Small Wonders Whites

Ex-ballerina Cécille Dusserre makes a lovely clairette-dominated white Vacqueyras and unsurprisingly this has elegance, poise and balance with a flavour that offers hints of fennel and citrus. The 2022 is round with some complexity that is in part due to ageing in barrel. Cécille manages some 50 acres of vines without recourse to herbicides or pesticides and the domaine has been certified organic since 2014.

The top white from this highly respected Provence estate, made from a blend of grape varieties that defies any appellation. Fermented and aged in barrel, this is fine and richly flavoured and a perfect foil for poultry or fish.

Chenin blanc is a key variety for Dylan Arvidson, owner and winemaker of LS Merchants. This is produced entirely from estate-grown fruit in a vineyard almost directly outside the cellar door. Chenin is a variety with a long history in WA but which has seen vines pulled out over the years. Now, with a handful of premium sites remaining, it is gaining favour once again with a number of quality-focused small producers. This example is textured but fine and focused. A handful of barrels went through malolactic fermentation, giving the wine an luxurious plushness, while the other percentage brings zest. The nose is precise but generous and the palate shows lime, pink grapefruit and salt and pepper, with a hint of nougat towards the finish. A testament for the potential of this variety in Margaret River. A 2024 Wine Champion.

Bründlmayer is in the very top echelon of Austrian wine and has heavily influenced the reputation that the country now enjoys for the high-quality and value that the wines offer across the board. This offers an affordable taste of fine wine Austrian riesling. A number of the younger vines from the winery's best single vineyard sites go into producing this charming, dry and orange-blossom-scented white. Scented, crisp and with peach, blossom, orange peel and peppery character. Ideal with delicately spiced food, soft cheeses or on its own.

Quinta da Pedra Alta's winemaker, João Pires, does a fantastic job of capturing the freshness of their higher-altitude vineyards in his wines. This is their top 'Reserva' white, which is a blend of 67% viosinho, 29% gouveio and 4% donzelinho, all native to Portugal. The fermentation in barrel makes this a silky wine with a plushness to the texture but this is still fresh crisp and refreshing. Notes of camomile, white peach, blossom and pears on the nose lead to a palate with a touch of zesty lemon, vanilla pod and delicate nuttiness. Please excuse the heavy bottle, which we are working with the winery to ensure is lighter in following vintages.

A Sicilian blend of 60% moscato di Alessandria with 40% albanello, this is fermented in concrete tanks with 15 days on the skins, extracting beautifully expressive aromas - of honeysuckle and orange blossom - and gentle tannins. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, this is pale amber in colour with a gentle, natural haze. A lovely and easy introduction to 'orange' wine, with refreshing acidity, ripe citrus zest flavours, and a grapefruit pith finish.