripe stone fruit, buttery toast and honey, with a long finish which echoes the quality of the wine. Especially great with chicken.
RRP £9.99 from Aldi.
Wiston Estate Cuvée Brut 2013
Refreshing and fine, with the fragrance and fruit of an English orchard, the 2013 displays a more opulent expression of Wiston’s Cuvee Brut style. With impressive depth, its filigree texture retains Wiston’s signature precision and elegance, that gives more than a nod to French bone structure.
RRP £32.95 from at wistonestate.com.
Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte
The Brut Reserve with limited edition floral design sleeve will be available until stocks last throughout Spring and Summer 2017. The Brut Reserve is a delicate, structured Champagne, offering boundless elegance and finesse. On the nose, the Champagne is restrained initially with fresh white fruit aromas of apple, pear and peach with spicy notes. As the bouquet becomes more expressive, ripe fruit notes become apparent. On the palate, the Champagne is clean on the attack, elegant and complex with delicate bubbles.
RRP £28 from John Lewis.
Chateau Du Druc, 2012
A traditional graves style with gooseberry and grassy notes. Fresh, easy drinking.
RRP £13.99 from Avery’s.
Clos Floridene 2013
Mouth watering, lively and crisp, the dry finish is well-balanced with by fresh green fruit flavours. Great with oysters.
RRP £17.99 from The Co-op.
Chateau Tour Léognan 2012
This has bold aromas of stone fruit and oak, is dry on the finish and will be a versatile match with food!
RRP £15.99 from Watirose.
Larry Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay
The palate is focused, powerful and creamy. Multi-layered and complex with spice, nuts, stone fruit and green apple. The finish is clean and refined. Perfect with crayfish.
RRP £28.99 from larrycherubino.com
Seresin Viognier, Marlborough, New Zealand
In the early 1990s, cinematographer Michael Seresin (known for films including Gravity, Harry Potter and Bugsy Malone) acted on a lifelong passion for wine by opening a winery in Marlborough that embodied the principals of organic winemaking, using the most natural methods possible, whilst not compromising quality.
His Viognier is iconic. Fully biodynamic and organic, it is fermented with wild yeasts in French oak barriques. White peach and spice on the nose, with floral undertones and subtle hints of seasoned oak. The palate is delicate, yet concentrated, with heavenly notes of lychee, pear and exotic spices.
RRP £26.95 from Wine Utopia.
