This year, CALIBRE’s summer wine guide is going almost all out on bubbly. Don’t get us wrong; we love salmon-pink rosé as much as the next sybarite. This obligatory summer tipple has been quenching poolside thirst for centuries, not so much a cliché as a right of passage. But there is a drink that is even more suited to warm weather and the Wimbledon final. That summer libation is sparkling wine.
The style works on so many levels. It is an incredibly diverse category, available as a dry or sweet wine, with a surfeit of white and rosé brands on the market, sold at prices that range from affordable to oligarch. It is also endowed with that most vital of characteristics: ample acidity. Nothing else refreshes the palate like the zip and the zing of good fizz, delivered a lightning speed by a stream of mouth-coating bubbles. It really is the business.
However, we don’t believe in monopolies. White and red wine has not been omitted from this ode to summer drinking; velvety Rioja and (slightly) chilled Pinot Noir work wonders when grilled meats and salads enter the equation. There is also one or two rosés up for grabs – it would be sacrilegious to marginalise our fair-weather friend. An eclectic mix of bottles with one thing in common: the ability to refresh your palate rather than exhaust it. If you’re stuck on a few ideas for July and August, the following should help get the party started. Bottoms up!
Sparkling
Journey’s End Méthode Cap Classique 2017
£23
South African sparkling wine is the undisputed bargain of the century. It offers Champagne-like finesse and beautiful fruit without the financial heartache. Snap it up!
Hambledon Classic Cuvée
£27
Any guide to superlative fizz must include Hambledon. This Hampshire-based estate goes from strength to strength, producing autolytic and complex bubbly that will knock your socks off.
Denbies Cubitt Blanc de Noirs 2014
£35
A very sophisticated and complex 100% Pinot Noir sparkling wine from Denbies in Surrey, Cubitt merits a special occasion. Enjoy its lovely crunchy red fruit and wonderful freshness with poached salmon.
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut NV
£48
The seminal NV (non-vintage) Champagne, Veuve Clicquot’s Yellow Label hits the spot on a summer evening. A mouthful of biscuity fruit awaits, supported by a textbook acid line. Moreish indeed.
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs NV
£80
This is special. Ruinart wrote the book on producing elegant Champagne exclusively based on Chardonnay grapes – the mouthwatering fruit and super-fine mousse speak for themselves. For a memorable evening, there is no better choice.
Ruinart Rosé NV
£80
Ruinart is justly famous for its Blanc de Blancs, a flagship example of 100% Chardonnay Champagne. However, the delectable rosé is an insider secret: exquisite red fruit set against ripe acidity and a caressing mousse — one for a special occasion.
White
Edouard Delaunay Bourgogne Aligoté 2020
£21
An underrated Burgundy grape, Aligoté is finally starting to earn the respect it deserves. This example from Edouard Delaunay benefits enormously from maturation in used oak barrels, adding a touch of spicy richness to this gorgeous white wine.
Red
Edouard Delaunay Septembre Pinot Noir 2020
£18
A class act from Edouard Delaunay: silky smooth Pinot Noir that doesn’t cost the earth. This needs grilled lamb chops but go easy on the marinade.
Contino Reserva Rioja 2018
£24
Contino is a consummate professional at crafting single-estate Riojas at their picturesque estate in Rioja Alavesa. The 2018 vintage sets a new bar – velvety complexity awaits.
Achaval-Ferrer Quimera Tinto Mendoza 2020
£40
A seductive Bordeaux blend from one of the most iconic names in Mendoza today. Quimera is a concentrated, potent beast of a wine with a spice-laden finish. It will shine alongside charcoal-seared meat.
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