Top 10 wines in the UK press

Château Léoube, Rosé de Léoube 2014, Côtes de Provence, France

Victoria Moore, writing for The Telegraph, rounded up some of the “best Provençal” rosé wines currently on the market, including Chateau Léoube’s newly released Léoube rosé.

“Much easier to drink than it is to pronounce, this is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre made from grapes grown at the Ch Léoube vineyards, which are owned by Daylesford.”

Price: Daylesford, around £14.50

Domaines Ott, Clos Mireille 2014, Côtes de Provence, France

Moore also recommended the “spellbinding wines of Domaines Ott”, which she said were “expensive, sought-after creatures” long before the likes of Brangelina jumped on the rosé bandwagon.

“The Domaines span three sites. Clos Mireille is the closest to the sea and the vines look out across the vivid blue of the Mediterranean. The wines are aged in old, large oak – you can’t taste wood, but there is the gentlest hint of sandalwood and spice.”

Price: Jeroboams, Roberson, £30-38

2010 Marksman, Brut Blanc de Blancs, Ditchling, Sussex

As English sparkling wine continues to boom Matthew Jukes, of the Daily Mail, recommended Marksman’s 2010 Brut Blanc de Blancs.

“Made by the team at Ridgeview, for M&S, Marksman is one of the tightest and most invigorating of the current crop of world class wines made within our shores”, he said. “Made from 100% Chardonnay the flavour hits the target, as the name suggests, incredibly accurately and you are left feeling thoroughly refreshed and enlivened.”

Price: £26.00, Marks & Spencer

2013 Monbazillac, Les Sablines, South West France

For those with a sweet tooth, Jukes recommended this wine from south west France, which is made in exactly the same style as the “great sweet wines of Sauternes”.

“Monbazillac, is always great value and Les Sablines is an astonishing piece of class for a relative bargain. Guaranteed to impress even the snootiest of your wine pals, this is a wine that adores fruit puddings!”

Price: £9.99, 50cl bottle, Waitrose

Caruso & Minini Perricone 2013, Sicily, Italy

This “brilliantly vivid, herby, dark cherry-scented Sicilian red” was recommended by David Williams, writing in The Observer.

Citing this wine as an example, he said Marks & Spencer’s wine department was its closest to “cutting edge”, confounding the supermarket’s “safe and sensible reputation”.

“It’s certainly way ahead of the other supermarkets when it comes to stocking grape varieties, regions and styles outside the mainstream”.

Price: £8, Marks & Spencer

Litmus White Pinot 2011, Surrey, England

Another English wine, this white Pinot was also recommended by Williams, who described it as “one of the most successful still English wines” he has come across.

“Litmus White Pinot bends genders by making a white wine from a red grape, Pinot Noir. Like blanc de noirs Champagne, a white fizz that is also made from Pinot Noir (and Pinot Meunier), the juice is removed from the skins before it has a chance to take on any colour (or tannin). It’s then aged in oak barrels to create one of the most successful still English wines I’ve come across, a wine where the spice and plump fruit of an Alsace white pinot gris combines with typically exhilarating English acidity.”

Price: £22, Marks & Spencer

Tinhof Blaufränkisch Leithaberg 2009, Austria

Terry Kirby, writing for The Independent, picked three wines made from unusual grape varieties, including this red from Austria’s Burgenland region.

“A sumptuous red from the local Blaufränkisch grape – medium-bodied but intense, gorgeous, fresh red fruits, some earthy underpinning and wonderfully balanced. Perfect for roast guinea fowl or chicken.”

Price: £16.60, savageselection.co.uk

Château de Flaugergues Blanc 2014, South France

“Another relatively rare grape here – Rolle – combines in full-bodied harmony with Grenache Blanc, both grown on a historic estate near Montpellier in the South of France”, said Kirby.

“Flavours of lemons, white peaches and hints of green apple make this ideal for linguine with prawns.”

Price: £9, Marks & Spencer

de Bortoli, La Boheme Act Three Pinot Gris & Friends, Australia

Tom Cannavan, writing for The Huffington Post, recommended this Australian Pinot Gris that pays homage to Puccini’s great opera, inspired by act three’s famous quartet.

“The diva Pinot Gris is joined by three other voices in the shape of the very aromatic and perfumed varieties, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Blanc. This is a clever wine in many ways, taking the popular Pinot Gris/Grigio and giving it quite a serious treatment with partial oak ageing, and stirring on the lees (the yeast that is left in a wine just after fermentation) to add a little gravitas, but then blending it with small proportions of those aromatic varieties to lift the bouquet and add lovely sweet, fresh fruitiness too. Bright, shimmering, off-dry and delicious, it’s a very successful wine from Victoria in Australia.”

Price: £14

Ochota Barrels The Green Room

Finally Olly Smith, writing for the Daily Mail, paid tribute to wines produced in the Commonwealth this week, as the British and Commonwealth armies celebrate Her Majesty’s official birthday.

While “homegrown English and Welsh wines are enjoying deserved acclaim”, Smith declared Australia to be deserving of the “biggest salute on Commonwealth parade this year”.

Recommended Ochota Barrels’ The Green Room, Smith said: “A red gem blended from 88% Grenache and 12% Syrah – light on its feet at 12.8% alcohol with serenely sculpted purity and unbeatable drinkability it’s as scented as fresh rosemary and perfect to serve lightly chilled with a sizzling bar-b.”

Price: £22.50 from dvinecellars.com