Wine: Top Ten Whites under £20

WHETHER you are looking for sauvignon blanc or unoaked chardonnay to serve as an aperitif, or richer, weightier whites to match with turkey or goose, one of these will fit the bill – and all are priced under £20.

Avanthia Godello, one of Rose's top whites. Picture: Contributed

FRANCE

Loire TOURAINE SAUVIGNON 2012 Domaine de L’Aumonier (£12.50, Lockett Bros, N Berwick)

With just the right balance of crisp, dry, high acidity and ripe fleshy fruits, this makes an ideal quaffing aperitif or partner to smoked salmon.

Burgundy RULLY BLANC 1ER CRU MEIX CADOT 2009 Vincent Dureuil-Janthiel (£19.99, Raeburn Fine Wines, Edinburgh)

This is the best-value white burgundy on the market – the warm 2009 fruits make it a very rich, rewarding, mouthfilling, lightly oaked chardonnay.

Chablis ORGANIC CHABLIS 2010 Domaines Brocard (£14.99, Marks & Spencer)

The best chablis in our supermarkets today. Unoaked, pure, crisp chardonnay fruits, this is delicious as an aperitif or with seafood dishes.

RhÔne CÔTES DU RHÔNE BLANC LES BECS 2011 Tardieu Laurent (£11.50, Corney & Barrow, Ayr & Pathhead, www.corneyandbarrow.com)

This was popular in our Christmas tasting for its weight and richness on the palate which many thought ideal with the festive bird.

ITALY

Veneto SOAVE CLASSICO SINGLE VINEYARD LA ROCCA 2008 (£19.99, Luvians, Cupar & St Andrews; Majestic Wine; Valvona & Crolla)

A star bottle from our recent Italian classics tasting. Forget those drab neutral soaves, this is a honeyed, rich, golden gem with amazing long length.

Abruzzo TALAMONTI TRABOCHETTO PECORINO 2011 (£13.95, Valvona & Crolla, Elm Row, Princes Street, Edinburgh and Loch Lomond Shores, 0131-556 6066)

This has a lovely balance of fruit and acidity and it’s good with cheeses, white meats or richer fish dishes.

SPAIN

Valdeorras AVANTHIA GODELLO 2012 Bodegas Avanthia (£18.75, www.vinissimus.co.uk; C&D Wines; Wimbledon Wine Cellars; Highbury Vintners; www.bordeauxindex.com)

The best Spanish white I have tasted to date. Butterscotch, greengage fruits, almond and lemon undertones, light smoky notes from barrel fermentation. Perfect with turkey. STAR BUY

NEW ZEALAND

Marlborough TINPOT HUT ‘MCKEE VINEYARD’ GRUNER VELTLINER 2012 (£15.99, Henderson Wines, Edinburgh; Peckhams, Edinburgh & Glasgow; Aitken Wines, Dundee)

With juicy, zesty and very focused acid, this is the perfect aperitif, but also an ideal match with roast goose.

Marlborough GREYWACKE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013 Kevin Judd (£16.99, Henderson Wines; Valvona & Crolla; Fine Wine Musselburgh; WoodWinters; Luvians; Aitken Wines; Ellies Cellar; The Longship)

Christmas would not be the same without Kevin Judd’s Marlborough sauvignons – this is is a superb citric, zesty sauvignon with dill undertones.

CHILE

Aconcagua Valley ACONCAGUA CHARDONNAY 2011 Errazuriz (£14.95, Ellies Cellars, Dollar; D Bryne, Lancashire; www.winedirect.co.uk)

There are plenty of Chilean bargains, but this chardonnay is by far the best white from there I have tasted.

• Join Rose Murray Brown’s Beginners Wine Classes in Edinburgh starting 29 January 2014, £36, email [email protected]