May's Recommendations
We rate our wines out of a 100-points scale.
Our reviews and recommendations are completely independent and we do not have any commercial affiliation with the importers and/or retailers listed.
Please note that prices are correct at the time of our tastings/reviews but are subject to change without us being notified.
Sparkling
Wine of the Month!!
Champagne Ayala Le Blanc de Blancs 2012 - 96pts
Champagne, France, Sparkling White, 12% abv, natural cork closure
100% Chardonnay
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, caviar or hard cheeses.
Simply put, this is a quite sensational champagne which is layered, complex and utterly delicious. The nose reveals notes of light apples and nuts with subtle bakery aromas from the yeast autolysis. The palate is elegant and saline with a really long, cashew and apple finish. Excellent.
£52.45 available from The Whiskey Exchange
Read our interview with Caroline Latrive, Chef de Cave of Ayala, in which she talks extensively about this very special cuvée
Philipponnat Royale Réserve Brut NV - 93pts
Champagne, France, Sparkling White, 12% abv, natural cork closure
65% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 5% Meunier
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif or dim-sum.
Quite a restrained aroma of apple and redcurrant with a very elegant palate with crisp green apple acidity and a long, persistent finish with notes of brioche and apple pastries. Very long and very good.
£38 available from Justerini & Brooks
Schloss Vollrads Rheingau Riesling Sekt Brut 2016 - 90pts
Rheingau, Germany, Sparkling White, 12.5% abv, natural cork closure
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, sushi or Chinese food.
Pale colour with subtle aromatics of lemon sherbet, quince and apples with a hint of ripe, sweet honeydew melon on the just off-dry finish with tight, crisp, focused acidity.
for information on price and stockist please contact the producer - schlossvollrads.com
Value choice of the Month
Co-op Les Pionniers Brut NV - 92pts
Champagne, France, Sparkling White, 12.5% abv, natural cork closure
60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 15% Meunier
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, smoked salmon and sushi.
Made by Regis Camus at Piper-Heidsieck this fantastic fizz is packed full of elegant, autolytic biscuity flavours with a superb mousse, length, flavour and balance. Terrific value.
£18.99 available from the Co-op
Château de Riquewihr Crémant Brut Dopff & Irion NV - 88pts
Alsace, France, Sparkling White, 12% abv, natural cork closure
50% Pinot Blanc, 50% Pinot Auxerrois
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif or fish ceviche.
A light, fresh, floral wine with pretty lemon sherbet acidity and a good length. Attractive with orchard fruits on the finish.
£13.99 available from Dopff & Irion - dopff-irion.com
Aldi Organic Prosecco NV - 88pts
Veneto, Italy, Sparkling White, 11.5% abv, natural cork closure
100% Glera
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif and nuts.
Made by Regis Camus at Piper-Heidsieck this fantastic fizz is packed full of elegant, autolytic biscuity flavours with a superb mousse, length, flavour and balance. Terrific value. A very pretty Prosecco with lots of melon, apricot and ripe Conference pear flavours perfectly balanced by a frothy fizz and a just-off dry finish. Delicious and organic to boot.
£7.99 available from Aldi
Fox & Fox Essence Pure Chardonnay Brut 2014 - 92pts
East Sussex, England, Sparkling White, 11.5% abv, natural cork closure
100% Chardonnay
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif or dim-sum.
This has a distinctly yeasty, bready, brioche character to it with wonderful, apple acidity and a long, saline finish with notes of buttered toast and marmite. Characterful and delicious.
£39 available from Fox & Fox
Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel 2016 - 90pts
Stellenbosch, South Africa, Sparkling White, 12% abv, natural cork closure
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif.
Promising fresh lightly toasty aromas with appley notes. Good fruity palate with apple and peach flavours, a rich, nutty undertow and at the same time a delicate fine mousse and refreshingly crisp, dry finish in a satisfying whole.
£12.95 available from Lea & Sandeman (£11.95 in a case of 6)
Barone Pizzini Animante Extra-Brut NV - 90pts
Franciacorta, Italy, Sparkling White, 12% abv, natural cork closure
Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, white fish.
Floral, delicate and fresh in aroma, this Chardonnay-dominant Franciacorta blend from the excellent stable of Barone Pizzini shows delightful stone fruit flavours in its fine mousse of bubbles which finish on a savoury, almost salty dry note.
£23 available from Vintage Roots
Vranken-Pommery Louis Pommery NV - 91pts
Hampshire, England, Sparkling White, 12% abv, natural cork closure
Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay.
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, dressed crab.
The first English sparkling wine released by a Champagne house, Pommery’s Louis Pommery made at Hattingley Valley is impressively champagne-like with appley flavours, a fine mousse with a hint of biscuit to it and, distinguishing it from champagne, a telltale tangy appley bite to finish.
£34.95 available from Lea & Sandeman
Wine of the Month!!
Sugrue Cuvée Brendan O’Regan MV - 95pts
Sussex, England, Sparkling White, 12% abv, natural cork closure
60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir.
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, white fish.
An ouchy price perhaps, but this limited edition, multi-vintage prestige cuvée from Dermot Sugrue (also winemaker at Wiston Estate) is the bees’ knees: malty, rich and complex in aroma, intense, focused and creamy on the tongue with beautiful weight and balance and a steel-sharp blade of tangy acidity bringing serious finesse to the finish.
£79 available from Dermot Sugrue - www.dermotsugrue.com
Endrizzi Brut Trentodoc 2015 - 89pts
Trentino, Italy, Sparkling White, 12% abv, natural cork closure
Chardonnay, Pinot Nero.
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif.
Made by the Endrizzi family from the Champagne grapes, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this is a finely-crafted North Italian blend with a spicy aromatic note and delicious appley flavours that burst onto the tongue in a shower of full-flavoured bubbles, finishing elegantly dry.
£20.07 available from Tannico
Chateau Lumière Sparkling Koshu 2016 - 89pts
Yamanashi, Japan, Sparkling White, 11% abv, natural cork closure
100% Koshu.
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, sushi, shellfish.
One of two surprising sparkling wines made from Japan’s Koshu grape shown at our fizz festival (the other was the equally good Aruga Branca Brilhante), this traditional method fizz from Shigeki Kida shows a delicately refreshing, citrusy mousse and finishes on an appetisingly dry note.
£33.42 available from Amathus
Read our blog post on Japanese sparkling
Value choice of the Month
Josef Chromy Tasmanian Sparkling Cuvée Brut NV - 90pts
Tasmania, Australia, Sparkling White, 12% abv, natural cork closure
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier
Pairs nicely with: Oysters.
With 5% reserve wine in the blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, this Tassie fizz shows subtle aromatics, a fresh, crisp Cox’s appley mousse, with nice balance of ripe fruit flavour and fresh, tangy acidity.
£20.49 available from All About Wine
Read our blog post on how Tasmania has become the ‘new frontier’ for premium sparkling wines
Nyetimber Classic Cuvée MV - 92pts
Sussex and Hampshire, England, Sparkling White, 12% abv, natural cork closure
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier.
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, shellfish.
A multi-vintage blend of the three major champagne grapes, this is a super-toasty aromatic fizz showing deliciously mature, brioche and smokey notes in its expansive mousse of bubbles that coat the tongue with tangy apple and gently honeyed notes, finishing beautifully dry.
£28.86 available from Cambridge Wine Merchants
Case Paolin Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Spumante Brut NV - 90pts
Veneto, Italy, Sparkling White, 11.5% abv, natural cork closure
100% Glera
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, mezze, soft cheeses.
This wine will make you reconsider your expectations and preconceptions about Prosecco: forget plain juiciness; Caso Paolin’s Asolo Superiore shows complexity and texture with a broad structure sustaining ripe flavours of cooked apple, ripe pear and quince, with a touch of fennel. Lovely mineral aftertaste.
£16 available from WoodWinters
Sparkling Rosé
Coolhurst Vineyards Lady Elizabeth Rosé 2015 - 92 pts
West Sussex, England, Sparkling Rosé, 12% alc, natural cork closure
100% Pinot Noir
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif or seafood.
An attractive pale colour with pretty crunchy red fruits; think cranberries and rosehips with a poised, fruit-led palate and a suggestion of biscuit on the finish. Elegant, tight, pure and refreshing, this is currently like a coiled spring and can be enjoyed now or cellared for a number of years.
£42 available from Coolhurst Vineyards
Graham Beck ‘The Rhona’ Brut Rosé NV - 90 pts
Robertson, South Africa, Sparkling Rosé, 12% alc, natural cork closure
58% Pinot Noir, 42% Chardonnay
Pairs nicely with: Salmon sashimi.
A pretty mid-pink colour with lots of fruit and flavour; ripe creamy, soft red fruits with strawberry and cherry notes. Attractive mousse, balance and a good mouth-filling length. Great value.
£10 available from Marks & Spencer
Philipponnat Royale Réserve Rosé NV - 93pts
Champagne, France, Sparkling Rosé, 12% abv, natural cork closure
75% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay, 5% Meunier
Pairs nicely with: Tuna, sushi, smoked salmon.
A beautiful salmon pink colour with a restrained nose of red fruit and a long crunchy, tight palate with a raspberry crumble finish. Very, very long.
£45 available from Justerini & Brooks
Selborne Rosé Brut NV - 89pts
Hampshire, England, Sparkling Rosé, 12% abv, natural cork closure
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, smoked salmon.
There’s just 10% Pinot Noir in this Chardonnay-dominant blend but it brings a delicate blush and a note of raspberry fruit to an intensely flavoured fizz, whose weight, texture and complexity make it a deliciously tangy summer’s day sparkler.
£29.99 available from Majestic Wine (Mix six price £24.99)
Black Chalk Wild Rose 2016 - 91pts
Hampshire, England, Sparkling Rosé, 12% abv, natural cork closure
Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay.
Pairs nicely with: Salmon, aperitif.
Blending the three Champagne grape varieties together, this stylish Hampshire fizz from ex-Hattingley Valley winemaker Jacob Leadley, is redolent of summer pudding fruit with a precise, creamy mousse of bubbles that explode on the tongue with a refreshing tang of acidity.
£34.95 available from SJ Wines