Stockist/Retailer: Majestic

(2025) At five years of age this Grand Cru Chablis is in a lovely place. It has roundness and richness, perhaps lacking a little of the flinty austerity that can be so attractive in Chablis, but making up for that with its sesame-touched, pristine orchard fruit and sense of mineral precision. The palate has more of the same: direct and sheer, but with texture and hints of stone fruit ripeness, running into a lemon and salts, serious acidity.

(2025) Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon is a Languedoc estate owned by Abbotts & Delaunay, so rooted in Burgundian winemaking. Organically grown grapes come from selected vineyards at higher than usual altitude near Limoux, grown on clay and limestone soils. It has a very attractive nose, just hinting at briar and sweet, damp earth, but more focused on a chestnutty, savoury fruit density. Sweet and supple fruit coats the mid-palate, some creamy oak adding depth, and the ripe, gentle tannins and acidity complete a most enjoyable picture. £18.99 as part of a mixed six and in Scotland and Wales.

(2025) Villemarin is made from 100% Piquepoul Blanc grapes grown beside the Étang de Thau in the Languedoc. The saline lagoon runs along the coast from Montpellier to Béziers, where sea breezes help the grapes to retain freshness. Ormarine also believes it imbues this wine with "a subtle salty hint". The nose has bright fruit, moving from cool pear to a more luscious peach. In the mouth there is a sprightly character here, a touch of sherbet brightness and, yes, a hint of salts, with loads of zesty fruit and always hints of nectarine and more exotic ripeness. £9 in Scotland and Wales, or as part of a mixed six elsewhere. Watch the video for more information.

(2025) Sourced from several South Australian wine-growing regions and made with wild fermentation plus ageing on the lees, aromatically this has excellent typicity and clarity, with apricot and almond, a touch of honeysuckle and spice. In the mouth the fruit is full and sweet, a creaminess to the texture fills the mid-palate, and the limey zest of the pithy acidity in the finish offers excellent balance. An honest and delicious wine that you might also find on promotional pricing occasionally.

(2025) A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault from some of the appellation's highest vineyards at 420m above sea level. Delicate and fruity, raspberry and marshmallow spring to mind, the palate following on with a dry, gastronomic character, small red berries but a very clean mineral and lemon finish.

(2025) This Vin de France is another lighter wine, both in colour and its 12% alcohol. I believe it is based on Grenache and Cinsault and comes mostly from the Languedoc. Quite neutral, though some pretty red berry fruit in there and just a hint of confectionery. In the mouth balance is pretty good, though it has a touch of sweetness. There is something about this wine that always feels a little too confected for me, though it is a crowd-pleasing summer-in-the-garden sipper.

(2025) I'm not sure if the winemaking for Pelorus has changed since I first tasted and enjoyed it 25 years ago, but today it has a moderate dosage of 7g/l which enhances its crispness, and the addition of reserve wines plus a minimum of 24 months on the lees gives it plenty of biscuity richness too. The lemony freshness of the Chardonnay dominates the nose, gentle toast filling in, before the palate broadens slightly, the Pinot Noir perhaps giving an ounce of more substantial fruit while the toast and acidity balance very nicely into the finish.

(2025) A blend of parcels from vineyards where altitudes range from 1230m (4,035 feet) to 1650m (5,413 feet), the wine completed fermentation in oak barrels, where it aged on the lees for eight months. There is an overlay of custardy, creamy almond oak, but the ripe and peachy fruit, cut by lemon, is there. On the palate this has texture and a little hint of exotic ripeness, certainly quite plush, but it is well tempered by the acidity.

(2025) Guigal's Côtes du Rhône has an unusually high proportion of Syrah for the appellation, around 50% along with Grenache and a touch of Mourvèdre. It spends 18 months in barrels, but those are very large, older 'foudres', many time the size of the standard 'barrique', and so there's no toasty influence as you  might expect from newer, smaller barrels. Already five years after vintage, it is dark purple and saturated in colour, the nose of bramble fruit, spices, pepper and cedar is inviting. In the mouth the tannins give a rustic grip, but there is plenty of supple and ripe fruit too. A hint of chocolate in the background, the spices and fresh acidity balancing, it is very drinkable now but it will also cellar for several years more and become smoother and softer. Watch the video for more information. As well as the stockists listed below, this is widely available.

(2024) A blend of fruit from the warmer soils of the Wairau Valley and cool, dense clay of the Southern Valley, this was fermented with wild yeast in French oak barriques and matured for eleven months. Oak seems restrained this vintage to very nice effect, just a sheen of buttered toast and oatmeal over pear and lime fruit. The palate has textural richness, hinting at exotic nectarine and mango, but that balanced by fresh, zippy lemon acidity. The majestic 'mixed six' price of £28.49 is the one to be on. Independent merchants also have it for £30 - £33. Watch the video for more information.