Wine Type: Dry White

(2026) I've enjoyed previous vintages of this zesty white before, and this is another excellent effort. The blend is a mouthful in its own right: Reichensteiner, Bacchus, Chardonnay, Seyval Blanc, Ortega, Pinot Noir, Solaris, and Sauvignon Blanc, believe it or not. But the sum of the parts is a zippy, pungent wine that has elderflower, passion fruit and guava, but excellent acidity and a stone fruit and apple mid-palate balances and gives this a savoury, Dry and gastronomic finish. For those cutting down after the festive season, it has only 11.5% alcohol too. Watch the video for more information.

(2025) A verdant Sauvignon, grassy and pungent elderflower over ripe, but not too ostentatious, fruits. The palate is juicy and citrussy, hints of tropical mango and nectarine run into a cleansing lemon finish.

(2025) The bountiful vineyards of McLaren Vale can grow just about every variety it seems, and Yangarra is an estate that exploits that with multi-variety blends. This is made from the Rhône variety Grenache Blanc (80%) along with Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache Gris and Piquepoul. A fair bit of yellow/gold to the colour heralds a wine of lush, ripe stone fruits and orange, hints of the exotic in lychee and mango, and a gently spicy background. In the mouth that abundant ripeness marries to a rich, creamy texture, reminding me of one of the more luscious Alsace Pinot Gris for some reason, though it is dry, finishing with lovely fruit, texture and acid in balance, all in a 12.5% alcohol format.

(2025) From the stable of the exalted Domaine Comtes Lafon in Meursault, a Chardonnay from the Mâconnais that is particularly concentrated, creamy and ripe for a more humble appellation. Almond and oatmeal cover stone fruits on the nose, with the palate again nutty, but brimming with supple orchard fruit and hints of peach, the finish long and flecked with mineral salts and citrus. Very nice drinking this, and while not cheap, it does possibly exceed expectations.

(2025) A blend of 60% Obaideh and 40% Merwah from high-altitude vines planted between 50-90 years ago. The wine was fermented in new French oak barrels for nine months and only released after six years. Musar are very firm that this wine should be served at around 15C, and not at fridge temperature. The nose is at first creamy and lemony, not too oxidised at all, hints of marzipan and hazelnut are lovely, then fennel and fresh mountain pine come through. Intense and dry on the palate, this is driven by apple core and lemon acidity, but with texture and that nutty creaminess. I see the logic of not over-chilling this wine to let its texture and subtle creaminess shine through. A 'natural' wine of great clarity and quality.

(2025) From a very high quality Co-op, this is a typical Côtes du Rhône Blanc blend of Viognier, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc grown on clay limestone and stony soils. It's a very nicely made wine this, unoaked but quite creamy and rich, the Viognier driving the aromas with pear, apricot and peach touched by something floral. On the palate it is quite full, sweet with fruit and possibly a hint of residual sugar? That may just be the ripeness in this 14% alcohol, full flavoured wine. An honest CdR from a very good Co-operative cellar, finishing with good balance and rich lime acidity. Watch the video for more information and food matching ideas.

(2025) I'm a big fan of the wines of Jurançon, an appellation focused on white wines, both dry and sweet. Clos de la Vierge is a tiny, three-hectare vineyard run by 70+ year old sisters, Anne-Marie and Christiane, who tend vines that are almost as old. It is 100% Gros Manseng, and opens with supple aromas of ripe stone fruits, rosy apples and a whiff of preserved lemon. The palate has a lively, unforced concentration and richness, again this is on peach and ripe, juicy Comice pear, a citrus and saline tang of acidity rippling through the rich texture. Watch the video for more information.

(2025) A delightful, cheap and straightforward white with a handily low 11% alcohol. Made from the indigenous Fetească Regală, this bright, unoaked and zippy wine could be summed up as an amalgam of peach, Mandarin orange and lemon, light in texture and juicy through to the finish for party sipping or a refreshing aperitif.

(2025) This is an early review for this wine, written in November 2025, so expect it to become much more widely available over ensuing months. With fruit mainly from the Wairau Valley, 1.8% of the blend was fermented in large-format oak vats and a portion using wild yeast. Aromatically there is definitely a touch of the passion fruit and elderflower, but this vintage seems to be more about a direct citrus freshness in a wine of very pale colour. In the mouth it is bracing stuff, less flamboyant than some vintages, and again a cool citrus and lightly herbal character rather than anything overtly tropical. It has texture, and glimpses of a juicier nectarine weight in a a well-tempered rendition of this classic Marlborough SB in 2025.

(2025) From the estate’s oldest vines, planted at high altitude, this is matured for 11 months in French oak. It's a lightly buttery and creamy style of Chardonnay, subtly draped in oak, with citrus and stone fruits and a wisp of something flinty. In the mouth it is textured and creamy, the background of nutty, lightly toasty oak is there, plenty of vivacious acidity and a juicy finish of good length.