Posh picnic wine and indulgent Champagne; six bottles to try in June

The Ham&High’s wine expert makes her recommendations for summer drinking

Bordeaux 2019 has been hitting the headlines, as châteaux finally released their wines after the traditional April campaign was put on hold by coronavirus.

Has it been worth waiting? Generally yes, as the vintage is highly regarded and prices are often well down on those for the 2018 offers.

Be wary, though, of leaping in regardless. The 2019s aren’t always bargains compared to current costs of fine earlier vintages, and styles vary – merlot-based wines can be very rich indeed, for example. So do some research or seek specialist advice.

Those are bottles for the future. For the here and now, let’s think small – half bottles for variety without excess. Louis Jadot Macon Blanc Villages 2018 (£9, Morrisons) is a classic – great smooth fruit, perfect posh picnic wine (take a corkscrew). Or, for something celebratory, Taittinger’s off-dry Nocturne NV champagne is an indulgent pleasure night or day. Buy it (£23.50) at champagnedirect.co.uk, specialist in delivering a huge choice of classic fizz – including a myriad more halves – to customers at ultra high speed.

Back to full-size bottles and wines of great food friendliness: fine dry rieslings.

From vines on the impossibly steep slate slopes lining the Mosel Clemens Busch crafts memorable examples, such as intense, complex Rothenpfad Reserve 2014 (£48). Or savour six different Busch rieslings in the Discovery Collection (£140, both from honestgrapes.co.uk).

Pewsey Vale in Australia’s cool Eden Valley challenges German riesling supremacy with great elegance in The Contours 2013 (£25, fieldandfawcett.co.uk, nywines.co.uk), from 50-year-old vines. Aged for five years before release, it will be a delight for decades ahead.

In total, cheeky contrast, for summer fun pop the cork of Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto d’Aqui 2018 (£17.75, weaverswines.com), soft, smart, lightly sweet red fizz.