£6.49, Aldi
After this year's biting spring frosts in Marlborough, there aren't going to be many New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs at this price for long – certainly not of this quality. It's dry, zingy and springy with textbook elderflower, gooseberry, passion-fruit, lime and currant-leaf flavours, none of them overpowering or out of kilter. Even if your thoughts were edging towards something more wintry, it's worth taking advantage of this while you can.
It's part of Aldi's Specially Selected range and the producer, Wairau River Wines, uses grapes from its Homeblock Vineyard, together with 12% from Awatere Valley. Some batches were fermented on oak chips, which can be death to Sauvignon Blanc – in fact, to any wine – but it's been done sensitively to add just enough texture and weight to what can, after all, be a jarringly angular grape variety at entry level.
It goes well with the intensity of roast tomatoes and peppers, herby, tomatoey and green bean salads, goat's cheese, ceviche and seafood, including smoked mussels (not the oily, tinned variety) with homemade mayo. 13%
Freeman's Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020, New Zealand
£6.49, Aldi
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