Riccardo Prosecco Treviso Brut NV, Veneto, Italy (£15 Gastronomica Pimlico)
A nice tension between tangy and tender, with crisp green apple flavours (like apple foam), floral notes and some honey, not hugely complex but dry and satisfying. B(+)

Riccardo Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Extra Dry NV, Veneto, Italy (£20 Gastronomica Pimlico)
Sweeter than the above, and you think initially it’s just too sweet, but then comes a wave of quite exotic, floral-tinged papaya and apple (fresh and cooked), fruit, along with notes of almond and honey, and a yeasty finish. S-

Riccardo Prosecco di Valdobbiadene ‘Cartizze’ Dry NV, Veneto, Italy (£25 Gastronomica Pimlico)
The sweetest of this trio but you’d never know it. Starts off a little shy, but then opens up to show a rich, almost mocha-like character, hints of pear, papaya, ripe apple and blossom, a spine of fresh, mineral-tinged acidity, and a creamy, nutty, finish. Very tasty. S

Niepoort LBV 2005, Douro, Portugal (£16.99 leading independents – contact Raymond Reynolds for stockists)
Still young and vigorous, with that heady, violet-scented, grape must-like aroma of a port Quinta at vintage time. Add in the rich rounded roasted berry, , the savoury, almost tomato-like character and the hints of leather and tar, and you have an excellent LBV. S

Noval Black Port NV, Douro, Portugal (£14.99 Gonzalez Byass UK)
Not as complex as the Niepoort LBV, but incredibly appealing, thanks to it bouncy Tigger-like fruit – plums, blueberries, blackberries – and joyful fragrant finish. Try it with dark chocolate cake (preceded by peppered steak if you’re feeling indulgent). S-
(PS Christian, if you’re reading this, this wine’s not listed on the Noval web site – not the first time I’ve found the site not as up-to-date as it could be…)

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