Top 10 wines in the UK press

Extra Special Chianti Riserva 2012

Damian Barr of the Sunday Times kicks off our UK wine writer round-up once again with a look at some fine Tuscan drops.

“All upfront fun, in the manner of a tavern wench,” he says about this wine. “I tried others at four times the price that weren’t half as good.”

£6, Asda

Chianti classico Gran Selezione Castello di Monna Lisa Vignamaggio 2010

Meanwhile, this wine is summed up by Barr as “peak summer fruit supported by elegant, dark-chocolate tannins.”

£24.75, Corney & Barrow

Giacomo Fenocchio Dolcetto d’Alba 2014

“The Dolcetto grape is more dry than sweet, but here, both flavours are as balanced as in a dried red cherry”, Barr writes.

£19.50, winestore.co.uk

Au Bon Climat Wild Boy Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County, California 2013

Next, The Guardian‘s David Williams bases this week’s recommendations on what he calls the most “hyped-about” wines in the world – the restrained Californian wines that follow the In Pursuit of Balance movement.

“Jim Clendenen’s Au Bon Climat estate in Santa Barbara was an early adopter of this ‘New California’ approach and his latest luminous vintage of Wild Boy, name and label apart, embodies its bid for racy freshness and restraint,” he writes.

£22.50, Hennings Wine; Noel Young Wines

Domaine de la Côte Bloom’s Field Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir, California 2013 

Noting that the movement has its critics among California’s “old guard”, Williams points to Sashi Moorman, “the articulate winemaker behind Domaine de la Côte, who says “it’s a question of different, not better.

“He defines the wines he makes with partner Rajat Parr in the Santa Rita Hills as ‘wines of place’ that express the vineyards as opposed to ‘wines of style’ that taste of a winemaking regime.

“The Bloom’s Field Pinot is certainly distinctive, gossamer light with breathtakingly pure red fruit and a mouthwatering salty quality.”

£51, Roberson Wine

2014 Yabby Lake Red Claw Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir, Australia 

“Bright berry fruits and subtle oak spice with an elegant cool-climate freshness,” is how The Independent‘s Anthony Rose describes this Aussie drop.

£14, down from £18, Marks & Spencer

2014 Trebuchet Red, Western Cape, South Africa

And this “Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet and Malbec shows cherryish aromas tinged with herbal notes,” Rose says.

£7.99, or 6 bottles for £5.99, Majestic

2014 Grande Réserve de Gassac Rouge, Vins de Pays d’Hérault, France 

Next is Matthew Jukes at the Daily Mail, who this week got his hands on some Old World favourites.

“This wine comes from one of the most famous estates in the South of France – Mas de Daumas Gassac,” he writes. “It is a Cabernet, Grenache and Syrah blend of the highest order but it just happens to be a bargain – so get in quick.”

£9.99, Laithwaites  

2013 Convey, Priorat, Spain  

“I featured a Priorat last week and it certainly pricked peoples’ interests,” writes Jukes. “Here is another affordable version which will work well with mighty, meaty dishes.

“Convey is a dark, black cherry and tar-soaked wine with serious impact and class.”

£10.00, Morrisons

Asda Extra Special White Burgundy 2014 

And finally, Jamie Goode at the Daily Express picks his best value Burgundy white.

“Burgundy, one of the world’s most famous wine regions, is the home of the Chardonnay grape variety,” he writes. “Here, it makes wines ranging from the super expensive and sublime to more affordable and very drinkable.

“This white Burgundy is a mix of fruit from Côte de Beaune and Mâconnais, and it’s very attractive with delicious pears and peaches as well as some nutty depth. It’s fabulously fruity.”

£9, Asda