Buyer's Bottles: April 2026
What Wine Director Peter Mitchell is drinking this month
Across my table in the last month...
As the days stretch a little longer and Easter edges into view, my thoughts inevitably turn to the kinds of bottles that bring people together around the table. This month’s selection feels especially well‑suited to the season: wines with brightness and lift for spring afternoons, generosity for celebratory meals, and enough character to spark conversation between courses.
From the precision and poise of English Blanc de Blancs, to southern Burgundy’s quiet overachievers, to vibrant, sea‑sprayed Albariño – there’s plenty here for those early‑spring menus. And for the red‑wine lovers, I’ve chosen two bottles that balance approachability with real depth: one a joyous discovery from the Minervois, the other a Bordeaux‑inspired beauty from a tiny New Zealand estate.
Whether you’re hosting Easter lunch, planning a long weekend of relaxed feasting, or simply looking for a few reliably delicious wines to usher in the new season, I hope these picks bring as much pleasure to your table as they have to mine.
— Peter
2017 Nyetimber Premiere Cuvee, Blanc de Blancs
Many will know Nyetimber from their classic cuvée – a market leader for many years with three-quarters of a million bottles produced annually, but without a doubt the sweet spot in Nyetimber’s range is the much rarer Blanc de Blancs. This was the first wine produced at the estate in back in 1992 and is perhaps the English sparkling that is hardest to distinguish from Champagne. With 5 years lees ageing there is a creaminess, richness and breadth on the palate that marries perfectly with the lemon curd and apple tones. Just reaching its best, the 2017 has a long life ahead of it.
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2023 Saint-Veran, Chateau de Fuisse
It is no secret that white burgundy prices have jumped over the past decade, but there is still great value to be found, especially in the southern reaches of the region, where some superlative wines are now being made in the Mâconnais both by Côte d’Or producers snapping up vineyards and by the long established greats such as Château de Fuissé. Owned by the Vincent family since 1862, they were instrumental in founding Pouilly-Fuissé and are the reference point for its wines. Their St.Véran is the benchmark wine from the appellation with sumptuous fruit and a keen flinty edge that makes for great affordable luxury.
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2024 La Trucha Albarino, Notas Frutales de Albarino
Unheard of in the UK thirty years ago, Albariño has cemented a place on our tables as Spain’s premier white wine, but its rise in global popularity has seen extensive planting and many cheaper wines filling supermarket shelves that just don’t deliver what this grape is capable of. Notas Frutales is a small family producer in the warmest part of the region hand crafting exotic and powerful wines, full of classical peach notes backed by the bracing salinity the region is famous for. Massively versatile at the table, this is a regular in my fridge.
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2020 La 50-50, Côte de Brian, Domaine Anne Gros & Jean-Paul Tollot
Transport two Burgundian legends to the Minervois and the results are spectacular, marrying the warmth and ripeness of the south with finesse, elegance and freshness. Made from a majority of ancient grenache grown on a hectare plot in the northern Minervois, supplemented by syrah and cinsault, this is full of character with pomegranate and dark cherry fruit and a succulent drinkability not often encountered in this part of the world where ‘burly’ is a more common descriptor. From a region few have heard of here, this is one of those ‘discoveries’ that is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.
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2021 Estate, Puriri Hills, Clevedon, Auckland, New Zealand
Puriri Hills is the very epitome of a boutique estate, with only a little over 2 hectares under vine nestled in a warm valley half an hour to the east of Auckland. Inspired by her love of Cheval Blanc, Judy Fowler crafts what, for me, are New Zealand’s finest Bordeaux blends that have a finesse and elegance associated with the finest Grand Cru Classés. The estate wine is based around merlot and cabernet franc and 2021 was a great vintage in the region that is now reaching its best. If you love St.Émilion, then you should definitely try this!
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