What to drink this summer

Alain Voge’s pithy sparkling wine, Les Bulles d’Alain, is unlike anything else we have on our list. It is lively, dry, refreshing, and refined. If you’re in the mood for bubbles, but don’t want the weight of a Champagne, this is the perfect option, and a smart price too. It’s a very good example of why Saint-Péray has built its renown for sparkling wines.

Wow. What purity and focus, and also such silky tannins. This is a brilliant red. Notes of pomegranate and rose petal, and lots of blood orange add to the core of red fruit. The tannins are talc-like, and there’s such focus on the palate. This is outstanding.

A cool climate Cabernet Sauvignon, with very refined tannins, a little clove spice and lifted lavender notes, and a lovely core of dark fruit. Pieter is so talented when it comes to this grape variety.

A brilliant cool climate Shiraz from the By Farr team in 2019. Bright and fresh with sappy berries alongside some riper black fruit. There’s some black pepper and earthiness and a silky texture.

The 2015 Raymond Lafon is a brilliant Sauternes. Notes of saffron and green pineapple on the nose give way to a spicy palate of so much poise and finesse. There’s a richness here, but also a focus and savouriness that makes it oh-so-easy to drink. Brilliantly done, from a hidden gem of Sauternes.

This salty, expressive white from this enterprising estate in Languedoc offers outstanding value for money. Aromas of fresh white flowers and the salty spray of the Mediterranean make this citrus scented white the perfect aperitif. Balanced, refreshing, unfussy and delicious.

Les Hauts de Pierre is the pinnacle of Blaise’s production. It comes from a single parcel of old vine Chasselas, and is powerful, textured, and intense, almost reminiscent of top Burgundy. This 2019 is a little closed, but with texture and purity on the palate, it points to a long life ahead. The salinity and leesy complexity on the palate lasts an age, with notes of citrus and more savoury elements unfurling over time: this is a remarkable Swiss white.

A small amount of grapes that go into this wine come from Graeme and Julie's back garden - classified Condrieu terroir, and the kick-starter for building their own domaine. The 2018 is full of sweet, floral, honey notes. The palate is fleshy, clean, and with a silky flow. This is a stunning Condrieu, and indicative of the brilliant talent at this new domaine.

This parcel of young vines (around 15 years old) lies right next to Marcel’s house. He says it’s a wine to open and enjoy young. Given what good value it is you certainly can get stuck in. It has a bright and fruity character, with the vintage’s wonderful natural freshness.

Pieuchaud is a flinty-soiled lieu-dit in the commune of Thauvenay in the south-east of the Sancerre appellation. Luc decided to isolate this vineyard after noting it always produced fruit with great maturity whilst maintaining high acidity - the secret to single vineyard wines in his opinion. In 2019 it is smoky, restrained, agile, and subtle. It would do well for a few years in the cellar, and its saline, savoury structure will make it an excellent food wine in the years to come. Tightly coiled and highly charged.

This is so much more than your average Côtes du Rhône. It comes from the vines that surround the cellar, sitting just beyond the northern border of Châteauneuf. It is so textured and fresh, with energy, purity, and density. Its juicy red fruits combine with a lovely salty minerality making for a charming, drinkable style.

This beautiful property was bought by Jérôme in 2007. He says that, as well as a perfect place to grow vines, it’s also the ultimate picnic spot, where the family like to shuck oysters with a bottle of the château’s delicious wine. Precise and refreshing, with a citrus, floral nose. The sur lie ageing gives it a fine texture and a lively freshness which are so well expressed in this light-bodied, paradigm Muscadet.

This comes from many parcels dotted around the central and southern part of the appellation. Sylvain intelligently handles his fruit: the young vine bunches are destemmed, while the older vines’ stems are kept intact, combining them to produce a highly juicy, perfumed style. A glossy style bursting with fruit.

This is a blend of four parcels, with a high proportion of fruit from vines older than 50 years. It is smooth and fruity. Its brightness is piqued with a fine line of pithy bitterness. This is a great example of the appellation, and has taken on some definition and drive from its first year in bottle. This is so refreshing and quenching.

The 2019 Capisme is a stunning Langhe Nebbiolo, from a great vintage. Powdery tannins, lifted fruit, and a long, savoury finish all combine to craft a Nebbiolo that would not look out of place in a lineup of Barolos.

The 2016 El Sacramento Viña Leizaola is an absolute stunner. Finessed and focused, there’s a beautiful nose of wild flowers and spice, with a core of brilliantly fresh fruit. This is long, savoury, and wonderfully balanced. A stunning Rioja.

This Bag-in-box Rosé is back by popular demand. It’s beautifully packaged, offers amazing value for money and has superb environmental credentials (with a much lighter carbon footprint than glass, and is 100% recyclable). Moreover, the wine itself is delicious: a dry, delicate rosé, with a fruity and fresh red berry nose and a salty freshness on the palate. You could easily mistake this for a bona fide Côtes de Provence. The wine will stay fresh and vibrant for at least a month from first opening. In this format, it offers unbeatable value for money. Dimensions: 19x19x19cm.

Just the second vintage, and produced in miniscule quantities, this is floral and lifted, with lovely purity of fruit, and a juicy, fine-boned finish. Serve this at cellar temperature for a totally delicious Syrah.

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.

This is the best iteration of this wine we've tried, from a great vintage. Notes of blood orange and ripe cherries, with a structured palate and a juicy finish. This is so delicious today, but will age well, too.

Ben Glaetzer balances bright freshness with powerful ripe black fruit in this Shiraz and Cabernet blend from the northern end of the Barossa Valley. It has a lovely herbal lift on the nose, with vanilla and chocolate complexity giving richness to this serious generous wine.

Made from 100% Malvasia and aged for 20 years. Incredibly decadent and rich with masses of complexity and a persistent freshness so typical of fine Madeira. Berry fruit, leather, dried figs, coffee, citrus peel, caramel, and brown sugar. Perfect to pair with cheese or desserts or try as an aperitif.

A bottling that pushes the boundaries of what high-quality Beaujolais can be: grapes spend an enormous seven months macerating in large clay amphorae, creating a textured, explosive wine that’s spectacularly delicious.

This is made from the Chasselas grape, the lesser-known variety of Pouilly, with only a handful of hectares remaining today. Jonathan’s is one of the best examples: refined and floral, juicy and refreshing. What it lacks in Sauvignon Blanc’s razor sharp edges it gains in its delicate proportions.