New Year, New Wines...

 | 

We all have our favourite 'go-to wines' and for a lot of white wine drinkers these have typically been Sauvignon Blanc.

Here at York Wines, we’ve been exploring Sauvignon-like wines which have that same light, dry, easy drinking character but also have additional interest like herbal or floral notes, citrus and minerality.

 

We’ve put together our top 10 Sauvignon alternatives and we are confident that if youlike Sauvignon you will love these:

 

Petrucco Ribolla Gialla, Italy 2019

Grown on the hillsides of Friulli in Northern Italy we import this directly from the winery. Delicate, mildly aromatic yet dry with a long mineral finish. Perfect with a creamy asparagus risotto


Alcesti Grillo, Sicily 2019

Having searched long and hard for some fantastic Sicilian wines to add to our portfolio, we only started importing this Grillo very recently. Crisp, dry and intense. Yellow fruits, citrus and herbs with minerality on the finish from the surrounding volcanic rock. A lovely aperitif.


Domaine Wachau Gruner Veltliner, Austria 2019 

From the banks of the Danube West of Vienna this Veltliner is tingly, fresh, crisp, dryand a little unusual. We love it with a chicken or prawn Thai Curry.


Corte Adami Soave Classico Cimalta, Italy 2018 

We have a long-standing relationship with Corte Adami and have imported directly from them for many years. Soave has recently had a well-deserved resurgence. This one is grown from prime Gargenega grapes, high in the Soave hills and is rich,fresh, smooth and dry with a long finish. Goes well with fish pie.


LeftField Albarino, Gisborne New Zealand 2019 

Citrus fruits and floras combine aromatic yet delicate flavours. Rich and oily but with balanced acidity and a long sharp finish with hints of lime, melon and peach. Versatile enough to sip on its own or pair with a hearty roast chicken.


Casa de Compostela Vinho Verde, Portugal 2018 

An exciting young wine of three grape varieties Loureiro, Arinto and Trajadura. Fresh, tingly, harmonious,fruity balanced combination of citrus fruit with floral notes at the finish. Perfectwith grilled sardines or sipping in the sun

 

Pago Traslagares Verdejo, Rueda Spain 2019 

Grown at 1000 metres on chalky soil for ultimate Sauvignon-style freshness crispness and flavour. This superb Verdejo has hints of stone fruit & apricots.Full of fresh fruit flavours & then an amazingly long chalky finish. Lovelywith manchego cheese and light Tapas.

 


Macon Charnay Blanc Closdes Tournons, Burgundy, France 2019 

 

Sauvignon lovers will be incredibly surprised at this crisp, dry and fresh 100% Chardonnay. A delicate dry white wine with intensity & a long, long aftertaste with mineral hints from the chalky/calcium soil. Although this is great to sip we find it goes really well with triple cream cheeses like Delicede Bourgogne.


Domaine des Lauriers Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc France 2019 

Another direct import, from a superb estate in the Languedoc, close to the Mediterranean. This lovely, unusual wine has won many awards. An intense and harmonious nose of peaches and pineapple with a delicate salty mineral freshness. Dry and expressive, it pairs extremely well with all seafood.

 


Domaine Girard Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Le Fleuron, Loire Valley France 2019 

Another grape variety which is having a well-deserved resurgence. This was the best variety from a tasting of over 30 different Muscadets in 2018. The 2019 vintage is similarly superb. We import this direct from the winery. Crisp, dry & withlovely subtle flavours of nettles and grapefruit, a hint of yeast and complexity from the lees and a long, fresh aftertaste. Like the Picpoul it is fantastic with seafood.