Wines Under £15

An elegant Fleurie where mineral notes complement ripe fruit and spicy nuances. Inimitable finesse and a persistent finish with well balanced tannin and acidity. Velvety, elegant and floral.

A perfect introduction to the delights and complexity of real white Burgundy, this is mainly Côte d'Or fruit together with some Mâconnais. Fresh with lovely weight, delicate creaminess and judicious oak making this a beautifully balanced dry white.

A vibrant Pinot Noir from Chateau Burgozone on the Danube river. Soft and juicy it is easy drinking but retains good Pinot Noir character.

Dark garnet with a violet rim. Fresh lifted berry fruit that draws you in! Full yet elegant with bramble aromas and cream, cassis and black cherry flavours on the palate with structure provided by fine tannins with a long rich, ripe finish.

The nose has rich plum and blackcurrant pastille characters, with delicate vanilla spice and cedar. The palate is ripe, smooth and opulent with layers of pure blackcurrant, juicy blackberry, lush spicy plum and cherry fruit, minerality and complex fine tannins on the finish.

Purple red colour, with violet flecks. Intense red and black fruits (sour cherries, blueberries, cranberries) floral aromas. This has lovely acidity, a medium body, pleasant tannins, and a delightful slightly bitter and spicy finish. Excellent balance of aromas, alcohol and tannins.

Solevari Feteascã Regalã comes from selected areas of the vineyard with fractured Limestone and light iron oxide rich loams, clay soils. Typically they are the areas known to produce better grapes. The grapes are given an extended ripening period to allow development of more intense flavour. The grippy mouth feel, typical for Feteascã Regalã is well expressed in this wine by allowing full fermentation to dryness, to create a sophisticated palate

Golden yellow with greenish reflections, good limpidity. Mineral, with slight tints of black locust flowers and the discovery of white ripped fruits in the background (peaches, pears, pineapple). Good acidity, elegance, present mineralisation, balance and a medium aftertaste.

Funkstille translates as “radio silence” and given the manner in which our ears are constantly being assailed these days, the prospect of sitting back in relative silence with a glass of this vibrant red is rather appealing. Blaufrankisch is a classic eastern European variety and this juicy mouthful from Burgenland in eastern Austria is a perfect introduction. It sees some oak ageing but largely in old and very large barrels so don’t expect heaps of vanilla, just sweet red fruit.

Clear yellow wine with green tinges. The bouquet offers a unique aromatic range including citrus flowers, exotic fruits, apricots, white-fleshed stone fruit and jasmine. Intensely fruity and well balancedthis wine is mouth-filling which works in harmony with the flavours of exotic fruit and toasted brioche.

A delicate nose of ripe stone fruit and a hint of creamy oak. The complex palate is well-balanced with ripe peach characters, a broad mouthfeel and some toasty oak in the background.

Azienda Agricola Il Cascinone

Forget any notions of quaint, long-established family wineries, Guillaume Letang is a “driving winemaker” (like a flying winemaker but more prone to homesickness.) Originally from northern Burgundy but now based in Macon, he scours southern France for odd little exciting plots of vines on which he can work his magic. Venturing off piste a few years ago, he came across a fabulous parcel of old Carignan vines from which he has moulded this hearty but beautifully balanced red. Treat it to a plate of game or a rustic stew and watch it come to life,

Feteasca Neagra (literally translates as Black Maiden) is one of the most widely planted red varieties in Romania (and Moldova), and easily the most widely planted native one. Late ripening, high yielding, and thick skinned, the grapes can reach high levels of sugar and acidity meaning in the past it was mainly used to make sweet and semi-sweet reds with lots of new oak. Nowadays new investment in vineyards and wineries are leading to a new wave of winemakers making much more elegant and balanced wines.

From the geniuses at Cramele Recas, this has a brilliant spicy nose of black pepper, black berry, black currant and red cherry. A bit pinot noiry but medium bodied with rich, grippy, very dry tannins and beautifully balanced acidity. A hint of coffee right at the very end.

Zesty and bright with ripe peach and grapefruit notes on the nose followed by a palate of zippy grapefruit and lemon zest with a pleasingly long finish.

Vibrant black fruit aromas with a touch of spice. On the palate layers of ripe plum, blackcurrant and juicy black cherry balance spicy, developed flavours. A well-structured and complex wine with ripe tannins and bright acidity on the finish.

Azienda Uggiano

Chris writes "Equal measures of Viognier and Marsanne create this gorgeous, vibrant Rhone white which served to give my palate a much needed wake-up call when it crossed my path at a tasting back in October. Unoaked, it’s all about vibrant stone fruit and citrus flavours finishing with that mouth-cleansing acidity. "

A pale, beautifully balanced chardonnay with hints of vanilla on the nose and a winning cool climate acidity. Careful oak treatment has resulted in a wine of depth and balance.

Lightly honeyed spicy nose with distinct floral, apple and citrus notes. On the palate it shows ripe fruit and subtle almond flavours balanced by crisp, lemony acidity. Good weight and texture through to the finish.

Excellent with seafood risottos, baked fish and cold white meats.

A great Argentinian Malbec offering aromas of red fruits and plums alongside floral and subtle, toasty vanilla notes; medium bodied in the mouth, the style here is soft, juicy and very well balanced with delicious red and dark berried fruits to the fore.

On the fecund plateau of Piekenierskloof there exists some extraordinary bush. Dwarfish, seemingly petrified stumps punctuate a high rolling landscape of ryegrass and rooibos. Amongst these are old plantings of Grenache Noir, Chenin Blanc and, here and there, Palomino. Strange Kompanjie has isolated one such block for a teeny release of old vine Palomino, planted in 1977.

Fresh and zesty aromas with notes of almond skin, fennel and even a little jasmine. A bright natural acidity on the palate with a teasing top note of grassy fennel, almond nuttiness and the residual salinity of an old dry grown vineyard. Drink slowly to take all this in.

DR. LO Riesling has just the right amount of fruitiness to balance the crisp acidity. On the palate it is clearly Riesling, but it walks the line between a fruity and drier style. The characteristic acidity of Mosel Riesling helps it finish fresh and clean. If shown blind it may not be recognized as alcohol-free.

An expressive wine with aromas of apricot, fennel and floral scents. The wines roundness is a perfect match for its freshness and the finish reveals subtle notes of aniseed.

This wine displays an intense ruby red colour with violet hues. The nose reveals aromas of red fruit and black fruit with balsamic tones, which complements with notes of vanilla, chocolate, cherry and plums. It has a soft palate, fine-grained tannins, and refreshing acidity.

Aromatic and intense, lovely aromas of wild red berries, blossom, nutmeg and hints of sandalwood. Fresh, fruity and well balanced with sensations of raspberries, vanilla and cinnamon.

Bodegas Manzanos

Ripe aromas of black fruit with warm wood spice. Cherry and plum fruit on the palate with fresh acidity and smooth balancing tannins. Classic, approachable and satisfying.

Ontañón Familia

A deliciously light and fruity Prosecco with hints of apple and peach on the nose and a fresh, softly sparkling palate with characters of soft ripe stone fruits.

Classic Albariño aromas predominate with herbal notes intertwined with stone fruits and citrus; textural and rounded on the palate with a little grip on the finish and rich, flavoursome fruit cut through with refreshing acidity

The Tempranillo grapes are sourced from certified organic vineyards at altitudes of around 500m. Ontañón have 57ha of low-yielding organic vineyards and 300 barrels dedicated to organic wines. There is a long maceration of the grapes (over 20 days) - fermentation at controlled temperatures. Ecológico spends five months in American and French oak barrels (new and 1-2 year old barrels).

Ontañón Familia

The Quercus wines are made a stone’s throw (a couple of miles, anyway) from the vineyards of Collio. Goriška Brda is Slovenian for Collio Goriziano, and while these hills may be divided by a political boundary, viticulturally they are one and the same. The result is fresh, modern wines that offer extra terroir-driven elegance for a very keen price.

An unusual blend of Viognier (30%), Picpoul Blanc (30%) and Grenache Blanc (40%). Sourced from clay limestone soils in Richerenes in the Vaucluse for the Grenache Blanc and Picpoul, with the Viognier sourced in the Northern Rhône (so legally the wine is classified as Vin de France). Easy-drinking, unoaked and a classic french-style table wine. Citrus and pear on the nose with citrus flesh. There is nice weight on the palate, more ripe pear and some silky minerality on the finish. Great with coconut heavy Thai and Vietnamese dishes

A refined Merlot in which black cherry and plum fruit are lifted by savoury spice notes of cedar and white pepper. The palate offers a beautifully balanced combination of freshness and depth

A lovely fresh and lightly floral sparkling wine made from the Ribolla Gialla grape of northern Italy.

A blend of Malvasia Fina, Encruzado & Cerceal Branco. This a seriously good value fresh white wine showing how Dao whites should be taken seriously. Fresh aromas of lemons and green apple with hints of wet stone. The palate has bright acidity, citrus characters alongside mineral and savoury a crisp finish.

Aromas of intense ripe damson and black cherry with a hint of spice. Rich and generous on the palate - robust and full-flavoured with intense plum and sour cherry fruit, and notes of dark chocolate - balanced by tangy, juicy acidity.

Azienda Agricola Il Cascinone

Kakhuri N8 is a blend of 4 Georgian indigenous grape varieties – Rkatsiteli, Kakhuri Mtsvane, Khikhvi and Kisi, harvested in Kakheti, east Georgia. Grapes are exclusively hand selected and only highest quality, fully ripe grapes are used for production. The wine is made using old Kakhetian traditional winemaking method with skin contact. Fermentation on skins takes place for 7-10 days, once the fermentation is finished the grape skin remain with the wine for 6 months.

Full of rich dried fruit and nutty flavours and long dry refreshing finish are much easier to get your mouth around than the grape varieties that have gone into it!

Teliani Valley