Savour the last warm days of summer with our top pick of wines, all at £12 or less. From zesty whites to luscious rosés, these bottles promise quality sips for your final garden gatherings. Cheers to soaking up the September sun!
Ormarine Picpoul de Pinet 2022
£10.50
This zesty white is a new offering from Ormarine. It’s made with 100% Picpoul Blanc grapes, which grow on the southerly slopes overlooking Etang de Thau, the largest of a string of saltwater lagoons that stretch from the Rhone River to the foothills of the Pyrenees. The terroir comprises limestone clay soils and benefits from being so close to the lagoon and the Mediterranean Sea, both of which help keep temperatures stable during the growing and harvesting seasons.
The wine is fermented at low temperatures to preserve the aromas and fresh flavours, and then stored in temperature-controlled tanks before bottling.
You’ll find fruity and floral notes on the nose, with a hint of sweet citrus. Those lemon and faintly melon notes are dry and well-balanced on the palate, creating a complex yet fresh mouthful. The finish has a hint of mouthwatering salinity, which leaves you wanting more.
Ormarine Villemarin 2022
£12
Another great Picpoul de Pinet from the Ormarine cellar, this crisp white is made from Picpoul Blanc grapes grown on vines from the Villemarin estate, which lies just south of the village of Pinet.
The grapes are carefully selected and then harvested at night to ensure the fruit is as fresh and flavourful as possible when it enters the cellar. That freshness comes through in the bottled wine, as delicate floral aromas greet you on the nose, with apple and citrus hitting the palate. It is both fresh and zesty, and the long, persistent finish has mineral notes from the salty sea air that make you think of long summer days and fresh coastal breezes.
La Belle Angèle Sauvignon Blanc 2022
£10
La Belle Angèle is named after a 20th-century French character, reputed to have been a muse to the French Impressionists, and known for her beauty, elegance and charm.
La Belle Angèle Sauvignon Blanc is created using a blend of sauvignon blanc grapes grown on limestone soil. The grapes are harvested in the early morning to preserve the freshness of the fruit, and after fermentation at low temperatures, it is aged on the lees for a month in vats before bottling.
The result is a crisp, refreshing, fruit-forward wine that is juicy and zesty on the nose, with the citrus following through onto the palate, where it is joined by apples, pears and hints of gooseberry, creating almost tropical notes. It’s dry, crisp and very drinkable…
La Belle Angèle Rosé 2022
£10
This is a Provence-style rosé, made using a mixture of grenache and cinsault grapes from the Gers and the Languedoc, which together give a balanced flavour to the finished wine. The grapes are direct pressed and fermented at controlled temperatures, before being aged in vats for a relatively short time to retain the fruit-forward flavours.
The bottled wine is brimming with summer flavours. White stoned fruit, raspberries and strawberries are plentiful on the palate, after a delicate summer aroma on the nose. It is both fresh and lively, with a good level of acidity to balance the sweetness.
A lovely, summery glassful to be enjoyed in the garden with friends.
Abbotts & Delaunay Les Fruits Sauvages Rosé 2022
£10
Abbotts & Delaunay Vineyard is owned by 5th-generation Burgundian wine producer Laurent Delaunay, who prides himself on creating distinctive, high-quality wines.
Les Fruits Sauvages Rosé is made using grenache grapes from two different terroirs; the Hérault plain and the Aude area, both of which bring different characteristics to the wine. After the grapes have been harvested, they undergo maceration for a few hours before direct pressing. The extracted juice is then fermented under controlled temperatures, before ageing in stainless steel vats.
Once opened, you’ll be met with wild strawberry and raspberry aromas. On the palate, the fruits are rounded out with a hint of peach and white blossom, and a touch of salinity, which leads to a long, balanced finish which just edges away from being tart.
Abbotts & Delaunay Les Fleurs Sauvages Viognier 2022
£10
Les Fleurs Sauvages Viognier uses 100% Viognier grapes, an old variety grown on hillsides in the Hérault and the Aude Valley in the South of the Minervois. The terroir consists of limestone and pebbles, and with plenty of rain and sunshine, thanks to the proximity to the mountains of the Cévennes and Pyrenees, the grapes are packed with intense flavours.
Once the grapes are harvested in the early morning, they are fermented in stainless steel vats and aged on the lees for a few months.
On the nose, there are notes of peach, apricot and notes of orange blossom, too. A subtle hint of spice is just edging in, and on the palate, a slight nuttiness joins the fruits. Having been aged on the lees, it has a creamy mouthfeel, and the balanced freshness makes this a rather moreish tipple.
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