Wines for the week: November 2022
White, rosé, red and more: 25 top picks under £20, chosen by the Decanter team.
Looking for everyday drinking wines that won’t disappoint? The Decanter in-house tasting team has done all the hard work for you, picking out 25 exciting and accessible wines that are all ready to drink now, are available in the UK and priced at £20 or less.
This month’s highlights
Must-try white: Santo Wines, Selection Cuvée Assyrtiko, Santorini, Greece 2018
Must-try red: Domaine St-Amant, Grangeneuve, Beaumes de Venise, Rhône, France 2018
High street choice: Lidl, Poncho Criollo Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 2021
As a companion selection to our 25 wines under £20, the Decanter team has selected seven standout bottles that are sure to impress, all available in the UK and priced between £20 and £50.
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Codorníu, Anna Brut NV, Cava, Penedès, Spain
89
Mainly Chardonnay (70%) with traditional Cava grapes – Macabeo, Xarel.lo, Parellada – making up the rest of the blend. Toasty aromas, honeyed, nutty with fresh citrus and tropical touches. Rounded palate with preserved lemon citrus, candied peel, bready notes and salty-savoury hints – like salted butter on sourdough bread. A great value sparkler!
CodorníuCava
Lidl, Crémant de Loire NV, Loire, France
88
Crémant is often a good hunting ground for value fizz, and this doesn’t disappoint. Part of Lidl’s core range, this dry, traditional-method sparkler from the Loire is a light, aperitif-style wine, with green apple fruit and toastiness, and refreshing acidity. Chenin Blanc dominated, with some Chardonnay in the mix.
Lidl
Int3gral3, Rosé Frizzante Unfiltered, Veneto, Italy
90
Playful and expressive bottle-fermented fizz with crunchy fruit, vibrant acidity and a subtle savoury touch. A perfect dinner party conversation-starter from a quartet of four red Veneto varieties: Raboso, Marzemino, Corbinella, Turchetta. Red apples, cranberry, sour cherries and pink grapefruit mingle on the textural palate, lifted by the pleasantly persistent bubbles.
Int3gral3
Filipa Pato, Dinamica Branco, Bairrada, Portugal, 2021
92
Husband-and-wife team Filipa Pato and William Wouters are known for the purity and modern classicism of their wines, of which this is a perfect example. A blend of Bical and Arinto, the chalky texture brings the herbal and nutty nuances into relief on a canvas of fleshy citrus. Lingering, delicious notes of salted lemons and hay.
2021
Filipa Pato
Geyerhof, StockWerk Grüner Veltliner, Kremstal, Niederösterreich, Austria, 2021
92
Transparent expression of Austria’s outstanding 2021 vintage, this Grüner Veltliner shows bright aromas of pear, yellow apple, white peach and lime zest, through a framework of robust minerality and vibrant acidity. Very textural and inviting, with plenty of energy and a long zesty finish.
2021
GeyerhofKremstal
Santo Wines, Selection Cuvée Assyrtiko, Santorini, Aegean Islands, Greece, 2018
93
Made with 100% Assyrtiko, it has a fragrant nose of lanolin and peach, plus a pinch of citrus and flint. The 2018 vintage now showcases lovely depth on the bone-dry palate, with acacia honey-scented stone fruits, refreshed by lime zest. Ripe melon notes lead to a long and fulfilling finish.
2018
Santo WinesSantorini
Aslina, Skin Contact Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2021
91
Ntsiki Biyela, South Africa's first female black winemaker, says there's such limited stock of this wine because she keeps drinking it herself. It's dangerously moreish, with a raspy tisane-tannin texture, zingy orange juice acidity and lingering flavours of ripe orchard fruit, beeswax and candied citrus peel.
2021
Aslina
Vignoble Alain Robert, Empreinte, Vouvray, Loire, France, 2020
91
A characterful Chenin from the brother-sister team at this 37ha family domaine. Freshly cut lemon aromas open onto a creamy palate specked with cinnamon and ripe yellow apples and plums. Richly textured, with balancing green acidity and a touch of bitterness on the long finish.
2020
Vignoble Alain RobertVouvray
Biddenden Vineyards, Ortega, England, United Kingdom, 2021
89
A pretty, off-dry food wine made using the Ortega grape - a cross between Müller-Thurgau and Siegerrebe. It is also one of the first varieties the producer planted in 1969, with the first Biddenden Ortega released in 1972. Perfumed with pear blossom, peach and green apple zest on the nose, lime and citrus acidity balance well the 10.6 g/l of residual sugar on the palate.
2021
Biddenden Vineyards
J Lohr, Riverstone Chardonnay, Monterey County, Arroyo Seco, California, USA, 2020
89
A good-value, old-school California Chardonnay boasting toasty hazelnut oak, a buttery mouthfeel and intense flavours of yellow peach, spiced apple and honeyed popcorn. Weighty, warm and rich but well balanced by citrus acidity, and a tasty match for caramelised artichoke and goats cheese tart.
2020
J LohrMonterey County
Mount Brown, Wild River Sauvignon Blanc, Waipara Valley, Canterbury, New Zealand, 2021
89
The label doesn't let on, but fruit for this entry-level wine is from a single vineyard, and the old riverbed has delivered good intensity and brightness of flavour: ripe guava, juicy sweet citrus and perky passion fruit acidity. The Estate Sauvignon Blanc and flagship Catherine's Block are also great buys.
2021
Mount BrownWaipara Valley
Spreitzer, Josef Spreitzer Riesling Trocken, Rheingau, Germany, 2021
89
A fresh and cheerful Rheingau Riesling featuring white blossom, Nashi pear and freshly sliced green apple on the nose; 15% of the wine was fermented in large barrels, giving it ripe citrus acidity and rounded peachy tone on the palate, followed by juicy melon on the finish.
2021
Spreitzer
Cramele Recas, Orange Natural Wine, Romania, Romania, 2021
91
An intriguing blend of Riesling, Muscat Ottonel, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio, this is an accessible introduction to the orange wine style. Made without added yeast or sulphur, it has a tangy fragrance of quince, citrus and a hint of vanilla, tannic structure and phenolic grip. Keenly priced.
2021
Cramele Recas
Domaine Montrose, 1701, Côtes de Thongue, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, 2020
92
Linear freshness, intense citrus zing and a persistent finish with lingering wild strawberry and pink grapefruit notes. Delivers much more than your average rosé: great definition of flavour, a strong mineral backbone, and nuances of raw nuts imparted by partial ageing in oak. Elegant and very enjoyable.
2020
Domaine MontroseCôtes de Thongue
Fattoria Le Pupille, RosaMati, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 2021
91
This classy 100% Syrah rosé is mostly fermented in stainless steel, with 10% in used tonneaux. Delicate copper-pink in hue, its blackcurrant and red fruit scents with hints of citrus and peach lead to a fresh and subtly creamy and stony palate of delicate red fruits and a touch of spice. Long, fresh and mineral.
2021
Fattoria Le PupilleToscana
Domaine St-Amant, Grangeneuve, Beaumes de Venise, Rhône, France, 2018
93
Beaumes de Venise is famous for its sweet wine, but this family estate located high in the Dentelles de Montmirail in the southern Rhône produces mainly dry red. This is a new listing, a blend of 50% Grenache with 30% Syrah and 10% each of Carignan and Viognier. It's gorgeous – generous and yet fresh, with dark fruit, some savoury meatiness, and a hint of iodine. The oak influence is restrained, from 10 months age in 30-year-old oak vats. Great value and drinking beautifully.
2018
Domaine St-Amant
Kumeu River, Village Pinot Noir, North Island, New Zealand, 2021
92
Like biting into a ripe red cherry, this unoaked Pinot emphasises youthful sweet prettiness, but is kept from being confected by fresh raspberry acidity, sappy fruit tannins and a savoury leafy edge. Exceptional value; serve slightly cool. From the Ray's Road vineyard in Hawke's Bay and Kumeu estate plots.
2021
Kumeu River
Lidl, Poncho Criollo Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, 2021
92
In value for money terms, this is the standout red in Lidl’s New World Wine Tour. Made by the respected producer Finca Flichman, this Malbec is modest in alcohol, with beguiling and fleshy ripe plum and black cherry fruit and a touch of dark chocolate. There’s a lovely clarity and purity to this – uber-drinkable, it would be a great party wine choice.
2021
Lidl
Ross Hill, Family Series Jacks Lot Shiraz, Orange, New South Wales, Australia, 2019
92
A fragrant and fresh Shiraz, flirting with Pinot Noir styling in its rose and cherry-scented nose. Firm, poised tannins, vibrant acidity and subtle spiciness give the wine its exceptional drive and support the crunchy red plum, cherry and red apple peel flavours. Hazelnut shell and strawberry jam notes add nuance and expressiveness.
2019
Ross HillOrange
El Garbi, Tinto, Terra Alta, Spain, 2021
91
A fresh juicy Garnacha Tinta (with 5% of Garnacha Blanca) grown sustainably in cool Terra Alta. El Garbi is the warm African wind that blows through the vineyard. Vibrant red fruit on the palate; pure and mineral, with bright acidity to balance soft tannins. Judicious ageing (seven months in used French oak) adds hints of spice. Lovely match for a plate of charcuterie.
2021
El Garbi
Lidl, Cabernet Franc Gran Reserva, Colchagua, Chile, 2020
91
This is just what you want from a New World Cabernet Franc: the ripe blackcurrant fruit associated with Cabernet, with the green pepper crunchiness that Franc adds. Warming and ripe but with freshness. In stores while stocks last, as it’s part of the New World Wine Tour. AW
2020
Lidl
Basilisco, Teodosio, Aglianico del Vulture, Basilicata, Italy, 2019
90
Planted at 500m above sea level on the area's typical volcanic soils, the Aglianico vines produce this bold, jammy black cherry red wine, offering an undertone of savoury earth and stoninness. Herbal licks and a splash of tar and chocolate on the finish make this a surprisingly complex and moreish drop given the price.
2019
BasiliscoAglianico del Vulture
Loacker, Schwarhof Morit, St Magdalener, Classico, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy, 2020
89
The St Magdalener Classico denomination of Alto Adige produces some of the region’s most delicious reds. Majority Schiava, with 15% Lagrein and a dash of Pinot Nero, this is beautifully fragrant, full of sweet wild strawberry and raspberry fruits and a swirl of caramel. Fresh acidity and great precision. Charming.
2020
LoackerSt Magdalener
Michael Opitz, Buddy Talk Red, Burgenland, Austria, 2019
89
Approachable and fun, this blend of Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and Roesler is a burst of red berries and crunchy orchard fruits. A hint of dried herbs adds complexity and texture. Soft yet lifted, with an acid undercurrent throughout. As the name suggests, this is the ideal companion for a relaxed chat with friends. Best enjoyed slightly chilled.
2019
Michael Opitz
Vida Estates, Pinot Noir, PGI Danube Plain, Northern Region - Danubian Plain, Bulgaria, 2019
89
This is a Pinot Noir from the Danube Plain of Bulgaria with limited production of only 300 bottles. Pale garnet in colour, it has a nose of canned red cherry, dried cranberry and dried rose petals with a hint of earthy herbs. Mineral attack leads to spiced strawberry jam on the palate, backed by soft tannins. Good acidity, quite warm on the finish. A ripe, pleasing red wine perfect for BBQs.
2019
Vida Estates
