£15.99, Naked Wines
Another winner from the inspiring, indomitable saviour of unloved and old vines, Katie Jones of Domaine Jones in the south of France. No wonder she was voted Winemaker of the Year 2022 by well over 40,000 Naked Wines customers.
She's better known for her sumptuous, dry red wines, but makes equally brilliant dry whites. This one, a blend of Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris (64:36), combines a delicate fragrance of fresh and dried flowers with a substantial, richly textured palate of citrus, apple and peach-accented fruit and a mouthwatering mineral streak. It's stainless steel-fermented and stays in tank for six months with a small amount (about 5%) in oak.
Serve lightly chilled, not ice cold, on its own or, even better, with food. It would go with chicken, pork, creamy fish pie, seafood lasagne, or fennel or spinach gratin or sformato. On a balmy day, I'd also be open to serving it with quickly seared lamb chops with rosemary, garlic and lemon wedges.
I enjoyed it recently with chicken marinated and baked with fennel, Seville orange and mustard and with juicy pork cutlets flavoured with juniper, rosemary and orange zest, the pan juices deglazed with tawny port and a splash of cream. And Katie recommends it with fish and chips. I'll go with that too. 13.5%
If you want to catch up with some of Katie's previous wines and vintages, I've written about her straight Grenache Gris, exceptionally rare Carignan Gris, rare Hairy Grenache, Fitou, and Me & Monsieur Jones, which she and her late husband made using one each of their vineyards.
Katie Jones Les Vignes Cachées 2021, Vin de France
£15.99 (Angel Price), £18.99 (market price), Naked Wines
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