Our Summer Sale offers savings of up to 30% on a selection of fine wines and spirits. Here, Victoria Bull from our Wine Buying team shares three of her favourites.

2019 Vouvray, Spring Sec, Vincent & Tania Carême, Loire

We’re Carême fans in my family. Vincent and Tania Carême truly understand the character and potential of Chenin Blanc, having made wine in both Vouvray and Tania’s native South Africa. We popped a bottle of their Brut for my grandmother’s 99^th birthday. It was joyful, crisp and uplifting; it delighted her. So it was with confidence that we later snapped up a bottle of the Spring – which is now a firm family favourite.

Here, there are wonderful aromas of fresh quince, baked apple and white peach. The palate has bright, strong acidity. There is a little richness to the body, and a slightly chalky feel from the limestone – making it perfect with a plate of parmesan biscuits for the six o’clock apéritif, and for more experimental food pairings. My grandmother turns 101 next month, so I’ll be getting us a case – at least.

2018 Bourgogne Aligoté, Domaine Marc Colin, Burgundy

This was one of the first wines I ever tried at Berry Bros. & Rudd. It was an unfortunate place to start – I now expect everything to be just as sensational. Aligoté is the “other” white grape of Burgundy, and it’s where to look when seeking excellent quality and value-for-money. Don’t confuse Aligoté with aligot, a rather pleasing French dish of cheesy mashed potatoes.

Marc Colin – who has now passed his domaine down to three of his children – seeks purity, elegance and length in his wines. This one certainly delivers. The bouquet is complex: plenty of squeezed lemon, some candied peel and a hint of wet sea-pebbles. These flavours are matched on the palate, along with striking acidity and a suitably round texture. There’s a satisfying, saline finish thanks to the old vines (two of the three parcels are over 70 years old) and thoughtful vinification. This wine is a sensational summer crowd-pleaser. It would be a very welcome guest at a long lunch – especially if paired with oysters.

2017 Pommard, Rugiens-Hauts, 1er Cru, Benjamin Leroux, Burgundy

Benjamin Leroux tells us that “happiness is no further than the edge of your feet”. You can feel Benjamin’s love for Burgundy in his wines. His intellectual and measured vinification methods focus on the individual expression of grape and terroir. A first-generation vigneron, he has created a masterful range of wines from all along the Côte d’Or; this is a superb example.

Pommard wines are traditionally known for their strong tannic structure, dark fruit and powerful, slightly savoury character. It’s no wonder that Victor Hugo described them as “night in combat with day”. But this wine has a little more softness and elegance. It comes from the Rugiens-Haut Premier Cru, which is just beside Rugiens, one of Pommard’s finest vineyards. You are immediately seduced by open, ripe red-cherry flavours and a sweet roundness on the palate. With a little patience, however, this wine will evolve into something truly remarkable.

Our Summer Sale ends at 11.59pm on Thursday 2nd September 2021.