If you love crisp, dry, appetising whites, you can’t do better than Muscadet. Having lost out in the past to the New World, its winemakers have been working extremely hard of late to win back consumers so quality and value have never been better.

Robert Parker described the Muscadet appellation’s wines as “probably the world’s greatest white wine value”, while wine writer Hugh Johnson said “I can think of nothing more refreshing”. The region is right on the Atlantic coast, so its wines are wonderfully evocative of the sea. You’ll taste that maritime freshness in this delicious white from fourth-generation winemaker Noël Bougrier. For a quintessentially French experience, serve chilled with a bowl of moules frites – mussels and French fries.

Bernard Moreau has been in charge of his small family domaine in the Mâconnais since 1982 and is now assisted by his son, Alex, as winemaker. It lies very close to a village called Chardonnay, just like the grape! For this white, they use fruit from their 60-year-old vines, planted on calcareous soils and with excellent sun exposure. This is the perfect formula for wine with depth and concentration.

Plus, 2022 whites are blessed with richness, body and ripeness, a generous year. Bernard tends his vines with the utmost care, using sustainable, eco-friendly methods. This results in a wine with a balance of creamy roundness, ripe pear, crisp minerality and finesse. Serve cellar cool with creamy sauced dishes to best enjoy its subtle flavour.

Cabalié’s popularity is down to a rare combination of imposing richness and easy-drinking smoothness.

Recreating that in white was no easy task. But Cabalié maestro Hervé Sabardeil has done it – years of searching, blending and hard work come to fruition in this, his ultimate expression of a southern French white.

The magical grape mix is Viognier for honeysuckle aroma and soft texture, Colombard to keep it all crisp and zesty, and Muscat for dazzlingly aromatic grapey notes.

And of course the other key ingredients are bright southern French sunshine, which ripens the grapes to perfection, and the Mediterranean breezes that keep them fresh and healthy.

Sample this fruity white in this handy taster size and you'll likely be back for more!

The Pic Saint-Loup was elevated to AOC status in 2016 in recognition of the region’s consistently outstanding wines. Named after the peak which bears the same name, the waters here are pristine, and the south-facing vineyards embrace the cool breezes of the Mediterranean.

La Closiere is an 80/20 split of the region’s iconic Syrah and Grenache. Small barrels are used for the Syrah (half of them new), while the Grenache is left to its own devices in larger 2,000L foudres. At 15% alcohol level, this is a hefty beast of a red but retains a beautiful elegance thanks to exquisite craftsmanship.

Château Lavabre La Closerie 2018 has been racking up some excellent scores from the world’s top wine critics…

“… a blockbuster bouquet of black fruits, camphor, graphite, ground pepper, and cured meats. With a touch more finesse and focus compared to the appellation release, it's full-bodied and has a beautifully balanced, concentrated, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish…”

“Blueberries, blackberries and licorice notes mark the nose, supported by hints of crushed stone and spicy oak. It's full-bodied and ripe but still balanced, with a more streamlined feel than the other Lavabre reds, along with silky tannins and a long, licorice-laden finish.”

“Opulent! Incredibly concentrated… Lots of sweetness but at the same time it isn't sweet. Fig molasses. Coal dust. Graphite. Caraway. Lots of texture on those tannins… Huge power and broad, glossy, muscled shoulders. Nothing understated about this wine."