The most exciting dry wines of 2016 - Decanter (Part II)

Approachable and well-balanced with bright, juicy and fresh fruits, this has a delicate style and baskets of sweet red cherry and cranberry notes. The crunchy acidity lends it an impressive intensity with a touch of herbal intrigue. The finish is peppery and elegant; highly enjoyable!

Intense nose with lashings of ripe berry and currants. Despite the weight, plushness and sweetness, there is great balance between acidity, minerality and oak usage. Lots of work has gone into this wine and it shows in the glass. Not a shrinking violet but a complex and beautifully made CS with time to develop further.

Lively and youthful, this is a modern, stylish and ready to drink red blend with copious amounts of concentrated cherry fruit and a blueberry Carignan note giving a lovely edge. Glorious meaty and herbal notes come through as well, making it a very enjoyable style.

This has some juicy beginnings; all the pleasure of Syrah’s dark black cherry fruit, with a hint of black olive character and a whiff of pepper to keep it all in balance. It has some chewy tannins that are powerful and vibrant and a promising spicy oak note on the finish.

This is really interesting! It is very aromatic and bursting with primary fruits and brambles, combined with subtle maturation in wood. It has a tight structure and will open out beautifully. It finishes with a lift of acid and a rasp of leafy tannins; this is an appetising and characterful wine to accompany food.

This is a sophisticated Nebbiolo with classic characteristics of strawberry, rose petal and violets floating on top of grippy tannins and powerful striking acidity. There is a generous fruit sweetness on the palate followed by a crunchy freshness and clearly potential for further ageing.

This is a Pinot made for pleasure. It has some beguiling vegetal notes and a great combination of leafy fruit, silky tannins and understated oak. It has the concentration to carry it through and it displays a real sweetness of fruit and an individual character.

This is a rich and luscious red wine with oodles of sweet black fruit and ripe berry character. The Mourvedre lends structure to the wine, whilst the Carignan gives a distinctive blueberry allure. Hints of coffee and liquorice come through, making it long and complex. This will not disappoint.

We have that classic red fruit and meaty nose that can only be Gamay. Such an elegant example with subtle hints of violets and roses, followed by crunchy blackberry and cherry fruits on the palate. Complex and pure, this is a great advert for the underrated charms of good Gamay.

Subtle and understated at the moment, this has great potential for future development. There is a lot of spice from the oak and a hint of caramel interest, with some ripe apple undertones and a textured, grainy minerality.

With lemon grass freshness and a pleasing bitterness, this has plenty of Italian charm. Ripe apples and dried apricots overlap oak characters and mineral tones. Medium bodied but full of flavour, this is certainly memorable and has excellent ageing potential.

Youthful, smoky and a touch reductive, this has the structure to develop very well over several years. Notes of orange and with crisp acidity to balance, this has depth and finishes with a lovely mineral edge.

A complex blend of peaches, candied apricot and a savoury grassiness give this wine an intriguing character. There is a driving acidity leading to a tenacious vivacity. Sweet spice and exotic fruit are well balanced with an oily mouthfeel that lingers in the memory after tasting.

A serious Sauvignon here that is still young but has so much to give. Nettle and hedgerow combine with honey and ripe stone fruits to give a complex melange of flavours and aromas. This is brought together by zingy acidity and gunflint notes, with a lifted feel to the palate.

A very elegant, classical style of oak matured Chardonnay. The palate is clean and mineral, with cream and cedar undertones. The oak element is spicy and stylish, with ripe apples and a hint of exotic fruit on a long, stony finish.

What a splendid discovery; acacia honey on the nose with bowls of apricots and ripe melons. It is so fresh and speaks of lemons and herbs, with ripe tropical fruit characters on the palate balanced by driving acidity. There is an attractive amount of savoury characters on the finish that really complete this wine.