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.

From the vineyard next door to the cellar - Kelder in Afrikaans - this is a quintessential Paardeberg Chenin Blanc. Planted in 1974, the vines are now considerable in size, and this has orchard fruit and lots of spice.

Jean-Marc makes some of the best Chassagne Rouge around. With 50-60 year old vines planted on the clay soil pockets around the village, he has produced a great example in 2023. This old vine cuvée has a pretty spiced plum aroma on the nose, with textural red fruit detail on the palate. You’ll find slightly chalky, fine-grained tannins of the highest order here.

The domaine might have 15 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but a wine you shouldn’t miss is this cuvée, from lesser-known Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne just to the south. The name is a nod to their ability to throw off the constraints of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape regulations in this peppery and fragrant wine. It is mainly Grenache with some Mourvèdre, Carignan and Syrah thrown in for good measure.

This classic, old-school Châteauneuf from Jean-Paul Versino is one of our favourites. It comes from a blend of 27 plots, making for a balanced, complete, and inviting grenache-based Châteauneuf. It is dry and savoury, with the gorgeous combination of red berry fruit, dried herbs, spice and just a hint of licorice. In 2021, there's a charming, easy-going feel to the wine, with only 14% alcohol and plenty of lifted, fresh acidity. This will drink well from early on, and evolve into an earthy, complex wine in the cellar.

Juicy and fresh, this blend of Barbera and Nebbiolo is a charming, delicious wine from Clerico. There’s the intensity and juicy character you’d expect from 2017, but still with plenty of acidity. Bravo.

Planted in 1968 on the soils with the highest clay content, this is a structured, yellow-fruited wine, with amazing saline minerality on the finish. Delicious and mouth watering.

With the grapes coming from 3 different vineyards with a number of old vines, the wine takes on additional layers and weight. The 2020 combines juicy red cherry and pomegranate fruit with floral and sweet spice notes as well as an energetic core with chalky, well integrated tannins.

From 40 year old vines right at the top of the slope, where the forest starts. It’s very cool and shy, but there’s remarkable breadth and focus. Tightly coiled, mineral, and savoury, this is one for the long haul.

This Vermut is made with a mix of Fino sherry and sweet Moscatel infused with botanicals and herbs that present themselves on the aroma profile. Expect rosemary, juniper, sage, chamomile and citrus notes with a grapefruit pithiness on the palate.

The Spitaler cuvée is sourced from just the old vines in the vineyard, which were planted back in 1962. There’s plenty of old-vine intensity and complexity in this, without losing any of the lift and energy that defines Mathias’ wines. There’s some honeyed yellow apple on the nose, while fresh pineapple and delicate spicy notes grace the palate. It will be hard not to tuck in to this bottle straight away, but patience will be well rewarded.

The 2022 is a warm vintage, yet this wine feels fresh and energetic. Juicy red plum, pomegranate, liquorice and wild strawberries are supported by a juicy acidity and chalky tannins.

This new cuvée was introduced in 2019. It is made from young vines across three parcels, all of which Damien has planted himself. They have all been pruned in the goblet fashion, which encourages small bunches to ripen: Damien is seeking an intensity of flavour. This wine has a lovely white fruit and floral character. Easy and appealing.

Mainly from a vineyard in Darling, this is all about perfume and fragrance. There's a lot of tension here, and also very fine tannins, and a wash of floral notes on the finish. Very pretty, and very long.

A delicious Pinot Noir from Murdoch Hill's Artisan range, each named after vintage horse-drawn carriages winemaker Michael's grandfather collected. They are stored at the winery to this day. This vintage of Phaeton has 50% fruit from Lenswood and 50% from Piccadilly and is full of complexity. There's a dense core of brambly fruit, red cherry and plum, in a delicate frame with fragrant, lifted earthy notes. It perfectly showcases the delicate characters of Pinot Noir from these cool sites.

Sybarine comes from vines very close to the Garon cellar on the Côte Blonde. Its granite soils make for an open, refined, and silky Côte-Rôtie, and is the earliest drinking of the four Garon cuvées. In 2019 it is so peppery and vibrant, with a tangy freshness. Very pure and upfront.

Gianfranco's young vine cuvée, this has notes of ripe plums, prunes, and lots of store cupboard spice. The tannins need time to soften, but put this with food and you'll be richly rewarded.

Cyprien makes two Bourgognes, and this is the one that comes from the domaine’s single parcel which lies just beyond the village boundary of Gevrey Chambertin, but a stone’s throw from the village’s grands crus. It is a fairly serious Bourgogne, with an expressive, chewy core to it, offering up the density of Gevrey, with the open fruit to drink well from early on.

Thierry and Gilles Faravel make wines from various appellations, and numerous single vineyard or special cuvée labels, but by far and away the focus and priority of the domaine is this, their blended Gigondas. Its flagship position is well deserved. It comes from the first vineyards planted by their father in the 1960s. The 2021 has soft, fragrant berry fruit, with blackberry, blueberry and damson. There's delicate exotic spice and a juicy freshness to the finish. The tannins are fine, already well integrated and add texture and a gourmand quality.