Decanter experts around the world named the five bottles under £55 that impressed them most this year. After tasting and rating the nominated wines, and assessing them on harmony, complexity and wow factor, our three judges compiled the ultimate top 50 dry wines. Find 15 of them for your weekend.
Tasters: Sarah Jane Evans MW, Christelle Guibert and Andy Howard MW
This is very precise with a great purity as well as being vivid and punchy. It is all about limes, kumquats and tinned peaches with a hint of honey too. Fresh and appealing with lemon and crisp apple characters. Toasty, savoury and mineral on the finish, this has the ability and the class to age many years because the high acid backbone will carry it right on through.
Glorious. THIS is what wine is all about! It is amazingly fresh considering its age, with a jab of lime juice and beeswax. The piercing acidity, elegance and lower alcohol bottling is a classic example of the unique characters of this region. There are delicate apple characters with gunflint too; still in the early stages of its development at 9 years old!
This is starting to show some real Riesling development on the nose and palate with that classic petrol aroma and zesty confit lemon. A dazzling explosion of lime acidity comes in adding great intensity and depth. It speaks of its origins with floral, white peach and apricot characters giving a finesse and vibrancy that means this Riesling will age very well.
A remarkable ochre hue in the glass gives way to vibrant grapey aromas, floral notes and hints of honey. There is an impressive weight and body here. In the mouth the Muscat character comes through tantalisingly followed by a touch of earthiness on the finish. So expressive and inviting with a nice tannin structure, this has real potential as an alternative aperitif or cheese accompaniment.
A classic example of a beautiful Riesling; roasted peach and lime on the nose translate smoothly onto the palate. The touch of residual sugar is the perfect balance to the mineral acidity and the ripe apricot fruit, providing it with great precision and tension. There is a plump fleshy charm here that is refreshing, likeable and long, finishing on a pleasing honeyed tone.
There is some superb complexity here with great freshness and depth of flavour. Dried herbs exude from the nose with crisp apple, lemon and fennel underneath Amazingly fresh for a 2010 vintage; the creamy mouthfeel from the lees and the luxurious lingering texture make for a wonderful experience.
A stunner of a Riesling. Lots of ripe apple fruit on top of dried apricot, lemon curd bees wax and honey. The crisp acidity and lemon zest character gives a silky, mouth-watering palate and a pure, elegant, long finish.
A very complex and beautifully balanced blend with vibrant dark currant fruits combined with dark plum and a mineral, lean finish. The fruit character is extremely rich, but it is bright and bouncy and exudes freshness. Refined and with lovely purity, this has great sweetness on the finish and a lifted hint of violets. Grown up and very well done.
This elegant Côtes du Roussillon has pure red cherry aromas with hints of herbs. It is stylish with great finesse allied to its concentration; this black fruit dominated Syrah is drinking well now but will evolve further given another 2-3 years. The hints of black olive on the finish add even more complexity, and it is fresh and lively. A great wine.
A very natural style for this lovely Gamay, in a positive way. Heaps of complexity, interest and purity, along with that farmyard character and sweet and sour red and black cherry. The fruit is plump and juicy, and there is a great balance between acidity and minerality so this will age very well. What an interesting style!
The weight and concentration of this wine is evident even from the first glance. A very complex and individual style with a dense palate bursting with crunchy red plums, black fruit and notes of cedar. The penetrating acidity of the Mencia variety is very well controlled by the fruit flavours, the rasp of tannins and oak. Finishing with a lovely dark, sour cherry note, it is long and memorable sip!
Evidently very well made with complexity, depth and concentration. There is a lovely note of violet on the nose and palate, along with sweet fruit, vivid acidity, crunchy tannins and integrated oak. The purity of fruit is electrifying. This is a chewy teenager full of energy and character, an excellent example of an often challenging variety. It's a Beaujolais on steroids!
A refreshing example of an Uco Valley Malbec; dark plum fruits, a hint of violets and crisp acidity with raspy, leafy tannins to balance. Refined, classy and drinkable with a long aftertaste tinged with spices and floral notes. It is lively and vivid so it will certainly age gracefully.
This wine has a wild strawberry and raspberry fruit profile complimented by savoury, restrained oak. The tannins are delicately chewy and the alcohol is finely balanced. Bramble fruit and autumn leaves give a complex and vibrant structure; just what one wants from a Pinot Noir.
Concentration and complexity are evident in this classy Merlot dominated blend. Herbaceous with lots of plummy characters. Green pepper and a touch of leafiness is also on show which gives a fresh and clean edge to this refined wine. Well integrated oak and glossy tannins characterise this Old World style wine.