Wine of the week: Josmeyer Mise du Printemps 2014

Who could resist a wine with a label like this at this time of year yet I ordered it before I’d even seen it.

It seemed like the perfect spring-like partner for the very light elegant food we were eating at Antidote restaurant in London where it was available by the glass: a crab and cucumber salad in my friend The Food Judge's case, asparagus with apple and avocado cream in mine.

I was sure it was a typically Alsacien combination of grape varieties maybe with a touch of riesling or muscat but surprisingly it turned out it was pinot blanc though I can't find out much more than that. Josmeyer's website is only giving background on the 2012 vintage. Anyway was just delightful: pretty, floral, gracefully aromatic - as the name suggests, the essence of spring.

The 2014 doesn’t seem to be widely available yet in the UK or the US - the only stockist I can find through wine-searcher.com is Decorum Vintners but it’s not actually listed on their site. I would call them - they say they’re ‘real people’ which is encouraging. I've also heard that Dynamic Vines stocks it at their Spa Terminus shop on Saturday mornings and Ministry of Drinks seem to have it - along with the 2013 vintage - too. But I'd go for the '14.

Wine of the week: Ataraxia Chardonnay 2013

Every so often (sadly not THAT often) you come across a wine on a wine list that’s so well priced you can’t quite believe it. Which is what happened to us last night at the St Vincent in Clifton.

It’s a world class South African chardonnay from the Hemel-en-aarde region -beautifully smooth and creamy with just a hint of that struck match character that makes Burgundy so beguiling.

At £12.50 for a 50cl carafe (nice to see it carafed by the way) goodness knows why it wasn’t selling. The South-African owners of the restaurant had apparently bought a large consignment which they were struggling to shift so were flogging if off by the glass. We had the last bottle so I’m afraid it’s all gone now. (Cue for unseemly gloating.)

We should by rights have drunk it with the grilled lobster they have on the menu but were were checking out their fixed price early evening menu (£12.75 for two courses: good for the money but there’s better food in Bristol to be honest.)

If you want to acquire some Ataraxia for yourself Butlers Wine Cellar of Brighton appears to have the best price at £18.99 a bottle, it's £19.50 at Stone, Vine & Sun and £23.50 at Bottle Apostle. You can see why I leapt on it.

Verus riesling 2013, Slovenia

I’ve been dithering about which of the Verus range to recommend as my wine of the week because frankly they’re all delicious but if you haven’t tried them before the riesling is a good starting point

Although it’s dry(ish) it has a floral character I haven’t quite come across anywhere else. I’m wondering if it’s a special Slovenian strain of the variety that makes it especially charming. Or maybe it’s just the ripeness (at 13% it’s relatively high in alcohol for a riesling.) It would make the perfect aperitif but would also be lovely with light food like a chicken or prawn salad.

The slightly out-of-date website doesn’t state whether it's organic or biodynamic but I’m suspecting it may be as it was still as fresh 4 or 5 days on as when we first opened the bottle.

Verus is a joint enterprise from three winemaker friends who come from winemaking families. If you’re ordering some do also try the slightly drier Furmint and gorgeous grapey Muskateller too. They’re more than reasonable for the quality at £11.99 online from the Real Wine Company or by the bottle from Field & Fawcett of York (£12.60) or Butlers Wine Cellar of Brighton (£12.99)

Vidonia Suertes del Marques 2013, Valle de la Orotava Tenerife

Some of the most exciting wines in Europe right now are coming out of Spain as this glorious white from Suertes del Marques in Tenerife proves.

I came across it by the glass in Lyle’s in Shoreditch last week. It’s really fruity but in a delicate way, lush without being blowsy and just a lovely partner for food, particularly the plate of calçots, Burford Brown egg and buckwheat with which it was recommended.

Apparently it’s based on old vine Listan Blanco (better known as Palomino Fino according to Jancis Robinson et al’s Wine Grapes) grown on volcanic soils between 350 and 500 metres above sea level. The wine is aged for 10 months in 500 litre casks. Given the soil it’s not entirely surprising that it reminded me of Assyrtiko but has a white Bordeaux-style elegance this Greek wine lacks.

If you, like me, want to get your hands on some it’s imported by Indigo Wine but you can buy it over the counter for £22.70 a bottle from Theatre of Wine in Greenwich and Tufnell Park and for £21 online from Vintrepid (enter launch15 at checkout for 15% off.) Save some for me!