Wine Type: Dry White

(2026) From clay and limestone soils and older vines, this opens with a creamy, slightly lactic nose, but opens further to show stone fruits and lemon, a touch of hazelnut from some barrel ageing. In the mouth good intensity here, lots more nuttiness with a ripe Cox's pippin fruit and plenty of texture. Quite an intense and flavourful white Burgundy, finishing quite long with plenty of zippy lemon freshness. Angel price is £19.99.

(2026) Coming from the Languedoc, this is a blend of Morrillon (chardonnay), Colombard and Sauvignon Blanc. Green apple and citrus dominate the nose, perhaps a touch of lime and also lightly figgy background. It's quite unusual on the palate, being both lightly honeyed and having a slightly grippy directness to the acid. It is a little sweet too, and for me the acid jars a little against that slightly cloying quality of sweetness. Angels pay £11.99, but note the 2023 is now listed only in magnum, bottles have moved on to the 2024 vintage at time of publication.

(2026) Made from the indigenous Merwah variety, in this case organically grown vines that are 60 years old and planted at an altitude of 1,600 metres in the Bekaa Valley. I've always liked this wine, but I have to say the 2023 seems to be a notch up in flavour intensity. There's a little almond note to citrus and crunchy, bright apple fruit, unadorned by oak. In the mouth that ripe and sweet fruit fills the palate, lots of plush nectarine juiciness and a very nicely balanced finish with the acidity giving a lightly salty edge.

(2026) A fresh and zingy white from local varieties Antão Vaz, Roupeiro, Arinto, and Gouveio, this is aromatic with grapefruit, peach and blossom and a touch of talcum powder. In the mouth good balance with a bright fruitiness, some nice textural weight and a balanced, crisp finish. A lovely little white, especially if you see it on offer at £8 as it was recently.

(2026) This organic certified wine comes from family vineyards in Mittelbergheim, Alsace, and is matured in century-old, large oak casks. In fact, the Wine Society website tells me what's in the bottle is actually the grape variety Auxerrois. Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois are not the same grape, but by a historical quirk, in Alsace it is permitted to label a wine as Pinot Blanc whether it is Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, or a blend of both. The nose has fresh, bold, juicy yellow apple and Mirabelle plum aromas, before a palate that has a medium to full texture, and a sheen of almond rounding-out the gentle stone fruit and apple. Precise, delicate, and delightful, it's a 'quiet' and refined wine. Watch the video for more information.

(2026)

Always a superb wine, Virginia Willcock's top Chardonnay is made from the gingin clone, fermented with wild yeast, and aged in French barrels, 52% of which was new oak. This wine always has ripeness and the winemaker's signature flinty character, but I have to say the 2023 is a beauty.

The combination of those components and winemaking style mean there's buttercream, vanilla and hints of tropical fruit, but a steely precision where gunpowder and Lapsang souchong notes add layers of intrigue. Mid-palate the fruit is sweet and ripe, creamy and mouth-filling, with plenty of concentration. Lemon pith grip is evident in a long, savoury, chewy finish that still retains elegance and freshness.

Heytesbury 2023 is a superb Chardonnay for drinking now, or for medium term cellaring.

(2026) From seaside vineyards in the Languedoc, a crisp and textured Picpoul aged on its fine lees for several months. It has tang and ocean breeze brightness, juicy apple fruit and acidity that has a sprinkle of salt over lemon and lime.

(2026) A wine fermented in neutral 500-litre barrels and aged in a combination of those and concrete tanks. From high altitude vineyards in the Uco Valley, it is an intense Chardonnay, but wears the oak lightly with just an oatmeally sheen over its concentrated green apple. On the palate such an energising core of citrus and salts drives the wine. A textured wine, with just the merest suggestion of buttery Brazil nut, but really is all about citrus focus and acid drive.

(2026) Côte Brasserie's 'house white' is made near Limoux in the Languedoc and is an unoaked blend of Vermentino (Rolle) and Grenache Blanc. It's a zippy and vivacious wine, aromatic with some pear-drop lift to peachy fruit. On the palate it continues that theme: lots of bright, juicy citrus of lime and orange, medium weight and that nod towards peach or mango exotic fruit. Balance is good here, with a spangle burst of acidity that gives an extra bump of fruity freshness to the finish.

(2026) Made in century old wooden vats, this Riesling from limestone soils has a gently leafy, waxy, classic Riesling character but tempered and delicate. The palate is dry, an apple core and lemon sense of pithy acidity, but the cool, clear fruit profile is fine, pure, some might think a touch too understated, but for me that is the house style and adds to the charm.