50 sent

50 wines under £50

Being able to put great wines under the £50 mark on your list is the bread and butter of every sommelier. We asked 50 different corkscrew jockeys for their top tips, then Clinton Cawood and a team of Imbibe tasters put their recommendations to the test

It’s always nice to have a few trophies on your wine list. But pretty much wherever you are, in business terms, sub-£50 is where it’s at – particularly with a sickly economy. Anecdotally, it has become an upper limit for many corporate budgets, and the pressure is undoubtedly on sommeliers to ensure that wines around this price point overdeliver. So to cut through the mountains of rubbish we decided to inaugurate our first ever 50/50 tasting.

We asked 50 sommeliers to nominate one wine each at under £15 (ex-VAT) to leave us with 50 wines that should all make it onto a list under £50. These were then evaluated by a team of sommeliers at Green’s Restaurant in Cornhill, London.

Knowing that their peers had made the selections added an extra dimension – and expectations were high. Overall, the wines delivered and average scores were particularly high.

the panel

Irek Bialek, Green’s Restaurant Luigi Buonanno, Etrusca Clinton Cawood, Imbibe Olivier Gasselin, Bluebird Mikaël Hannequin, Le Boudin Blanc Mike Harrison, Hotel du Vin Chris Losh, Imbibe Mathias Negro, Alain Ducasse Igor Sotric, China Tang at The Dorchester Agustin Trapero, The Randolph Hotel

HOW IT WORKS

Fifty sommeliers were asked to nominate one wine each that was possible to list for £50 (in the region of £15 ex-VAT trade price, with some exceptions made for price changes since the latest budget, as well as for the one fortified wine submitted). These wines were then evaluated blind by a team of sommeliers, resulting in an overall percentage score. Tasters used the entire percentile scale when scoring the wines and those that gained scores above 60 are listed below.

RESULTS

WHITE

86 L’Inattendu 2007, Clos du Gravillas, AOC Minervois Blanc, Languedoc, France
Nominated by: Roberto della Pietra, Gauthier at Lindsay House
Universally praised by tasters, and thought by many to be a good by-the-glass contender. ‘Lime characters. Still young and light, with crisp, refreshing acidity.’ MHar
‘Lavender, honey and grapefruit – not instantly appealing, but it grows on you. A grown-up wine, and unquestionably elegant.’ CL
£14.92, Les Caves de Pyrène, 01483 538820

83 Naiades 2007, Bodegas Naia, Rueda, Spain
Nominated by: Jayne Raffles, Raffles Restaurants
A good wine, with a bit of class. Would deliver well for the money on a list.’ CL
‘Ripe, tropical, tangerine and new oak, with good acidity.’ IB
£14, Boutinot, 0161 908 1300

83 Arcane 2007, Château de Fosse-Seche, Saumur Blanc AOC, France
Nominated by: Laure Patry, Maze
‘Nice, lemon sherbet character, as well as riper nectarine. Even riper on the palate, with more nectarine, peach, with some acidity too. Big and bold.’ CC
‘Ripe nose, floral, smooth and quite rich, balanced by good acidity.’ LB
£11.45, Top Selection, 020 7499 4440

81 Rully 1er Cru Le Cloux 2006, Vincent Dureuil-Janthial, Burgundy, France
Nominated by: Donald Edwards, Le Bouchon Breton
‘Fig and peach aromas with a fine lactic note. On the palate it’s a creamy and milky texture with toasty notes, with tropical fruit character. Very good balance.’ AT
‘Gentle toast, creaminess, roasted almonds, exotic fruit, guava, mango, with ripeness and depth.’ OG
£13.08, OW Loeb, 020 7234 0385

80 Hugel Tradition Gewurztraminer 2006, Alsace, France
Nominated by: Thomas Sorcinelli, The Ritz
‘A good expression of stone fruit with touches of ginger. On the palate it changes enormously, with orange, mango, candy and spice flavours. Fine and elegant.’ AT
‘Lychee aromas, with a honeyed character. Quite versatile as a food wine.’ CC
£12.85, Soho Wines, 020 7436 9736

79 Domaine Daniel Dampt 2007, Chablis Vielle Vignes, Burgundy, France
Nominated by: Dominique Raclin, Dans Le Noir
‘Lemon and Granny Smith apple. Interesting finish, with lime, figs, and a bit of zing.’ IS
‘White blossoms, smooth palate balanced by good acidity and quite a long finish.’ LB
£7.95, Oenotek , 07894 173284

79 Terracotta Semillon 1999, Meerea Park, Hunter Valley, Australia
Nominated by: Rupert Taylor, Trinity
‘Complex nose, with candied fruit, chamomile, honey. Smooth and juicy, with very good acidity.’ LB
‘Aromatic, pleasant aromas of pineapple and butter. On the palate it opens up with banana and melon flavours. A good balance and toasty aromas.’ AT
£9.25, Premium Wine Collections, 01603 427554

78 Domaine Fichet Bourgogne Blanc 2007, Vieilles Vignes, Meursault, France
Nominated by: Paolo Brammer, ETM Group
‘Accurate, pure fruit-driven nose – a bit zesty and a bit minty. Lemony palate – it works all the way.’ MHan
‘Sweet fruit with a bit of smoky punch behind. Fresh but with nice weight. Cream, elderflower, leesy.’ CL
£12.08, Goedhuis, 020 7793 7900

78 The Contours Riesling Museum Reserve 2003, Pewsey Vale, Australia
Nominated by: Roger Jones, The Harrow at Little Bedwyn
‘Bright, intense, lots of depth and citrus fruit, with a touch of exotic fruit.’ OG
‘Intense, pronounced nose, green character – lime and apple. Pungent. Rich and full.’ IS
£10.30, Negociants, 01582 462 859

77 Muscat Blanc 2006, Château Megyer, Tokaji, Hungary
Nominated by: Robert Tozser, Butlers Wharf Chop House
‘Citrus aromas – lime, lemon. Good mouthfeel, balance and good length.’ AT
‘Very intense, elegant, defined, ripe exotic fruit. Lychee, spices, ripe fresh flinty and exotic.’ OG
£9.20, Malux, 0845 094 8715

77 Sauvignon St Bris 2007, Clotilde Davenne, Chablis, France
Nominated by: Hamish Anderson, The Tate Group
‘A bright nose, with great intensity, stonefruit and white flowers. Ripe and round in terms of minerality and balanced with fine acidity. Lots of finesse and complexity.’ OG ‘Peach, floral, dry palate, clean, supple and with refreshing acidity.’ LB
£9.33, Sommelier’s Choice, 020 8689 9643

77 Neudorf Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Nelson, New Zealand
Nominated by: James Rylett Hocking, The Vineyard at Stockcross
‘Attractive lemon, honey, currant-bush nose. Soft, round and versatile on the palate.’ CL
‘Very well made, with a creamy, fresh nose, good fruit, and a long finish. A good partner for Asian food.’ MHar
£11.53, Clark Foyster Wines, 020 8567 3731

75 Sylvaner Köfererhof 2005, Alto Adige, Italy
Nominated by: Olivier Gasselin, Bluebird
‘Ripe, aromatic, tropical fruit – tangerines. Excellent.’ IB
‘Rich, honeyed and fleshy. Could do with a touch more acidity, but I really like the apricot/honey character.’ CL
£12.72, Les Caves de Pyrène, 01483 538820

75 Mercurey Blanc 2008, Domaine Michel Juillot, Burgundy, France
Nominated by: Sarah Guignard, The French Table
‘Discreet on the nose, fuller on the mouth, with flinty, fry fruit and good length.’ MN
‘Expressive aromas, a touch of apple, and clean acidity.’ CC
£14.10, H&H Bancroft, 020 7232 5440

74 Laborum Torrontés 2008, El Porvenir de los Andes, Cafayate, Salta, Argentina
Nominated by: Kelvin McCabe, Roka
‘Apply, zesty – excellent fruity style. The palate’s lively and fruit-driven’ MHan
‘Very aromatic, with good intensity.’ MN
£9.40, Hispamerchants, 020 8740 4556

74 Santorini Assyrtiko 2007, Domaine Sigalas, Greece
Nominated by: Andrea Briccarello, Galvin Restaurants
‘Elderflower and pineapple – a fantastic bouquet. Very exotic. On the palate, a soft and creamy texture.’ MHan
‘Good minerality, with some bitterness on the finish – a food wine.’ MN
£8.75, Fields, Morris & Verdin, 020 7819 0360

73 Dauvergne & Ranvier 2008, Côtes du Rhône Blanc, France
Nominated by: Christine Parkinson, Hakkasan
‘Intense flavour, very floral – violets and lillies. Tropical fruit, youthful and fresh, buzzing with excitement. Stonefruit and tropical fruit.’ IS
‘Melon and grapefruit characteristics.’ AT
£7.90, Wine Story, 07921 770691

73 Nahe Riesling Trocken 2007, Schäfer Fröhlich, Germany
Nominated by: Robert Giorgione, consultant
‘Peaches, with nice punchy acidity, but a slightly curt finish. Could do with a bit more time to fatten up.’ CL
‘Much more fruit on the palate – some sherbet/pear-drop character.’ MHar
£8.45, The Wine Barn, 01256 391211

69 Sutor Chardonnay 2007, Vipava Valley, Slovenia
Nominated by: Igor Sotric, China Tang
‘Coconut, lemon and mango notes.’ CC
‘Mineral, white blossoms, dry palate – fresh and citrusy.’ LB
£14.82, Astrum, 020 8870 5252

68 Polish Hill Riesling 2009, Clare Valley, Australia
Nominated by: Jules Watson, consultant
‘Citrus, with good richness and mouthfeel, and good tannins.’ IB
‘Nice vegetal type of white – relaxed with a great oaky nose, and a delicate and feminine palate. The fruit fades away, leaving the freshness.’ MHan
£15.04, Liberty, 020 7720 5350

66 Thierry Germain Saumur Insolite 2008, France
Nominated by: Mathias Negro, Alain Ducasse
‘Good intensity. Aromatic, with nice full body, minerality, and long length.’ MN
‘Punchy on the palate, with sweet fruit behind the acidity. Showy, but falls off somewhat on the palate.’ CL
£13.57, Les Caves de Pyrène, 01483 538820

RED

88 Chryseia Post Scriptum 2006, Douro, Portugal
Nominated by: Joris Beijn, Andaz Hotel
‘Complex on the nose, with violet and cherry characters. Black pepper, vanilla, round and smooth on the palate, with ripeness supported by good acidity.’ LB
‘Black fruit with vanilla and oak. Leather and spice. Nutmeg.’ IS
‘Oaky, with good dark fruit – liquorice and blackcurrant. Ripe, rich and fine-grained.’ CC
£13.29, Fells, 01442 870900

87 Delta Pinot Noir 2008, Marlborough, New Zealand
Nominated by: Michael Sharpe, Sycamore House Restaurant
‘Very classic. Strawberry soft red fruit, and full on the palate.’ MHar
‘Aromatic, cherry, clove, spice. Very good fruit and intensity.’ IB
£9.07, Liberty, 020 7720 5350

84 Vincent Dureuil-Janthial Rully Rouge 2007, Burgundy, France
Nominated by: Irek Bialek, Green’s
‘Red fruit, with a smoky character. Burgundian.’ IS
‘Nice bright fruit, with good acidity and vibrance on the palate. Redcurrants and ripe red fruit.’ CC
£17.83, Thorman Hunt, 020 7735 6511

83 Christine 2006, Buitenverwachting, Constantia, South Africa
Nominated by: Mike Harrison, Hotel du Vin
‘Cedar wood, cigar box, crunchy red berries – powerful Bordeaux-blend style. Good integrated oak and fine-grained tannins.’ MHar
‘Pleasant on the nose, with smoke and good fruit.’ MN
£11.28, Berkmann, 020 7609 4711

82 Balnaves Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Coonawarra, Australia
Nominated by: Alain Lee, Harvey Nichols
‘Full, rich, deep and spicy. Full, intense.’ MN
‘Minty nose. Intense and brooding. Deep red berry fruits, and refreshing acidity. Needs a bit of time, and steak.’ MHar
£15.04, Liberty, 020 7720 5350

81 Rosso Di Montalcino 2007, Sesti, Italy
Nominated by: Emily O’Hare, The River Café
‘Nice and ripe, with a very smooth palate and good length.’ MN
‘Floral, aromatic, violets and red fruit. This needs a chunk of beef to calm it down. Nice savoury/mineral core to it.’ CL
£14.58, Goedhuis, 020 7793 7900

81 Cederberg Shiraz 2007, South Africa
Nominated by: Stephane Sanchez, Hotel du Vin
‘Pepper, spice, leather and black fruit. Good, juicy fruit, and good balance.’ IB
‘Seductive nose made of concentrated black fruit, vanilla and a bit of liquorice. The palate is jammy, with good structure.’ MHan
£11.65, H&H Bancroft, 020 7232 5440

81 Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha 2007, Campo de Borja, Spain
Nominated by: Garry Clark, The Chester Grosvenor
‘Great, interesting, with lots of soft velvety tannins.’ MN
‘Sweet ripe fruit on the palate, with liquorice character, balanced tannins and fruit, with refreshing acidity.’ MHar
£7.04, Boutinot, 0161 908 1300

80 Château Grivière 2002, Médoc Cru Bourgeous, France
Nominated by: Gergely Barsi Szabo, Le Bouchon Breton
‘Good expression, with green and spicy character. Herbaceous forest fruit. Dominant palate – impressive.’ IS
‘Nice rose and strawberry aromas, and really accessible on the palate. Blueberry, blackberry, and some tannin. Really interesting.’ CC
£12.25, H&H Bancroft, 020 7232 5440

78 Cairanne Côtes du Rhône-Villages AC 2006 Cuvée Prestige, Domaine de l’Oratoire St-Martin, France
Nominated by: David Vareille, Bar Boulud, Mandarin Oriental
‘Nicely restrained on the nose, and then much fuller on the palate, with some black fruit.’ CC
‘Raisins, fruit cake, and a bit herbaceous. Vanilla – maybe just a bit too sweet.’ IS
£9.80, Vine Trail, 0117 921 1770

77 Rocca Rubia 2006, Carignano del Sulcis Riserva, Santadi, Italy
Nominated by: Luigi Buonanno, Etrusca
‘Red fruit and dry petal aromas. Spicy on the palate, with plum flavours. Complex and well balanced.’ AT
‘Very spicy, earthy, coarse and vegetal, with very dark berry fruit and a minty character. Needs some time.’ OG
£12.80, Enotria, 020 8961 4411

76 Ro Rée 2007, Louis Chèze, St-Joseph, France
Nominated by: Olivier Marie, Coq d’Argent
‘Cured ham and spices coming through; very complex, with a rich palate and very mineral indeed. The tannins are strong and rustic in style. A great complex bottle of wine.’ MHan
‘Big, spicy brett-fest – like visiting an Italian delicatessan.’ CL
£15.28, Champagnes & Châteaux, 020 7326 9655

76 Astrolabe Voyage Pinot Noir 2007, Marlborough, New Zealand
Nominated by: Phillipe Loiseau, Yauatcha
‘Light, youthful, happy – great as a wine by the glass.’ IS
‘Aromatic and perfumed on the nose, with red plum and lactic aromas. Palate is round and meaty, with fruit and spice.’ AT
£11.60, Ellis of Richmond, 020 8744 5550

75 Dolcetto d’Alba Bricco 2006, Mascarello Giuseppe E Figlio, Italy
Nominated by: Agustin Trapero, The Randolph Hotel
‘Vegetal, blackcurrants, earthy and spicy. Big tannins.’ OG
‘Perfumed and elegant. Rich on the palate, with some good tannins as well. Oak’s a bit out of place, though.’ CC
£14.39, Winetraders, 01993 848777

73 St Pantaleon Les Vignes 2005, Domaine Gigondan, Côtes du Rhône-Villages, France
Nominated by: Laurent Chaniac, The Cinnamon Club
‘Prunes and red berries; good on the palate.’ LB
‘Dry flowers on the nose, and black fruit and cherry flavours on the palate.’ AT
‘Elegant, good fruit, incisive, with wild berries and spice. Broad and ripe on the palate.’ OG
£9.78, Vinothentic, 020 7354 1994

72 Mancini Pesaro Sangiovese 2007, Colli Pesaresi DOC, Italy
Nominated by: Mark Deamer, consultant
‘Lavender, thyme – feminine on the palate. Soft with hints of rose and violette.’ MHan
‘Vibrant and fresh. Crisp, refreshing acidity and good length.’ MHar
£9.23, Berkmann, 020 7609 4711

72 Petalos 2007, Descendientes de José Palacios, Bierzo, Spain
Nominated by: Martin Lam, Ransome’s Dock
‘Red berries, clove and leather; quite complex and good on the palate. Balanced by good acidity and fairly ripe tannins.’ LB
‘Rustic, with spice, white pepper, herbaceous on the nose. Good balance. Some smoky, baked notes.’ IS
£10.25, Fields, Morris & Verdin, 020 7819 0360

70 Beaune 2004, Montagny, Burgundy, France
‘Foxy nose, gamey and mineral.’ LB
‘Farmyard, in a big way. Some delicate characteristics on the palate, however – lifted, with gentle red fruit, and nice tannic structure.’ CC
£11.51, Oenotek, 07894 173284

70 Les Pensées de Pallus 2007, Chinon, Loire, France
Nominated by: Erica Laler, Texture
‘Strawberry and cherry aromas. Toasty bread notes.’ AT
‘Juicy plummy fruit, with sweet spices, intense, earthiness, vegetal, sweet and sour, juicy fruit.’ OG
£9.75, H2Vin, 01737 355765

68 Domaine Henri Prudhon Le Ban 2008, St-Aubin, Burgundy, France
‘Delicate fruit, but a bit underripe and vegetal.’ OG
‘Restrained on the nose. Really acidic, with some unripe fruit. Nice enough with the right food.’ CC
£12.52, Oenotek, 07894 173284

68 Altas de Ruesca Garnacha 2008, Calatayud, Spain
Nominated by: Peter McCombie MW, consultant
‘Spicy raspberry fruit. Punchy structure, and there’s a hint of leafiness to add to the freshness.’ CL
‘Hot and spicy, with a lot of fruit, and good balance.’ MN
£6.66, Bibendum, 020 7449 4120

67 Rioja Reserva 2004, Bodegas Lan, Spain
Nominated by: Richard Brooks, Caroline Catering
‘Old school – spice and smoke, but a bit thin on the palate.’ MHar
‘Leathery cigarbox, then bitter cherry fruit. Attractive, with a nice savoury core behind the ripe fruit.’ CL
£10.65, H&H Bancroft, 020 7232 5440

63 Rosso Di Montalcino 2005, Ferrero, Tuscany, Italy
Nominated by: Davide Vaccarini, The Latymer
‘Smooth ripe tannins, vanilla aftertaste, good in general, with good length.’ LB
‘Black fruit aromas followed by some farmyard notes. Cherry, chocolate, and some vegetal notes.’ AT
£10.39, Trywines, 01635 529136

62 Les Armières 2001, Domaine de la Garance, Vin de Pays de l’Hérault, France
Nominated by: Nicolas Clerc, Le Pont de la Tour
‘Oxidative character. On the palate, spice and vanilla flavours. Shows some complexity.’ AT
£9.19, Richard Walford, 01780 460451

Also tasted: Conde de Valdemar Reserva 2004, Rioja, Spain

FORTIFIED

92 Harveys Palo Cortado, Jerez, Spain
Nominated by: Maria Rodriguez, Moti Mahal
‘Classic oxidative sherry – great fruit characters, with caramel and hazelnut. Great intensity of nose and palate. Awesome value.’ MHar
‘Salted hazelnut and caramel, served with a lime wedge. Stunning. Finish is very dry, salty and pungent. Very food friendly, with such a dry, smoky, salty palate.’ CL
£16.85/50cl, Maxxium UK, 01786 430500

Many thanks to Green’s Restaurant in Cornhill, London for hosting the tasting.

Conclusions

In spite of some particularly high standards on the part of the panellists, wines still scored highly.
The white wine selection was held in much higher regard than the reds, being considered more consistent overall.
There were some excellent examples in the red flight, but there were also a number that were characterised by brettanomyces, or were thought too young.
Most panellists thought that a number of wines were good value at this price point, and would consider listing a number of them.
Predictably, 19 of the wines submitted were from France. Only 10 hailed from the New World.
The one fortified wine in the tasting scored higher than any other wine. No sparkling or rose wines were submitted.

Panel comments

IREK BIALEK, GREEN'S RESTAURANT
‘On the reds, there were one or two that were too young, but most were OK in their development. In general, these were chosen by sommeliers, so they were gentler, more food-friendly – they weren’t over-extracted. You really need to offer value for money at this price point. We sell just below £50 nowadays – and maybe now even lower at £35 – £45. People in the city are more likely to spend at those price points.’

LUIGI BUONANNO, ETRUSCA
‘It was good, but maybe the toughest tasting we’ve done because we chose the wines. You discover the personality of the sommelier like that. Most of the wines I tried had potential, and I saw differences in style and region, which is a good thing. The downside was there was a lack of balance, and green tannin, but most are food wines, and that’s good. I was expecting more ready-to-drink wines, and I found some of the reds aggressive. I’d list some of these – maybe more whites than reds.’

CLINTON CAWOOD, IMBIBE
‘The best thing about this selection was undoubtedly the overall food-friendliness. This, however, meant that the red flight was harder going than it might have been otherwise. The white wines, on the other hand, really delivered for the price point, and were varied and interesting. Overall, the standard was particularly high – there’s undoubtedly good value under £50.’

OLIVIER GASSELIN, BLUEBIRD
‘This was a sommelier tasting with sommelier wines. It proves that sommeliers are into more interesting grapes. In the reds there was a whole series of bad wines, whereas in the whites, they showed more variety, with Gewurtztraminer, Riesling, etc. I thought the reds were mostly ready to drink. I only wrote for one that it needed some time. On the contrary – I thought some had too much age.’

MIKAEL HANNEQUIN, LE BOUDIN BLANC
‘I thought they would all be fantastic. At this price point it’s easier for whites than for reds. Acidity in the whites was consistent – I was amazed with the white wine – in the reds it was a bit more up and down. Some were too rustic, farmy, but there was complexity too.’

MIKE HARRISON, HOTEL DU VIN
‘If the wine companies had been asked, it would’ve been really different. Wines submitted from the trade would’ve been more opulent. They’re a bit more open. The ones that did show well are the ones with some maturity that can be served by the glass. Those submitting wines could have really gone out of their comfort zone for this – to Greece, Portugal. I would’ve liked to see some aromatic wines from England. Some of the reds overdelivered, but I also thought I didn’t see enough on the food friendliness.’

CHRIS LOSH, IMBIBE
‘The fact that all of these wines were picked by sommeliers made a big difference. Even the wines that I didn’t particularly like on their own, I could still see how they would work with food. There was a pretty wide variety of stuff sent in – though not as much Italian as I might have expected, given the submitters. The best wines had a real seamlessness to them, with the most common fault usually a certain toughness of structure or a tragic liking for brett.’

MATHIAS NEGRO, ALAIN DUCASSE
‘It was a difficult tasting – they’re all nice, but a few of them were on the top. There was consistency on the reds, and diversity on the whites. I’d definitely list some of these. Some are already on my list, in fact. These could all work – in some places they’d be at the top of the list, while on others they’d be in the middle. But they could all find a place. Quite a few in the food style.’

IGOR SOTRIC, CHINA TANG AT THE DORCHESTER
‘I preferred the whites to the reds. The whites here were amazing, while the reds were either too young, or rustic, spicy characters. In the whites I liked the selection – there were some quite intense, pronounced, fresh, excellent, happy glasses. At this price point you want something where the customer thinks “I’ll have a second glass.”’

AGUSTIN TRAPERO, THE RANDOLPH HOTEL
‘Overall it was a good tasting – the whites in particular. There was nice Riesling, Chardonnay... good fruit and good food friendliness. Some of the reds were a bit boring. Three wines were so similar I thought “am I tasting the same wine?” It’s interesting to see some good value in Europe – I’m impressed that Europe can compete.’

Editorial feature from Imbibe Magazine – May/June 2010