With September being the harbinger for the return of native oysters to our tables, as well as the peak season for brown crab, Mylor prawns and brown shrimps, you need a white wine to perfectly match these maritime delicacies.
Eight wines from France, Chile, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa were assembled for a panel tasting comprising of a broad selection of grapes: Semillon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne, and Picpoul.
1 - Domaine Gaujal, Picpoul de Pinet 2025
Zesty and immensely drinkable. Bright, lively acidity with a fresh, energetic character that reminds you of citrus peel. But so much more. Fruity cherries arrive on the palate after the nose hints at lemons and peaches. Aromatic with a good length that delivers ripe pears on the finish. More has been ordered to sit in the fridge for the months ahead when fish is being served. Domaine Gaujal is a small, family-run estate with 25 hectares near Montpellier.
In the last ten years, Picpoul has transformed from a little-known grape into a sought-after white wine. The secret to Picpoul de Pinet’s popularity lies in its bright citrus and sea-breeze flavours, wallet-friendly price, and effortless pairing with seafood. Its lively, open character perfectly suits the rising appetite for lighter, unoaked whites.
£15.95 - Yapp - merchant link
2 - Château de Rochemorin 2023, Pessac-Leognan
A classic Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux. Smooth, serene, delicate with very balanced flavours of lemon and grapefruit sitting astride sufficient body, texture and balance to accompany a Dover sole meunière with aplomb. Old school and a delight to find a property making a wine of this quality for a sensible price.
£18.00 - Waitrose - on offer until 01-Sep - merchant link
3 - Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2025
Either my memory has faded, or Cloudy Bay has changed the formula for this wine. Admittedly, it is a couple of years since I last sampled this iconic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but this was surprisingly good. Aromatic fun with bucket loads of zest on the palate combining flavours of passion fruit, grapefruit, taut lemons, and pineapple. There is so much in the glass that shellfish might be overwhelmed here. A very well crafted, rustic tapenade combining finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes with capers, olives, basil, garlic and olive oil perched on toasted sourdough would be perfect. Waitrose have this on offer, but it is widely available from many sources.
£19.87 - Waitorse - on offer until 01-Sep - merchant link
