LAST WEEK: Top 10 Summer Rosés
NEXT WEEK: Top 10 Picnic wines
Tim Adams, Riesling, Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia 2006
Rieslings from Eden or Clare Valley are practically the epitome of summer drinking with their mineral-laced, limey flavours. This is such an example. The nose is ripe with just a touch of development and the palate is full of zesty, rounded citrus notes.
£8.19 Tesco
Cederberg, Sustainable Chenin Blanc, Cederberg, South Africa 2007 South Africa
Chenin Blanc is regarded as South Africa's signature white grape. This fine example won a trophy at this year's Decanter World Wine Awards, winning our judges over with its pungent, mineral aromas. It's bony dry but with a touch of pickle giving it real zing. Deliciously fresh.
£7.50 Waitrose
Malvira, Roero Arneis, Piedmont, Italy 2007
Piedmont is famed for its world class red wines such as Barolo. However it also does a very nice turn in elegant whites such as this gorgeous, creamy offering. Classy from start to finish, it displays beautiful mineral, lime and hay nuances.
£8.99 Waitrose
Stamford Brook, Viognier, South Eastern Australia 2007
 A good Viognier at an entry level price point is a difficult beast to track down. This wine could be the answer. It's tight and restrained with notes of apricot and honeysuckle on the nose. In the mouth there's palate-cleansing, fresh acidity supporting plenty of attractive apricot flavours. It finishes balanced and long with a mineral edge.
£5.99 Sainsbury's
Vavasour, The Reach Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2007
Vavasour boasts a great portfolio of wines, both red and white, as confirmed here. This is unmistakably NZ Sauvignon with a pronounced, grassy nose with green pepper and asparagus aromas. Similar notes are evident on the palate along with a tropical, passion fruit twist.
£7.99 Tesco
Bellingham, The Maverick Winemaker Chenin Blanc, Franschhoek, Coastal Region South Africa 2007
Another top-drawer Chenin Blanc from South Africa but delivered in a fuller, richer style. The nose is forthcoming and tropical with warm, vanilla and cream aromas. There are plenty of those rich, buttery and tropical mouth filling notes on the palate, too.
£8.99 Waitrose
Bodega Colomé, Torrontes, Calchaqui Valley, Salta 2007
While Chenin Blanc may be the signature white grape of South Africa, Torrontes is swiftly assuming a similar position in Argentina. One of those grapes that you can smell a mile off, this fine example has glorious, fragrant aromas of honeysuckle and orange, combining with mouth-filling, broad flavours of spice, orange and honey.
£7.99 Coe Vintners; everywine.co.uk; Charles Hennings Vintners; Handfords
Domaine Octavie, Sauvignon Blanc, Touraine, Loire, France 2007
Away from the more famous names of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé, this other Loire Valley region can produce some lovely whites of cracking value. This is crunchy and uplifting with a fresh cut apple nose and a blackcurrant, grapey, tight palate. It's polished off by a finish of decent length that offers up some interesting, savoury bay leaf notes.
£7.99 Thresher and Wine Rack; Charles Hennings Vintners; Daniel Lambert Wines; The Bristol Wine Company
Alvarez y Diez, Centellito Verdejo, Rueda 2007 Spain
Rueda in Spain is producing some vibrant, supremely tasty wines that will appeal to those who like their Loire or New Zealand Sauvignons. There's a subtle hint of oiliness here which gives the wine a nice texture. Atop of this is lots very nice clean fresh fruit that would go down a treat at any picnic
£5.99 Majestic
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This is a simply stunning realisation of the Riesling grape that picks up gold medals and trophies all over the world. The nose is imbued with a beautiful bouquet of honey (classic mature Riesling character) and the palate is pleasingly dry, flawless and elegant.
