Under £25

Johannes has been running the family estate for 10 years, which has grown from 8 to 30 hectares and converted to organic viticulture since his arrival. Nierstein fruit comes from young vines from the famous and highly regarded Pettenthal vineyard that overlooks the Rhine river. The 2022 vintage is a warm vintage and the profile is more juicy and hints of exotic fruits combined with blossom and herbal notes as well as refreshing acidity and fruit purity.

Alfio Mozzi is the third generation to make wine from the grapes planted on the steep schist terraces of Lombardy in the Valtellina region of Northern Italy. With only 4 hectares, the estate has high attention to detail and this comes through in the quality of the wines. Attractive, red berry perfume with cranberries, cherries and hints of liquorice spice are balanced with nervy acidity and freshness as well as fine grained tannins.

Tasted April 2022. A delicious mix of red cherry, black cherry, plum, blueberry and blackberry with complex savoury spices. Refreshing acidity and a supple, juicy quality on the palate.

Fresh red berries with floral notes on the nose. Same again on the palate with some more bramble, orange peel and exotic spice flavours. Grippy tannins at this young stage but a great core of silky red fruit and great freshness.

This was, until recently, called ‘Signature’, but has been renamed Cuvée Julien Barrot, and is Julien’s flagship wine. It is rich and woven-through with ripe tannin and forest berry flavours. It has a silky body and a long, fruit-driven finish that promised complexity in the years to come.

Maranges is the final limit of the Côte d’Or, and a source of crunchy, great value reds, if you follow the right grower. This is actually a blend of village and premier cru fruit (from 1er Cru Clos Rousseau), which David declassifies to give his village Maranges more volume and quality. The name Gryphée is a type of fossilised mollusc found within the limestone soil. This year David used around 15% whole bunches which has given a little peppery lift to the charming dark cherry fruit tinged with crushed violets. Lithe and supple, this is a great buy.

A lovely, elegant nose here. Very finely judged, lots of rose petal and sweet fruit, and then there’s a pomegranate lift, too. This is very impressively balanced: the palate is cool and fresh, but with volume. Incredible length, powdery tannins that grow, and a mineral finish. Outstanding.

Valter has said, “I want to do a vintage like 2018 every year”, and when the most basic Barolo is this good it’s easy to see why. This is crunchy and elegant, with a really enchanting nose, and plenty of fine fruit. Utterly delicious.

From 50 year old vines, planted on slate. The rows themselves are crooked, planted on beautiful old terraces. This is quite ripe, with pineapple, but that opulence is balanced with remarkable minerality. There’s so much body and density, and the finish lasts an age: this is remarkable.

A blend of 50% Nebbiolo and 50% Barbera, all aged in Barrique, with 70% new oak. All the fruit comes from Ginestra, and 1981 was the first vintage. This is spicy with good depth, and lovely grip to the tannins. Needs some time.

Les Hâtes sits in the middle of the village, surrounded by Premiers Crus on well-draining red-tinged soil. It is an early-ripening terroir that makes for a floral, ethereal style of Pinot with lovely proportions. David uses around 10% whole bunches and aims to focus on the floral character as a natural expression of the site which David sees emerge every year. A compelling introduction to Santenay with bright, red berry fruits and a lick of blood orange on the juicy finsh.

The Nervo comes from Serravalian soils, and shows the high-toned fruit, citrus lift, and minerality that you'd expect from such origins. In 2018 it's a real stunner: not to be missed.

The 2022 Riesling Zier is particularly cool on the nose, with notes of lemon sherbet and grapefruit. There’s plenty of freshness to be found here, and it would be hard to find a better summer wine for the table, but it’s got the legs to age if you can resist drinking it.

From a vineyard that sits just behind the winery in the village of Monforte, the grapes in this plot used to be destined for Barolo level wines. The 2022 is similar to the 2018 vintage with juicy and bright red fruit aromatics. Wild herbs and spice add interesting layers to this very pretty wine.

From Neive, this Barbaresco showcases sour cherry and red plum with tobacco and coffee notes combined with powdery tannins and a lively acidity.

Pieter’s old assistant introduced him to this parcel of Verdelho vines in the Swartland, so he named it in her honour (Makstokkie is her instagram handle). There were just 800 bottles made of this focussed, textured white, with brilliant energy.

The three Cayron sisters make a consistently age-worthy, traditional style of Gigondas that has earned them a strong following over the years. Cayron refers to the peak of the Dentelles Mountains beneath which the Gigondas appellation is nestled. This wine has such a deep, sumptuous colour, and the nose and palate are packed with rich blackcurrant fruit and minty freshness. The wine is neither fined nor filtered; old-school winemaking at its best.

With vineyards planted in the late 90s and early 2000s, the vines are starting to get some age and this is seemingly having a great impact on the wine with quality going up every vintage. 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon this wine exudes liquorice, vanilla and clove spice combined with layers of juicy red berry fruits. The texture is wonderfully supple with chalky, firm tannins that bring focus and direction into this truly beguiling wine.

The Full Moon White is a field blend from a single vineyard on the Swartland’s Uitkyk farm, a farm where plenty of others source grapes. Just a handful of bottles are made of this blend of Chenin, Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Chardonnay, from a 45 year old vineyard. Lovely weight on the palate, and plenty of energy. Delicious.

The new Santenay from Champs Claudes, En Boichot and Prarons Dessous is named after its Jurassic geology. It also contains whatever Les Hâtes David was able to rescue this yearl. It is so red-fruited and floral - bursting with grenadine and red currant aromas. The palate is packed with concentrated red fruit laced with a touch of spice leading to a long, elegant finish. The floral character is a natural expression of these sites, and makes it a delicious introduction to the village for first-timers.

La Cancha is a single vineyard wine made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon by De Martino, one of Chile's leading family wineries. It's got restrained blackcurrant fruit flavours with cigar box, fresh mint and gentle spice aromas creating complexity, and more than a passing resemblance to the Medoc.

From a plot within the Lazzarito Cru, the Vigna Santa Catarina comes from near the top of the hill. There’s a sweetness and purity to the fruit here, with lots of floral notes coming to the fore, and then a very long, saline finish. Delicious.