Some serious whites

A serious white theme where there was something for everyone. I think my preferences deviated from the group quite a bit - I didn't like the 2007 Unendlich and Boillot so much but liked the 2019 Unendlich and Keller a lot more. Think the Chapoutier was the only one that everyone liked.

• 2007 F.X. Pichler Riesling Unendlich

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  Crumbly cork and a dark golden colour, for me way too advanced but others didn't mind it so much. Smelled like a sweet wine actually, rather flat on first pour but got better in the decanter. Very impressive depth but the fruit and acidity was rather muted. No oomph or magic to the wine but I think this was not a representative bottle.

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• 2019 F.X. Pichler Riesling Unendlich

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  I liked this a lot more than the 2007, definitely showed its class. Terribly young so I left it in the glass for two hours, it transformed into something much more expressive with some gloriously vibrant fruit of mainly peaches, together with some honey on the nose. Had a restrained power to it that I always love. Definitely a brooding sort of wine, it had an impeccable balance to the structure, acid and fruit. Would love to try this in a decade or two's time.

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• 2010 Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

  A negoce bottling. Impressive weight and density that led almost everyone to a grand cru, but didn't show much of Puligny that I suppose was down to the warmer year - I thought it was a warm plot from a cool year since I didn't get the sweetness of 2010s. Made in a powerful old-school style that ended up a little one-dimensional for me without tension, and the oak didn't come across seamlessly.

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• 2015 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc Le Méal

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  I haven't cared for the Chapoutier's reds that I have tried but this was superb. Most of us pegged this as a Rhone easily, with its low acidity and lovely unctuous texture. Rich mouth feel that enveloped the mouth, very good intensity of fruit despite the low acid that drove it towards an astounding finish. Still a baby at the moment, but given the ageing trajectory of Rhone whites I think it might not be a bad idea to drink this now before the wine loses its vivacity.

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• 2009 Weingut Keller Dalsheimer Hubacker Riesling Auslese

  Germany, Rheinhessen

  This was outstanding for me but I think others didn't like it as much as I did. Still remarkably youthful with minimal development in terms of colour and taste. For an Auslese this was remarkably restrained without the thick texture that I usually associate with such high pradikat wines. I was afraid that this would be shutdown but it was very expressive with very harmonious citrus fruits that didn't cross the line to become exotic. Think others felt that it lacked acidity and finish but for my palate the balance was spot on.

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• 2020 Azienda Agricola Serragghia (Gabrio Bini) Zibibbo Bianco

  Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane

  Perhaps the first natural wine that I get. Very distinctive wine, I hated this at first by itself as the natural wine aromas such as lychees, passion fruit and orange were rather overbearing for me. But with food the wine really blossomed, the flavours and tannins of the wine married well with the Asian food that we had. Not a typical wine for sure but as a beverage it's excellent, was finished in no time.

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