92/100 "Impressively poised nose with lightly reductive lemons and white peaches, as well as freshly cut herbs. The palate has impressive concentration and quite intense notes of fresh, grassy lemons and stone. Great poise here. A blend of 59% semillon and 41% sauvignon blanc. Drink now." James Suckling

Ruinart’s flagship wine embodies the purity of the Chardonnay grapes from which it is made, primarily with Premiers Crus from Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims.

Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs is a pale, crystalline gold colour. The nose is characterised by aromas of mature Chardonnay; white peach, candied citrus with notes of lime, honeysuckle and fresh hazelnuts giving way to subtle hints of tangerine and lemon. On the palate, the Blanc de Blancs bears all the hallmarks of a Charles Heidsieck Champagne: boldness, generosity and elegance. Embracing yet light, it displays appealing mineral, slightly salty, iodine notes, and has a silky, creamy texture – unexpected from a Chardonnay – that leaves a lasting impression.

Super high acidity, really sharp suggesting a good future. Lemon and vanilla and good density.

The Montenisa Estate is based around the village of Calino, in the heart of Franciacorta. It was bought by the Antinori family in 1999, and is run by Piero Antinori’s daughter Alessia. All the fruit for this wine is sourced from the estate’s own vineyards: sixty perfectly sited hectares on the hill of Santo Stefano. The first fermentation took place in stainless steel vats and the second in bottle, with subsequent contact on the yeasts for twenty-four months before disgorgement. Fragrant and expressive on the nose, with fruity and floral notes which recall apples and white peaches. The palate offers a creamy mousse and lively, fresh flavours with a fine balance and perceptible finesse.

ANTONIO GALLONI, MARCH 2022, SCORE: 93 "The 2015 Brut Blanc de Blancs marries textural intensity with a good deal of freshness. White pepper, dried herbs, chalk, mint and citrus make a strong opening impression. I especially like the energy and tension here, but there’s plenty of depth, too. I would give the 2015 a year or two in bottle, maybe more, as it is quite reticent in the early going. It, too, is seriously impressive for the year."Drink 2024-2034.

AN ELEGANT WINE OF COMPLEXITY AND DELICACY Light gold hue and a fine, delicate mousse. Aromas of lemon sherbet and honeysuckle lead into fresh pastry and vanilla characters. The palate is rounded and soft, offering generous yet elegant notes of green apple, lemon zest, orange blossom, and chamomile, with a touch of baked hazelnut. A subtle minerality accentuates the fresh, crisp acidity, leading to a long and complex finish.

Mostly Chenin, old vine low yield, unoaked. Limpid, whistle-clean, green apple, elderflower. Fine-textured fish wine. Super value.

A blend of 52% Semillon and 48% Sauvignon Blanc harvested from the 4th to the 16th of September, the 2019 Le Blanc Sec de Suduiraut is aged for six months, 25% in nearly all new French oak barrels, 75% in vats. The alcohol came in at 13.2%. The nose is redolent of uncomplicated poached pears and lemon meringue pie scents with touches of nutmeg and powdered white pepper. The medium-bodied palate has plenty of citrus and spice intensity with a lively line of freshness and a spicy finish.

This cuvée was named in tribute to Louis, Elisabeth Salmon’s brother, who was passionate about oenology and highly involved in winemaking from the earliest creation of the House. Originating from the best parcels of the Côte des Blancs, the Blanc de Blancs vintage is endowed with purity and minerality. Distinguished elegance of a mineral and exceptionally precise Chardonnay with a natural balance that is a harmonious representation of the best parcels of grand crus of Côte des Blancs: Cramant, Chouilly for the finesse, Avize for the force of character and Mesnil-sur-Oger for the structure and longevity. A creamy sensation in the mouth with a beautifully chiselled finesse. Lovely refreshing balance with natural flavours (zest of citron, almond biscuit and white pepper). This powerful wine with a majestic typicity prolongs its finish towards an aromatic persistence of incredible length (flesh of sweet citrus fruits, cardamom and vanilla-flavoured cream puffs). The unique dimension of a great Blanc de Blancs, pure and intense, with a directness perfectly associated with its low dosage. Its potential and its balance express a remarkable finesse worthy of the most sophisticated food pairings (a casserole of whole calf sweetbread from Corrèze, a creamy shellfish risotto).

green-apple crisp, serious Grand Cru

A slightly off dry sparkling wine made from white grapes including Glera the grape variety of Prosecco. Made by our main prosecco producer you'd be hard pressed to notice the difference in a blind tasting,but you will notice the price difference! Great value.

Tom Stevenson - Top Ten Best Bargains "Lovely biscuity fruit and excellent acidity are the key to this cuvee's consistent quality and impressive potential longevity. One of Champagne's best-kept secrets."

Racy passion fruit, tangerine and gooseberry flavours are graceful and elegant, with a lovely, alive mouth feel and a medium body. A zingy acidity adds to the elegance, and the flavours echo on the finish.

Racy passion fruit, tangerine and gooseberry flavours are graceful and elegant, with a lovely, alive mouth feel and a medium body. A zingy acidity adds to the elegance, and the flavours echo on the finish.

White Provence wines are a bit of a hidden treasure, little-known outside France but well-loved by wine buffs around the world. This example is typical, and very good value. Nice, mouth filling texture, the style reserved rather like Chablis. Delicate nose with notes of white flowers and citrus. Well balanced in the mouth, it is fresh, with great vivacity and a hint of bitterness with salty aromas. Nice length.

Clearly many steps above standard NZSB, a masterpiece of subtlety from the co-founder of Cloudy Bay.

Certainly fresher than some previous vintages, this is immensely mouth-watering. Struck rock, clotted cream and orange blossom, just ripe greengage and honeydew melon, with a lightly creamy, leesy palate and zingy, white peppery finish. A proper treat from the master. "A fabulous bargain. Overdelivers in the most delightful way". Jancis Robinson MW

In this cuvée, Benjamin masterfully blends fruit from mostly Meursault, with some higher altitude chardonnay from the hills above Beaune which adds precision and finesse to this Bourgogne Blanc of unbeatable value. Large, old oak fermenting vessels and lees ageing help keep this wine remarkably fresh and elegant.

Serious "baby Chateauneuf Blanc" from the opposing side of the Rhone, 6 miles from Chateauneuf. Creamy, almost waxy, broad, dense, intense, aromatic, spiced. Almond and toast, apricot and lilies. Quite superb food wine with rich creamy sauces, roast birds, mushrooms, fish and chips. Way out of its class, a jewel and bargain from top Chateauneuf grower Sabon. Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, Clairette. Minimal sulphur, cool co-ferment, unfined, vines up to 40 years old, declassified vineyard.

This is the much requested special ingredient in James Bond’s vesper martini recipe: 3 gin, 1 grain vod, ½ lillet. Served in a champagne goblet shaken, large twist of lemon.

Sichel family property of 45 hectares in the Entre-Deux-Mers. The soil is clay and limestone in one single plot. 65% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Sémillon. Aged on fine lees with regular stirring. It shows a lovely pale yellow colour with greenish tinges. Fresh and expressive on the nose, with superb notes of pink grapefruit, mango and some slightly toasted hints. Its fine balance on the palate is remarkable, with a lot of roundness and body, as well as pure, elegant freshness. The flavours of Sauvignon are delicate and persistent, giving this wine length and vibrancy.

Pascal Fournillon is a sweet-natured man, always happy when people find him in the sleepy hamlet of Bernouil, some 10 miles north-east of Chablis town. His mum also makes the best gougeres if you need further incentive. Pascal's vineyards cover some 23 hectares of land in the appellations of Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru and Epineuil. He is bottling more and more of his own wine rather than selling in bulk and this means we have access to good allocations of Chablis that Pascal is happy to age for us for a few years till it is perfect to drink. This Bourgogne Chardonnay is from vineyards near Chablis and bears all the hallmarks of it; steely, lemony, fine and elegant.

Pascal Fournillon is a sweet-natured man, always happy when people find him in the sleepy hamlet of Bernouil, some 10 miles north-east of Chablis town. His mum also makes the best gougeres if you need further incentive. Pascal's vineyards cover some 23 hectares of land in the appellations of Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru and Epineuil. He is bottling more and more of his own wine rather than selling in bulk and this means we have access to good allocations of Chablis that Pascal is happy to age for us for a few years till it is perfect to drink. This Bourgogne Chardonnay is from vineyards near Chablis and bears all the hallmarks of it; steely, lemony, fine and elegant.

Mouth watering Sauvignon Blanc, with ripe tropical fruit flavours and a twist of crisp citrus.

Mouth watering Sauvignon Blanc, with ripe tropical fruit flavours and a twist of crisp citrus.

Passion fruit and pea shoots mingle easily on the nose of this medium-bodied wine. This is a fully dry and somewhat austere Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, ending on notes of white grapefruit and hints of underripe stone fruit.

Wonderfully fresh and floral, tastes of elderflower and cool grapes. Very soft, not too acidic like many NZ SBs at this price.

A wonderful bright, aromatic, juicy and snappy white full of Languedoc sunshine produced from beautiful vines of Ugni Blanc, Colombard and Muscat from the family's own vineyards. Our partners for many years.

Well balanced off dry wine with lower alcohol preserving natural acidity and allowing the classic medium dry nature of good Loire Chenin Blanc to shine.

A soft greenish yellow coloured wine of an impeccable transparency. Wild and intense, with complex fruity layers and scent. Overtones of fruits such as grapefruit, mango, pineapple, along with a tint of honey. Velvety taste with high fineness. Long lasting with pleasant elegance.

Wonderfully fresh and floral, tastes of elderflower and cool grapes. Very soft, not too acidic like many NZ SBs at this price.

A soft greenish yellow coloured wine of an impeccable transparency. Wild and intense, with complex fruity layers and scent. Overtones of fruits such as grapefruit, mango, pineapple, along with a tint of honey. Velvety taste with high fineness. Long lasting with pleasant elegance.

Lovely, modern style white Bordeaux, pale yellow colour with a hint of green. Open, fresh and greedy nose, with notes of passion fruit, boxwood and lime. Supple and crisp attack, with notes of exotic fruits and pomelo. Good balance, sapid. Crisp finish, with citrus fruit, medium persistence and a hint of minerality.

Rieussec is one of the biggest estates of Sauternes with 227 acres of vines above the Garonne River in Bordeaux. This a wonderful blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The estate began in the 18th century followed by several owners. It is now owned by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) as of 1984. Citrus lemon, then honey, peach and apricot, with hints of mineral salinity. Aged in older oak which adds some texture but not flavour. Impressive and a very good vitnage for dry white Bordeaux.

CWM Rating: First Class! 60% Semillon and 40% Sauvignon Blanc A classy, complex nose of passion fruit, mango, lemon tart and gooseberry. Great intensity on the savoury palate with a smokey undertone. Creamy hazelnuts, yuzu zest and green fruits, seasoned with vanilla seeds, lead to a touch of spice on the finish.

Bright and crisp. Expressive aromas of citrus fruit balanced with grassy notes. Great freshness in the palate.

White grapefruit, intense tropical fruit, ripe gooseberry and fleshy kiwi fruit over-lay Iona's distinctive herbal and floral undertones. The palate is keenly balanced showing cut green apples and lime marmalade followed by great minerality and length. Vegan.

Epic Kiwi Sauvignon veritable laser-beam of all things green aimed at your palate tangy, zesty, invigorating, bursting with citrus energy classy, long, sophisticated, explosive

100% Chenin Blanc from the slate and shale of Savennieres. Light golden colour, pretty white flower aromas, juicy pear flavours on the palate with a subtle toastiness, and mouthwatering acidity on the finish.