Top 10 wines in the UK press

2014 Corney & Barrow Blanc, Cote du Gascogne, France

The Spectator‘s Jonathan Ray gives in to pressure from his readers this week by choosing Corney and Barrow’s house white:

“It might be overstating it slightly to say that irate readers picket our offices when we don’t include Corney & Barrow’s house wines in these offers, but we certainly get some pithy emails”, he writes.

“And I can understand why, because these house wines are exemplary: cannily sourced, keenly priced, beautifully packaged and utterly delicious.

“Just to remind you, the house white is a blend of Colombard and Ugni Blanc made by Producteurs Plaimont in Gascony in cahoots with Corney & Barrow’s buyers. It’s light, fresh, fruity, floral and zesty and ideal for carefree springtime drinking.”

£7.50, Corney and Barrow

2014 Château La Fleur des Graves Blanc

Next, this Bordeaux blend “of 80% Sauvignon Blanc (giving backbone and aroma) and 20% Sémillon (fleshy, rounded fruit), it’s steel-fermented and oak-aged for 12 months.”

“It has weight, character, balance and style and is a reminder of what great value can be found among the dry whites of Bordeaux”, Ray says.

Marjan Simçic Ribolla, Grska Brda, Slovenia 2014 

David Williams at The Guardian chooses wines to pair with Joseph Trivelli’s featured recipes.

“I’d happily survive on a diet of broad beans”, he writes. “As Joseph Trivelli shows, however, the broad is one versatile bean, so I’ve chosen wines to match the surrounding ingredients as well as the beans themselves.

“For the salad with new potatoes and dandelions, Slovenian winemaker Marjan Simçic’s take on the local ribolla has sufficient body and lemony zip to cope with the powerful combination of mustard, capers, gherkin and anchovies, a hint of bitterness to match the dandelion and a mineral quality that echoes the beans.”

£13.75, Slurp

Albourne Estate Bacchus, Sussex, England 2014

“In Britain, the first crops of broad beans are as much a sign of spring as asparagus,” Williams continues, “and when served on their own both vegetables work beautifully with a dry white wine that is also renowned for its spring-like verdancy: Sauvignon Blanc.

“For the full English spring experience I’d be drawn to Albourne Estate’s racy, vibrant, gooseberry-scented version of England’s answer to sauvignon, the bacchus grape.”

£12.95, Albourne Estate

2014 Domaine Begude, Terroir 11300 Chardonnay, Haute Valle de l’Aude, Languedoc, France 

The Daily Mail‘s Matthew Jukes is up next with his recipe-pairing wines. “The new vintage of this ‘post code wine’ (11300 marks the spot in France) is vivacious, sprightly and aromatically pristine.

“This pin point accurate Chardonnay comes from vineyards with uninterrupted views of the Pyrenees and it is thrilling with the Chicken Buknade recipe.”

£9.99 (reduced to £7.99 until 12 April), Waitrose

2014 Casillero del Diablo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile 

“If you haven’t already fallen for this wine, you must pick up a bottle”, Jukes says of this popular bottle.

“At a snifter under six quid this is a steal given the density and power of Cabernet in this wine. It is incredible how this class of Cabernet can be sold at this price.

“Decant it, swirl it, sip it and smile.”

£8.00 (reduced to £5.99 until 12 April), Waitrose

2014 Negroamaro, Puglia, Italy

“This is a rather simple looking bottle with a neat, dumbed-down label and it certainly does not project the class of wine inside”, Jukes continues.

“With coffee bean and plum notes crowding the palate there is a lot of wine here and it is epic with the spiced soy and star anise pork.”

£7.50, Marks & Spencer

Jules Lebegue Bordeaux 2014 

Jamie Goode, wine writer for the Daily Express, is the final contributor this week, beginning his top picks with this low-priced magnum.

“This is a magnum that’s perfect for dinner parties. It’s fruity and grippy with nice sappy berry fruits”, he writes.

“It’s such drinkable stuff, which is a good job as there’s plenty to get through.”

£12 for 150cl, Morrisons, 12.5% alcohol

Marks & Spencer Haut-Vignoble Bordeaux 2014

“Fresh, juicy and bright, this has gorgeous cherry and plum fruit with a green sappy edge”, Goode continues.

“It’s tasty stuff with lovely direct fruit.”

£7, Marks & Spencer

Château Brassac 2012 Bordeaux Supérieur 

And finally “a rounded, spicy, slightly tarry claret with nice green notes under the sweet black fruits” sums up our round-up.

“It’s proper Bordeaux.”

£9.99, The Co-operative