Top 10 wines in the UK press

Vinteloper PN/14 Pinot Noir 2014, Adelaide Hills, Australia

The Sunday Times‘ Damien Barr kicks off our round-up this week with a selection of indie wines from down under.

With this Pinot, “the grape’s usual garnet brightness is dialled down to a watercolour wash,” he writes, “but it has an earthiness so rich, you won’t believe it’s the same wine.”

£26, Red Squirrel Wine

All Saints Rutherglen Muscat, Australia

The “freshly zested lemon” flavour from this Muscat “cuts through the heady cloud, hinting that this sweet treat has a grown-up edge,” Barr continues. “A perfect pudding in a glass.”

£12.50, Oz Wines

The Lane Shiraz Viognier 2013, Adelaide Hills, Australia 

This blend represents “a cooler, European style” says Barr, “with aromatic complexity from the dash of flowery Viognier – just 5% abv, but enough to lift it up and give a longer finish.”

£15, Corney & Barrow

Marks & Spencer Dolcetto d’Asti, Italy 2014

Next, David Williams at The Guardian takes us through his top recommendations of the week, beginning with this Italian drop.

“The Dolcetto variety, the ingredient of many a Piedmontese restaurant’s house wine, always gives a good impression of inky, finger-staining black cherry juice, and this is no exception, he writes.

“It’s a simple, joyful, refreshing, crunchy red.”

£7, M&S

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Touraine Sauvignon, Loire, France 2014

“Thiols and pyrazines and high acidity, or, if you prefer, gooseberry, grass, elderflower and citrus, come together in this racy clean-cut Loire Sauvignon,” Williams continues. “A good value alternative to Sancerre and Pouilly-fumé.”

£8, Sainsbury’s

Villiera Traditional Barrel-Fermented Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2015

“The notes of cream, toast and honey are the result of fermenting this wine in oak barrels, the fuller texture, too,” Williams writes of this Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc.

“But the experience is nothing like sucking on a plank: the classic Chenin Cox’s apple tang (it doesn’t taste like a Pink Lady) shines through.”

£12, Marks & Spencer

La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica 2014, Marche, Italy

Next, Jamie Goode at The Daily Express contributes two more Italian wines to our round-up, beginning with this Verdicchio.

“Verdicchio is an interesting Italian white grape that makes wines with bags of flavour”, he writes, “and this one is bursting with pears, almonds and citrus fruit with savoury notes. It’s a superb food-friendly wine.”

£10.99, Waitrose

Morrisons Signature Fiano 2014, Sicily, Italy

“Fiano is a tasty grape variety and even affordable versions such as this can be good,” he continues. “It smells a little of gin, with attractive flavours of fennel, nuts and sweet pears.”

£6, Morrisons

Vermentino Sicilia Mandrarossa 2014, Italy

And our final contributor this week, Terry Kirby of The Independent on Sunday, also tips his hat to Italy with this “excellent” wine that displays “easy-drinking versatility”.

“Made by the reliable Mandrarossa co-operative, it bursts with zingy peach, lime and lychee flavours. Ideal for parties, canapés and all types of seafood.”

£5.95, The Wine Society

Torre Solar Macabeo, Sobre Lias 2014

“Intense citric and tropical flavours of limes and pineapples explode on the palate in this dynamic, refreshing white”, the last of the wines for this week.

It is “glorious with prawns or any kind of shellfish”, Kirby writes.

£7.99, The Solent Cellar; £8, The Good Wine Shop