At the heart of McGuigan’s Cellar Select Chardonnay is a textured and aromatic peach base, but that is enlivened by attractive orange and lemon acidity which adds freshness and some extra crispness.
If I’m honest, New World-branded wine can be patchy, but, here, McGuigan’s have crafted a fresh and lively Australian chardonnay that keeps those appealing tropical fruit flavours without the over ripeness or excessive oak that have become passé these days.
The wine is available from Morrisons, and is on special offer – £4.99 – until 11 August.
A full and rich Italian red, Tesco Finest* Nero D’Avola, is mellowed by touches of vanilla and allspice, but made more complex by mildly-acidic bramble fruit and a rather nice savoury grip on the finish.
Improved production techniques in Sicily have elevated the grape variety used here from humble blending fodder into the mainstay of several big, tasty wines like this.
The result is well worth £6 of anyone’s money.
Currently on offer at £5.99 – instead of £7.99 – until the end of next month.
The chardonnay component of Marks and Spencer’s 2012 Los Nucos Chardonnay Viognier (priced £5.99) provides engaging apricot and orange flavours, but they are nicely supplemented by flowery and aromatic elements from the viognier, and a late burst of acidity that adds suggestions of lemon and grapefruit.
France’s Rhone Valley is the spiritual home of Viognier, but it is now being successfully grown in the New World too. Exactly how successfully is neatly illustrated by this fairly-priced version derived from grapes grown on the lower slopes of the Andes in Chile.
Brian Elliott is wine correspondent of Scotland on Sunday and lives at Auchencrow in the Borders