Great Wines

Always save your best sines for a special occasion and we have plenty of those coming up in March. So here’s some lovely drops to enjoy right now because sometimes, life is too short to wait.

One of the biggest wine crimes we’re all guilty of is ‘saving a bottle for best’. It’s the same with clothes – like the dress you splash out on but then decide is too good for everyday wear, so you keep it for ‘best’ and it ends up languishing in the back of the wardrobe, unloved.

Unless you’re lucky enough to have a brilliant Bordeaux from a knock-out vintage that’s not ready to dust down and decant quite yet, it might be time to look at those ‘best’ bottles lining the wine rack in a new light.

Because chances are, if you hold on to them a little too long, they’ll be past their drinking window anyway, and will taste just as rubbish as realising your ‘best dress’ is now passé.

In honour of March and all that it brings we’ve rounded up some top drops to have on standby…

1. CEO Godello Monterrei 2019, Galicia, Spain, £8.49, Lidl

Fresh and juicy with a peachy character, citrusy acidity, emerging saline note and lovely silky texture, you can really see the appeal of godello – Galicia’s lesser known white grape, and great alternative to albariño. Ripe with ample stone fruit aromas, this approachable style is a delicious go-to with seafood such as scallops, grilled prawns and paella. Lidl’s master of wine also highly rates it, with 92 Outstanding Bampfield points.

2. Black Flag Chardonnay 2018, South Australia, £11.99, Virgin Wines

If you’re a New World chardonnay fan, you’ll be impressed with this ripe, generous style that reaches out with its layers of tropical fruits and gentle touch of butterscotch, framed by toasty vanilla oak. Seductive and flush with flavour, everything sings in harmony as the creamy characters cascade onto the palate.

3. Adnams English Bacchus 2018, England, £13.99, Adnams

With an English staycation and – possibly! – a visit to a vineyard on the cards, this is a stunning example of home-grown grapes to get you in the groove. A German white variety named after the god of wine, bacchus is England’s answer to sauvignon blanc – and will convince anyone that our still whites can be just as good as our sparkling. Beautifully aromatic with floral and passion fruit aromas, forward tropical fruits enlivened by herbal accents and balancing acidity, it will impress the most discerning drinker.

4. Yealands Sauvignon Blanc Rose 2019, Marlborough, New Zealand, currently £7.49 (was £9.99), Waitrose

One of the reasons savvy, sauvignon blanc fans appreciate the New World vibrancy of a top drop from Marlborough is the way it instantly rewards, with its tangy flavours and bright acidity. This pukka pink also has a splash of merlot, which lends the wine a subtle blackcurrant note – but citrusy and gooseberry aromas are still in the driving seat, with a juicy palate of mouth-watering fruit, ending with a crisp, minerally finish.

5. Kompsos Liatiko, Karavitakis 2019, Greece, £9.95, The Wine Society

A little cracker from Crete, the nose is suggestive of spiced cherry, redcurrants, brambly berries and herbal notes. Kompsos means elegant in Greek, and this pale ruby red lives up to its name – if you love a plush pinot noir, you’ll be impressed with this handsome label. Made in a modern style from liatiko, a local variety, despite the light colour this wine has a wonderful intensity, with ripe cherry, raspberry, more creamy red fruit, warm spice and a soft silky finish full of finesse.

6. Escudo Rojo Gran Reserva 2018, Central Valley, Chile, currently £14.99 (was £17.99), Ocado

Made by Baron Philippe de Rothschild, this exceptional red has the depth and swagger you’d expect from this famous producer – and unites traditional Bordeaux varieties with Chile’s climate and soil. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, carménère, syrah, cabernet franc and petit verdot, showing the fruit-filled richness you’d expect with a wonderful persistence that doesn’t want to let go. Think a beguiling bouquet of rich black fruits, cassis, plum, vanilla, peppery spice and coffee notes with powerful, concentrated flavours, hint of toasted almonds and coffee bean, long finish and polished tannins.

7. Yalumba The Menzies Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Australia, £37.99, Majestic

The star of the show, with all the generosity and attributes of a great Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon, the fruit comes from a single plot – The Menzies Estate Vineyard – and its maritime influence lends these full-bodied reds an elegant complexity and sea spray character. A perfect parcel of rich, velvety fruit with a complex nose of violets, cedar and dark chocolate, a forest floor of ripe black fruits, cassis, chocolate notes, rounded tannins and long, supple finish. Utterly delicious from word go, decant before serving and the flavours will evolve and lift from your ‘best’ glass.