South & South-West White
The South of France whites are always something of a curate’s egg for our tasters, with a wide range of styles and quality on offer, from sea-breeze Picpouls to oily Viogniers.
In the early stages the kick-out rate here is often quite high, but following careful sifting of the wheat from the chaff we often unearth some well-priced gems, and so it proved again this year, with the Viogniers in particular a hit with our tasters.
The two Savoie wines from Perrin were an affordable delight and fully deserving of places on many lists.
From The Tasting Teams
‘The Southern flight was a real mix of styles. Some were refreshing, some were massive, some were more fruit-bearing wines. But overall it was really good.’ Rémi Cousin, Le Gavroche
‘There’s a positive trend towards pleasantly increasing quality. The southern whites are finding their place and they deserve it.’ Filippo Pastorini, consultant
‘It’s funny that regional France doesn’t do as well as regional Italy does. Most of these were quite samey. Though some are better than house wines, at house wine prices.’ Martin Lam, team leader
‘Straightforward, clean, fresh and cheap, the Viogniers were everything you want from a wine. These could fit in on any wine list.’ Chiara Sieni, MM Grocery
‘The Viognier flight was an absolute delight. It’s a really good option for any wine bar, or for someone who wants something that works well with Asian food.’ Filippo Pastorini, consultant
‘I love Savoie! Overall, the region is making great wines. Fresh, balanced, with a long finish. These are good-quality, and you can easily sell them.’ Chiara Sieni, MM Grocery