2004 Excelsior Sauvignon Blanc
South Africa
Waitrose, down £1 to £3.99 until September 5
Oozing with ripe, zesty, lime, greengage and peapod-spiked fruit, this classy Cape sauvignon from the hot, arid Robertson region is as good as the New World gets with this grape sub-£4.
2003 Les Fleurs Chardonnay-Sauvignon Blanc
Vin de Pays de Côtes de Gascogne
Waitrose, down £1.40 to £5.59
Given how good this blend tastes, I am surprised more vignerons don’t produce their own versions of this gloriously rich, citrussy, crystallised pineapple-stacked white.
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2002 dA Chardonnay Limoux, Domaines Astruc
France
Asda, £6.96
Of the thousands of unsolicited wines that I spit into the kitchen sink every year, very few ever end up here. So well done Asda for nailing this fine chardonnay, which displays the sort of classic, ripe, buttery, nutty yet juicy fruit you would expect from Burgundy.
2001 Coyam, Vinedos Organicos Emiliana
Chile
Asda, £8.94
Just forty of Asda’s top stores carry this gorgeous Chilean red, whose luscious, bold, silky mix of red summer fruits has got to be the best advertisement yet for the New World organic wine movement.
2002 “Finest” Côtes du Rhône Villages Réserve
France
Tesco, £5.53
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Somehow this dreamy, grenache-dominated Côtes du Rhône Villages red has failed to pop up here until now. Never mind: its delicious warm, ripe, gamey spice makes the perfect late summer red to go with roasted red meats.
2003 “Finest” Grillo, Firriato
Italy
Tesco, £4.99
The grillo grape is one of Sicily’s oldest varieties. Fortified, it is better known as marsala, but vinified as a table wine by ace new-wave wine producer Firriato, it delivers some fine, juicy, aromatic, aperitif-suitable, citrussy fruit.