Affordable Italy with Lea & Sandeman | Matthew Jukes, 06th July 2022
"Lea & Sandeman was forced to rearrange their 2022 Italian Tasting because of the recent, infernal rail strikes. So, when L&S booked it for this Monday, I expected fewer attendees and perhaps only a handful of Italians to be able to fly over to pour their wines. But, the rooms were buzzing, and the Italian attendance underlines L&S’s importance to the growing portfolio of first-class Italian estates. I tasted every wine, and I have pulled out a ‘First Fifteen’ collection (with two ‘subs’) for you today. Each bottle is drinking, delicious and also great value, staying under £20 throughout this collection. While some mighty Tuscan and Piedmont reds, among others, were indeed impressive, many needed more time, so this list includes only reds that are spot on to drink right now!"
Ordering & Delivery
Mix and match individual bottles from the selection or order a full case of each.
- Free delivery for all orders over £150. Case price* discount on any 12 (mixed) bottles or more. -

FRANCIACORTA Brut Corteaura
Lombardy Italy 12.5% White
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir.
Clean, luminous, refreshing and super-professional, this is a tremendous wine with uncommon value for money from a region where average bottles of wine seem to cost the earth!
Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com
2021 LUGANA Felugan La Feliciana
Veneto Italy 0% White
Turbiana.
I wrote up the 2020 vintage of this wine in MoneyWeek Wine Club last November and loved the flavours and persistence on the palate. So, it is exciting to announce that this wine is ever finer than last year’s model, with...(read more)
Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com
2021 SOAVE CLASSICO Montesei Le Battistelle
Veneto Italy 12.5% White
Garganega, Trebbiano di Soave.
This is another favourite of mine, and the value here is terrific. There is no messing around here – just simple pleasure delivered in delicious floral, citrus and green apple freshness. What differentiates this wine fro...(read more)
Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com
2021 ZUANI Vigne Bianco Collio
Friuli Venezia Giulia Italy 13.5% White
Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon, Friulano.
I wrote up the 2009 vintage of this wine in 2010 in my MoneyWeek column when L&S first found this estate, and I have followed it closely ever since. Made from a mesmerising blend of Friulano, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay...(read more)
Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com
2021 RIBOLLA GIALLA Friuli Colli Orientali Azienda Agricola Visintini
Friuli Venezia Giulia Italy 0% White
Ribolla.
The 2021 Ribolla Gialla was the model of discreet fragrance and crystalline freshness, making it an unmissable wine in this line-up (from Visintini)
Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com
2021 VERDICCHIO CLASSICO SUPERIORE Classico Superiore dei Castelli di Jesi Andrea Felici
Marche Italy 13.5% White
Verdicchio.
This is another benchmark example of its kind, making L&S’s (affordable) white wine collection a list to be reckoned with. This time, there is nervy freshness and pithy tang throughout the palate bringing superb mine...(read more)
Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com
2021 GRECHETTO Tenuta di Salviano
Umbria Italy 13% White
Grechetto.
With electrifying greengage freshness and lovely talcy acidity, this is a thrilling Grechetto, showing that central wine regions of the country can make white wines as dramatic as those from the north.
Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com
2021 KRATOS Fiano Luigi Maffini
Campania Italy 13.5% White
Fiano.
Just sneaking into the list by virtue of the case discount, this is one of my favourite white wines in the entire K&S wine list. I have been drinking this wine long before L&S tracked it down, yet it has never be...(read more)
Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com
2020 DOLCETTO D'ALBA Andrea Oberto
Piedmont Italy 13.5% Red
Dolcetto.
All of Oberto’s wines looked good, but this Dolcetto, the cheapest of the lot, impressed me with its lack of pretension, juicy, black cherry fruit and amazing, velvety texture. This is a wickedly enticing Piemontese clas...(read more)
Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com
2020 LANGHE NEBBIOLO Barale Fratelli
Piedmont Italy 14% Red
Nebbiolo.
Pure, long, classy and with a lovely bite of acidity, this is one of the most forward-drinking Nebbiolos in the collection, and many of the other wines, while lovely, were too youthful to make the grade today. While the...(read more)
Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com
2021 VALPOLICELLA Classico Ca' La Bionda
Veneto Italy 0% Red
.
I am very impressed with this joyous Valpol, and it is aromatic, seamless and mouth-watering, and these traits are exactly what I am looking for in early-drinking Valpolicella. With little tannins but lashings of acidity...(read more)
Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com
2019 SANGIOVESE Girapoggio DOC Romagna Bissoni
Emilia Romagna Italy 13.5% Red
Sangiovese.
This is not a wine I would pick up off the shelves or order from a wine list. I know nothing about the estate, and my experience of Emilia Romagna wines is limited. So, when I tasted this wine and did a double-take on th...(read more)
Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.comORDER
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