Recently tasted wines

Most recently added wines are first. Prices and stockists in the UK are listed in brackets; as a rough guide £1 = US$1.60. Date of tasting is indicated by month/year at the end of the note.)     

Champagne Mumm de Cramant Blanc de Blancs NV
12% alcohol. Full yellow colour. Fresh and quite intense with lovely savoury, herb-tinged, gently toasty lemon fruit. Good acidity and quite vinous. Complex and thought provoking, this is lovely. 93/100 (£48 Harrods, Ocado) 04/10

Champagne Veuve Clicquot Rosé NV
12.5% alcohol. Salmon pink, with a hint of orange. Tight and quite complex with good acidity and some strawberry and cherry notes. Nice focus: bright but with toasty complexity and a savoury grip. A gastronomic wine. 90/100 (£37.99 Selfridges, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Fortnum & Mason, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose) 04/10

Ostler Sauvignon Blanc Sagittarius Vineyard 2008 Marlborough, New Zealand
13% alcohol. Open, floral nose with some tropical fruit and a hint of grassiness. The palate is fresh, gently herbal and fruity. A ripe, open style that is simple but attractive. 87/100 (Berry Bros & Rudd) 04/10

Casa Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Rapel, Chile
15% alcohol. Sweet blackcurrant and berry fruit with a distinctive pastille like quality and some subtle rubbery notes. Ripe and sweet with some purity to the fruit, and a bit of grippy tannin on the finish. Distinctively Chilean: attractive but simple. 87/100 (Berry Bros & Rudd) 04/10

Château d’Or et de Gueules Trassegum 2005 Costières de Nîmes, France
14.5% alcohol. Spicy , dense, earthy and savoury with some meaty notes. Dense palate with firm tannins. A robust, earthy wine with a savoury finish, this is highly food compatible. 87/100 (www.therealwineco.co.uk) 04/10

Nada Fiorenzo Dolcetta d’Alba 2008 Italy
13% alcohol. Bright blackberry and herb nose showing pure, sweet fruit. The palate is focused and fruity with nice cherry and blackberry fruit and a savoury, minerally edge. Stylish: modern, fruity but nice. 88/100 (www.therealwineco.co.uk) 04/10

Cigliuli Dolcetta d’Alba Serraboella 2007 Italy
13% alcohol. Savoury, spicy, meaty earthy nose with some dark fruit. The palate has lovely dark fruit backed up by prominent spicy, earthy notes and firm tannins. Grippy finish. Savoury with some Brettanomyces character, but it works. 89/100 (Berry Bros & Rudd) 04/10

Eldridge Estate Pinot Noir 2008 Mornington Peninsula, Australia
14% alcohol. Pale coloured. Aromatic, almost floral nose with bright, sweet cherry fruit and some savoury, herbal notes as well as warm spices. The palate is cherryish, herbal and tangy with a sweet and sour character. There’s some elegance, but the finish is a little herbal. A Marlborough style, almost. 91/100 (www.theauswineco.co.uk) 04/10

Freizenet Cava Elyssia Gran Cuvée Brut NV Spain
11.5% alcohol. A blend of Macabeo, Parellada, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Lively, fruity and aromatic with grape and herb notes. Quite stylish in a fruity, slightly pithy, grapefruity style, with some lemon notes. A sophisticated Cava. 89/100 04/10

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Douro 2008 Portugal
From Quinta do Crasto, 13.5% alcohol. Modern, fruity red wine with blackcurrant, blackberry and plum fruit underpinned by a savoury, tannic structure. Very appealing with lovely purity of fruit, but perhaps not terribly typical of the Douro. 87/100 (Sainsbury’s) 04/10

Villa Maria Private Bin Syrah 2005 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Meaty, spicy, clove and herb nose with some dark fruit. The palate is spicy and dense with a slightly medicinal, savoury, earthy character. Rustic with a drying tannic finish. 86/100 10/09

Villa Maria Private Bin Chardonnay 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
13.5% alcohol. Fresh, bright and fruity with nicely rounded fruit and hints of nuttiness. A fresh style. 86/100 10/09

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Marlborough, New Zealand
13.5% alcohol. Very attractive aromatic nose with green herbal, pepper and tomato leaf notes as well as some nice sweet passion fruit character. The palate has good concentration and lovely balance between the mandarin/passion fruit richness and the fresher, grassy notes. Lively and expansive. 91/100 10/09

Pieropan Soave Classico 2008 (cork sealed)
Crisp, mineral, taut and intense with tight herby fruit. Fresh with lovely crisp mineral characters on the palate. Very persistent – almost spicy – in a savoury style. Pristine and almost Mosel-like in style, with nice texture. 90/100 10/09

Pieropan Soave 2008 (Stelvin Lux screwcap with tin/saran liner)
Tight, flinty, mineral nose. Crisp, slightly grippy, mineral palate. Lean, fresh and mineral. Very primary, this is tighter, leaner and more overtly mineralic than the cork-sealed bottle. Touching on the austere, but still a fine wine. 88/100 10/09

Plantaganet Samson’s Range Shiraz Cabernet 2007 Western Australia
14.5% alcohol. Berryish, bright, sweet and slightly herbal nose. The palate is spicy and plummy with a subtle baked fruit/jam character. Bright, berryish and accessible. 84/100 10/09

Plantaganet Samson’s Range Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Western Australia
Beautifully fresh and fruity with lovely crispness. Approachable and fruity. 86/10 10/09

Howard Park Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Western Australia
12.5% alcohol. Fresh and intense with notes of green herbs and green pepper. Bright and methoxypyrazine-dominated with a chalky edge. Nicely dense, this is a gastronomic wine. Very stylish. 88/100 10/09

Gabriel Meffre Les Grands Cyprès Vacqueyras 2007 Southern Rhône, France
14% alcohol. Deep coloured. Rich savoury, slightly spicy, peppery fruit. Nice purity and focus. Modern-styled with some appeal. 84/100 10/09

Jaboulet Parallèle 45 Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2008 Rhône, France
13% alcohol. A blend of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Rousanne, Bourboulenc and Clairette. Full, bright, citrussy and a bit pithy. Intense and taut with lovely fresh fruit character. Crisp and unoaked with hints of nuttiness – quite stylish. 88/100 10/09

Clos de Tue-Boeuf ‘Rouillon’ Cheverny 2009 Loire, France
12.5% alcohol. Beautifully savoury, structured edge to the gravelly, minerally, dark cherry and berry fruit. Manages to be savoury and edgy yet elegant at the same time. Quite pure flavours with nice fruit, and a pleasant grip on the finish. The aromatics are a bit subdued at first, but this is a really lovely, drinkable light red wine. 92/100 (UK agent Les Caves de Pyrene) 08/10

Domaine de Léry Cheverny 2009 Loire, France
12.5% alcohol. A blend of 80% Sauvignon with 20% Chardonnay. Fresh, intense, grassy and herby with a lively citrus quality. Rounded and fruity with some sweet notes as well as the lively gooseberry characters. Very assertive and fresh with nice purity. 89/100 (£9.99 Oddbins) 08/10

Allende Rioja Blanco 2007 Spain
A blend of old vine Malvasia and Viura, fermented and aged in new French oak. 13.5% alcohol. Toast and grapefruit nose is complex and bright with some oak influence. Concentrated palate with a crystalline fruit quality, as well as some floral notes. Citrus, grapefruit and subtle oak influence work well together. Like a very fine white Bordeaux in style, and will likely improve. 91/100 (£19.95 Berry Bros & Rudd) 08/10

Allende Rioja Blanco 2005 Spain
14% alcohol. Complex and intense with toast, vanilla, wax and notes. Really intense with bold, spicy, toasty complexity, and an almost structured quality, together with some pithy notes. Beautifully complex with some lovely melon and citrus notes. Really fine. 93/100 (£19.99 Oddbins – currently on the 2006 vintage) 08/10

Château l’Hospitalet La Reserve 2007 La Clape, Languedoc, France
13.5% alcohol. A blend of 40% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache. Beautifully aromatic with sweet, pure berry and cherry fruit notes. Quite liqueur-like. The palate is really elegant with pure cherry and berry fruit: sweet but with a lovely spicy, peppery edge. Fresh and expressive. 91/100 08/10

Catherine and Pierre Breton Vouvray ‘La Dilettante’ 2008 Loire
12% alcohol. ‘Chenin Moustillant Naturellement’. This is a fizzy, sweet Vouvray that is sealed with both a cork and a crowncap (with no liner). It’s a lovely, rich, off-dry wine with some herb, lemon and straw notes. Fresh and fizzy with lovely tangy fruit, this is an ideal match for creamy cheeses. Unusual and delicious. 90/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene) 08/10

Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py 2006 Beaujolais
13% alcohol. Foillard’s natural Beaujolais is a real treat, and it is remarkably affordable, at about £14. This shows lovely complex, slightly meaty, dark cherry and berry fruits with a subtly, spicy, earthy edge. Fresh, aromatic, spicy and savoury with nice concentration. 91/100 (£14 The Sampler) 08/10

Domaine Dirler-Cadé Riesling Belzbrunnen 2008 Alsace
From pink sandstone soils, this is a wine made by a small producer who has been biodynamic since 1998. It has a very fine, crisp, bright limey nose with some subtle honeyed notes. The palate is dry and precise with a waxy, herbal edge to the citrus fruits and good acidity. Lovely purity to this bracing, savoury wine. 90/100 (£18 The Wine Society) 08/10

Quinta da Romaneira Vintage Port 2008
Very deep colour. Fresh, vivid sweet blackberry and plum nose is pure and intense. The palate shows lovely fresh, pure fruit: concentrated raspberries and blackberries with nice tannic structure and sweetness. An elegant, almost Burgundian Vintage Port with good structure. Try again in 10 years. 94/100 08/10

Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2008
Intensely aromatic with floral, olive, meat and dark fruit characters. There are blackberries, blackcurrants and plums. The palate is concentrated and boldly fruity with real depth and some nice, spicy structure. Expressive and quite serious. Delicious now, but with potential for real development, with firm but fine tannins. 96/100 08/10

Champagne Philipponnat 2000 Grand Blanc
12% alcohol; 5.2 g/l dosage; disgorged September 2007. Fresh, aromatic, toasty nose with lovely citrus freshness and subtle herby notes. The palate is savoury and taut with nice citrus freshness. Lovely precision and fruitiness. Concentrated and quite complex with lovely finesse and low dosage precision. Quite vinous. 93/100 (£49.99 Oddbins, but £39.99 each if you buy two – UK agent Les Caves de Pyrene) 08/10

Champagne Philipponnat Grand Blanc 2004
12% alcohol; 5 g/l dosage; disgorged July 2009. Fresh, aromatic, pure nose with lovely citrus intensity and taut herby, toasty notes. The palate has a nice lemony quality and some citrus peel bitterness. Precision, concentration and good acidity. Bold flavours; strongly savoury. A brilliant effort. 94/100 08/10

Tapada dos Monges Vinhão 2009 Vinho Verde, Portugal
12% alcohol. Very deep, vibrant red purple colour. Lovely nose of sweet summer pudding (raspberries, blackberries). Youthful, intensely fruity with some sweetness. The palate has a hint of spritz and a bit of grippy tannin, with fresh acidity and lovely primary fruit. There’s a bit of sweet jamminess here. Pure and immediate, like a cask sample. 90/100 08/10

Afros Vinhão 2009 Vinho Verde, Portugal
12.5% alcohol. Very deep coloured red/purple. Intensely aromatic with vivid blackberry, plum and raspberry fruit as well as a slightly savoury, meaty twist. The palate is richly fruited with dark cherry and raspberry notes, high acidity and quite a bit of tannin. Dry, intensely fruity and really vivid. Quite delicious with some refinement. 91/100 08/10

SC Pannell Nebbiolo 2007 Adelaide Hills, Australia
14.5% alcohol. Fermented for 20 days and aged for 24 months in French oak; five different clones of Nebbiolo used. Cherry red colour with a bricking rim. Lovely aromas of sweet cherry fruit with an almost stern, spicy, subtly earthy edge. The palate is complex and savoury with firm, grippy tannins and complex earthiness. There’s some drying character and fresh cherry fruit. Structured with high acidity, this needs food right now to overcome the tannins, but it is a convincing attempt with Nebbiolo that I reckon has a long future ahead of it. 92/100 08/10

Arrivo Nebbiolo Lunga Macerazione 2006 Adelaide Hills, Australia
Arrivo is the label of Peter Godden from the Australian Wine Research Institute. He’s a perfectionist, and has focused solely on this variety, from which he makes two red wines and a rose. This is the top wine, left on the skins for a remarkable 72 days. Eight clones of Nebbiolo are used. 14.5% alcohol. Cherry red colour with hints of brick red on the rim. Highly aromatic, complex nose with sweet fruit and exotic spices. Quite beautiful. There’s a complex spicy edge to the seductive cherry fruit. The palate combines pure, sweet, liqueur-like cherry fruit with complex savoury, spicy notes. Tannins are present, but cloaked in the rich texture and sweet fruit. Although this wine has a long future ahead of it, there’s a harmony to it already. 94/100 08/10

Trinity Hill Noble Viognier 2008 Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
12% alcohol. Beautiful: richly textured, rich and smooth with lovely grape, melon, pear and apricot characters. Lush and intense with sweetness. Pure and textured with some lychee notes, and some spiciness on the finish. Beautiful balance. 93/100 06/10 07/10

Rolly Gassmann Pflanzerreben de Rorschwihr Riesling 2008 Alsace
12.5% alcohol. Yellow with a hint of green. Rich, intense nose with bold melon and herb notes together with a hint of citrus freshness, as well as some pear. The palate is dry but rich with a spicy edge to the melon and pear fruit. Lovely bold flavours, good fruit sweetness and nice depth, with the texture and fruit giving an illusion of sweetness. 92/100 (£25 The Wine Society) 07/10

Thierry Puzelat Romarantin Vin de Table Blanc 2009
Very fresh, bright, pure nose is citrussy with some fine minerally notes and a hint of smokiness. The palate is fresh and tight with lovely intense minerality and citrus and green apple fruit. Alive and profound with amazing freshness. 93/100 07/10

Massia Vecchia Bianco 2006 Maremma, Tuscany, Italy
12.5% alcohol. Orange colour. Incredible, open, appealing nose of apricot fruit with floral overtones and a hint of mint. The palate is fresh and lively with some grippiness. Nice structure here with lovely tangerine and apricot fruit. Quite elegant with a citrus-peel-like freshness. 93/100 07/10

Roagna Barbaresco Pajé Reserva 1998 Piedmont, Italy
Beautiful nose: dark cherries, spice, some floral overtones, hints of leather, tar and herbs. The palate has lovely grippy tannic structure with fresh acidity. Still really youthful with lovely fruit and some spiciness. A really serious wine with real complexity. 94/100 07/10

Domaine Arretexea Irouléguy Rouge Cuvée Haitza 2007 Southwest France
Very primary nose is vivid, floral and intense with dark cherry and berry fruit. The palate has a subtle bloody, mineral edge to the sweet, slightly sappy cherry fruit. Very fresh. 91/100 07/10

Marco de Bortoli Veccio Sampaeri Vino Liquoroso NV Marsala
Sherried, spicy and a bit salty with a hint of tawny port on the nose, as well as notes of vanilla, nuts and old casks. The palate is nutty and rich with raisin and cask notes. Quite profound with amazing length. Complex and intense, finishing dry. 95/100 07/10

Emilio Hidalgo El Tresillo Amontillado 1874 Solera
Amazing nose: nutty, spicy, citrussy and taut with lovely freshness and complexity. Cedary and broad. The palate is intense, tangy and fresh with lovely nutty depth. Fresh with a subtly cheesy edge and some old furniture complexity. Mind-blowing. 97/100 07/10

Louis Latour Morgon Les Charmes 2009 Beaujolais
13% alcohol. Fresh and quite dense with bright raspberry fruit, together with a bit of tannic grip. Tight and youthful with lots of primary fruit, finishing quite firm. This is very promising: a usefully dense food wine now, with the potential to settle down and integrate with a few years in bottle. 88/100 (£9.99 Majestic) 07/10

Bouchard Pere & Fils Fleurie 2008 Beaujolais
12.5% alcohol. Very stylish, this. Quite light and sappy with some mineral undertones and fresh cherry fruit. Finishes with nice acidity. Fine, pure and minerally, this is quite a serious expression of the Gamay grape. 89/100 (£9.99 Waitrose) 07/10

Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Gris Grand Cru Kitterle 2006 Alsace
13.5% alcohol. Full yellow/gold colour. Rich nose of sweet melon, apricot and grape with some spiciness. The palate is luscious, off-dry and viscous with a fat texture and lovely grapey, melony flavour. Beautifully rich but balanced. 92/100 (UK agent MMD) 07/10

Domaine Grapillon D’Or ‘1806′ Gigondas 2008 Rhone, France
14.5% alcohol. Old vine Grenache with a bit of Syrah. Richly aromatic, this has sweet, lush, almost liqueur-like dark cherry fruit on the nose with some peppery notes in the background. The palate has a lovely peppery freshness offsetting the sweet, seductive cherry and berry fruit. It finishes nicely spicy, with great balance between the sweet fruit and savouriness. A serious effort. 92/100 (RRP £14.99, UK agent Stevens Garnier) 07/10

Crossroads Winery Syrah 2008 Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Lovely perfumed sweet dark cherry fruit nose, like a rich Pinot Noir but with some black pepper notes. The palate is midweight and fresh with elegant cherry and berry fruit as well as some nice peppery grip. Very easy to drink but with a hint of seriousness. Delicious, balanced and expressive. 90/100 07/10

Ridgeview Cavendish 2007 Sussex, England
A traditional method sparkling wine with 25% Chardonnay, 34% Pinot Noir and 41% Pinot Meunier. 12% alcohol. Yellow colour with a hint of gold. Warm, subtly toasty, gently nutty nose. The palate is complex, broad, a little toasty and has nice acidity. Fresh and fruity but also complex and quite serious. May well develop in bottle. 92/100 (£20 Oddbins) 06/10

Ernie Els Wines Guardian Peak Lapa Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Stellenbosch
15% alcohol. A very stylish modern wine. The nose shows sweet, pure, smooth blackberry and blackcurrant fruit without any noticeable oak. The palate is lush, sweet and pure with great concentration and some subtly chalky, fine-grained tannins. Some alcohol is evident, adding sweetness and body, but overall this is quite  a serious wine in a modern style. There’s structure enough to suggest ageing potential of 10 years. 93/100 06/10

Englebrecht Els Vineyard Proprietor’s Blend 2007 Stellenbosch
15% alcohol. A complex blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Shiraz, 8% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot. Rich, intense and concentrated with sweet blackcurrant and blackberry fruit. It’s fresh with an attractive gravelly, subtly green edge. Rich and sweet with nice definition, showing lush fruit but also some gravelly depth. Quite a serious new world take on the Bordeaux blend. 91/100 06/10

Hartenberg Merlot 2007 Stellenbosch
14.5% alcohol. This Veritas Gold medal winner is really fantastic. Lovely aromatic purity with fresh berry and blackcurrant fruit. Nice complex aromas of chalk, minerals, spice and pure fruit. The palate shows pure bright berry fruits with just a hint of green varietal character. Fresh and nicely balanced. 92/100 (RRP £17.50) 06/10

Jean-Claude Lapalu Brouilly 2007 Beaujolais
13% alcohol. A startling wine: fresh, spicy and a bit animal, with a tingly metallic finish, but also some lovely dark cherry fruit. It’s lively and quite elegant with a distinctive fruitiness. The Brettanomyces character that is affecting this bottle works quite well in this context; the wine is savoury and structured with lovely dark cherry fruit that can just carry the spicy, animal notes. 90/100 06/10

Yvon Metral Fleurie 2007 Beaujolais
13% alcohol. Brooding, spicy, dark cherry and plum nose. The palate is sweet, dense and rich with elegant dark cherry fruit and intense spicy notes, as well as hints of earth. Lovely fruit here: a dense but fresh style of wine, perhaps with a hint of Brettanomyces on the finish. Harmonious and stylish. 91/100 06/10

Passa Pequena 2008 Douro, Portugal
Made by Jorge Borges at Quinta do Passadouro. Fresh, supple and bright with cherry fruit backed up by a savoury, mineral edge and some subtle herbiness. Simple and fruity but with Douro typicity and a hint of seriousness: I really like this wine, and it’s great value for money. 89/100 (£8.49 Laithwaites) 06/10

Domaine du Columbier Crozes Hermitage Cuvee Gaby 2005
13% alcohol. Meaty, dark and spicy with some savoury smoky notes, but also a bit of that elusive violet perfume. The palate has lovely freshness and purity to the dark cherry and plum fruit, with peppery notes in the background. This is beginning to drink very well with good acidity and nice tannic structure. 92/100 06/10

Le P’tit Curieux Rols 2007 Vin de Pays de L’Aveyron, France
12.5% alcohol. Wonderfully spicy, mineralic, matchstick reductive nose. There’s some sweetness on the fizzy palate with savoury toast and mineral notes as well as some herb and cream, as well as fresh grapey character. This remarkable wine is actually quite easy going, but with its nutty, matchstick notes it’s hard to pigeonhole. I really like it. 90/100 06/10

Casa Silva Cool Climate Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Coastal Colchagua, Chile
13.5% alcohol. Fresh and aromatic with grapefruit, lime and a hint of passionfruit on the nose. Almost salty. The palate is bracing and fresh with high acidity and taut, crisp, nettly grapefruit and citrus notes. Very pure and intense. 91/100 (£12.95 Averys, Michael Jobling, Guildford Wine Co, MW2 wines) 06/10

TMV Swartland Syrah 2006 Swartland, South Africa
14% alcohol. A wine in a beautiful place. Lovely aromatic, floral, meaty, blackberry and spice nose. The palate is ripe but fresh with lovely dark cherry, plum and blackberry fruit, as well as notes of meat, spice, olives and minerals. Quite old world in style and lovely. 92/100 (£12.99 Waitrose) 06/10

Edouard Laffitte L’Echappee Belle ‘Le Bout du Monde’ NV Vin de Table de France
Lot 1/07 indicates the vintage of this naturally made Roussillon wine. It has a wonderfully fresh, bright nose of cherries, herbs, spice and a hint of undergrowth. The palate is fresh and fruity, but with lovely grainy, subtly sappy savouriness. It’s a wine with different levels: on one, it is fresh, fruity and easy to drink; on another, it has a more serious, savoury side that repays some contemplation. It tastes a bit like a natural wine – there’s a sort of freshness and elegance here, along with the sappy, spicy, undergrowth notes, but there’s also an indication of the terroir, too. I really like it – it’s the sort of wine where I’ll find it close to impossible to leave any in the bottle. 91/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene) 06/10

RJ Dard & F Ribo ‘C’est le Printemps’ Crozes Hermitage 2009 Northern Rhone, France
12% alcohol. Sweet, smooth, seductive cherry, plum and raspberry fruit with a youthful, vibrant personality, vivid fruit and nice freshness and definition. There’s just a hint of Syrah’s pepperiness. This is a wine to drink now to enjoy the pure, lush fruit. 92/100 (UK agent: Les Caves de Pyrene) 06/10

El Coyado Mencia 2007 Bierzo, Spain
14% alcohol. This is from producer Martin Codax. Deep coloured, this has a wonderfully fresh dark cherry and plum nose with some savoury, gravelly notes. The palate is fresh and a bit grippy with lovely pure dark fruits. Beautifully focused with lovely balance between the sweet fruit and savoury freshness. A stylish, elegant wine. 91/100 (£8.99 Oddbins) 06/10

Domaine Tournon Shiraz or Syrah 2008 Western Victoria, Australia
Cork sealed, 14.5% alcohol. This is fantastic. Sweet berryish nose with some plum, pepper and spice notes, as well as some violet hints. There’s a freshness here, as well as some spicy complexity. The palate is richly fruited but has some peppery savouriness, as well as some meaty notes.  A really nice blend of new and old world styles. Superb. 91/100 (£12.99 Oddbins) 06/10

Conan The Barbera 2007 Barbera d’Asti, Italy
14.5% alcohol. Intensely coloured. Vivid, spicy, sweet plum and rasberry fruit nose with earth and mineral notes. The palate is crunchy, vivid, extracted and tannic, with sweet berry fruits, spicy, tarry, mineral savouriness and some sweet raisiny notes. The signature here is the amazingly vivid fruit kept fresh by high acidity. Tasted blind, I’d have been tempted to say this was Australian. Pretty serious, if a little extreme this early in its life. Beautifully packaged and sealed with an expensive cork, I’d be tempted to stash a few bottles of this away. 91/100 (£12.99 www.findwine.co.uk) 05/10

Devil’s Corner Pinot Noir 2008 Tasmania, Australia
14% alcohol. From Tamar Ridge, one of the top producers on the island. Nice aromatic cherry fruit nose with a hint of sappiness. The palate is simple, juicy and pure with cranberry and cherry fruit, and just a hint of tannic structure. Fresh, light and quite joyful, and improves with a bit of air to reveal nice texture. A well judged lighter style of Pinot Noir. 88/100 (£9.99 www.findwine.co.uk) 05/10

Brothers in Arms No 6 Shiraz Cabernet 2005 Langhorne Creek, Australia
15.5% alcohol. Deeply coloured. Sweet nose is spicy, tarry, herby and intense with a hint of mint alongside the rich plum and blackberry fruit. The palate is dense, rich and spicy with lovely bold fruit. Quite lush but showing lovely spicy savouriness. Full on but I like it a lot. 91/100 (£12.20 Tanners, who have the agency for this in the UK) 05/10

Mas de Mas Corbieres 2009 Languedoc, France
14.5% alcohol. A beautifully modern, expressive take on Corbieres, showing sweet, rich blackberry and plum fruit on the nose with some lushness and chocolatey richness. The palate is smooth and concentrated with lush, dense blackberry fruit together with grainy tannins and some silkiness. 90/100 (£7.99 Majestic) 05/10

Jacob’s Creek Steingarten Riesling 2006 Barossa, Australia
This has an aromatic, fresh limey nose with some floral notes. The palate is powerfully flavoured with fresh lime and lemon fruit and taut herbal notes, as well as some pithy, spicy grip. A savoury, intense, bone dry wine with potential for development, though it is a teeny bit tough now. 91/100 05/10

Greenstone Vineyard Sangiovese 2007 Heathcote, Australia
13.5% alcohol, and the pH of this wine (3.32) is very low. Intense, savoury, spicy, almost bloody, mineral dark fruits nose. Very Italian. The palate has some sweet fruit but also lively, intense, tarry, herby, spicy savouriness and good acidity. Long and savoury with lovely personality. Rich yet fresh and savoury, this is deliciously individual. 92/100 (£27 Noel Young, Wholefoods) 05/10

Château de Pennautier 2008 Cabardès, France
From a small (500 ha) appellation in the Languedoc, this is one of my bargain wines of the year. It shows distinctive, savoury, gravelly, structured dark fruits with good acidity and some earthy notes. There’s a lovely bloody, gravelly streak to this wine that reminds me of the southwest of France. Satisfying stuff with nice density and real appeal. 89/100 (£6.99 Majestic, but £5.99 if you buy two) 05/10

Jackson Estate Gum Emperor Pinot Noir 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
Sweet, pure, ripe nose of aromatic dark cherry fruit with some lushness. The palate has lovely concentration of ripe, rich berry fruit with some jammy sweetness but also attractive freshness and a bit of tannic grip. A rich, seductive style of Pinot Noir for drinking now and over the next few years that is not without elegance and charm. 92/100 (£19.99 Ocado, Christopher Piper Wines) 05/10

Pierre-Jacques Druet Fiefs de Louys 2005 Bourgeuil, Loire
13% alcohol. Distinctive leafy, gravelly dark fruits nose with an attractive perfumed greenness. The palate is midweight and elegant with some gravelly grip and a savoury, spicy twist to the green-tinged dark cherry and blackcurrant fruit. Finishes fresh. Just so drinkable, with no heaviness but plenty of interest. 90/100 05/10

Domaine Tempier Bandol 1999 Provence, France
Evolving nicely, this has a savoury, mature nose with some iodine, mushroom and blood/iron notes. The palate is mellow with some spicy notes and hints of earth and minerals, as well as plummy fruit. Finishing dry, this is quite an elegant wine, drinking at its peak. 91/100 05/10

Hush Heath Estate Balfour Brut Rose 2006 Kent, England
12.5% alcohol. Orange/pink colour. Powerful, quite structured and intense with savoury, citrussy notes and some herbiness. There’s a hint of strawberry/plum fruit, as well as high acidity. This is a complex, savoury sparkling wine that’s full of class, and which has real intensity. 91/100 (£35 Marks & Spencer, Waitrose) 05/10

Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2007 Sonoma, California
14.2% alcohol. This is the entry level wine in Patz & Hall’s portfolio of Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, but it’s really good. A cherry red colour, it has an aromatic nose of sweet cherry and raspberry fruit with some fine spicy notes. The palate is sweetly fruited but quite light (a good thing in Pinot) with cherry and red berry fruit and subtle spiciness, combined with smooth texture and great balance. No heaviness at all, and avoids the sweet and sour character common with Pinot Noir. 93/100 (UK retail c. £25, available from www.wallingfordvintners.co.uk) 05/10

Felton Road Cornish Point Pinot Noir 2008 Central Otago
14% alcohol. Lovely sweet slightly meaty nose with dark cherry and raspberry fruit: smooth and quite elegant with lovely purity. The palate has intense sweet dark cherry fruit, some raspberry freshness and nice concentration and texture. Nicely complex with some minerality as well as lovely richness. Superb. 95/100 5/10

Dourthe Grande Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Bordeaux
Lovely nose with grapefruit, herbs and grassy notes, combining richness and freshness. The palate is vibrant, ripe and grassy with a nice crystalline quality and grapefruit freshness. Lively and crisp with lovely balance. Serious. 89/100 05/10

Blind River Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Marlborough, New Zealand
From Awatere, this is enhanced with 10% barrel fermentation. Complex, rich, bold and intense with subtle, grassy tomato leaf notes on the nose. The palate is taut and precise with some richness, but the dominant feature being grassy grapefruit and citrus characters, with some minerality. 91/100 (£12.99 Oddbins) 05/10

Casas del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2009 Casablanca Valley, Chile
This is really nice: lovely rounded lemon, grapefruit and melon fruit with a subtle grassiness. Very well balanced. A rich, complex Sauvignon Blanc with real appeal. 88/100 05/10

Martinborough Vineyard Chardonnay 2006 Martinborough
13.5% alcohol, aged for 10 months in French oak, natural fermentation. Complex, broad, toasty and yet really fresh, with some citrus and grapefruit notes. Bold and aromatic with lovely breadth and notes of bread, pear, lemon and peach. Just lovely: a really serious Chardonnay that is evolving very nicely. 94/100 05/10

Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2006 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
14% alcohol. Sweet, fresh plum and blackberry fruit nose with a gravelly, tarry edge. The palate shows sweet, fresh dark fruits with a savoury, spicy, tarry edge and a hint of vanilla. The key to this wine is the vibrant fruit, and it finishes nicely savoury, making it food friendly. 91/100 (£16.99 Waitrose, nzhouseofwine.co.uk) 05/10

Craggy Range Te Kahu 2005 Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Deep coloured, this has an aromatic nose of savoury blackcurrant fruit with some spice, earth and gravel notes. The palate combines ripe dark fruits with firm, gravelly tannins and some chocolate and tar notes. This is a lovely interface of the old and new worlds with a bit more old than new. Delicious. 92/100 (£17 Marks & Spencer) 05/10

Telavi Satrapezo Saperavi 2006 Kakheti, Georgia
13.5% alcohol. Fermented in clay amphorae and then aged in new French oak; 6000 bottles made. This is wonderful stuff. Elegant yet rich cherry and berry fruit with a smooth texture and a subtle creaminess from the new oak. It’s a concentrated, dense wine that’s very sophisticated and modern, yet avoids being anonymous and ‘international’, with the oak playing a supporting role to the intense, focused fruit. Fresh and structured with lovely purity, this will probably age very well, although it is delicious now. A serious wine. 93/100 (£21.99 Georgian Wine Society) 04/10

Verus Pinot Gris 2008 Slovenia
13% alcohol. Grapey, smokey and sweetly fruited with nice texture and a bit of spritz adding freshness. It’s an Alsace style: rich, but still dry, with lovely rounded fruit. Very stylish. 88/100 (£8.99 The Real Wine Company,  www.therealwineco.co.uk) 04/10

Corriente del Bio Pinot Noir 2009 Bio Bio Valley, Chile
14% alcohol. Nicely aromatic with a subtle minty/ginger edge to the beautiful smooth, pure, dark cherry fruit. The palate is rounded and elegant with supple, sappy fruit and also a bit of spiciness, as well as a hint of savoury earthiness. Very smooth and quite elegant. 89/100 (£6.99 Marks & Spencer) 04/10

Eldridge Estate Chardonnay 2008 Mornington Peninsula, Australia
14% alcohol. Complex, powerful and intense with rich but balanced flavours of nuts, fig, peach and pear, as well as subtle toasty notes. Fruit dominated with real refinement and complexity. Wish it was a bit cheaper, but it’s worth it. 94/100 (UK retail £30, available at www.auswineonline.co.uk) 04/10

Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2009 Central Valley, Chile
Vibrant, juicy and fruity with cherry and plum notes, a well as some savoury spiciness and a hint of rubberiness. Tastes like Pinot, though, and for this price that’s an achievement. 83/100 (£6.99 Oddbins, Majestic, Asda, Booths, Budgens, Londis, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Somerfield, Tesco, Waitrose) 04/10

Cono Sur Pinot Noir Reserva 2008 Casablanca Valley, Chile
Minty, spicy oaky edge to the bright berry fruits nose. The palate has a hint of earth and some warm spicy notes underpinning the fresh, focused cherry fruit. More elegant than the regular Pinot Noir, but does it need the oak? Warm finish. 87/100 (£7.99 Somerfield, Tesco) 04/10

The Wanderer Pinot Noir 2008 Yarra Valley
13% alcohol. The first thing you notice about this wine is that it is a very pale cherry colour, Few Burgundians are brave enough to make Pinot Noir this light in colour, but Marks has been careful not to overextract, and with Pinot Noir, the pale ones are often the best. It’s made from a single vineyard site in the lower Yarra near Tarrawarra, and the fruit is destemmed but not crushed, leaving whole berries, which are cold soaked in open fermenters before inoculation and hand plunging. A third of the blend goes to new French oak; unfiltered and unfined. Subtle complex cherry fruit nose with some earthy, spicy notes. The palate is nicely textured with some smooth cherry fruit and subtle spice and earth characters. Nicely complex with real elegance. An understated wine with nice purity; it could develop nicely. 92/100 (£30 will be available from www.auswineonline.co.uk) 04/10

The Wanderer Shiraz 2008 Yarra Valley
From a 30 year old single-vineyard in Dixon’s Creek. Fermented in open fermenters with some stems. Aged in 20% new oak; neither fined nor filtered. Interesting stuff. Initially a little reduced on the nose, with some spicy, earthy notes in the background, but the dominant theme is sweet fruit with cherry and raspberry notes as well as lovely elegance and a smooth texture. Quite pure; like a very ripe, rich Pinot Noir. May develop in interesting ways. 92/100 (£30 will be available from www.auswineonline.co.uk) 04/10

Champagne Mumm de Cramant Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs NV
Full yellow colour. Fresh and quite intense with lovely savoury, herb-tinged, gently toasty lemony fruit. Quite vinous with good acidity. Complex, thought provoking and showing lovely fruit expression, this is a serious fizz. 93/100 (£41.80 Waitrose Wine Direct, £52.50 Harrods) 04/10

Churchill’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port
Cherry red with a brown hint. Wonderfully complex, nutty, spicy sweet wine with a fresh citrus kick on the finish. Beautifully balanced with spicy, cedary complexity and a smooth nutty texture, as well as herb and spice notes as well as some cherry fruit. Distinctive, complex and lively. 94/100 (UK agent: Stokes) 04/10

Spier Creative Block Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Coastal Region, South Africa
14% alcohol. Amazingly intense, with an aromatic nose showing passion fruit, herbs, grapefruit and gooseberries. The palate is an explosion of flavour: richly fruited, with notes of tangerine and grapefruit, as well as savoury green pepper notes. Exciting and mouthfilling. 90/100 (£11.99 sawinesonline.co.uk) 04/10

Pierre Boniface Les Rocialles Apremont 2009 Vin de Savoie, France
11.5% alcohol. Made from the Jacquere grape, this is a very fresh, light white wine with a delicate minerality – it’s a bit like licking a stone. It’s not excessively fruity, with a touch of lemon, but it’s really nice and pure. I really like it for its subtlety and freshness. 88/100 (UK agent Stevens Garnier) 04/10

Philippe & Vincent Jaboulet Crozes-Hermitage Nouvelière 2007 Northern Rhône, France
This is made from what were the bulk of the Thalabert vineyards, which Philippe and Vincent retained when Jaboulet was sold a few years ago. A very Burgundian expression of Syrah, with a smooth, slightly meaty, dark cherry nose with some plummy, green herby notes. The palate has a bit of pepper spice as well as good acidity and some savoury meaty notes with a hint of sweet oak. It’s a bit like a Central Otago Pinot Noir with added savoury notes and a bit more tannin. It’s a really attractive wine that will age well, and doesn’t show the rusticity often associated with this appellation. 91/100 (£18.65 FromVineyardsDirect.com) 03/10

Domaine Jean Baptiste Senat Minervois ‘Mais ou est Donc Ornica’ 2008 
13.5% alcohol. Deep coloured. A wonderfully pure, fresh, elegant expression of Minervois that’s incredibly vibrant and drinkable, yet quite serious. There’s some spicy, mineral structure around which the dark black cherry and raspberry fruit fit quite beautifully. Fresh, a bit peppery, and with good acidity. There’s a little bit of edginess and a hint of earth, but the whole package is amazingly vibrant and supple with lovely fruit purity. Much fresher than most Languedoc reds. 93/100 (UK agent: Les Caves de Pyrene) 03/10

Viña Leyda Canelo Single Vineyard Syrah 2007 Leyda Valley, Chile
Fresh, floral cool climate Syrah nose of dark fruits with some spice and pepper. Lovely purity and focus. The palate shows fresh, peppery dark cherry and raspberry fruit with a hint of meatiness. Lovely definition. 91/100 03/10

Turkey Flat Pedro Ximenez NV Barossa Valley, Australia
17% alcohol. A liqueur wine made by adding spirit to part fermented wine. Attractive red/brown colour. Sweet, vibrant nose of raisin and spice, with some tangerine notes. Warm, complex and spicy. The palate is softly textured; intensely sweet but quite fresh with bold, spicy fruit. Finishes very sweet but there are some tangy, citrussy notes. 91/100 (£19.99 Waitrose, UK agent Mentzendorff) 03/10

Domaine d’Aupilhac ‘Les Cocalières’ 2007 Montpeyroux, Languedoc, France
13.5% alcohol. 40% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache. Beautifully packaged, this is a wonderfully bright, elegant Languedoc red, but it’s quite serious, at the same time. The nose shows ripe but fresh raspberry and blackberry fruit with a hint of thyme and earth. This leads to a focused, structured, savoury, meaty palate showing complex blackberry fruit. There’s real density and precision here as well as some richness, but even at this early stage the wine is nicely balanced with good acidity and very well defined fruit flavours. No hint of over-ripeness. I love this style of wine. For current drinking and cellaring up to five years, I reckon, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it ages for longer. I just wish it wasn’t so expensive, although it is actually worth this much. 93/100 (£19.40 Berry Bros & Rudd) 03/10

Man O’War Syrah 2008 Waiheke Island, New Zealand
14% alcohol. Very fresh, peppery and meaty with some clove notes. It’s elegant in a cool-climate style with lovely fresh black cherry and raspberry fruit, as well as some olive and herb notes. Opens up and softens after a few hours with some richness and sweetness appearing, and the edginess calming down a bit. A peppery, spicy wine with lots of fruit. 93/100 03/10

Man O’War Dreadnought Syrah 2008 Waiheke Island, New Zealand
14% alcohol. Wonderful nose of rich blackberry and raspberry fruit with lovely complex, fresh, peppery notes. The palate has dense, firm fruit with some edgy tannins and good acidity, as well savoury clove and pepper character. It’s a really lively wine with nice combination of intense fruit and savoury spiciness. It’s quite challenging at the moment, and it will be interesting to see how it evolves. 94/100 03/10

Petaluma Croser 2006 Adelaide Hills, Australia
This sparkling wine is 63% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay, and it weighs in at 13% alcohol. Taut, fresh and balanced with subtle toasty notes and restrained citrus fruit. Sophisticated and clean but still very youthful: an impressive fizz with potential for further development. 90/100 03/10

Hidalgo Pedro Ximenez Triana VORS 30 Years Old Sherry
Amazing stuff: rich and intense with notes of treacle, tar, figs and raisins on the nose. The palate is viscous and intensely sweet with a lovely treacle and fig savouriness as well as bold, sweet raisin and fruitcake flavours. Real complexity with a long finish. 95/100 (UK agent Mentzendorff, retail c. £40 for 50 cl) 03/10

Numanthia Toro 2007 Spain
From ungrafted old vineyards of 50 years and older. 14.5% alcohol. Dense with sweet, ripe blackberry fruit and some earthy, savoury, spicy tarry structure. As well as the chocolatey richness there’s some dry, savoury earthiness, finishing with some drying tannins. I like the way that the sweet fruit and new oak is countered by ample structure and a distinctive savouriness, which saves it from spoofiness, the besetting sin of ambitious Spanish reds. This might age very well. 92/100 03/10

Torres Mas La Plana Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Penedes, Spain
14% alcohol. This classic label is a real vin de garde – an ageworthy red that doesn’t show its best young. Nicely focused gravelly, spicy blackcurrant and cherry fruit is to the fore. Fresh with real focus. There’s good structure here with a hint of earthiness alongside the mouth-drying tannins. Taut and structured with nice definition, this will really start to show its best in five years and will probably keep for 20. 92/100 03/10

Jean-Yves Devevey Rully 2006 Burgundy, France
13% alcohol. Deep yellow colour. Rich, toasty, broad and nutty with complex honeyed, minerally, citrus pith, grapefruit and herb notes. It’s quite textured with a wonderful balance between the rich, almost exotic flavours and the taut citrus notes. A complex, thought-provoking white Burgundy of real appeal. 92/100 (£17.35 BBR) 03/10

Tamar Ridge Kayena Vineyard Botrytis Riesling 2007 Tasmania
9% alcohol. Highly aromatic with notes of melon, citrus fruits, grapefruit and crystalline fruits. The palate is sweet and pure with wonderful freshness, viscous, intense melon and citrus fruit, and good balancing acidity. Lively with a sort of spicy zip to it. 94/100 (UK importer: ABS) 03/10

Standish Andelmonde Shiraz 2007 Barossa
A single-vineyard Shiraz (Greenock) from Dan Standish, sealed with natural cork, 13.5% alcohol, with ‘minimal sulphur added’ according to the back label. Intensely coloured, with a nose that is ripe and sweet but has well defined blackberry, plum and dark cherry fruit with some spice and subtle earthy notes. The palate is hugely concentrated with dense, dark, ripe fruit beautifully framed by the fresh acidity and spicy, earthy savouriness. It’s beautifully judged with firm structure underpinning the sweet fruit, and the oak playing a supporting role. There’s no hint of over-ripeness, and this is a powerful but balanced wine. One of the best examples of Barossa Shiraz I’ve ever tried. 96/100 (£75 UK agent Stokes) 03/10

Seresin Rachel Pinot Noir 2007 Marlborough
14% alcohol. Wild yeast ferment, 40% new oak, spends 9 months in barrel. Dark, intense, brooding dark cherry, raspberry and blackberry nose with some meaty, spicy notes adding complexity, and some violet/floral notes adding perfume. The palate is focused and concentrated, with delicious savoury, spicy, mineral notes under the cherry and plum fruit. Rich but fresh with a subtle bitter twist and good acidity. Superb. 94/100 03/10

Seresin Leah Pinot Noir 2007 Marlborough
Three vineyards blended together, spending 11 months in French oak, of which 20% is new. 13.5% alcohol. Slightly murky: not clear. Beautfully balanced and focused with fresh, textured cherry fruit and a hint of spicy meatiness. There’s real elegance and purity to this wine, which is concentrated but well balanced. Plummy tang adding a hint of bitterness, which helps keep things savoury. This will likely age well. 93/100 03/10

Seresin Tatou Pinot Noir 2007 Marlborough
From deep gravel soils at the western end of the Wairau Valley. 50% new oak. 14% alcohol. Very fresh and savoury with lovely vivid dark cherry and raspberry nose, with some sweetness. The palate is very fresh with savoury raspberry, cherry and plum fruit back up by appealing herbal, mineral undertones. Real personality here. Quite structured with some chocolatey richness and olive notes. Perhaps even a bit Syrah-like? Quite serious. 93/100 03/10

Seresin Home Pinot Noir 2007 Marlborough
13.5% alcohol. From the home vineyard, 30% new oak. Lovely full aromatic nose of plums, raspberries and cherries with a hint of meatiness. The palate is concentrated and intense with sweet plum and cherry fruit, nice savoury meaty notes and some spiciness. A rich, concentrated Pinot Noir that’s quite serious. 93/100 03/10

Seresin Raupo Creek Pinot Noir 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
14% alcohol, wild yeast ferment, 15 months in barrel, 40% new oak. Beautifully aromatic plum, dark cherry, meat and spice nose with a lovely floral character. Complex, deep and beguiling. The palate is focused and concentrated with lovely meaty, spicy, dark cherry and raspberry fruit. Finishes spicy with some citrussy acidity. Expressive and concentrated with a slight wildness to it. Exciting. 94/100 03/10

Seresin Sun & Moon Pinot Noir 2007 Marlborough
14.5% alcohol. Wild ferment, 80% Raupo Creek, 20% home vineyard. Beautifully aromatic with rich ripe cherry and plum nose, as well as a fine, spicy, meaty character, together with some delicately sappy notes and floral overtones. The palate is densely flavoured and yet still quite light in feel – a wonderful paradox. Lively cherry and raspberry fruit are backed up by good acidity and some fine spiciness. Beautiful precision to this wine. 95/100 03/10

Domaine Le Roc des Anges Blanc Les Vieilles Vignes 2007 Vin de Pays des Pyrénées Orientales, France
13.5% alcohol. Very fresh white wine with a lovely pithy grapefruit, lemon and herb nose, together with some waxy notes. The palate is complex with some sweetness to the pithy lemon and pear fruit, as well as some nuttiness. Real interest here: a subtle, interesting wine with a long nutty finish. 92/100 (UK agent: Les Caves de Pyrene) 03/10

Chapoutier Hermitage Vin de Paille 1995 Northern Rhone, France
15% alcohol. Deep orange/gold colour. Remarkable, lively, complex nose of crystalline fruits, orange peel, spices and herbs, with some apricot and lime notes. The palate is viscous and sweet with bright acidity offsetting the citrus, marmalade and ripe peach fruit. Spicy depth and complexity here: a mind-blowing wine with concentration, depth and freshness. Still youthful at 15 years old. 97/100 (£60/half bottle, UK agent Mentzendorff) 03/10

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Seventy Six Shiraz Cabernet 2008 South Australia
14.5% alcohol. A tribute to the original 1976 Koonunga Hill. Deep coloured, this is a heady combination of intense, sweet ripe pure blackberry and blackcurrant fruit with some integrated spicy oak. Very rich and pure, with plenty of substance: extracted, tannic and grippy with lovely fruit focus. Great fun, and it wouldn’t surprise me if this turned out to be a 20 year wine – it will age. 90/100 (£8.99 Majestic, Waitrose) 02/10

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Autumn Riesling 2008 South Australia
11.5% alcohol. Named after a white wine trial by Max Schubert in the early 1970s. Assertive, limey, citrussy, pithy nose with some floral notes. The palate is dry, spicy and savoury with nice citrus notes. Lots of flavour here: a lovely dry Riesling that is pithy and structured, and it will age. 89/100 (£8.99 Waitrose) 02/10

Jordan Mellifera Noble Late Harvest 2008 Stellenbosch, South Africa
11% alcohol. This Riesling is a golden colour, with a lovely nose of honeyed tangerine and apricot fruit, with lively complexity. The palate has a limey, spicy freshness as well as ripe peach and apricot fruit with bold, viscous flavours. There’s a nice fruity, melony freshness here. Stylish and complex with a long, spicy finish. Serious stuff. 94/100 (UK agent ABS – retail is around £11 for half bottle, which makes this good value) 02/10

Riverby Estate Noble Riesling 2008 Marlborough, New Zealand
9.6% alcohol, 165 g/litre residual sugar. Golden colour. Very pure fruity citrus and peach nose with some lifted spicy notes. The palate is viscous, citrussy and fresh, with real concentration. Thick-textured apricot, pear and lemon fruit dominates, with some nice balancing acidity. It’s still very youthful, but this is quite a serious wine that I think will age well. 93/100 02/10

Harvey’s Pedro Ximénez 30 Years VORS Sherry
From a solera founded in 1919 with wines of an average age of 30 years+. 16% alcohol. Deep brown in colour. Aromatic Christmas cake, raisin and treacle nose. The palate is incredibly concentrated and viscous with amazingly intense sweet treacle, molasses, raisin and date flavours. In beautiful balance with nice complexity and a long, long finish. A little goes a long way. 94/100 (£19.99 Waitrose/half bottle) 02/10

Carlo Ferragu Valpolicella Superiore 2007 Italy
A small producer with vineyards next to those of legendary producer Romano Dal Forno. The grapes for this wine are dried for two weeks on racks. Wonderfully smooth, sweet nose of pure liqueur-like red fruits. The palate is sleek and lush, with amazingly intense pure raspberry and cherry fruit backed up by some spicy complexity. An incredible wine. 95/100 (£28.50 Swig) 02/10

Carlo Ferragu Amarone 2005 Italy
Mindblowing. Smooth, pure nose with spicy, mineralic complexity to the lush dark fruits. The palate is smooth with lovely sweet raspberry and cherry fruit and blackberry lushness with high acidity, minerals and spice. Mouthfilling and complex, this is really exciting. 96/100 (£85 Swig) 02/10

Domaine Serene Evanstad Reserve Pinot Noir 2006 Oregon
This is incredibly good. Beautifully pure, elegant nose with beguilingly complex cherry fruit and fine spiciness. The palate is concentrated yet elegant with sweet ripe cherry and spice notes. Just so smooth and refined, a really serious effort. 95/100 (£42 Swig) 02/10

Pyramid Valley Growers Collection Calvert Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008 Central Otago, New Zealand
Very pure, elegant smooth fruit with meaty, spicy notes in the background adding savoury interest. Focused, elegant palate is densewith nice presence and raspberry and plum fruit. Dense but pure, this works really well. 94/100 (£30 Swig) 02/10

Stéphane Montez Syrah Les Hauts du Monteillet 2007 Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes, Northern Rhône
Beautiful meaty, savoury, peppery nose is perfumed and floral. Unmistakably Northern Rhône. The palate is savoury, meaty and spice with lovely meaty, bloody depth to the plum and raspberry fruit. Thrilling stuff. 93/100 (£15.95 Swig) 02/10

Cantina Ciolli Silene Olevano Romano doc di Cesanese 2006 Italy
This is just fantastic stuff: a varietal Cesanese. Pale cherry red colour. Wonderfully sweet, complex cherry and herb nose with cured meat and a hint of manure character. The palate is sweet and elegant with lovely precision to the cherry fruit with complex herby, sappy, spicy notes adding real interest. I love it. 93/100 (£13.50 Swig) 02/10

Cupano Brunello di Montalcino 2004 Tuscany, Italy
A small production (564 cases) gem. Beautifully focused and elegant with lovely structure and density. This manages to be firmly tannic and elegant at the same time, in the way that only top Italian reds seem to manage. Notes of cherries, herbs, spice and minerals. A thrilling wine. 95/100 (£68 Swig) 02/10

Galena 2006 Priorat, Spain
From a small old vineyard of 5 hectares. Distinctive Priorat nose: mineral, focused red berry fruits with notes of herbs, leather and spice. The palate is dense and tannic, but still fresh and elegant. Lovely spicy, mineralic structure underpins the red fruits. Serious stuff with ageing potential. 94/100 (£22.50 Great Western Wine) 02/10

Celler El Masroig Ètnic Vinyes Antigues 2006 Montsant, Spain
A blend of 85% Samsó (Carignan) and 15% Garnatxa (Grenache) aged in French oak. Very sweet, lush, pure cherry and blackberry fruit with some savoury, spicy notes. The palate is pure with intense spicy, minerally notes complementing the ripe, sweet fruit. Beautiful definition here. 94/100 (Indigo Wine) 02/10

Raúl Pérez Ultreia Saint Jacques 2008 Bierzo, Spain
Lovely pure, elegant nose with smooth cherry and berry fruit. The palate is supple and fresh with focused, smooth berry fruits. Stylish with lovely precision. Understated and fine. 93/100 (Indigo Wine) 02/10

Craggy Range Te Kahu Gimblett Gravels Vineyard 2005 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
This is developing beautifully. Focused dark fruits nose with some fine blackcurrant and blackberry fruit, and dark, gravelly definition. The palate is smoothly fruited, yet gravelly and minerally at the same time. Delicious stuff with real focus, beginning to develop nicely. 93/100 (£16.99 Louis Latour) 02/10

Tarras Vineyards The Canyon Pinot Noir 2007 Central Otago, New Zealand
Beautifully focused, aromatic nose with nice depth to the meaty dark cherry and berry fruit. The palate shows lovely structure and elegance, with dense but expressive cherry and berry fruits. Impressive stuff. 94/100 (Specialist Vineyards) 02/10

Wooing Tree Pinot Noir 2007 Central Otago, New Zealand
Super-elegant cherry fruit nose with lovely purity and perfume. The palate is complex and structured with nice focus and mineral and spice notes alongside the taut, focused cherry fruit. A superb Pinot. 94/100 (£25 Specialist Vineyards) 02/10

Boony Doon Vineyards Syrah 2006 Central Coast, California
Fresh and restrained on the nose with forest fruits and spice, as well as a bit of earth. The palate is tight and youthful with blackberry and dark cherry fruit kept savoury by attractive spicy, earthy notes. Refined and food friendly; European in style, without any new world sweetness. 91/100 (£8.99 Marks & Spencer here, normally £11.99) 02/10

Marananga Dam Old Vines Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre 2005 Barossa, Australia
Made by Torbreck. Very sweet, aromatic nose with cherry, prune and spice. The palate is warm and smooth with super-ripe, liqueur-like berry and cherry fruit with some strawberry jam notes, as well as intense spiciness and hints of bacon. An unusual style: very ripe but also quite elegant, albeit with some alcoholic heat. Beginning t0 show some evolution, with a bit of tawny Port character. 88/100 (£9.99 Marks & Spencer) 02/10

De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon 2006 Australia
10% alcohol. Very rich, bold fruit here: peach jam, fine cut marmalade and lemon cordial jostle for space with spicy complexity and good acidity keeping things fresh. Lovely concentration: it’s viscous and mouthfilling, yet beautifully balanced. Finishes very sweet with some syrup notes. With this much sugar and acidity, this will live a long time, especially seeing as it is screwcapped. 93/100 (£14.99 Oddbins, Majestic, Waitrose for 37.5 cl) 02/10

Stephane Robert Domaine du Tunnel Saint-Peray Roussanne 2007 Northern Rhone, France
13% alcohol. Intense, nutty and toasty with pear, peach and spice notes, as well as some citrus pith and straw character. Quite rich and textured, with the potential to develop. 92/100 (Berry Bros & Rudd, but they have very limited, perhaps now zero stock, c. £20) 02/10

Peller Estates Riesling Icewine 2007 Niagara, Canada
11% alcohol. Golden colour. Intense, grapey, and sweet with pear, peach and apricot notes on the nose. The palate is viscous and intense with thick super-sweet citrus, honey and marmalade characters, with some spiciness under the super-rich fruit. There’s an amazing tension here between the sweetness and the acidity. 90/100 (UK retail is around £30 for half a bottle, so it isn’t cheap) 02/10

Seifried Sweet Agnes Riesling 2008 Nelson, New Zealand
10% alcohol. Intense, powerful, sweet and citrussy with lively spicy richness and apricot and peach fruit. Complex, viscous and intense with high acidity countering the sweetness, as well as some notes of pear and apple. Precise and spicy, with amazing intensity, almost like an ice wine in terms of the depth of flavour. 93/100 (£14.99 Waitrose, Laithwaites, £19.99 Naked Wines) 02/10

Château Brown 2006 Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux
13% alcohol. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, from a 28 hectare property. There’s quite a serious wine here, although it’s a little obscured by new oak at the moment. Lovely gravelly blackcurrant fruit dominates, with some taut structure and good acidity. The defining feature is the focused, dense, minerally gravelly core to the fruit, although there are some more superficial notes of chocolate and coffee, too. Will develop well over the next five years, when I reckon it will peak. 90/100 02/10

Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner Terraces 2009 Wachau, Austria
12% alcohol. A fresh, citrussy interpretation of GV with a trademark hint of white pepper on the nose and crisp, persistent fruity flavours on the palate. A taut, dry style with lovely purity. Very impressive for the price. 88/100 (£7.99 Waitrose) 02/10

Domaine des Lises Equis Crozes-Hermitage 2007 Northern Rhône, France
There’s no doubting where this wine comes from. With its meaty, peppery, spicy, savoury, almost bloody nose it’s obviously cool climate Syrah from the Rhône. The palate is fresh and savoury with high acidity and meaty, peppery raspberry and plum fruit. There’s a degree of clarity and precision to the fruit that keeps it from being rustic. A brilliant effort. 92/100 (£15.95 BBR) 02/10

Château l'Aumerade Cuvee Marie-Christine 2008 Cotes de Provence
13% alcohol. This comes in a strange-shaped bottle, called Vase de Gallé. Orange/pink in colour, this is nicely balanced, with strawberry fruits, herbs and hints of butter. There's some spicy character, as well as textural notes. Fruity but elegant; stylish without being profound. 87/100 (£9.99 Nicolas) 09/09

Muga Rioja Blanco 2008 Spain
13% alcohol. 90% Viura, 10% Malvasia. 12 h maceration then goes to barriques, with 3 months lees stirring. Fresh and lemony with some minerality and sophisticated toasty oak. Quite refined with some creaminess. The oak doesn't overpower. 89/100 (£8 Majestic) 09/09

Shearwater Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Marlborough, New Zealand
Lovely vibrant passionfruit and herb nose. Exotic but still fresh with some grassy notes. Fresh and herby with a hint of citrus. 88/100 (Waitrose) 09/09

Colomé Torrontes 2007 Salta, Argentina
From 50-120 year old vines at 2000-2300 metres elevation. Aromatic, intense, rich and grapey with melon and lychee notes. Very terpenic. The palate is exotic and rich-textured with a hint of grapefruit pith and some bitterness. Soft, fat, floral and oily. 87/100 (Tesco) 09/09

Champagne Ruinart Blanc de Blancs NV
12.5% alcohol. Quite powerful with intense, herby, citrussy fruit with some savoury bitter notes alongside the fruit, as well as high acidity. Very fresh and intense. After a while some toasty notes emerge. Quite a serious with some distinctive savouriness. 91/100 10/09

Champagne Ruinart Brut Rosé NV
12.5% alcohol. Beautiful packaging. Deep pink with an orange tinge. Rich strawberry and berry fruit nose. Vibrant palate with exuberant cherry, peach and berry fruit notes. Some herb and toast complexity. Refined and complex with pithiness and a hint of rosehip syrup on the finish. 91/100 10/09

Hope Estate 'The Cracker' Cabernet Merlot 2006 Western Australia
14% alcohol. Crushed in the west coast, trucked across the Nullabor to the Hunter Valley. Lovely sweet dark blackcurrant, blackberry fruit nose with a gravelly edge. Very fresh and berryish. Nice sweet pure, smooth, berryish fruit on the palate. Sweet, smooth and nicely textured. Very appealing. 89/100 10/09

Wakefield Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Clare Valley, Australia
14% alcohol. Lovely dark gravelly blackcurrant fruit on the nose: sweet yet savoury. The palate is nicely poised with sweet black fruits and a savoury, spicy, subtly earthy edge. Finishes with firm tannins. 89/100 10/10

Ravenswood Lane Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2007 Adelaide Hills, Australia
13.5% alcohol. Gently nutty and refined with a hint of citrus pith and some ripe pear and peach notes. Fruity with good acidity and just a hint of toastiness. Understated and quite classy with nice poise. 89/100 10/09

Vergelegen 'Vergelegen' red 2003 Stellenbosch, South Africa
14.5% alcohol. Deep coloured. Powerful nose of mint, spice, gravel, minerals, smoke and blackcurrant. The palate is concentrated and intense with an earthy, spicy undercurrent to the fresh blackcurrant and berry fruit. There's an attractive herby quality to the fruit. There's a hint of Bordeaux here, but it's richer with some South African quality. Great concentration and will probably develop well. 92/100 (£21 Majestic, Tesco, SWIG, Wimbledon Wine Cellars, Roberson, VineKing, Four Walls Wine) 10/09

Château Fabre Gasparets 2005 Corbières-Boutenac, France
13% alcohol. Balanced, elegant, midweight style with minerality, subtly spicy/peppery red fruits. The palate has lovely fine-grained tannins and nice freshness with a minerally finish. Expressive with nice savouriness. 88/100 (The Real Wine Company) 10/09

Tagus Creek Shiraz Trincadeira 2008 Alentejo, Portugal
Vibrant, juicy, dark cherry fruit nose. The palate is fresh with bright berry and cherry fruit offset by some spicy notes. Very bright, pure and fresh. 86/100 (£5.59 Morrisons) 10/09

Tagus Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Aragonês 2008 Ribatejo, Portugal
Slightly smoky, roasted edge to the nose which shows tight spicy dark cherry and blackberry fruit. The palate is tight and spicy with red berry fruit backed up by nice acidity. Juicy and fresh. 84/100 (£5.99 Waitrose) 10/09

Les Crouzes Old Vine Carignan 2008 Vin de Pays de l'Herault, France
12% alcohol. Juicy and bright with cherry and berry fruit, with a touch of sweetness. Beaujolais-like and a bit confected. It may be from old vines, but what's the point if the wine is as simple as this? 80/100 (£4.99 Co-op) 10/09

Domaine Serge Lalou Sancerre Rosé 2008 Loire, France
Beautifully packaged. Aromatic, gently herbal with slightly sappy cherry and strawberry fruit. Savoury with a nice herby spiciness to the fruit. Grown-up rosé with good acidity. 88/100 (The Wine Society) 10/09

Domaine Combes Syrah Grenache 2008 Saint Chinian, France
Made by Alain Grignon. 13.5% alcohol. Bright cherry and plum fruited wine with a nice peppery edge. Fresh and fruity with lovely bright fruit. Nice savoury bite. 85/100 (£6.99 Waitrose) 10/09

Champagne Mumm Demi Sec NV
12% alcohol. Very smooth and rounded with off-dry peach, grape and melon character, balanced by lovely fresh acidity. This is delicious and beautifully balanced – a great apertif fizz, but could also work with fruity desserts. 90/100 (£26.99 Waitrose) 10/09

Chateau d'Or et de Gueules 'Les Cimele' 2006 Costieres de Nimes, France
14% alcohol. Distinctive stuff. Spicy, tarry, meaty with roast coffee and tar notes. Distinctly savoury with some dark fruits. The palate is spicy, dense and savoury with a bitter herby element. 87/100 (The Real Wine Company) 10/09

Champagne Marc Chauvet Brut NV
12% alcohol. Bright, open, pure and lemony with crisp fruit. The palate is fresh and taut with lovely tight lemony fruit and a bit of pithiness, as well as subtle toasty richness on the finish. A very pure style with good acidity. 90/100 (The Real Wine Company) 10/09

Emilio Valerio Laderas de Montejura Vinas de Amburza 2005 Navarra, Spain
13% alcohol. Biodynamic. Very fresh with sweet, well defined berry and cherry fruit nose showing spicy, savoury depth. The palate is really fresh with taut plum, cherry and raspberry fruit, high acidity and taut earthy structure, backed up by some spicy oak. Distinctly fresh and savoury. 90/100 10/09

Vina Zorzal Graciano 2007 Navarra, Spain
13% alcohol. Beautifully smooth, supple and tight dark cherry fruit with a sappy green edge. Medium bodied. Sweet, pure and elegant with nice spiciness and attractive greenness. Seems simple and fruity at first but there's more to it. Very stylish. 91/100 10/09

CAVIT Maso Toresella Chardonnay 2006 Trentino Superiore, Italy
13.5% alcohol. Deep yellow colour. Very rich, smooth sweet peach and melon fruited nose. The palate is thick-textured with peach skin, vanilla and herb notes. Rich, bold and nicely complex, with  intensity and texture. 91/100 10/09

CAVIT Maso Toresella Sauvignon Blanc 2004 Trentino Superiore, Italy
Orange colour. Lovely lifted, vibrant, spicy apricot, citrus and grapefruit nose. Lively palate is rich and viscous with sweet peach and apricot fruit as well as a fresh spicy edge. Tangy, pithy finish. Lovely wine. 92/100 10/09

Disznókó Tokaji Aszü 5 Puttonyos 2001 Tokaji, Hungary
Orange colour. Lovely lifted, vibrant spicy apricot and citrus and grapefruit nose. Lively palate is rich and viscous with sweet peach and apricot fruit, with a fresh, complex, spicy edge. Tangy, pithy finish with good acidity. 92/100 10/09

Luis Cañas Fermentado en Barrica Rioja Blanco 2008 Spain
13.5% alcohol. 85% Viura, 15% Malvasia, 3 months new French oak. Very fresh and bright with notes of grapefruit and lemon fruit with subtle vanilla notes from the oak, which also adds a structural, savoury dimension. Slightly buttery finish. A good food wine. 87/100 (£6.99 Sainsbury) 10/09

Champagne Duval Leroy Brut Blanc de Blancs 2004
Lovely crisp, taut fizz with fresh acidity. Very precise with nice taut lemony acidity and complex toasty notes. Power and precision here, with nice fruit intensity. Great balance. 91/100 10/09

Doña Dominga Reserva Sauvignon Blanc/Viognier 2009 Colchagua, Chile
13.5% alcohol. Fresh, bright, fruity and quite mineral, with lovely grassy notes complemented by a richer peach and pear character. Lots of flavour, but very fresh in style. 84/100  (£6.99 Waitrose, on promo £5.59 7 Oct-3 Nov 09) 10/09

Vitalonga Terra di Confine 2005 Umbria, Italy
13.5% alcohol. Montepulciano with a dash of Merlot aged in French oak barrels for 12 months. Distinctive cedary, spicy, earthy nose with a hint of burnt character that reminds me a bit of South Africa. The palate is very savoury and spicy, with firm tannins as well as plummy fruit. It finishes very firm and drying. Quite a concentrated, challenging wine, with the fruit obscured somewhat, and there’s definitely a very South African streak here. 84/100 10/09

Champagne Laurent Perrier NV
12% alcohol. This is quite stylish. It’s very fruity with lemony, appley freshness, but also a nice toasty character. There are nice aromatics and also some subtly savoury structure on the palate. Finishes crisp and a bit herbal. 90/100 10/09

Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Coonawarra, Australia
13.5% alcohol. Deep coloured this has a powerful nose of blackcurrant fruit, herbs, tar and spice. The palate is concentrated and dense with fresh tarry blackcurrant fruit with some herb, cedar and mint notes. It’s quite tannic with some plummy bitterness and high acidity on the finish. Still primary. It’s a very full-on expression of Coonawarra, but authentic, none the less. 90/100 (RRP £15.99 www.bibendumwine.co.uk) 10/09

Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 Coonawarra, Australia
14% alcohol. Really beautiful aromatic nose with focused sweet blackberry and plum fruit, as well as a rich, Port-like spicy overtone. The palate is dense and concentrated with sweet, focused spicy blackberry fruit that reminds me of a dry Vintage Port. Dense with an earthy, spicy, subtly minty undercurrent to the ripe fruit. Very attractive in a rich style. 92/100 (RRP £23.81, www.bibendum-wine.co.uk) 10/09  

Flametree Frankland River Shiraz 2008 Western Australia
14.5% alcohol. This is a beautifully aromatic Shiraz with a nose of spicy cherry and plum fruit, complemented by some sweet floral notes. The palate is youthful and vibrant, showing a beautiful fusion of fresh red berry fruits and spicy oak (which stays in a supporting rather than upfront role), as well as hints of meatiness. It’s really delicious and expressive, with good acidity and a spicy finish. 91/100  10/09

Kalgan River Shiraz Viognier 2008 Great Southern, Western Australia
14.5% alcohol, hand-picked. Very fresh and peppery with vibrant dark cherry, raspberry and blackberry fruit, together with a savoury olive streak. This shows lovely peppery cool climate Syrah character, as well as having some rich fruitiness. Youthful, quite serious, with some structure. 92/100 10/09

La Violetta ‘La Ciornia’ Shiraz 2008 Great Southern, Western Australia
Very fresh and bright: almost Burgundian in its style. Subtly meaty with sweet cherry and red berry fruit, as well as some restrained spicy notes. Quite rich, but overall more red fruits than black with good acidity and a peppery edge. Pure, primary and vibrant with brightness and freshness. I think this will be sensational in a few years, although it’s still impressive in this primary state. 91/100 10/09

Stéphane Cossais ‘Le Volagré 2006 Montlouis-sur-Loire, Loire, France
13.5% alcohol. Beautifully packaged, and with an amazing good-quality long cork. Deep yellow/gold colour. Rich, mineral, toasty nose with notes of herbs and apples, and a lemony, subtly cidery lift on the nose. Bold, intense palate shows a hint of vanilla and toast (this cuvee, unusually, had 20% new oak) with powerful citrus, herb and mineral notes. A distinctive dry Chenin Blanc with power, richness and intensity, as well as beguiling complexity. This is a producer to watch. 91/100 10/09

Gallo Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 California
13% alcohol. Why do I dislike this wine? It’s really not because it says ‘Gallo’ on the label (the wine company that many love to hate, simply because it is so big). Rather, it is because it has a superficial attractiveness, with sweet red berry fruit, and then as you look closer you find a green, aggressively herbal streak hidden underneath all the confected, jammy fruit. It’s both over-ripe and green at the same time, and I find it a bit sickly. But it is certainly drinkable. 74/100 (£5.99 just about everywhere) 10/09

Gallo Family Vineyards Chardonnay 2008 California
13% alcohol. A ripe, almost off-dry fruity white wine with hints of butter and toast alongside the smooth peach, grape and pear fruit. Simple and monodimensional, but clean and correct. An accessible, easy drinking wine – perhaps a stepping stone from Liebfraumilch to drier styles of white wine? No rough edges. 80/100 (£5.99 just about everywhere) 10/09

Left Bank Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Bordeaux, France
12.5% alcohol. From Yvon Mau, with branding by 10 International. Crisp, delicately perfumed nose with some fresh green grassy notes. The palate is persistent, minerally and savoury with lovely freshness and presence. Finishes with high acidity. A stylish crisp white wine of some appeal. 84/100 (Budgens) 10/09

Haselgrove Vincent’s Breeze Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 McLaren Vale, Australia
13.5% alcohol. Rich, sweet blackcurrant and berry fruit nose with a savoury, spicy, subtly tarry edge, as well as some bitter chocolate notes. The palate is concentrated and bold with dense berry and blackcurrant fruit, as well as a savoury spiciness and some firm tannins. Well balanced despite its size, with real food compatability. Really impressive. 89/100 (Wine Rack) 09/09

Vini del Sole Primitivo Puglia IGT 2007 Italy
13.5% alcohol. It’s spoofy but delicious. Deep coloured with lovely sweet, slightly jammy blackcurrant and strawberry fruit, as well as some nice fresh acidity, and a hint of spice. Sweet, smooth textured and quite lush, it’s really delicious if not all that complex. Lovely purity of fruit, and even a hint of elegance, which is not what you usually get from this part of the world. A crowd pleaser. 88/100 (£7.99 Oddbins) 10/09

L’Anglore Cuvée de la Pierre Chaude NV Vin de Table de France
This is a lovely natural wine from the Rhône, made by Eric Pfifferling from 85% Grenache and 15% Clairette, and although this is officially NV because it’s a VdT, it’s from the 2008 vintage. A bright cherry red colour, it has a vibrant, subtly peppery cherry and red berry fruit nose with just a hint of green herbiness, and some alluring sweet earthy notes. The palate is beautifully bright and fresh with red fruits, herbs, some grippy peppery tannins and a lovely, subtly bitter savoury quality that balances the fruitiness quite beautifully. This is a light, expressive, elegant wine that you’d be hard to place in a blind tasting. It’s quite Burgundian, has a touch of Beaujolais about it, but also shows a bit of Rhône character. I really like it, and it’s amazingly easy to drink. 92/100 (UK availability: Les Caves de Pyrene) 09/09

Provins Valais Humagne Blanche ‘Collection Chandra Kurt’ 2006 Valias, Switzerland
12.5% alcohol. This is a beautifully balanced rich white wine, with lovely bright floral minerally aromas as well as some rich grapey notes. The palate has lovely texture with some white peach and melon fruit backed up by spicy notes and a mineralic finish. Rich yet fresh, this reminds me of top Alsace Pinot Gris, but perhaps with more delicacy and balance. It’s rich and bold, yet it’s only 12.5% alcohol. Lovely. 90/100 09/09

Provins Valais Humagne Rouge ‘Collection Chandra Kurt’ 2006 Valais, Switzerland
13% alcohol. Quite deep cherry colour. There’s a hint of undergrowth to the ripe, cherry-fruited nose, which has an attractive sappy greenness. The palate has some earthy, spicy complexity, but the dominant theme is fresh dark cherries with a lovely elegance . It’s ripe and sweet, yet supple and balanced at the same time. It reminds me of an Austrian St Laurent in terms of personality. Quite Pinot Noir like, with elegant cherry and berry fruit. 89/100  09/09

Spinyback Pinot Noir 2008 Nelson, New Zealand
13.5% alcohol. Fresh, vibrant cherry herb and rhubarb nose. The palate is juicy and bright with fresh, savoury berry and cherry fruit with good acidity and a tangy, plummy, slightly bitter herb character. A nice food wine, if lacking a bit of elegance. 88/100 (£12.99 Wine Rack, £8.99 if you buy three) 09/09

Viu Manent Malbec Single Vineyard San Carlos Estate 2007 Colchagua, Chile
14.5% alcohol. From 70 year old Malbec vines. Deep coloured. Wonderful aromatic nose with fresh, complex, spicy, violetty black fruits with an appealing savoury dimension. The palate has great concentration and firm tannic structure with intense, spicy, savoury plum and blackberry fruit. Beautifully savoury, with great acidity and structure, this is destined for a long life. Beautiful. 93/100 09/09

Sonoma Cutrer Pinot Noir 2006 Sonoma, California
14.5% alcohol. Not totally clear, there’s a hint of cloudiness, but the nice thing is it is not too deeply coloured. The nose is enticing, with sweet, spicy berry and cherry fruit. Red rather than black fruit predominates. The palate has a rich, ripe, spicy cherry fruits with a hint of sourness that’s actually quite attractive in this context. Rich, ripe and spicy but with some elegance. 90/100 (£19.99 Waitrose, Majestic) 09/09

Spinyback Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Nelson, New Zealand
Really assertive aromatic nose showing lots of green pepper and tomato leaf character. The palate is concentrated, bold and dense with lots of fresh fruit and grassy, green pepper notes, backed up with good acidity. A really bold, green herby style of Sauvignon with lots of appeal. Really vibrant and in-yer-face. 88/100 (£9.99 Wine Rack, £6.66 if you buy three) 09/09

Carrick Excelsior Pinot Noir 2005 Central Otago, New Zealand
A single-vineyard wine made from Carrick’s older vines in Bannockburn. 13.5% alcohol. Rich yet restrained nose of red berries, cherries and complex spices. The palate is concentrated and taut with lovely red fruit character, good acidity and spicy tannins. It’s lively, assertive and complex. Still quite primary, even though it is four years old, with superb balance and promise for the future. It seems a shame to drink it now: this is a serious, quite structured wine that will probably be approaching its best in a decade. 93/100 09/09

De Bortoli Windy Peak Pinot Noir 2008 Victoria, Australia
13% alcohol. A light cherry colour, this has to be one of the best value Pinots around. It’s made in a very fresh, natural style with some whole bunch fermentation. Fresh, bright cherry and plum nose with some herby notes. The palate has a green sappiness, some distinctive spicy notes (a hint of ginger?) and light but persistent sweet cherry fruit. Lovely precision and food compatibility here. 88/100 (£7.99 Sainsbury’s) 09/09

Villa Maria Cellar Selection Syrah 2007 Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
I love this wine, which shows beautiful focus. Fresh, sweet, pure dark cherry and blackberry fruit on the nose with a white pepper edge. The palate is juicy and bright with cherry and berry fruit, as well as some savoury peppery structure. Good acidity too. Sweet and rich in part, but savoury, juicy and fresh. Brilliant. 92/100 (Wine Rack £14.99 but £9.99 if you buy three) 09/09

Mullineux Syrah 2008 Swartland, South Africa
A brilliant first vintage from Chris Mullineux. This has a profound nose of sweet dark fruits which provide a backdrop to the meaty, dark olive, spice and black pepper notes. There are real hints of the northern Rhône here, but with a bit more richness. The palate is sweetly fruited and rich with depth and power, showing notes of blackberry, spice, olives and herbs. Quite meaty with a lushness alongside the savoury intensity. Youthful and complex. 93/100 (£16.50 Berry Bros & Rudd) 09/09

Laurent Miquel Cazal Viel Cuvée des Fées 2007 Languedoc, France
13% alcohol. Lovely aromatics here: sweet, ripe and full with a hint of meatiness. Lovely aromatics and a hint of floral character, as well as red berries and plum. The palate is juicy and bright with nicely poised ripe meaty red fruits. Deliciously drinkable with real personality, and not at all forced. 89/100 (£8.99 Majestic) 09/09

Quinta do Judeu Branco 2008 Douro, Portugal
13.5% alcohol. Mixed varieties, old vines. Lovely forward aromatics with some grapey richness (is there some Moscato in here?) as well as herby, waxy, citrussy notes. The palate is rich and quite bold with fresh, waxy, pithy citrussy fruit, as well as richer grapey, peachy notes. There are lots of different flavours here, all working together to create an interesting, textured, fruit-driven wine. 89/100   09/09

Conde de Valdemar Crianza Tempranillo 2005 Rioja, Spain
13.5% alcohol. 90% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo, aged for 15 months in American oak. Bright fresh cherry and berry fruit here with good acidity, bolstered a little by some savoury, spicy, subtly earthy notes. It’s not an oaky wine, which is a good thing. I like the freshness: a more Burgundian style of Rioja. 88/100 (£9.49 Oddbins)  09/09

Las Falleras Blanco 2008 Utiel-Requena, Spain
11.5% alcohol. Varietal Macabeo. Very attractive plump peach, pear and grape fruit character, with a hint of sweetness. Rich and herby, this isn’t subtle, but it’s quite delicious for an inexpensive wine. 83/100 (Marks & Spencer) 09/09

Stone Rock Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Bordeaux, France
12% alcohol. Lovely fresh nose with grassy grapefruit character. Bright and a bit mineralic. The palate is fruity, lemony, grapefruity and has some herby, green pepper notes that complement the fruit really well. Nicely savoury. 87/100 (£7.99 Oddbins) 09/09

Oyster Bay Chardonnay 2008 Marlborough, New Zealand
13.5% alcohol. Subtly toasty with some sweet pear and peach fruit, along with a hint of spicy oak. Rich but not too heavy, this is an attractive food wine. 85/100 (£8.99 Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Booths) 09/09

Muga Rioja Blanco 2008 Spain
13% alcohol. Fresh, bright and lemony with good acidity and an attractive oak character from barrel fermentation. It’s a sophisticated effort that works really well, and the oak isn’t too obtrusive. 88/100 (£8 Majestic) 09/09

Otra Vida Malbec 2008 Mendoza, Argentina
13% alcohol. This brightly coloured red wine has an attractive aroma of red berry fruit with some spicy, chocolatey richness. In the mouth it is fresh, juicy and vibrant with plum, damson and raspberry fruit bolstered by a grippy, savoury finish. Lovely fresh fruit is the key here. Better than most alternatives at this price. 84/100 (£5.99 Tesco) 09/09

Viña Casa Silva Microterroir de los Lingues Carmenère 2005 Colchagua, Chile
14.5% alcohol. Deep coloured and dense, this has a classic Carmenère nose of brooding, sweet red fruit pastille and blackberry fruit with a spicy, chalky dimension. The palate is concentrated, smooth and quite lush with an appealing, smooth grainy tannic structure. Like many serious Carmenères it is very ripe and full, but is far from jammy, with grainy, chalky, spicy notes keeping the fruit really well defined. There’s a hint of dark chocolate, too, but the emphasis here is really on the bold fruit. 92/100 (Retail c. £25) 09/09

Bellingham Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Coastal Region, South Africa
14.5% alcohol. With a splash of Cabernet Franc. Very sweet, appealing spicy, cedary nose with rich blackcurrant and plum fruit. There’s an attractive lushness. The palate is sweet and spicy with a hint of green herby, earthy character, but this is nicely offset by the fruit. It tastes a little South African, but not in a negative way. It’s quite a complex, slightly savoury wine that’s well balanced and accessible. Really well made. 88/100 08/09

Boschendal Cabernet Sauvignon Lanoy 2007 Coastal Region, South Africa
14% alcohol. Smooth, savoury and quite elegant with subtly spicy, earthy red fruits. It’s showing some evolution – perhaps more than you’d expect for a young wine like this – but it has brought it to a point of savoury balance. An attractive, reasonably complex, balanced red wine of some appeal with none of the rough edges that South African reds at this price point can sometimes have. 87/100 (£7.99 Tesco) 08/09

Excelsior Paddock Shiraz 2007 Robertson, South Africa
14.5% alcohol. Lovely bright, floral, slightly sappy nose with a hint of tar. Really attractive and quite pure. The palate is sweetly fruited with lovely purity of plum and berry fruit with a subtle meatiness and more of that floral character. Really attractive, ripe and pure. 88/100 (£5.99 Waitrose) 08/09

Verus Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Slovenia
12.5% alcohol. Lovely crisp aromatic nose with talcum powder and lime notes, as well as some minerality and subtle grassiness. The palate is crisp with some richer, sweet spicy citrus fruits coupled with a refined grassiness, and just a hint of peach. It’s such an attractive fresh, balanced wine with real appeal. Brilliantly food friendly, but accessible enough to drink on its own. 89/100 (£8.99 The Real Wine Company) 08/09

Asda Extra Special Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2007 Australia
Made by Bridgewater Mill, second label of Petaluma. 14% alcohol. This is the antithesis of old-school Aussie Chardonnay, in that it’s really fresh and bright, with just a hint of vanilla oak supporting the crisp lemony fruit. There are some richer, spicy, slightly melony notes, too, but the dominant theme is crisp, fresh citrus fruit character. There’s a bit more presence than you’d find in your average white Burgundy, but this is actually quite a Burgundian expression of Chardonnay, with a savoury dimension. Drink now to capture that freshness; it would go really well with grilled sea bass or prawns. 88/100 (Asda) 08/09

Waitrose Chablis in partnership with Caves des Vignerons de Chablis 2007
12% alcohol. Fresh, strongly mineral, herbal nose. The palate is full flavoured, sharp, lemony and quite savoury, with herby notes quite prominent. It’s classic Chablis with smoky, mineral notes and high acidity. 85/100 08/09

Louis Jadot Mâcon Villages 2008 Burgundy, France
12.5% alcohol. Fresh, lemony, mineral nose is quite light and pure. The palate shows a herby edge to the bright citrussy fruit. A fresh, minerally, bright wine with a savoury personality. Attractive in a lighter style. 86/100 (£8.99 Booths, Budgens, Wimbledon Wine Cellar, Taurus Wines)  08/09

Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages Combe Aux Jacques 2008
12.5% alcohol. Aromatic sweet cherry fruit nose with a hint of confected bubblegum character. Savoury edge to the bright cherry fruit on the palate with some gravely, earthy notes in the background. Light, juicy and enjoyable with a hint of seriousness. 84/100 (£8.99 Tesco, Waitrose, Budgens, Booths) 08/09

Quinta Casa Amarela Reserva 2006 Douro, Portugal
14.5% alcohol. Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz, aged in new French oak. Sweet, dark intense nose with ripe dark fruits, some spicy notes from the oak and a savoury, mineral edge. The palate shows good concentration of sweet ripe dark cherry and plum fruit with a tarry oak veneer and good acidity and tannic structured. Rich but well structured, with some potential for future development. Well made and modern-styled, showing some oak, but with substance, too. 90/100 (Castas) 08/09

Tavernello Sangiovese NV IGT Rubicone, Italy
Tetraprisma, 11.5% alcohol. Light, fresh, juicy and a bit peppery with a nice savoury twist to the bright earthy cherry fruit. A very drinkable, food-friendly light red wine. 81/100 (£3.99 Tesco) 08/09

Château Val Joanis Rosé Tradition 2008 Luberon, France
Attractive orange/pink. A rich, rounded fruity rosé with sweet berry fruit and a hint of spiciness. Quite full-flavoured and mouthfilling. Very tasty. 87/100 (13% alcohol, £9.50 Nicolas) 07/09

Bonny Doon Vineyards Le Cigare Blanc Beeswax Vineyard 2007 Monterey, California
14.6% alcohol. 64.3% Roussanne, 35.7% Grenache Blanc. Quite a rich wine, with bold, sweet pear fruit together with some honeydew melon and vanilla sweetness. Texturally rich, with a fatness and a bit of flatness on the mid-palate. It’s also a little buttery. I reckon this would work well with cheeses and spicy foods. On its own, it seems a bit too fat and generous, but there’s certainly plenty of interest here. 88/100 07/09

Lobster Reef Pinot Noir 2008 Marlborough, New Zealand
13.5% alcohol. Pale in colour, this is a light, slighty herbal, sappy Pinot Noir with fresh cherry fruit and a nice savoury, spicy bite. There’s a bit of plumminess, too. The fruit stays on the sweet side, just flirting with sourness, and the overall effect is one of a convincing, lighter styled Pinot with enough complexity to justify the price-tag. 88/100 (£9.99 Oddbins)  07/09

Markowitsch Pinot Noir 2007 Carnuntum, Austria
13% alcohol. From loamy soils over limestone, extended maceration on skins (31 days), 16 months in barriques. Just a hint of coffee and cocoa from the oak on the nose, together with some sweet plummy fruit. The palate is elegant with attractive sweet cherry and raspberry fruit together with some rich spicy oak notes. Smooth, sleek and integrated, this is a really well made wine – one that probably needs a year or two longer to begin to emerge with some evolved complexity. At the moment, it’s a bit too suave for its own good. Stylish, though, with real potential. 90/100 (£14.99 Oddbins)  07/09

Matassa Blanc 2007 Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes, France
13% alcohol. 70% Grenache Gris, 30% Maccabeu. This is a serious, complex, backward wine that’s a bit of an acquired taste, but which I think is brilliant. It has a smoky, minerally, almost salty nose with some nuttiness and a bit of burnt match reduction. The palate is dry, savoury and intensely mineral with a long, nutty, broad finish. There’s real focus and intensity to this wine: it’s not at all fat. Just delicious, and all set for an interesting evolution over the next 5–10 years. 93/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene) 07/09

Domaine de Boissab Sablet 2007 Côtes de Rhône Villages, France
13.5% alc 70% Grenache, 30% Syrah. A concentrated, beautifully expressive wine showing rich, dark, sweet blackberry and blackcurrant fruit with some floral aromatics and a hint of meatiness. It’s spicy, sweetly fruited and complex with a seductive personality, yet it avoids being too sweet or spoofy. 90/100 (£10.99 Oddbins) 07/09

Waitrose Quinta de la Rosa Douro Reserva 2007 Douro, Portugal
Meaty, dark and intense with focused sweet plum and blackberry nose, leading to a fresh, spicy, slightly olive-tinged dark fruits palate with good acidity and some tannic structure. I really like the savoury freshness: this is an authentic expression of the Douro. 89/100 (£9.99 Waitrose) 05/09

La Gioiosa Meridiana Bianco NV Italy
11% alcohol. Really bright, fresh, light fruity dry white wine with a hint of herbiness and lemony acidity. There’s some flavour here. A versatile dry white. 82/100 (£4.99 Tesco) 07/09

Guerreri Rizzardi Soave Classico 2008 Italy
A dense, fresh, lemony wine with a grapefruit pith edge. Good concentration and nice fruit with lemony intensity in the mouth, as well as a hint of waxiness. Satisfying stuff. 88/100 07/09

Trimbach Riesling Reserve 2006 Alsace, France
12.5% alcohol. A really delicious dry Riesling from Alsace, with exuberant  lemony fruit, showing a hint of apricot richness, but otherwise it’s really dry and citrussy. Lovely purity and freshness here – it reminds me a bit of a top Australian Riesling in style. 89/100 07/09

Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant 2005 California
A blend of 50% Grenache, 24% Mourvèdre, 22% Syrah, 3% Carignan and 1% Cinsault. This has a lively, vibrant, spicy nose with a distinct meaty savouriness to the plum and blackberry fruit. The palate shows a lovely complex spicy character with some lemony acidity bringing freshness to the sweet, meaty plummy fruit. It finishes dry, a bit grippy, and quietly mineral. This is a lovely complex, meaty, spicy, Rhône-like wine with a delicious savoury dimension, and I reckon it will age well for some years to come. 13.5% alcohol. 91/100  07/09

Skillogalee Trevarrick Riesling 2008 Clare Valley
11% alcohol, sealed with a Vino Lok. 250 cases made. Amazing stuff: bracing, limey, minerally and quite fine, with lovely elegance to the intense fruit. There’s a floral edge to the aromatics, as well as a pithy, citrussy depth. It’s one of the very best dry Australian Rieslings I’ve had, with lovely precision, purity and elegance. 93/100 07/09

Warwick The First Lady Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Western Cape, South Africa
14% alcohol. Attractive dark, gravelly blackcurrant fruit backed up by earthy, minerally notes. On the first day this has the fruit obscured by a green, earthy, slightly bitter character that is often encountered in South African reds, but the following day the fruit is much purer with sweet berry and blackcurrant notes. Finishes earthy. Tasty wine. 88/100 (UK agent Louis Latour) 07/09

Vergelegen Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Stellenbosch, South Africa
14.5% alcohol. Lovely dark blackcurrant fruit dominates, with meaty, savoury, earthy notes. There’s also some cedary woodiness, too. There’s an interesting tension here between the sweet, open fruit and the more savoury, minerally, earthy notes. Finishes dry and spicy. A sophisticated wine. 90/100 (£13.99 Majestic, SWIG, The Vineking, Hailsham Cellars, SA Wines Online)  07/09

Arco de Esporão 2008 Alentejo, Portugal
14% alcohol. A blend of Syrah, Aragonez and Touriga Nacional, made by David Baverstock. Deep coloured. Some subtle meaty, savoury notes here alongside the sweet dark fruits. Slightly floral aromatics are really appealing. Nice balance with a spicy savouriness countering the sweet dark fruits very effectively. A delicious fruit-driven style that’s focused and less spoofy than some of the riper Alentejo wines. 89/100 (£9.99 Waitrose) 07/09

Quinta do Portal Reserva 2007 Douro, Portugal
40% Touriga Nacional, 40% Tinta Roriz and 20% Touriga Franca; 14% alcohol; aged in new French oak for 9 months. This shows a lovely nose of meaty, spicy, floral blackberry, plum and dark cherry fruit. The palate is focused with meaty dark fruits and some black olive character. Fresh and savoury with good acidity and firm tannins. It’s a really expressive, focused sort of wine that shows real personality. Quite serious, in a distinctive savoury style.  91/100 07/09

Songlines Estates Leylines Shiraz 2007 McLaren Vale, Australia
14.5% alcohol, handpicked Shiraz aged in older French oak barrels. Lovely focused sweet blackberry and plum fruit here, with some tarry, spicy notes. It’s ripe, rich, and generous, but the sweet fruit is complemented by some savoury, meaty, peppery notes. A rich wine, but one with nice definition. A superb example of the traditional Aussie style of Shiraz with potential for medium-term ageing. 89/100 (£12 UK retail) 07/09

Quinta do Vallado 2006 Douro, Portugal
This nicely packaged wine is essence of Douro, with rich, plummy, spicy blackberry fruit and nice grainy tannic structure. There's some nice savoury, meaty character, too. A ripe, forward wine that manages to retain its focus and restraint. A delicious expression of the Douro. 90/100 (£11 Noble Green Wines) 07/09

Mas d'en Compte 2006 Priorat, Spain
50% old vine Garnacha Blanca, 20% Picapoll, 15% Pansal and 15% Macabeo from 'licorella' soils. Fermented in 3000 litre oak barrels. Very deep yellow/gold colour. Fantastic intense nose with complex sweet nuts, herbs, vanilla, spice and melon notes. The rich palate is bold but fresh with complex herb-tinged fruit character. Concentrated and bold with lots of flavour. Fantastic stuff. 94/100 (£17.99 Waitrose) 10/08

Julien Courtois L'Originel Vin de Table Francois NV
This is actually from the 2006 vintage (indicated by 'L6' at the bottom of the front label. Importer Doug Wregg describes it as Chenin on acid - cheese and cider in one glass. It has a complex herby, appley, waxy nose. The palate is open, appley and wonderfully complex with a long minerally, acid finish. Weird but lovely. 93/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene - retail is around £16) 04/08

Finca Allende Calvario 2004 Rioja, Spain
Allende is located in Briones, and is a producer that seems to be able to integrate tradition wth modernity to great effect. The wines are vineyard based (unusual for the region) and aged in French oak, as opposed to the more usual American. This is a single vineyard wine from 60 year-old Tempranillo vines. Rich, slightly roasted red fruits nose showing subtly creamy raspberry fruit. The palate is fresh with lovely pure, spicy, dense, sweet red fruits backed up by firm tannins. A fresh, pure, intense red of real class. 94/100 (£65 Berry Bros & Rudd) 10/08

Fefinanes Albarino 2007 Rias Baixas, Spain
Made from grapes sourced from 66 growers in the Salnes Valley, hand harvested and fermented in stainless steel. Complex, expressive, herby and lemony. This is really delicious with beautiful fruit expression and lovely complexity. A stylish, elegant white. 92/100 (£14.99 Waitrose) 10/08  

Yvon Metras Moulin-a-Vent 2007 Beaujolais
Pale cherry red colour. Wonderful tension between the sweet, light cherry fruit and the more savoury, earthy, minerally dimension. This is subtle, complex and beautiful with pure sweet fruit complemented by a touch of more evolved character, adding complexity and elegance. Almost perfect balance with a hint of sappiness and lovely purity: this has the same sort of elegance as a good Grand Cru red Burgundy. 93/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene) 07/09  

Paulinshof Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett 2007 Mosel, Germany
Pale yellow colour. Focused sweet melony fruit dominates with a citrus pith and white peach edge, as well as good acidity. There's a hint of spiciness, and it is quite broad textured. Off-dry but with a savoury dimension, possessing more weight of flavour than some kabinetts. Good concentration and depth. 10% alcohol. 90/100 (UK agent Enotria) 07/09

Champagne Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Blancs 2005
This is Pinot Blanc from the Aube, effectively biodynamic, with no dosage. It goes through full malolactic, and is bottled with lower pressure than normal. Cedric Bouchard makes just 800 bottles of this, and The Sampler has the UK allocation of 50 bottles. Creamy, elegant and delicate with lovely pure, subtly lemony fruit. Lovely fruit expression: this actually tastes of Pinot Blanc. Fine bubbles with fresh acidity and no harshness. Such balance. 92/100 07/09

Champagne Doyard Cuvée Vendémiaire Extra Brut NV
From Vertus, this has a low dosage and is made from a blend of three years, with extended lees ageing. This one is 1998/99/00. Herby, toasty, complex nose. Intense with lovely precision and a bit of grippiness. Subtly toasty and herby with lots of character. 92/100 07/09

Champagne Marie-Noëlle Ledru Cuvée du Goulte Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs 2004
From a small grower in Ambonnay who titles herself a viticulturice. Focused lemony, subtly toasty nose is elegant with some restrained richness. Quite savoury with nice density and some subtle honeyed notes. Rich but fresh. 93/100 07/09

Domaine de la Bongron Mâcon Clesse Quintaine Cuvée Spéciale Levroutée 1995 Burgundy
14.5% alcohol with some residual sugar, too. Rich and intense with notes of barley sugar, apricot, honey and spice. The palate is dense and off-dry with some sweetness and a rich texture. A lovely wine that’s bold and still quite fresh. 91/100 07/09

Bollinger La Côte aux Enfants Aÿ Rouge 2002 Coteaux Champenois
A still red wine from the Champagne region. This is Pinot Noir from a small 2 acre south-facing vineyard in Aÿ. Focused and quite rich with fresh berry and cherry fruit. Dense and berryish, with some structure. There are also some medicinal notes as well as a hint of sappiness. It’s actually quite a big wine, and hard to pick as Pinot Noir. 88/100 07/09

Jaboulet Crozes-Hermitage Thalabert 1983 Northern Rhône
Intense, rich and sweetly fruited with lovely fruit: damson, plum and raspberry. There’s also a lovely savoury, meaty dimension here, with hints of earth, medicine and black tea. This has aged beautifully and is peaking now, I reckon, but there’s still lots of life here. 93/100 07/09

Equipo Navazos La Bota de Palo Cortado No 17 Bota Punta, Jerez
This stunning sherry is quite rare: just 600 half bottles were produced. Amazingly complex nose with notes of nuts, herbs, lemon and old casks. Fresh and intense with wonderful complexity, as well as some toffee and nut richness. Good acidity. 94/100 07/09

Equipo Navazos La Bota de Manzanilla Saca de Enero de 2009 No 16A
really interesting take on Manzanilla, showing floral, aromatic, nutty notes on the nose. It’s broad, complex and softly textured in the mouth with delicious tanginess and apple notes. Remarkable stuff with real complexity. 92/100 07/09

Szepsy Tokaji Cuvée 2002 Hungary
Wonderfully complex with rich apricot and peach fruit, as well as a touch of tangerine. Rich and concentrated on the palate, but not overly sweet, with great fruit focus to the fore and good complexity. 93/100 07/09

Josmeyer Riesling 'Le Kottabe' 2007 Alsace
12.5% alcohol, certified Biodynamic (Biodyvin). A really attractive dry Riesling with a lovely fruity character. Spicy minerality underpins the lemony fruit, with a subtle herbiness in the background, as well as some honeyed notes. Satisfying and balanced. 89/100 (£11.50 Haynes, Hanson & Clark) 07/09

Mitchell McNicol Riesling 2005 Clare Valley
Intense, limey nose with some richer honey and tropical fruit notes. It's quite mineralic, too. The palate is bold and rich with limey, spicy intensity, good concentration, and a lovely minerality. Dry but rich, with wonderful depth of flavour. Clare Valley at its best. 92/100 07/09

Mitchell McNicol Shiraz 2001 Clare Valley
Evolving really nicely with a focused nose of sweet blackberry fruit, with some rich tarry notes and a mineral dimension. The palate shows nice balance between the sweet dark fruit and the almost salty, spicy structure. Good concentration with good supporting oak. 91/100 (£15.50 Haynes, Hanson & Clark) 07/09

Ca' del Solo Sangiovese 2006 San Benito County, California
Intensely savoury with tarry, spicy notes on the nose as well as dense blackberry and plum fruit. The palate shows rich, ripe dark cherry and plum fruit backed up with savoury, spicy, earthy notes and high acidity that sticks out a little. Dense, savoury and seriously structured, this is a bit rustic, but is one of the best non-Italian expressions of Sangiovese that I've encountered, and is utterly delicious and thoroughly food friendly. 90/100 (the 2005 is £13 at Berry Bros & Rudd) 07/09

Champagne Philipponnat Grand Blanc 2002
Very fine, toasty, biscuitty, lemony nose with great precision. The palate is complex and fresh with lovely acidity and balance. Serious stuff that’s quite winey with lots of intensity. 94/100 (£39 Oddbins) [Oddly, the neck label on the bottle said 2004 vintage, while the front and back labels said 2002.] 07/09

Kumeu River Chardonnay 2005 Auckland, New Zealand
Fantastically bold and intense with dense, mealy, spicy fruit. Lovely intensity on the palate with savoury, spicy richness. A very rich style of Chardonnay, but it is serious and balanced. 93/100 (£21 Oddbins) 07/09

Millton Clos Ste Anne The Crucible Syrah 2007 Gisborne, New Zealand
I love this wine. It has a really fresh peppery nose with lovely vivid red berry fruit. Quite northern Rhône like. Lovely freshness and focus on the palate with dark pepper, dark cherry and raspberry notes, as well as some spiciness that may be from a bit of new oak. Fantastic effort. 93/100 07/09

Chaupoutier Hermitage La Sizeranne 2004 Northern Rhône, France
I was pleasantly surprised by this. It shows supple, sweet red berry and dark cherry fruit with a hint of pepperiness. The palate has elegant, midweight savoury red fruits. Lovely focus with good acidity and some pure, bright fruit. 91/100 07/09

Matetic EQ Syrah 2006 San Antonio, Chile
Lovely: dark, meaty, spicy and focused. A really dense Syrah with lots of intensity, and sweet but balanced blackberry fruit. We had this chilled down because it was quite hot, and it helped the wine a bit, although it did bring out the tannins a bit more. 92/100 (£16 Oddbins) 07/09

Passopiscaro 2006 Sicily, Italy
Made by Andrea Franchetti of Tenuto di Trinorio fame, this is a wonderfully complex wine from Mount Etna, a region of Sicily that’s currently attracting a lot of attention. Franchetti has 8 hectares of old vines, at high altitude (from 650–1000 m), and this is a varietal Nerello Mascalese, harvested in November. Viticulture is organic, with no herbicides or fertilizers; 2300 case made. It’s a pale cherry colour with a wonderfully complex nose of red berry and cherry fruit together with savoury, spicy, herby, slightly meaty notes in the mix. The palate is rich, generous, spicy and herby with lovely warmth and some complex meaty, earthy notes. Imagine a cross between a refined, old-style Barolo, top red Burgundy and Château Musar, and you are sort of getting there. Amazing complexity, a hint of funk, but just lovely. 93/100 (£26.79 Corney & Barrow) 09/09

Pléyades Shiraz 2007 Cariñena, Spain
Sweet, rich dark fruits nose with some lovely smooth-textured plum, raspberry and blackberry fruit on the palate, together with a bit of meatiness. Lovely freshness and definition here: this is certainly stylish for the price. It won a Decanter gold medal; I think this is a bit excessive, but it’s still a really good wine, and it really over-delivers at this price point. 87/100 (£4.98 Asda) 09/09

Peter Jakob Kuhn Riesling Trocken QbA 2007 Rheingau
11% alcohol. Yellow colour. Savoury, minerally, limey nose with a hint of honeysuckle and apple. The palate is bone dry and mineralic with complex savoury, citrussy fruit and good acidity. Full flavoured with good food compatibility. 88/100 (£11.99 The Winery) 09/09

Andrian Gewürztraminer 2008 Südtirol, Alto Adige, Italy
14% alcohol. Wonderful stuff: richly textured and grapey with sweet lychee notes. The palate is rounded and off-dry with a spicy, Turkish delight edge, as well as notes of melon, grape and lychee. Thick and intense with lovely personality. Quite Alsace like in style, with good acidity and some minerality. 91/100 (£13.99 Oddbins, but £11.16 with six-bottle purchases) 09/09

Weingut Klaus Knobloch Dornfelder Trocken 2006 QbA Germany
13.5% alcohol, organic. Cherry red colour. Sweetly aromatic with smooth red cherry fruit nose. The palate has really soft tannins with fresh cherry fruit, lovely sweet purity, and a lovely framing sappy greennes that doesn't obscure the sweet fruit. Drinkable and fun: what Beaujolais should do more often. 88/100 (£9.99 Vintage Roots) 09/09

Meroi Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Colli Orientali del Friuli, Italy
From Paolo Meroi, who is working biodynamically, but isn't certified. Slightly reductive, minerally, smoky nose with some fresh, savoury lemony notes. The palate has wonderful minerality underneath the fresh, subtly green fruit. Bright, precise and savoury, this is an attractive wine that has real potential. A shame it's so expensive, but it is quite serious. 90/100 (£17.55 Berry Bros & Rudd) 08/09

Benanti Pietramarina Etna Bianco Superiore 2004 Sicily, Italy
From the Carricante grape variety, unique to Etna, grown as free-standing bush vines with a density of 9000/hectare, of average age 80 years. Altitude of 950 metres offsets the warmth of this part of the world. Wonderfully smoky, minerally nose with a hint of tangerine and subtle nutty notes, as well as notes of pear and grapefruit. The palate is fruity and fresh, showing lemons and minerals. Focused, intense and pure, this is evolving in a beautifully linear direction. 91/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene, c. £25) 08/09

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Fumé Blanc 2008 California
Interesting nose, with a combination of sweet pear fruit, some herby greenness and a touch of sweet oak. The palate is richly flavoured with a herbal edge to the sweet fruit, bolstered with a hint of vanilla. Attractive and broad, this is a distinctive wine. 85/100 (£9.99 Planet of the Grapes, Drinks Direct) 08/09

Robert Mondavi Winery Fumé Blanc 2006 Napa Valley, California
This is really good. It’s very fresh, with minerally, lemony fruit, a touch of grassiness and also some subtle vanilla and spice from barrel fermentation. There are some richer melon notes, but the fruit profile tends to the fresher end of the spectrum, and the oak is both high quality and really well integrated. It works, and the result is a sophisticated, fairly complex dry white wine. 90/100 08/09

Joseph Drouhin Laforet Bourgogne Chardonnay 2007
Fine, minerally nose is fruity and quite refined with lovely precision. The palate is fresh and bright with nice acidity and some minerality. An attractove, pure white Burgundy. 89/100 (£11.99 Oddbins) 08/09

Esporao Reserva 2008 Alentejo, Portugal
A blend of Antao Vaz, Arinto and Roupeiro. Lovely floral, lemony nose with notes of tangerine and a hint of vanilla oak. The palate has citrus pith, grapefruit and peach notes with a touch of spicy oak. A bright, focused wine with lots of interest. Fresh, full flavoured and well balanced. 89/100 08/09

Scarpantoni Black Tempest Sparkling Shiraz NV McLaren Vale, Australia
13.5% alcohol. Deep coloured, this fizzy red has lovely balance, with the fizziness adding bite to the sweet, ripe, chocolatey plum and blackberry fruit. There are also some earthy, spicy notes here, giving a savouriness to what might otherwise be an overly confected style. I reckon this would be quite food friendly, but it's also delicious on its own. Weird but nice: as Sparkling Shiraz goes, this is one of the good ones, and it will age nicely. 89/100 (£15.99 Laithwaites) 08/09

Seresin Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Marlborough, New Zealand
Amazingly full, aromatic nose with notes of grapefruit, passionfruit, herb and pear. Lots of richness, with a hint of greenness. The palate is complex and concentrated with sweet bold fruit and a subtle herbiness, as well as a nice minerality. Texturally rich but still fresh. Brilliantly poised. 92/100 (£24 Armit) 08/09  

Howard Park Leston Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Margaret River
18 months in French oak; 14% alcohol. Elegant, bright sweet berry and blackcurrant nose with some gravelly, minerally notes adding a savoury dimension. Sweet but spicy, minerally palate with elegant midweight berry fruits. Beautifully proportioned, showing great balance between the fruit and the oak, and with lovely earthy, savoury undertones. A beautiful wine. 92/100 (£14.99 Bibendum) 08/09

Flametree Cabernet Merlot 2008 Margaret River
Vibrant aromatic nose with gravelly-edged sweet blackcurrant fruit, and some attractive floral notes. The fresh, bright palate shows sweet blackcurrant and stewed plum fruit with a hint of richness and more of that gravelly character. There's quite a bit of tannic structure here. It's a fresh, perfumed, midweight style with a lovely expressive personality. Very Margaret River in style. 91/100 (£12.50 http://www.auswineonline.co.uk/) 08/09

Provins Valais Heida Collection Chandra Kurt 2008 Valais, Switzerland
The Heida grape variety is also known as Savagnin or Paien, and it's one of the mountain varieties. Here, at 1150 m it has still attained a heady alcohol level of 14%. This is a beautiful wine. The nose is fresh and minerally, with apricot, nectarine and melon fruit adding richness. The palate is fresh yet beautifully textured, with a smoky, minerally edge to the pure, crisp yet generous fruit. It's full flavoured and focused with potential for further development. Very pure. 91/100 08/09

Bodegas Carchelo Altico Syrah 2007 Jumilla, Spain
Very sweet, almost liqueur-like blackberry, dark cherry and blackcurrant nose with subtly cedary, earthy notes. The palate is sweet and lush with ripe, soft, jammy fruit and a subtle earthiness in the background. The oak (4 months in French) is in the background. While it's a very ripe, almost late-harvest style, there's still some freshness. Quite delicious, although it is super-ripe. 89/100 (£10.99 Oddbins) 08/09

Bodegas Carchelo 'Carchelo' 2008 Jumilla, Spain
A blend of 40% Monastrell, 40% Tempranillo, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Sweet herby, minerally, spicy edge to the lush, sweet raspberry and cherry fruit nose Very seductive. The palate shows lovely spicy, minerally definition to the sweet fruit. Lovely purity of fruit, unencumbered by oak (it spends just 2 months in French oak). 89/100 (£8.99 Oddbins) 08/09

Camillo Donati Lambrusco 2008
A biodynamically grown, bottle-fermented Lambrusco weighing in at 12% alcohol. It's deep coloured, with sweet, complex pure dark cherry notes on the nose as well as a subtle meatiness and some lovely floral notes. The palate is focused, fresh and meaty with lovely presence and a slight fizziness. Rich and sweet, but with some savoury earthy notes under the dark fruits. Amazingly dense and savoury; a million miles away from cheap Lambrusco. Truly world class. 92/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene) 08/09  

Quinta da Pellada Primus 2007 Dão, Potugal
From Alvaro Castro, this is a serious white wine. It’s made from old vine Encruzado, Cercial and Bical. Castro is trying to replicate a great 1964 white he had, made by CEN (Centro de Estudos Vitivinícolas de Nelas) oenologist Cardoso de Vilhena. Castro has been strongly influenced by Vilhena, who he believes was a brilliant winemaker. This, the second release (2006 was first vintage) has a beautiful, intriguing nose: floral and herbal with lemon oil and waxy notes. Refined fruit character dominates the palate, which has lovely depth and intensity. There’s a rich herby complexity as well as some spice. It only has a hint of oak. Just a baby, this will develop beautifully and could age well for a long time. It’s a shame to drink it so young, really. 92/100 (£28 Castas, http://www.castas.co.uk/) 08/09  

Crozes-Hermitage Beaufeuil 2008 Northern Rhone, France
Really fresh cherry fruit nose with a distinctive pepper character. The palate shows really attractive bright cherry fruit with some grippy tannins under the sweet fruit as well as nice meaty savouriness. Midweight, fresh and delicious, this is lovely cool climate Syrah that's expressive and quite elegant. 89/100 (£8.99 Morrisons) 08/09

Domaine de Chevalerie 'Galichets' 2006 Bourgeuil
Just lovely. Pure, sweet blackcurrant and dark cherry fruit with some grippy, savoury gravelly notes sitting in there beautifully with the sweet fruit. Rich, with good concentration, but also lovely freshness and definition. Good tannic structure. 91/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene, £16.99 Handford) 08/09

Domaine de Chevalerie 'Chevalerie' 2006 Bourgeuil
From southwest facing 70 year old vines on sandy clay over limestone. Beautiful wine. Lovely full aromatic nose of dark cherries, blackcurrants and smooth chalky gravelly notes which add definition. The palate is midweight with elegant fruit and silky-yet-firm tannins. Supple and quite complex, this is a delicious wine with a sense of place. 91/100 (£14.60 Berry Bros & Rudd) 08/09

Domaine Montirius Vacqueyras Garrigues 2006 Southern Rhone, France
Deep coloured, this has a lovely spicy, peppery nose with sweet blackberry fruit together with a hint of meatiness and just a touch of mint. The palate is rich and ripe with lovely savoury spiciness and some earthy hints. Ripe but savoury: this is what you come to the southern Rhone for. 90/100 (£11.95 BBR) 08/09

Falorca T-nac 2005 Dao, Portugal
This is a really good example of Dao Touriga Nacional from Quinta Vale das Escadinhas. It's just so typical of really good Touriga, even though it's a slightly edgy wine that won't be to everyone's taste. Lovely meaty, spicy, olivey, sweetly fruited nose with enticing floral notes that are so typical of this variety. The palate is concentrated with firm tannins and robust, spicy, meaty fruit backed up by good structure. Dense, firm and wild with lovely depth of flavour. 92/100 (£12.99 Castas.co.uk, also available from Armi) 08/09

Warwick Professor Black Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Stellenbosch, South Africa
This is a delicious, well balanced Sauvignon showing a mix of ripe, melony, peachy fruit with crisper herby, grassy, grapefruity notes. The overall effect is a wine that manages to be ripe and rich, yet fresh and crisp at the same time. Very stylishly done: one of the very best Cape Sauvignons around, and from far the most expensive. At the offer price, it's a total bargain. 89/100 (£8.99 Waitrose, currently on offer at £6.79) 08/09

Asda Extra Special Shiraz 2008 Vin de Pays d’Oc, France
Here’s a wine that should give a lot of hope to France’s wine industry. It’s affordable, delicious, modern and characterful. Jean Claude Mas of Domaines Paul Mas is the man behind it, and everything he is touching seems to turn to gold. It’s deep coloured, with spicy dark fruits on the nose and has a lovely savoury, tarry, earthy complexity. The palate shows ripe, sweet blackberry and plum fruit with a nice spicy bite and some grippy tannins brilliantly countering the sweet fruit. With its richness this will appeal to lovers of Australian Shiraz, but with its savouriness and definition it will win over those who like the old world style. Brilliantly judged. 88/100 (£6.07 Asda, 13.5% alcohol) 06/09

Vinalba Reserva Malbec 2007 Mendoza, Argentina
14.5% alcohol. Deep coloured. This has a full-on nose with sweet dark cherry and blackberry fruit, with a spicy depth to it and hints of smoke and tar. The palate is dense, dark and sweet, but has a lovely spicy, savoury character and good tannic structure which helps keep things in balance.  It has some jammy, berryish sweetness, as well as a bit of chocolatey richness, but there's savouriness, too. A lovely wine. 89/100 (£9.99 Majestic) 06/09

Dr L Riesling 2008 Mosel, Germany
8.5% alcohol. Pale in colour, this has a lovely light lemony, herby nose. The palate is bright and fruity with lemon and grapefruit character, a hint of apples, and good acidity. There's a hint of sweetness, too, but overall this is really crisp and bright with a nice minerality. Great value – a perfect summer wine. 88/100 (£6.99 Asda, Sainsbury's, Majestic) 06/09

Spy Valley Riesling 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
For the technically minded this has a pH of 3 and TA of 8 g/litre, weighing in at 12% alcohol. It's super fresh, with explosive flavours of lime and grapefruit, finishing with high acidity and a nice dollop of sweetness that serves to balance out the acidity without making the wine seem anything other than dry, fresh and minerally. There's nice delicacy here, even though there's also a lot of flavour, and a hint of grippiness about the palate. I really like it. In the UK it is available from Bibendum (http://www.bibendum-wine.co.uk/). 89/100 06/09

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Napa, California
Lovely dense blackcurrant fruit nose with real savoury, gravelly depth and some earthy hints. There's a really nice subtle greenness here. The palate shows nice plum and blackcurrant fruit with dark, savoury tannic structure. Very minerally and gravelly with good acidity. Nice restraint here: a stylish, savoury wine that bridges the gap between old world and new world successfully. 92/100 (£40 Majestic) 06/09

Mad Dog Shiraz 2006 Barossa, Australia
15.5% alcohol, sealed with a tin-lined screwcap. Very sweet, vibrant nose of plum, spice and blackberry with a hint of vanilla. The palate is rich and lush with dense fruit. It's quite sweet with ripeness and high alcohol, but also some nice spiciness. A rich, generous Barossa Shiraz that's ripe but still well defined. 91/100 06/09

Mad Dog Shiraz 2005 Barossa, Australia
14.5% alcohol, cork sealed. Beginning to open out with dense, spicy, tarry herby savouriness as well as sweet fruit. The palate is rich and ripe with blackberry and raspberry fruit. There are hints of menthol, tar and earth, as well as spicy oak. A classic Barossa style with some more evolution and savoury spiciness than the 2006. 89/100 (Corney & Barrow £15.99) 06/09

Peter Lehmann Margaret Barossa Semillon 2002 Barossa, Australia
A wonderfully intense unoaked Semillon that's different to the classic Hunter style, but has some similarities, too. Powerful, minerally, limey nose with wax and herb notes. The palate is intensely limey with some toasty, honeyed richness. Taut, crisp and citrussy with a grippy, savoury finish. Drinking beautifully now but will probably improve. 92/100 (£11.99 retail, 12% alcohol) 06/09

Champagne Philipponnat Royale Reserve Non Dose
From the 2005 vintage, with no dosage added. Deep yellow/gold colour. Taut, warm, toasty and herby, with a lovely savoury, fruity quality and good acidity. This avoids being at all harsh, with a honeyed, toasty richness and a dry palate. Nicely complex. 91/100 (UK agent Les Caves de Pyrene) 06/09

Gravato Touriga Nacional 2006 Beira Interior, Portugal
From Quinta dos Barreiros, 14.5% alcohol. This deliciously rich Touriga is a sort of half-way house between the aromatic, cherryish Dao style and the lush, ripe Alentejo style. It shows lovely vibrant plum and dark cherry character as well as richer, spicy, slightly tarry blackberry fruit. There's some attractive oak influence, but it integrates nicely into the ripe, dense fruit. Fruit driven, this finishes with some grippy, spicy tannic structure, with a streak if minerality. Good definition. A really well made wine with great appeal. What I particularly like about it is the way that it really tastes of Touriga Nacional. 91/100 (see http://www.gravatoqb.pt/ for more details) 06/09

Planeta Rose 2008 Sicilia
Made with Syrah, 12% alcohol. Salmon/pink colour. Nicely savoury with a herbal tang to the cherry and cranberry fruit. Good acid and quite savoury. Food friendly. 85/100 06/09

Mandrarossa Feuro dei Fiori 2008 Sicilia
A blend of Grecanico and Chardonnay, 12.5% alcohol. Full yellow colour. Powerful flavours of nuts, herbs, melon and apricot with a savoury, minerally depth. Really intense and food friendly: a distinctive boldly flavoured white wine. 88/100 06/09

Mandrarossa Carthago 2006 Sicilia
Nero d'Avola aged in French oak, 14% alcohol. Lovely vivid sweet pure cherry and raspberry fruit showing floral aromatics and creamy, spicy oak notes. The palate is sleek and sophisticated with a hint of plummy bitterness on the finish. A deliciously rich, modern-styled wine. 89/100 06/09

Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 Napa Valley, California
This wine spends three years in oak - one in large casks made of American oak, and two in French oak barriques. That's a lot of time, and it shows in the wine, which displays an attractive spicy, cedary edge to the plum and blackcurrant fruit. The palate has a strongly savoury, spicy woody character which meshes pretty well with the sweet fruit. There are notes of herbs and tar adding complexity, as well as hints of iodine and medicine. While my initial thought that this is a wine that has spent just a bit too much time in oak, there's no doubting that it does have a very attractive savoury, spicy complexity, too. This distinctive wine may age well into a mellow spicy warmth with another five years in bottle, but it is starting to dry out a bit on the palate. Whether or not this is for you depends on how much you like oak character in your wine. 88/100 (UK retail c. £30)  06/09

Champagne Piper Heidsieck Brut Reserve NV
Taut, toasty and quite rich with some complex bready, toasty notes on the palate. Quite complex and full - this is very tasty. 90/100 05/09

Sin Palabras Castro Valdes Albarino 2007 Rias Baixas, Spain
This is interesting. The winery is obviously very modern: they mix the case of the lettering on the front label seemingly randomly. The wine is a bit Viognier-like, with nice depth of nutty fruit, some peach and pear notes, good texture and a fresh finish. Likeable stuff. 89/100 see www.sinpalabras.com.es 05/09

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 'Steen op Hout' 2008 South Africa
Richly textured, bold, complex and nutty with sweet pear and melon fruit as well as a hint of vanilla. A rich style of Chenin that's broad and delicious. A fat, seductive style. 89/100 05/09

Eric Texier Crozes Hermitage 2007 Northern Rhone, France
This is nice. It's not a big, obvious, meaty style of Crozes, but instead shows more in the way of elegance. It's sappy, smooth, fresh and has gently peppery cherry fruit. It tastes like a really good Beaujolais, with its juicy, open character. Delicious. 91/100 05/09

Boutinot Les Hauts Terrasses Gigondas 2007 Southern Rhone, France
This is sweet, a bit spicy and nicely fruity, but overall a little bit bland. It's tasty and ripe, but it's really showing a lot of interest at the moment. 86/100 05/09

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 1986 Marlborough, New Zealand
(Tasted blind, note as written) Deep yellow/gold colour. Intense, herby nose with a hint of greenness, as well as toast, honey and butter notes. Bold palate is very rich with savoury, herby characters. Very unusual. A distinctive style with lots of weight and some sweetness. Quite remarkable. 92/100 05/09

Kees-Kieren Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett 2005 Mosel, Germany
9.5% alcohol. Deep yellow in colour, this is much richer than you'd expect from a Kabinett - it's almost like an Auslese, never mind a Spatlese. Rich, sweet melon and peach fruit on the nose, which leads to a richly-textured sweet melon and apricot palate with a hint of spice. Bold, rich and ripe, this is deliciously plump, but well balanced. 91/100  05/09

Kurt Hain Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett 2005 Mosel, Germany
9% alcohol. Full yellow colour. There's lovely balance here between the ripe, plump, melony fruit and the more mineralic, spicy citrus notes. It's quite zippy and fresh, but rich and ripe at the same time. I like the balance this wine shows. A rich style of Kabinett, perhaps reflecting the vintage. 90/100 05/09

Leitz Rudesheimer Burgweg Riesling Kabinett 2006 Rheingau, Germany
9.5% alcohol. Yellow colour. There's a distinctive struck match reductive note here on the nose, as well as a hint of cabbage. It's not unpleasant, but it does take away from the purity of the wine. The palate is crisp, bright and focused, but I don't think reduction works very well in the context of a delicate wine like this. You have to be careful when you use tin-lined screwcaps. 82/100 (£8.99 Tesco) 05/09

Marks & Spencer Manzanilla Sherry NV
15% alcohol, from Williams & Humbert. Fresh, salty, nutty nose is complex with some smoky notes. The palate is dry and fresh with some appley, salty character and nice texture. Fresh and intense with savoury complexity. Versatile food wine. 89/100 05/09

Lustau 15 Year Old Amontillado Sherry
19% alcohol. Warm, complex and nutty with some sweet orange peel and toffee notes. Rich yet dry palate with fudge, raisin and cask notes as well as citrus peel and nuts. Attractive stuff. 87/100 (Wine Rack, Thresher) 05/09

Gonzalez Byass Matusalem Oloroso Dulce Muy Viejo
20.5% alcohol. Deep brown colour. Wonderfully complex, almost perfect nose with citrus fruit, raisins, old furniture, lifted acidity, tar, fudge and spice notes. The palate has wonderful balance between the rich, bold, raisiny, earthy, spicy notes and the fresh citrussy acidity. Complex and brilliant. 95/100 (Wine Rack, Waitrose) 05/09

Leyda Sauvignon Blanc Garuma Vineyard 2007 Leyda, Chile
Pretty serious. Lovely fresh grapefruit and lime nose with some fresh grassy notes. The palate is concentrated, limey and mineralic with some lovely crisp, taut fruit. Lively and expressive. 90/100 (£8.99 Waitrose) 05/09

Malhadinha Nova 'Malhadinha' 2006 Alentejo
A blend of Alicante, Touriga Nacional, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon aged in new French oak. This has a fresh, aromatic spicy nose with pure blackberry and raspberry fruit. It's ripe (15% alcohol) but not lifeless and over-sweet. In fact, it's really well defined. The palate is fresh and complex with wonderful spicy notes and vibrant fruit, but this tends more to red than black fruit in character. It's carrying quite a bit of oak, but this integrates almost perfectly with the vivid, bright fruit. I reckon this could age really well. 93/100 05/09

Niepoort Drink Me 2006 Douro
Dark, spicy and a bit earthy with some cherry and blackberry fruit on the nose. The palate is savoury and dense with attractive earthy, spicy notes, as well as good acidity. Fresh and quite complex, with lots of personality (perhaps a hint of brettanomyces, too, but it works well in the context of this wine, which is delicious). 89/100 (£10 Noble Green Wines) 05/09

Matetic Corralillo Merlot Malbec Reserva 2006 San Antonio, Chile
Dark cherry and blackberry fruit nose with some spice and a distinctive meatiness. There's also a hint of Chilean character (dark rubbery edge) but this is quite subtle. The palate has sweet dark fruit with a lovely meaty, earthy savouriness, reminding me of a good Southern Rhone red. Finishes firm and tannic. I like the fact that this isn't just about sweet fruit. 90/100 (c. £12 Oddbins, but Majestic are also stocking the Matetic wines - they're all good) 05/09

Vinoptima Gewurztraminer 2006 Gisborne, New Zealand
All Nick Nobilo makes is Gewurz: it's a good job he does it so well. This is wonderfully aromatic and has a lovely texture, with gentle peach, pear and lychee fruit. Great balance and concentration with lovely purity and focus. Just off-dry, this is really special. 92/200 05/09

Bell Hill Chardonnay 2004 North Canterbury, New Zealand
A profound Chardonnay from a remarkable vineyard in the Canterbury Hills. Deep yellow coloured, this is wonderfully aromatic with nutty, buttery, toasty depth and some crisp freshness. The palate is powerful and nutty with intense, bold, peach, pear and citrus fruit, as well as fantastic acidity and freshness. There's a complex, subtly cabbage-like edge that reminds me of great white Burgundy. 94/100 05/09

Craggy Range Sophia 2004 Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
The first bottle of this we had was unclean and slightly muted. The second was singing. Amazing complexity here with sweet blackberry and plum fruit offset by tar and spice notes. The palate is smooth and ripe, but has a lovely gravelly edge. Good focus and precision - a special wine that's in the same vein as top Bordeaux. 94/100 05/09

Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde 2008 Portugal
Pale and lightly spritzy, this is beautifully delicate with a hint of pithy bitterness, some floral notes and delicious citrus character. The high acidity keeps things very fresh. This is a lovely summer wine. 87/100 (10.5% alcohol, £5.99 Majestic, but £4.99 if you buy a couple)  05/09

Churchill Estates 2007 Douro, Portugal
14% alcohol. A blend of Touriga Nacional (40%), Touriga Franca (30%) and Tinta Roriz (30%). This deep coloured wine shows beautifully focused, fresh dark cherry and blackberry fruit with a lovely spiciness underpinning the pure fruit. This is fresh and complex with a nice balance between the fresh, ripe fruit and the savoury structure. Quite a serious effort, and brilliant value for money. 90/100 (£8.99 Majestic) 05/09

Marco de Pegoes 2007 Terras do Sado
13.5% alcohol. This is a delicious, robust, fruit-driven red from Terras do Sado - a wine region in the Setubal peninsula near Lisbon. It's quite meaty, dark and spicy, with lovely plum and dark cherry fruit with a strongly savoury core. There's a pleasing bitterness offsetting the sweet fruit. Dense and quite structured, with a hint of attractive rusticity, this is superbly food friendly and over-delivers considering its inexpensive price. 86/100 (£5.99 Majestic, but £4.99 if you buy more than one) 05/09

Suckfizzle Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Margaret River, Australia
14% alcohol. A really delicious, expressive Cabernet. The nose shows sweet yet fresh blackcurrant fruit, with attractive aromatics and a hint of earth/gravel savouriness. The palate shows good concentration of beautifully balanced dark fruits and savoury, smooth, tannic structure. There’s a really nice fusion of sweet fruit with the spicy, gravelly, savoury notes. Pretty serious stuff. 92/100 05/09

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Vintage Release 2005 Coonawarra, Australia
14.5% alcohol. A stylish, dark, ripe Cabernet with sweet blackberry and blackcurrant fruit complemented by some spicy oak. There’s a hint of mint here, as well as some tarry, olive-like notes. Very ripe, but still well defined, with no evidence of greenness. Quite savoury, and beginning to develop some softer, more complex evolved notes, although this has a long way to develop, I reckon. 90/100 05/09

Chateau Margaux 2005 Margaux, Bordeaux
(Tasted blind, note as written.) Pronounced savoury, green olive, meaty, spicy edge to the nose. Very rich and ripe with forward blackcurrant and plum fruit. Almost Tuscan in character. Very rich, ripe and bretty on the palate with animal spiciness as well as dense, savoury, tannic fruit. Real impact here, and I like it a lot.  94/100 05/09

Solaia 2005 Tuscany 
(Tasted blind, note as written.) Lovely savoury, gravelly depth to the pure dark fruits nose, which is refined, dark and a little meaty. Nicely complex and rich. The palate is smooth and concentrated with nice ripe, lush fruit as well as some gravelly depth. Lovely modern wine but with nice complexity and tannins. Italy? 93/100 05/09

Opus One 2005 Napa, California 
(Tasted blind, note as written.) Sweet blackcurrant fruit nose with some spicy savouriness. Rich and spicy with some lavish oak. The palate is dense and savoury with good structure and nice spiciness. A forward modern style but still quite old-world in terms of its structure. Needs time.  93/100 05/09

Chateau Lafite 2005 Pauillac, Bordeaux
(Tasted blind, note as written.) Powerful, forward sweet ripe blackcurrant fruit nose is lush with some chocolate and spice notes. Distinctly oaky, but this is sophisticated oak. The palate is dense and focused with roasted oak character combining with rich fruit. Quite a serious wine waiting to emerge here. 92 05/09

Chateau Latour 2005 Bordeaux
(Tasted blind, note as written.) Savoury, slightly earthy edge to the nose. This is rich but balanced with ripe blackcurrant fruit and gravelly spiciness. There are some dark, almost meaty notes too. The palate is elegant and concentrated with some earthy notes under the taut dense fruit. This is Bordeaux. There’s perhaps a slight uncleanness though, which makes me think of low level cork taint. 92/100 05/09

Viñedo Chadwick 2006 Maipo, Chile 
(Tasted blind, note as written.) Smooth, elegant, pure focused blackcurrant fruit nose is ripe, lush and pure. The palate is dense with luch blackcurrant fruit. Nice complexity, but still distinctly Chilean. 91/100 05/09

Viñedo Chadwick 2005 Maipo, Chile 
(Tasted blind, note as written.) Very sweet lush blackcurrant fruit nose is ripe, forward and very Chilean. The palate shows attractive, accessible ripe fruit with a bit of spicy structure. But it’s in a distinctly Chilean style. Forward, focused, tasty. 90/100 05/09

Don Maximiano Reserve 2005 Aconcagua, Chile
(Tasted blind, note as written.) Sweet, lush, blackcurrant fruit nose is quite creamy and ripe with a hint of mint. Very Chilean. There’s a nice savoury olive-like character, though. The palate is big, super-ripe and concentrated. Very lush, very forward and very Chilean. Delicious but simple. 90/100 05/09

Don Maximiano Reserve 2006 Aconcagua, Chile 
(Tasted blind, note as written.) Sweet, lush pure blackcurrant fruit nose with a slightly spirity edge. Stylish and more-ish. Very Chilean. The palate shows ripe, forward blackcurrant fruit with very attractive fruitiness and good acidity. A lighter style. 89/100 05/09

Seña 2005 Chile 
(Tasted blind, note as written.) Sweet, lush, forward blackcurrant fruit nose. Ripe and lush, and quite Chilean. The palate shows dense open fruit which is nicely spicy. Perhaps a bit of evolution here? Warm, rich and sweetly fruited. 89/10 05/09

Seña 2006 Chile
(Tasted blind, note as written.) Ripe, sweet, forward blackcurranty nose with lush fruit and some spiciness. High quality Chilean? The palate is quite fruity and friendly with sweet blackcurrant fruit and some spice. Very Chilean. 88/100 05/09

Sassicaia 2005 Tuscany 
(Tasted blind, note as written.) Lush, sweet, spicy nose with some oaky notes. Showing some evolution. It’s a bit hollow on the mid-palate with attractive earthy spicy noted as well as fading but ripe fruit. 88/100 05/09

Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Central Valley, Chile
Fruity, bright and crisp with attractive lemony notes and hints of grassiness. Simple but effective. 80/100 (13% alcohol, £3.99 Majestic) 05/09

Lime Tree Pinot Grigio 2008 South Eastern Australia
Grapey, fresh and fruity with some lemony tanginess. Bright and a little neutral, but tasty anyway. 79/100 (12.5% alcohol, Co-op) 05/09

Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde 2008 Portugal
Pale and lightly spritzy, this is beautifully delicate with a hint of pithy bitterness, some floral notes and delicious citrus notes. The high acidity keeps things very fresh. This is a lovely summer wine. 87/100 (10.5% alcohol, £5.99 Majestic) 05/09

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Marlborough, New Zealand
There’s something magical about Cloudy Bay. An iconic wine, particularly here in the UK where it used to be almost impossible to find on shelves, and which some merchants sold for as much as £25 a bottle. People love it: the label, the name, the wine. Anyway, availability seems to have improved – I picked this up in Sainsbury’s. Assertive, grassy nose with complex herbal flavours with some nice aromatics and a hint of tropical fruit. The palate is intense and herby with some grapefruit and citrus character, as well as high acidity. Not as rich and showy as the early Cloudy Bays, but still an attractive wine. 88/100 (£16.99 Sainsbury’s, 13.5% alcohol) 04/09

Montana Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Marlborough, New Zealand
A classics: this is one of the wines that established Marlborough as a great place to grow Sauvignon Blanc. It’s also the wine that introduced me to Sauvignon Blanc back in the early 1990s. Made in reasonable quantities, it’s totally reliable and a great ambassador for New Zealand wine. Fresh, lively nose with great balance between the grassy, herby aromas and the richer passion fruit characters. The palate is lively and intensely fruity with green grassy, grapefruity freshness allied with fuller tropical fruit notes. It has lots of personality. 88/100 (£7.93 Asda, 12.5% alcohol) 04/09

Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Wairau Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand
Very attractive nose with herb, melon and grapefruit notes. The palate shows lovely rich flavours of passion fruit and melon, countered nicely by herb, citrus and green pepper notes. There’s a subtle chalky edge, too, which works really well. I love the balance between the fruit richness and the fresh grassy characters that this wine shows. 89/100 (£8.99 Waitrose, 13% alcohol) 04/09

Champagne Lanson Black Label NV
A fresh, high-acid style with lovely herby, subtly toasty flavours, as well as a precise, citrussy fruity character. Despite the high acidity, it’s quite rounded and well mannered. Lots of flavour here. 88/100 (£25.99 Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, 12.5% alcohol) 04/09

Kiwi Cuvée Pinot Noir 2006 Vin de Pays des Vignobles de France
A southern French take on Pinot Noir, this shows vivid, juicy, modern-styled berry fruits with some savoury, spicy notes in the background. Fruity, attractive and pure, this would be hard to spot as Pinot tasted blind, but it is a nice wine. 83/100 (£4.99 Sainsbury’s, 12.5% alcohol) 04/09

Blind River Pinot Noir 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
This is a beautiful expression of New Zealand Pinot Noir. Relatively deep red in colour, it has a lively, aromatic nose showing fresh cherries, spice and herbs. The palate shows intense, vivid dark cherry and plum fruit with herby, spicy complexity and a degree of elegance. Really expressive and individual. 92/100 (£17.99 Oddbins, 14% alcohol) 04/09

Saperavi Lion Gri NV Moldova
60% Saperavi, the balance Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged in oak. 12% alcohol. Vivid red colour. The nose has bright fruit with some sweet, dusty, spicy oak. The palate is fresh with firm tannins and bright red berry fruit, but there’s quite an imprint of spicy oak here. Very fresh, but I can’t help feeling it would have been better without the oak. 80/100 04/09

Château Lion Gri Merlot 2003 Tamlaza, Moldova
Aged in oak. 12% alcohol. Ripe, fruity, berryish nose is fresh and appealing. The palate has lovely fresh berry and cherry fruit, but the finish is marred a little by spicy, dusty oak notes and slightly aggressive tannins. A very fresh red wine. 81/100 04/09

Moltus Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 De Leova, Moldova
Has a shocking-looking agglomerate cork, but it’s not tainted. Fresh, bright berryish fruit on the nose. The palate is juicy and ripe with attractive, focused berry fruit and a hint of sweet spiciness. Well made. 82/100 04/09

Devil’s Rock Pinot Grigio 2007 Rheinhessen, Germany
12.5% alcohol. Fresh, fruity and quite characterful, with some herb, apple, honey and mineral character. There’s a strong ‘stony’ character to this wine, which sets it apart from neutral Italian Pinot Grigio, and it comes across as very fruity. Fresh and assertive. 84/100 (£4.99 Somerfield) 04/09

De Bortoli Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2005 Australia
Slightly reduced matchstick and cabbage edge to the nose, which shows rich, toasty notes as well as fresh, herby fruit. The palate is concentrated and intense with spicy, toasty notes complementing the well balanced fig and peach fruit, with a pithy, citrussy edge. It’s like a blend of a rich Aussie Chardonnay with a lean, minerally white Burgundy. 90/100 (£12.99 Tesco, Oddbins; 13.5% alcohol)  04/09

Jean Chauvenet Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes 1998 Burgundy
1998 is widely regarded to be one of the worst recent vintages in Burgundy. But here’s a beautiful wine. The nose has some savoury, meaty, soy sauce and earth notes, but they’re not out of control, and are joined by some ripe, silky red fruit characters. The palate is where this wine comes to life, though: it’s delicate, like a fine piece of silk – a little fragile, but supremely elegant with a wonderful combination of smooth, sweet cherry and berry fruit with just a hint of earthy tannic structure hiding in the background. It’s a beautiful wine, now at its peak – but I don’t think it will stay there for all that long, so drink up. But right now, it’s all silky elegance and is so easy to drink. Quite lovely: I feel bad about giving this wine such a high rating, but I think it deserves it, as long as you’re prepared to open it now. 93/100 04/09

Domaine de Mourchon Séguret Tradition 2007 Côtes du Rhône Villages, France
14.5% alcohol, unoaked. A beautiful expression of the southern Rhône, this is a deep coloured wine with lovely sweet, dark cherry, blackberry and plum fruit aromatics, as well as hints of meat and spice. The palate shows lovely sweet, vivid fruit, but with added meat and pepper complexity, adding a deliciously savoury counter to the ripe fruit. It’s dense and well structured, but lush and smooth at the same time. Really successful: modern but interesting, with plenty of non-fruit complexity. 91/100 04/09

Domaine de Mourchon Séguret Grande Resérve 2006 Côtes du Rhône Villages, France
15% alcohol, 40% aged in oak for 10 months. Deep coloured, this is a bit of a beast of a wine. The nose shows intense, slightly reduced spicy dark fruits. The palate is intense with high alcohol and firm tannins creating quite an astringent base, over which the ripe, sweet fruit is layered. It’s a big, intense, rather ungainly wine with lots of everything, and a bit of a mouth-drying finish. While it would work well with the right sort of food, it doesn’t have the appeal or drinkability of the 2007 Tradition. Perhaps it will pull together in time. 88/100 (04/09)

Kendermanns Dry Riesling 2007 Pfalz, Germany
Fruity and bright with a minerally edge, this is a crisp, attractive, appley Riesling that’s attractive and fresh. 82/100 (Budgens, Nisaway, Tesco, Waitrose, Rhythm & Booze £5.59; 12.5% alcohol) 04/09

Asda Argentinian Torrontés 2008 Mendoza, Argentina
Perfumed, floral and grapey with rich, textured melony, lychee fruit in the mouth. A bit Alsace-like, this is a full flavoured and extremely fruity wine that would be good with spicy food. 83/100 (13% alcohol, Asda) 04/09

McGuigan Chardonnay NV SE Australia
Tastes very dry and light, with nutty peach and pear fruit and with a hollow mid-palate and herby finish. It’s not undrinkable, but you miss the alcohol. 78/100 (9.5% alcohol) 04/09

Jean de Bosmel Chablis 2007 Burgundy, France
Minerally, herby and lean with fresh lemony acidity. This is a savoury, almost austere wine with a hint of nuttiness. A food wine. 83/100 (£7.98 Asda, 12% alcohol) 03/09

Sarget de Gruaud Larose 2002 Saint-Julien, Bordeaux
There’s a noticeable greenness to this wine, both on the nose and the palate, but it’s not unpleasant. Fresh with some gravelly notes, as well as a hint of spicy, chocolatey richness. It’s quite grippy, with some bitter plum notes and some earthiness. A savoury, midweight Claret that’s digestible and which has some guts to it, too. Not great, but attractive and thought-provoking. Will peak soon. 87/100 (£29.99 Sainsbury on offer at £19.99 soon) 03/09

Jean Paul Mollet Pouilly Fumé ‘L’Antique’ 2007 Loire, France
Aromatic grassy, herby nose with some melony richness. There are some pronounced green herbal notes here. The palate is concentrated and richly textured with a hint of fruit sweetness and green pepper/herby notes, as well as a touch of minerality on the finish. Quite a serious Sauvignon. 89/100 (Sainsburys, this is due to be offered at a promotional price in April) 03/09

Sébastien Riffault Akméniné Sancerre 2007 Loire, France
I thought Sancerre was mostly boring, but this is brilliant. It’s a challenging, complex, life-enhancing expression of Sauvignon Blanc. Full yellow in colour, it has a complex, rather wild nose of nuts, minerals, herbs, diesel oil, lemons and apples, with hints of sweet dried fruits. The palate is savoury and full, with lovely minerally acidity and nutty, grassy fruit. It’s just so complex, but if you’re looking for typical Sancerre, then this isn’t for you. I really like it, and rate it as the best Sancerre I’ve ever tasted. 92/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene) 03/09

JL Chave Sélection Hermitage Blanche 2004 Northern Rhône, France
Mainly Marsanne. This is a lovely, rich-textured, soft wine with real intensity and a bit of spicy wood. Really deep and bold with a hint of tangerine and fat melony fruit. Remarkable stuff. 90/100 02/09

Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard 2004 Santa Ynez Valley, California
Oaty, lean, minerally and quite spicy, with lovely freshness and nice lemony acidity. Nicely savoury, this – a million miles from fat, overblown Californian Chardonnay. 89/100 02/09

Domaine René Engel Vosné-Romanée 1er Cru Les Brulées 2004 Burgundy, France
Really aromatic sweet cherry fruit nose with a sappy, green herby edge. Floral and sweet but also a tiny bit green. Smooth, lush, sweet palate with some savoury, grippy structure under the fruit. Quite complex and long, finishing dry and savoury. 93/100 02/09

Tignanello 1999 IGT Toscana, Italy
This is great: Jancis describes it as a ‘Tuscan claret’, and notes that these days it could probably be called Chianti Classico, because it has the required 80% Sangiovese, with the balance the Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc. Complex earthy, spicy brooding nose with some tarry notes. The palate has some sweet dark fruit and dense yet smooth structure with lovely refined earthiness. It’s really complex and stylish, it’s distinctly Italian, and it’s ageing beautifully. 94/100 02/09

Château Léoville-Poyferré 2eme Cru Classé St Julien 1999 Bordeaux (from magnum)
Dense, spicy and earthy with hints of farmyard and meat. Lovely savoury, gravelly depth here with lots of earthy spiciness. Burly rather than elegant, but quite delicious, still. 91/100 02/09

Fonseca 1970 Vintage Port
I find it’s quite hard to describe and rate older Vintage Ports. This is mellow yet concentrated with lovely smooth plummy, spicy fruit. Warm, rich and harmonious without any edges sticking out. 92/100 02/09

Domaine de la Romanée Conti Romanée St Vivant 1993
Beautifully elegant, perfumed nose is warm and open with subtle herbiness, hints of earth and nice spiciness. A bit of greenness, but in a nice way. The palate is earthy and spicy with good structure and lots of elegance. The fruit is beginning to recede a bit but there’s lots of complexity here, and some herby notes meshing well with spicy tannins. Some people I was tasting with were disappointed by this, but I found it thrilling, although I wouldn’t say it has a huge amount of evolution ahead of it. And it’s absurdly expensive, but it is DRC. 95/100 (£699 The Sampler) 12/08

Harlan Estate 2002 Napa Valley
My first time with this cult Napa wine, which sells for around £600 a bottle. Fresh, spicy, earthy aromatic nose with sweet blackcurrant fruit and warm, subtly tarry, spicy notes. Hint of chocolate, too. The palate is sweetly fruited and dense with really nice dense, spicy, slightly earthy structure under the rich, but not overblown fruit. It’s an accessible new world-style wine but it’s balanced and has a long finish. 93/100 12/08

Screaming Eagle 1999 Napa Valley
A rare chance to try one of the most sought after Napa cult wines. Wonderfully aromatic with perfumed, sweet, complex, beautifully poised nose of tar, herbs, spice and sweet berry fruits. The palate is evolving beautifully with notes of leather and spice under the elegant sweet red berry fruits. Really nicely balanced with beautiful fusion of complex spicy notes, fruit and structure. 96/100 (£1500 The Sampler) 12/08

Château Margaux 1934 Margaux, Bordeaux
It’s always a great experience to taste very old wine, even though it is a bit of a lottery. This elderly Margaux is an orange-brown colour, and the nose is earthy, spicy, mature and quite complex. The palate is light with some earthy notes and fresh acidity, as well as some meaty hints. Not much left here: it has a beguiling, faded, haunting beauty, but it’s beginning to taste of old wine. There’s real interest, but I suspect this isn’t a great bottle. 92/100 (£550 The Sampler) 12/08

Château Petrus 1983 Pomerol, Bordeaux
A little disappointing considering the reputation of Petrus, but still an attractive mature Pomerol. Warm, spicy and earthy on the nose, with some sweetness. The palate is earthy, slightly herby and has fresh acidity, with some evolution. Quite structured but the fruit is beginning to recede a bit. An attractive, savoury wine, but some way short of greatness. 92/100 (£850 The Sampler) 12/08

Château Le Pin 1995 Pomerol, Bordeaux
This cult Pomerol is very appealing, but surely you don’t have to spend a grand to get something like this? Lovely sweet aromatics showing subtly leafy sweet red fruits. Quite complex. The palate has some firm savoury character with nice spiciness and freshness. It’s balanced, earthy and fresh with nice bright fruit and a hint of nice greenness. 93/100 (£1000 The Sampler) 12/08

Château Mouton Rothschild 2000 Pauillac, Bordeaux
Earthy, spicy and slightly rustic on the nose. Quite firm. Is there some brett here? The palate is earthy and dense with a robust spicy character. Dense and firm at the moment but lacks real elegance. To be honest, I expected a bit more from this. 91/100 (£700 The Sampler)  12/08 

Château D’Yquem 1983 Sauternes
Totally beautiful. This is concentrated and perfectly balanced with dense, complex spicy lemon/citrus flavours with waxy, spicy notes and wonderful depth. Drinking perfectly now. 96/100 12/08

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1990 Southern Rhône, France
This is a lovely, light, evolved wine drinking at its peak. Complex, warm, spicy and earthy with a lovely earthy, spicy character, as well as some meaty funkiness. A savoury style with lots of interest. 94/100 (£160 The Sampler) 12/08

Jamet Côte-Rôtie 2004 Northern Rhône, France
Fresh, bright, slightly meaty red fruits nose. The palate is quite smooth with dark, spicy, meaty fruit and good acidity. Spicy and a tiny bit rustic, but with lots of interest. 91/100 (£39.99 The Sampler) 12/08

Yves Cuilleron Saint Joseph Pierres Leches 2005 Northern Rhône
Very fresh, spicy red fruits nose is bright and quite refined, with a lovely freshness. Juicy, bright, expressive palate with some peppery spiciness. Finishes quite grippy. Lovely bright Syrah. 90/100 (£16.99 The Sampler) 12/08

Domaine de la Grange des Pères 1996 Vin de Pays de l’Herault, France
Probably the top wine from the South of France, and it’s great to get a chance to see how this ages. The answer is, pretty well. This has a complex, aromatic, spicy nose with lovely sweet, dusty aromatics. The palate is super-elegant with lovely earthy spiciness and nice acidity. Expressive, spicy and bright. 93/100 (£55 The Sampler) 12/08

Yarra Yerring Dry Red No 2 2004 Yarra Valley, Australia
95% Shiraz and 5% Marsanne and Viognier. Beautifully aromatic with sweet, forward cherry and herb notes on the nose, as well as a hint of nice greenness. The palate is sweet and nicely proportioned with lovely spicy warmth and sweet cherry and plum fruit. Just delicious. 93/100 (£37.99 The Sampler, £34.50 BBR) 12/08

Ben Glaetzer Wallace Shiraz Grenache 2006 Barossa, Australia
Lovely bright smooth liqueur-like cherry fruit on the nose. The palate is sweet and smooth with lovely purity of fruit and a bit of spicy structure. Satisfying and quite elegant. 90/100 (£12.99 The Sampler) 12/08

Greenstone Shiraz 2006 Heathcote, Australia
First vintage of this wine. Beautifully aromatic and bright with some nice spiciness and a liqueur-like edge to the elegant palate. Fresh, spicy and forward, this is full of interest, and made in a much lighter style than most Aussie Shirazes. 91/100 (£15.49 The Sampler) 12/08

Clos de Caillou ‘Le Clos de Caillou’ Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2004 Southern Rhône, France
Sweet, warm, herby spicy nose. The palate is rich and bold with warm spicy fruit. An elegant spicy style of Châteauneuf-du-Pape with robust tannins under the fruit. 92/100 (£59.99 The Sampler) 12/08

Haciendo Monasterio 2005 Ribera del Duero, Spain
Very deep coloured. Supersweet nose of blueberries, blackberries, vanilla and cream. The palate is dense, spicy and full with masses of sweet dark fruit and spicy oak. Almost over-the-top in a very modern style, this intense wine needs some time to show if it is serious or not. I find it a bit obvious now. 92/100 (£38.99 The Sampler) 12/08

Astrales 2004 Ribera del Duero, Spain
Very sweet, lush, intense nose with ripe fruit and oak. Dense, spicy palate is bold and extracted with lots of weight and quite a bit of oak. An obvious but tasty style. 89/100 (£25.95 The Sampler) 12/08

Gilles Barge Côte-Rôtie Le Combard 2007 Northern Rhône, France (cask sample)
Just delicious. Fresh, bright nose of meaty, peppery raspberry and just-ripe cherry fruit with lovely floral aromatics. The palate is expressive and elegant, with a meaty, subtly animally edge to the beautifully textured sweet and sour fruit, combining pure, sweet cherries with tart acidity and peppery freshness. It’s complex, brooding and quite profound: the antithesis of clumsy, dark, extracted, oaky Syrah. 92–94/100  12/08

Domaine Grand Veneur Les Champauvins 2007 Côtes du Rhône Villages, France (cask sample)
Apparently, Robert Parker gave this 91/100, which is a high score for a relatively affordable wine. I can understand why: it’s a deliciously rich, dense Southern Rhône red with concentrated, sweet spicy raspberry liqueur fruit, backed up by fresh acidity and a bit of earthy structure. It’s smooth and delicious, with a hint of ginger adding aromatic interest. Much better than most Châteauneuf-du-Papes, with real richness and intensity. 90–92/100 (£55 in bond for 12 bottles in www.bibendum-wine.co.uk’s recent en primeur offer) 12/08 

Fita Preta Preta 2005 Alentejo, Portugal
14.5% alcohol. 73% Touriga Nacional and 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, made by David Booth and António Maçanita. Deep coloured, this has an alluring sweet black fruits nose with lushness and just a hint of jamminess, although it maintains balance. The palate shows nicely defined pure, sweet blackberry fruit with great concentration of pure fruit, countered by some attractive fresh spicy, savoury notes. Deliciously forward but with some seriousness, too. This is a really good example of a top-quality modern Alentejo red. 92/100 (UK retail £18.50) 12/08

Malhadinha Nova Aragonês da Peceguina 2007 Alentejo, Portugal
14.5% alcohol. Fermented in lagares and then aged for 11 months in new French oak. It’s a small, 20 barrel lot. Deep coloured, this has a subtle vanilla new oak lift to the pure, sweetly fruited nose. The palate shows lovely vivid, pure plum and red cherry fruit with some supporting oak. It’s really fresh and focused with some grippy structure underneath the sweet fruit. This has the potential to age beautifully into a mellow, complex midweight wine, and I think it will probably merit a higher rating in five years’ time. I really like the purity of the fruit here. 91/100 12/08

Marques de Borba Reserva 2004 Alentejo, Portugal
One of the leading wines from João Portugal Ramos, this is slightly closed on the nose immediately after opening. The palate shows tight, spicy, structured yet sweet dark cherry and plum fruit with good acidity. There’s a subtle liqueur-like edge to the fruit, and some oak influence. This may well open out with a few years in bottle when it might get a higher rating. 90/100 12/08

Quinta de Foz de Arouce Vinhas Velhas de Santa Maria 2005 Beiras
14% This is a varietal Baga made in lagares and then aged in new French oak. Slightly shy on the nose, this is a tight, brooding wine that you might be tempted to dismiss as a bit simple. But there’s real depth and power here on the palate – it’s a savoury, spicy yet quite elegant Baga with firm structure and the potential to develop nicely over the next 20 years. Good acidity, too. I really like it, but hold for a while before drinking. 92/100 12/08

Quinta de Sant’Ana Mafra 2006 Estremadura
13% Sweet, vibrant nose with bright berry fruit, some subtle leafy greenness and a roast coffee character. There’s a touch of meatiness, too. The palate is fresh, spicy and meaty with a nice green olive edge to the fruit. Really distinctive with lovely savoury personality and a hint of tangy funkiness. Delicious stuff. 89/100 12/08  

Quinta de Sant’Ana Mafra Reserva 2005 Estremadura
14.5% 100% Aragonez. A really rich, sweetly fruited, modern-styled red with ripe blackberry, dark cherry and raspberry fruit and a touch of oak. It’s really smooth and quite elegant, with lovely balance and purity. Finishes a bit spicy: quite a serious effort. 90/100 12/08

Lindauer Special Reserve Brut Cuvée NV New Zealand
Elegantly packaged, this is a very pale salmon pink colour. It’s tight and quite savoury with a lovely crisp, delicate toast and lemon character, as well as just a hint of raspberry and cranberry fruit. A delicate, fruity style of real appeal. 88/100 12/08

Montana Chardonnay Pinot Noir Brut Cuvée NV New Zealand
12%. Fresh, herby, lemony and refreshing. A tight, crisp style with high acidity and a subtly grassy green character, keeping this bright, focused and savoury. 86/100 12/08

Les Pionniers Vintage Champagne 1999
From P&C Heidsieck. Warm, rich and full flavoured with distinctive toastiness as well as some citrussy freshness. Stylish and sophisticated with nice fruit. 12%. 89/100 12/08

Champagne Taittinger Prélude Grands Crus NV
12% alcohol. £39.99 Lea & Sandeman, Harrods, Roberson, Soho Wine, Luvians
Crisp, tight and complex, this is a really delicious, precise Champagne with fresh citrussy notes and taut, dense, pure fruit. Balance is the key here: it’s a linear, focused style. 92/100 12/08

Sainsbury’s So Organic South African Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Western Cape
14% alcohol. Made without any added sulfur dioxide by Stellar Winery; sealed with a tin-lined screwcap. Vibrant, aromatic, juicy and ripe, with sweet blackcurrant and berry fruit. This is fresh and vibrant with lovely purity. An utterly delicious inexpensive, fruit-forward red with a bit of spicy bite on the finish. Considering no sulfur dioxide has been used, it’s incredible that it’s holding up so well. Dudley the winemaker knows what he’s doing. 88/100 12/08

Sainsbury’s So Organic South African Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Western Cape
14% alcohol. Made without any added sulfur dioxide by Stellar Winery; sealed with a tin-lined screwcap. A really vivid, vibrant forward wine that tastes like a barrel sample. It’s that fresh! It’s bold, blackcurranty and intense with lovely density and the sweet, forward, aromatic fruit balanced by lovely crunchy, spicy tannic structure. It’s just delicious with a grippy, crunchy mouthfeel that works really well with the sweet blackcurrant fruit. I’m really impressed. 89/100 12/08

Robert Oatley Shiraz 2007 Mudgee, Australia
13.5% alcohol. Robert Oatley was the man behind the hugely successful Rosemount winery. In the post-Rosemount are he’s making this, a sweet, polished red from the Mudgee region of New South Wales. It has bright, plummy berry fruit with some dark cherry freshness, as well as some sweet, creamy vanilla notes. A well judged commercial style. 87/100 12/08

Wakefield Chardonnay 2007 South Australia
14.5% alcohol. Satisfyingly broad, nutty, toasty and well balanced, with rich, focused fruit allied to some nice oak. Really well put together. 88/100 12/08

Wakefield Shiraz 2007 Clare Valley, Australia
14.5% alcohol. Slightly green, sweet berryish fruit here with some spicy bite from the oak. Finishes quite plummy. Nicely fruity, but not completely convincing. The Cabernet is in a different league to this. 85/100 12/08

Wakefield St Andrews Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Clare Valley, Australia
14% alcohol. Screwcapped. Initially a little simple and fruity on opening, a day later this has put on some weight and developed some aromatic interest. Elegant blackcurranty fruit on the nose with some fantastic gravelly definition, and hints of chalk and spice. The palate isn’t overly dense, but has nice fresh, sweet pure fruit and some grippy but sophisticated tannic structure. I think this is a really superb, balanced Cabernet, but it does need time to show at its best. 91/100 12/08

John Duval Wines Entity Shiraz 2006 Barossa Valley, Australia
14.5% alcohol. 17 months in French oak. Deep coloured. Initially shy and simply fruity on opening, after time this picks up weight and begins to show its potential. Lovely aromatic, slightly meaty, pure dark fruits nose with blackberry, dark cherry, spice and violets. On the palate there’s real elegance to the dark fruits, which marry beautifully with the oak. This isn’t a big blockbuster style; rather it’s a brilliantly balanced, youthful Shiraz with masses of potential for future development. John Duval says that his aim with this wine is to produce a Shiraz with elegance and structure, and I think he’s achieved this. But it needs time. 93/100 (£20.99 Noel Young, Oz Wines, SWIG, Harperwells, Secret Cellar, Wimbledon Wine Cellar) 12/08

John Duval Wines Plexus Shiraz/Grenache/Mourvèdre 2006 Barossa Valley, Australia
14.5% alcohol. Half Shiraz, one third old bush vine Grenache, the remainder old bush vine Mourvèdre, aged mostly in old oak. This is dominated by sweet, plum, red cherry and blueberry fruit, with a lovely soft structure and some attractive peppery spiciness in the background. It’s lively and pure with a seductive lushness, but there’s enough spicy structure to provide balance. It’s delicious now, with real Barossa typicity, but it should age really nicely, too. 91/100 (£18.99 Noel Young, Oz Wines, SWIG, Harperwells, Secret Cellar, Wimbledon Wine Cellar) 12/08

Quinta do Dorado ‘Auratus’ Alvarinho 2006 Vinho Verde, Portugal
Deep coloured. Lovely rich opulent nose is bold and melony with lots of fruit. The palate is soft and fat with lovely rich fruit. A full style of Vinho Verde. 89/100 (£7.50 Genesis Wines) 02/08

Geyerhof Grüner Veltliner Hoher Rain 2006 Kremstal, Austria
This organic Austrian is richly textured and bold, with some pepperiness. Lovely density of fruit with real intensity and some complexity. 89/100 (£10.50 Genesis Wines) 02/08

Richardson Pinot Noir 2005 Central Otago, New Zealand
Open aromatic nose is evolved with sweet dark cherry fruit. The palate is dark, fresh and open with sweet fruit. An elegant ripe style with some earthy structure. Nice. 90/100 (£24 Genesis Wines) 02/08

Castro de Valtuille Joven 2006 Bierzo, Spain
Very deep coloured. Fresh, sweet dark fruit nose with a fascinating herby edge. The palate is intense and rich with lovely density if ripe yet fresh fruit. Vivid, intense, lovely and a bargain. 92/100 (£8.95 Genesis Wines) 02/08

Matetic Coralillo Syrah 2006 San Antonio, Chile
Lovely dark, sweet, pure fruit on the nose: violetty and fresh, with a bit of meatiness. The palate is pure and quite sweet with lovely definition to the fruit. Complex, fresh and alive. 92/100 (£10.50 Genesis Wines) 02/08

Matetic Coralillo Merlot Malbec 2005 San Antonio, Chile
Sweet, pure, ripe dark fruits nose with liqueur-like richness. Bold and full with deliciously fresh ripe palate showing good tannin and acidity. Fresh, pure and structured. 90/100 (£10.50 Genesis Wines) 02/08

Matetic Syrah 2005 San Antonio, Chile
This isn’t the EQ Syrah, but rather a special selection of just 4 barrels (100 cases), aged for 18 months in new French oak and bottled in May 2007. It has a fantastic dark, concentrated nose that’s really pure and aromatic, with complex dark fruits and hints of spice and meat. The palate is bold and concentrated with lovely freshness to the very ripe dark fruits. Some tannic structure is evident with well integrated oak. An impressive effort. 95/100 02/08

Stadt Krems Grüner Veltliner Lössterassen 2006 Kremstal, Austria
Rich intense melon and pepper nose is smooth and sweet. The palate is soft and bold with expressive, sweet melony peppery fruit. A delicious rich style. 91/100  02/08

Schloss Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner Renner 2006 Kamptal, Austria
Fresh, smooth, slightly herby nose. There’s some subtle pepperiness here. The palate is sweetly fruited with lovely density. Elegant and concentrated with lovely expressive character. 92/100 02/08

Schloss Gobelsburg Riesling Alte Reben 2006 Kamptal, Austria
Taut, intense lime and herb nose with lots of complexity. The palate is dense and full with concentrated limey fruit. Complex and lively. 93/100 02/08

Hirtzberger Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Axpoint 2006 Wachau, Austria
Powerful, expressive, herby minerally nose: fabulously rich and aromatic, but fresh at the same time. The palate is concentrated, soft, fat and melony with lovely broad flavours and nice sweetness. Brilliant in a rich style. 94/100 02/08

Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Hochrain 2006 Wachau, Austria
Tight complex limey nose. The palate is rich with some sweetness to the nicely textured fruit. Nicely focused and fresh with some lime and herb notes. Lovely. 93/100 02/08

Domaine des Tours Vin de Pays Vacluse Rouge 2004 Southern Rhône, France
Smooth, sweet nose is liqueur-like with rich berry fruits. The palate is expressive and perfumed with really aromatic sweet fruit and grainy tannins on the finish. A perfumed, expressive wine with lovely elegance. 91/100 (£8.49 UK agent Richards Walford) 02/08

Dumien-Serrette Cornas ‘Patou’ 2005 Northern Rhône, France
Very smooth, ripe, lush nose is pure and shows seamless liqueur-like red and black fruits. The palate is bold, dense and pure with nice gravelly, savoury, tannic structure. Intriguing stuff: bold and full with lovely weight and purity. 93/100 (£22.49 UK agent Richards Walford) 02/08

Gilles Barge Côte Rôtie Cuvée du Plessy 2004 Northern Rhône, France
Very perfumed, open, aromatic nose of violets, meat, herbs and olives. The palate is elegant with lovely expressive dark fruits. Not a heavy wine, but beautifully perfumed and elegant in a traditional style. 93/100 (£24.99 UK agent Richards Walford) 02/08

Quinta do Coa Branco 2006 Douro, Portugal
Intense, rich, toasty and bold, with some nutty, oily notes. Concentrated palate with dense, rich fruit and some oak. A delicious, full-on Douro white, but not for everyone. 90/100 (£10 UK agent Raymond Reynolds) 02/08

Quinta do Coa 2006 Douro, Portugal
Beautiful pure dark fruits nose: a bit floral and quite fresh. The palate is rounded and delicious with pure, vivid dark fruits and nice freshness. 91/100 (£10 UK agent Raymond Reynolds) 02/08

Vesevo Greco di Tufo 2007 Italy
12.5% alcohol. Quite neutral on the nose, with a distinctive minerality. The palate is rounded and fresh with some rich, almost spicy tropical fruit notes sitting alongside some crisp, fresh mineral characters. Full flavoured, intense and delicious, this has plenty of personality and a long minerally finish. 90/100 (£10.99 Majestic) 12/08

Château Doisy-Daëne Sec 2007 Bordeaux
100% Sauvignon from a Château that is more famous for its fabulous Sauternes. It is made by Denis Dubourdieu, the Bordeaux University professor famous for his work on the flavour compounds in Sauvignon Blanc. Grapefruit and lemon notes dominate, with some herby, tangy savouriness and high acidity. There’s a pronounced tangerine character, too, with lovely contrast between the ripe, bright fruit and the more savoury pithy notes. Some wood here, but it fits in perfectly. A complex, gastronomic wine. 93/100 (£14.50 The Wine Society) 12/08

Silvano Follador Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze 2007 Italy
Quite complex, tight and fruity with lovely open lemon and mandarin fruit, as well as a bit of soft ripe pear character. Fruit dominates – this is approachable and tasty with no rough edges. 89/100 (£14.95 Great Western Wine) 12/08

Château Ducla 2005 Bordeaux Supérieur, France
This is a brilliant, affordable Claret. Two-thirds Merlot, one-third Cabernet, it’s ripe, smooth, sweet and approachable - just the sort of wine Bordeaux needs to make to compete against the new world. It’s dominated by sweet, lush, pure blackcurrant fruit with just a hint of savoury, gravelly, spiciness. Fruity and forward, but still noticeably Bordeaux. Normally, Bordeaux wines at this price are a bit mean, green and astringent. 13% alcohol. 88/100 (£6.99 Booths) 12/08

Château Romer du Hayot 2004 Sauternes
A bargain Sauternes that’s actually quite good. Yellow gold in colour, it’s a little deeper in hue than many. It has a bold, rich nose of honey, marmalade and apricot. The palate is rich and quite viscous with tangy apricotty fruit, as well as a hint of tinned peach syrup. If I’m going to be fussy, it is a little syrupy, but it’s a proper Sauternes at a good price. 14.5% alcohol. 86/100 (Aldi 50 cl £6.99) 12/08

Steffano Accordini ‘Acinatico’ Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2005 Italy
Remarkable stuff, made with air-dried red grapes. Really deep coloured, it has a nose like a fresh young Vintage Port, with vivid, sweet dark cherry and blackberry fruit, and a bit of spicy freshness. The palate is powerful with rich, sweet dense fruit and notes of tar and earth. There’s a real richness and presence here. Currently it’s a little square and modern, but with time I reckon this will develop some warm complexity. While it’s fun now, it will be singing in five to ten years. 91/100 16% alcohol. (UK agent: Enotria) 12/08

Spier Discover Chardonnay 2007 South Africa
Fruity and a bit nutty, with some buttery richness and a bit of figgy fatness. 80/100 (13.5%; £4.99 Coop) 01/09

Beringer Stone Cellars Chardonnay 2007 California
Quite stylish with nice balance between the fresh fruitiness and the richer, broader tropical notes (apricots, peach) with a bit of spiciness. Nice effort for a commercial Chardonnay: well balanced and with a bit of complexity. 85/100 (13%) 01/09

Labouré-Roi White Burgundy 2007
A nice, fresh, brightly fruited white wine with some fresh, minerally, citrussy notes as well as a bit of nuttiness. Good for the offer price, but not anywhere near a £12 wine. 85/100 (Sainsbury £11.99 but was offered at £5.99; 12%) 01/09

Familia Schroeder Alpatico Chardonnay 2007 Patagonia, Argentina
Broad, aromatic peachy nose with some vanilla notes. The palate is quite fat with melon, peach and apricot notes as well as some bready, toasty oak influence. Quite a rich, stylish Chardonnay. 87/100 (Waitrose; 13%) 01/09

Gerard Bertrand Aigle Noir Chardonnay 2006 Sud de France
Rich, fat, toasty and buttery with a distinct nuttiness. Tasty in its style, but drink up. 82/100 (£7.99 M&S; 13%) 01/09

Laurent Miquel Nord Sud Viognier 2006 South of France
Fat, melony and peachy with lovely sweet, pure fruit and a soft texture. A broady, generous wine. 85/100 (13.5% alcohol; Tesco) 01/09

Champagne Carlin Brut Rosé NV
Nice bright salmon pink colour. It’s lively, full flavoured and toasty with a nice savoury bite. Deliciously complex and nicely dry. Good stuff. 90/100 (Realwineco.co.uk; 12%) 01/09

Champagne de Saint Gall Rosé Brut NV
Salmon pink. Broad, savoury and a bit herby. Lovely complex palate combining some strawberry sweetness with a spicy acid bite. A delicious, slightly sweeter style of rosé. 89/100 (M&S, 12% alcohol) 01/09

Champagne Bisinger Grand Prestige Premium Cuvee NV
Fresh, fruity and bright with a subtle herbal edge to the zippy fruit, as well as some citrus notes. Nicely balanced Champagne. 86/100 (Lidl, 12%) 01/09

Lindauer Rosé NV, New Zealand
Pale salmon pink. Really zippy with nice fresh fruit and a touch of savoury herbiness. Nice stuff. 87/100 (12%) 01/09

Lindauer Special Select NV, New Zealand
Very pale salmon pink. Interesting toasty edge to the nose and lovely subtly herby bright citrus fruits on the palate. Some nice complexity here – an interesting wine. 88/100 (12%) 01/09

Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Rosé NV, Australia
Lovely fruity strawberry cherry and herb characters. Bright, forward, fruity and fun. Nice balance and just a hint of sweetness. 86/100 (11.5%) 01/09

La Châsse du Pape Côtes du Rhône Reserve 2006 Southern Rhone, France
Lovely bright, smooth, focused cherry and berry fruit here. A modern, stylish wine with a hint of pepperiness and no rough edges. 87/100 01/09

Château Tartuguière Medoc 2005 Bordeaux
Gravelly, dark blackcurranty nose with some green herbal freshness. The palate is supple and bright with lovely rounded, smooth, ripe fruit. Beautifully poised with a nice savoury character. Just ripe, really, but very digestible and food friendly. 88/100 (£8.96 Nicolas; 13%) 01/09

Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir Central Coast 2006 California
A lovely inexpensive Pinot Noir with nice sweet, rounded cherry and herb fruit. There’s some richness here, but it shows the typical Pinot characters of light colour and sweet, herby, cherry fruit with a hint of spice and undergrowth. Delicious. 88/100 (Co-op; 14% alcohol) 01/09

Lagoalva Talhão 1 Branco 2007 Ribatejo, Portugal
A blend of Fernão Pires, Arinto, Alvarinho, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdelho. Bright, fresh, crisp and fruity with a subtle herby, waxy character as well as pure, fresh citrussy fruit. An attractive, unoaked white. 87/100 11/08

Quinta da Lagoalva Castelão-Touriga Nacional 2005 Ribatejo, Portugal
Fresh, bright plum and cherry fruit here, with some distinctive savoury spiciness. A bitter plummy character on the finish makes this highly food-friendly. There’s fruit here, but it’s quite a traditional, old-fashioned style of wine. 84/100 11/08

Michel & Pomplia Guiraud ‘Terre Promise’ 2005 AOC St Chinian Roquebrun, Languedoc, France
Two-thirds Syrah, and one-third 80 year old Carignan. This is quite serious stuff. The nose is fresh and well defined with elegant raspberry and sweet plummy fruit, together with some well integrated spicy oak. The is savoury and focused with a peppery, spicy edge to the taut dark fruit character. There’s a hint of the northern Rhône here, and it finishes with some tannic grip. A really solid effort that will repay a few more years in the cellar. 90/100 (The Real Wine Company, www.therealwineco.co.uk £13) 11/08

Terra Vecchia Merlot-Nielluccio Reserve 2007 Corsica, France
Open, sweet, smooth dark cherry fruit on the nose with a lovely aromatic quality. The palate is fresh and fruity with bright dark cherry and berry fruits, a hint of blackberry jam and nice lushness. Finishes fresh and vibrant. Nice stuff with a lovely purity of fruit. 88/100 (£5.99 Somerfield) 11/08

Château Reynon Sauvignon Blanc Denis Dubourdieu 2007 Bordeaux, France
Lovely aromatic nose with some green grassy notes as well as taut herbiness, and a hint of something a bit more exotic – passion fruit? The palate is dense and full flavoured with a nice grassy freshness framing rich, broad, savoury, grapefruit pith notes. It’s sophisticated and very Bordeaux like. Is there a hint of oak here? 88/100 12.5% alcohol (£9.50 The Wine Society) 11/08

Dog Point Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
Lively aromatic nose with a nice combination of intense, grassy herby notes with restrained passion fruit character. It falls on the side of freshness rather than richness. The palate is concentrated, rich, vibrant and intense with lovely rich fruity characters combining with grassy, minerally freshness. Fantastic grown-up Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc of real interest. 91/100 (£12.95 Berry Bros & Rudd) 11/08

Dog Point Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 Marlborough, New Zealand
This is just fantastic. One of the very best New Zealand Pinot Noirs: complex, balanced, and every so slightly funky. The nose has a lovely subtly meaty, spicy, warm, herb tinged cherry fruit character, as well as some floral, almost northern Rhône-like notes. The palate is textured and elegant with beautifully balanced savoury spiciness, just a touch of herbiness, and sweet berry fruits with just enough structure to keep things savoury. Beautifully poised and very easy to drink, this has seriousness, elegance and charm. 94/100 (13.5% alcohol, cork sealed) (£20.50 Berry Bros & Rudd) 11/08

Raymond Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2006 Southern Rhone, France
80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 6% Syrah, 2% Cinsault and 2% Counoise. Deep coloured, this has a sweetly aromatic nose with lush, pure blackberry and sweet cherry fruit, with a hint of soya sauce and some savoury, herby elements. The palate is concentrated and sweet with slightly reduced, almost rubbery notes accompanying the lush fruit. Densely fruited, this is a serious effort that needs a bit of time to find its feet. A rich, extracted, intense style of Châteauneuf, finishing quite spicy. 90/100 (imported by Fields, Morris & Verdin) 11/08

Champagne Heidsieck & Co Monopole Red Top Sec NV
A rich, rounded, toasty style of Champagne with lots of flavour and a bit of sweetness. It’s very attractive and easy to drink – almost off-dry. A smooth effort with lovely fruitiness. 88/100(£23.98 Asda) 11/08

Adega de Pegões Colheita Seleccionada 2005 Terras do Sado, Portugal
13.5% alcohol. Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grown in the sandy soils of the Setúbal Peninsula near Lisbon. This has a lovely sweet, fresh, aromatic nose of cherries, plums and raspberries, with lovely fruit purity. The palate is bright and refreshing with tangy cherry and berry fruit, and a hint of plummy bitterness and savoury spiciness on the finish. This is really delicious, and great value for the 6 or 7 Euros it retails for in Portugal. It’s made by the over-performing co-op at Pegões, which is probably Portugal’s best. 88/100 (UK agent is Hallgarten) 11/08

Bluff Hill Brut NV, New Zealand
Rich, toasty and quite complex with a lovely savoury character, backed up by good acidity. Richly flavoured and quite serious: a good food wine. 89/100 (12% alcohol; M&S £8.99) 01/09

Kaituna Hills Chardonnay Reserve 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
Bold aromatics with toast, herbs, figs and some spicy vanilla notes. Broad, intense, richly textured palate has real richness, with ripe melon and pineapple fruit combining well with some new oak. A really stylish effort which justifies it’s £10 price-tag. 89/100 (14% alcohol M&S £9.99) 01/09

Kaituna Hills Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2006 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Very fresh, bright blackcurrant fruit nose with a savoury, gravelly edge and some subtle grassy greenness hiding in the background. The palate shows a nice combination of sweet but just-ripe dark fruits with some more savoury, fresh herby notes. This is what you hope inexpensive Bordeaux could be like: generous yet savoury, and digestible and food friendly. 87/100 (13% alcohol; M&S £8.99) 01/09

Clocktower Pinot Noir 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
A richly flavoured Marlborough Pinot with powerful dark cherry and raspberry fruit together with a strongly savoury herby, slightly green, earthy structure. It’s not as elegant as some top Pinots, but it is attractive and fresh. 88/100 (13.5% alcohol; M&S £10.99) 01/09

Marimar Estate Don Miguel Vineyard ‘Cristina’ Pinot Noir 2004 Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California
Lively, aromatic nose with dark cherry fruit bolstered by bright tarry, spicy, subtly earthy notes. It reminds me a bit of a very fresh, elegant Sangiovese. The palate is dense yet still fresh, with bright, slightly herby red berry and cherry fruit with spicy depth. A powerful, concentrated, rich style of Pinot but with some finesse, and never threatens to become overly sweet or jammy. Long savoury finish. It’s a dense style of Pinot that reminds me of the Rhône and Tuscany in its personality. A lovely wine. 92/100 (10/08)

Lupé-Cholet Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits 2006 Burgundy
Bright, juicy cherry fruit nose with some green sappiness. The palate is light and expressive with cherry and berry fruit along with a bit of grippy structure. An understated, rather simple food-friendly Pinot that is perfectly drinkable but lacks any real excitement. 84/100 (£10.99 Nicolas, on offer from £12.50) 10/08

Albert Bichot Domaine de la Roche aux Loups Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune 2005 Burgundy
There’s a hint of sweetness to the herby, red cherry fruit on the nose, as well as notes of spice and earth. The palate is reasonably elegant and expressive with a supple, savoury sort of personality and some grippy tannins on the finish. This isn’t a show stopper, but it’s a pretty solid example of red Burgundy at an affordable (by Burgundy standards) price. 87/100 (£10.49 Oddbins) 10/08

Waipara Springs Pinot Noir 2006 Waipara, New Zealand
Brightly aromatic on the nose with warm spicy new oak meshing well with dark cherry and plum fruit. The palate shows good concentration of dense, spicy fruit with a hint of plummy bitterness, some subtle green, sappy notes and nice elegance. Plenty of flavour and impact, but avoids becoming jammy and sweet. The chocolately, spicy, vanillin oak is currently evident, and I reckon this needs a couple of years to show its best. Potentially quite serious. 91/100 (Hellion Wines) 10/08

Pléyades Shiraz 2007 Cariñena, Spain
From Terrai Viñedos y Crianzas, this has to be one of the wine bargains of the year. It shows lovely bright, slightly meaty, almost floral dark fruits, which have some appealing sweetness and purity, but also some meaty, spicy, black pepper savouriness. The purity of fruit and the tension between the sweet ripe characters and the darker, more savoury ones keep my interest here: it’s a wine that I enjoy drinking. Delicious stuff, and I can see why this won a gold medal at the Decanter Wine Awards (to be honest, I think it’s more of a Bronze/Silver, which still makes it great value for money). It also toys a little with reduction, and I like it all the more for this. I’d be very happy to have this as my house red, in these tight economic times. 88/100 (£4.98 Asda) 10/08

Spanish Steps Mencia 2007 Bierzo, Spain
From northwest Spain, this varietal Mencia (known as Jaen in Portugal) really delivers. Deep coloured, it has a lovely vibrant, pure nose of summer fruits with a plummy edge. Fruit dominates, but there’s nice definition here. The palate is juicy and ripe with lovely bright blackberry and damson character, as well as fresh acidity. Pure and primary, this is a delicious wine for current drinking. Brilliant value at a suggested retail price of £5.99, and I’m really surprised that this hasn’t got any major listings yet. 88/100 (£5.99 Oakley Wine Agencies, 01787 220070) 09/08

Domaine des Aubuisieres Les Giradieres 1er Trie 1996 Vouvray, Loire, France
A delicious, mature sweet Vouvray that's just beginning to hit its stride. Deep yellow colour, it has a lovely waxy, herby, lanolin nose with some crystalline fruits. The palate is sweet, concentrated and multidimensional, with high acidity offsetting the intense herby, tangy fruit. Although it is sweet, it's not really a dessert wine. Would be great with strongly flavoured cheeses. 93/100 (10/08)

Fattoria Le Fonti Vito Arturo Sangiovese 2004 IGT Toscano, Italy
This single vineyard wine is complex and alluring, bringing together modernity and tradition in the same bottle. With a slightly lifted, volatile edge, the nose is lush with ripe, sweet, liqueur-like dark cherry and blackberry fruits combining with spicy, minerally, earthy notes. The palate shows ripe, sweet fruit together with that trademark Sangiovese rasp of earthy, spicy structure and grippy tannins alongside some bitter plum notes. Finishes long and savoury with notes of chocolate and tar. A really complex, interesting example of late-picked, ripe Sangiovese. 92/100 (£22.99 Cadman Fine Wines) 10/08

Barone Ricasoli Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico 2006 Tuscany, Italy
Dark coloured, this has a lovely vibrant nose of dark cherries and bitter plum, with some spicy notes. The palate has fresh spicy, plummy fruit with some attractive bitter notes as well as firm tannins. It's fruit driven and quite modern, but distinctly spicy and savoury with real Sangiovese character. 90/100 (£13 in the UK, agent Enotria) 10/08

Blind River Pinot Noir 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
Lovely vibrant, fresh, sweet cherry fruit nose with some spiciness. The palate shows complex cherry and plum fruit with a subtle greenness as well as rich spicy character. It's fresh and fruity but there's more to it than just fruit: there's richness and depth, too. A brilliant effort: it's still quite primary but likely will develop well over the next five years. 92/100 (£17.99 Oddbins) 10/08

Iona Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Elgin
A really fine, elegant South African Sauvignon. It has a very pure, minerally nose with delicate, subtly herbal, gently grassy fruit. The palate is really pure and minerally with some savoury, cut pepper notes, but also a bit of lemony fruit. It’s quite subtle but full flavoured, and would be great with a wide range of different foods, especially a really fresh, simply prepared grilled sea bass. This is one of the best South African Sauvignons I’ve yet tried. 90/100 (£9.99 Waitrose) 10/08

Peter Lehmann Clancy’s Red 2005 Barossa, Australia
A traditional-styled Aussie blend of Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot, this is great fun. It shows sweet, ripe, tarry, slightly minty, spicy raspberry, blackberry and blackcurrant fruit which carry over to the palate, which is rich, sweet, mouthfilling and really spicy, with some sweet vanilla oak. The classic Barossa blend of super-sweet fruit and American oak works well. It’s not a subtle wine, but it’s honest and delicious if you are in the mood for it. 88/100 (£7.99 Tesco, Waitrose) 10/08

Philippe Pacalet Gevrey-Chambertin 2006 Burgundy, France
Quite pale in colour, this has a lovely aromatic, slightly sappy nose of sweet cherry fruit, with some subtle notes of fresh-turned earth. The palate is pure and elegant, showing smooth, precise cherry fruit with some firm, spicy, grippy tannic structure taking hold of the finish. A really light, pure, elegant style, but showing good concentration and enough structure to make me think this might reward mid-term cellaring. But it's hard not to drink it now. It's not perfect, but this is a benchmark example of elegant, natural red Burgundy. 92/100 (UK agent: Les Caves de Pyrene. £36.99 Zelas Wines) 10/08

Koru Sauvignon Blanc 2007 South Island, New Zealand
Sealed with natural cork. Made from a 1 hectare single vineyard by Jasper and Sarah Raats, this is an intense, concentrated Sauvignon Blanc with rich peach, pear and passion fruit character, together with a bit of grapefruit freshness. It's really intense and well balanced with ripeness and richness to the fore. It isn't grassy like so many Sauvignons, but tends to the more tropical end of the flavour spectrum, while still retaining freshness. This is certainly quite expensive, but it is one of the very best Kiwi Sauvignons out there. 93/100 (£22 Hellion Wines) 10/08

Reichsrat von Buhl Riesling QBA 2007 Pfalz, Germany
Delightfully fresh, light, bright and aromatic, with lovely lemon and grapefruit zippiness. There's a hint of sweetness on the palate, but overall it is dry and minerally; mouthwatering and precise. Brilliant stuff. Sealed with a Diam closure, and 11% alcohol. 89/100 (£10.39 Laithwaites) 10/08

Frantz Saumon ‘Minérale +’ 2007 Montlouis, Loire
From a grower in conversion to organics, working with indigenous yeasts in large and small oak. Intriguing nose shows classic Chenin notes of herbs, apples, lemon and a faint hint of soft cheese. It’s really pure and focused. The palate is pure and minerally with broad, textured herby, appley fruit kept fresh with high acidity. It’s more-or-less dry, fresh, pure and linear, but with a rounded character that presumably is contributed by a bit of residual sugar. A lovely, precise wine with a long future ahead of it. 92/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene in the UK) 10/08

Domaine Huet 'Le Clos' Premiere Trie 1989 Vouvray, France
Deep yellow colour. Complex, sweet spicy-edged nose showing lemon, herbs and crystalline fruits. The palate is pure and fresh with lovely bright tangy apple and citrus fruit with some apricotty richness. Lovely purity and length. This wine has evolved much less than you might expect and still seems like a baby, with a long life ahead of it. 72 g/litre residual sugar, so it's sweet but not too sweet. 93/100 (£85 Waitrose) 10/08

Domaine Huet 'Le Mont' Demi-Sec 2002 Vouray, France
Lovely intense appeal and herb nose with just a hint of savoury Chenin funk. Concentrated linear herb and apple palate with some lemony freshness. Richly textured and off-dry. Delicious, and still very youthful. 91/100 (£22 Waitrose) 10/08  

JL Chave Sélection Hermitage Blanche 2004 Northern Rhône, France
Mainly Marsanne. This is a lovely, rich-textured, soft wine with real intensity and a bit of spicy wood. Really deep and bold with a hint of tangerine and fat melony fruit. Remarkable stuff. 90/100

Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard 2004 Santa Ynez Valley, California
Oaty, lean, minerally and quite spicy, with lovely freshness and nice lemony acidity. Nicely savoury, this – a million miles from fat, overblown Californian Chardonnay. 89/100

Domaine René Engel Vosné-Romanée 1er Cru Les Brulées 2004 Burgundy, France
Really aromatic sweet cherry fruit nose with a sappy, green herby edge. Floral and sweet but also a tiny bit green. Smooth, lush, sweet palate with some savoury, grippy structure under the fruit. Quite complex and long, finishing dry and savoury. 93/100

Tignanello 1999 IGT Toscana, Italy
This is great: Jancis describes it as a ‘Tuscan claret’, and notes that these days it could probably be called Chianti Classico, because it has the required 80% Sangiovese, with the balance the Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc. Complex earthy, spicy brooding nose with some tarry notes. The palate has some sweet dark fruit and dense yet smooth structure with lovely refined earthiness. It’s really complex and stylish, it’s distinctly Italian, and it’s ageing beautifully. 94/100

Château Léoville-Poyferré 2eme Cru Classé St Julien 1999 Bordeaux (from magnum)
Dense, spicy and earthy with hints of farmyard and meat. Lovely savoury, gravelly depth here with lots of earthy spiciness. Burly rather than elegant, but quite delicious, still. 91/100

Fonseca 1970 Vintage Port
I find it’s quite hard to describe and rate older Vintage Ports. This is mellow yet concentrated with lovely smooth plummy, spicy fruit. Warm, rich and harmonious without any edges sticking out. 92/100  

Nepenthe Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Adelaide Hills, Australia
Pale coloured, this is a really impressive Aussie Sauvignon. It's crisp and super-fresh, with herbs and minerals on the nose, and a palate of lemony, herby fruit with a slight tropical lift. Minerally acidity keeps this lean and refreshing, with a lovely transparency to it. 88/100 (£8.99 Majestic, reduced to £5.99 until 28/04/09 - at which price it's a bargain; 13.5% alcohol) 02/09

Ara Resolute Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
This isn't your typical Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. It's a concentrated, mineralic style with less of the tropical flourishes you might expect from the region. Instead, the focus is on concentrated, tight, herby, citrussy fruit with a distinctly savoury green pepper character on the palate. Great concentration and minerality; this really needs food to show its best at the moment. 89/100 (£13.99 Majestic; 13.5% alcohol) 02/09

Cave de Roquebrun Roches Noires 2006 Saint Chinian
Varietal breakdown: 60% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre. This has a nose of ripe red fruits with a pronounced roast coffee and cured meat character. The palate shows good concentration and a bit of spiciness, with some grippy tannic structure under the plum and cherry fruit. A solid effort. 85/100 (£7.95 Tesco; 13% alcohol) 02/09

Asda Extra Special Vacqueyras 2006 Southern Rhone, France
Surprisingly muted nose doesn't give much away, except for some faint liqueur-like red fruits and a hint of spice. The palate is more expressive with an attractive peppery character under the pure, smooth cherry fruit. This isn't a totally obvious wine: you need to look under the surface, and there you find some attractive Grenache fruit. Finishes a little earthy with some grippy tannin, which makes me think this wine might evolve a little more. Not mind-blowing, but authentic - decant for an hour to get the best from this now? 86/100 (£6.98 Asda; 14% alcohol) 02/09

Vinha da Palha 2007 Estremadura, Portugal
The second label of Sandra Tavares' Quinta da Chocapalha, this is a blend of 60% Castelao and 40% Tinta Roriz. It's a deliciously bright, fresh red wine with a real Portuguese taste to it: slightly herby ripe plummy fruit with hints of mint and thyme on the nose, leading to a fresh, vibrant palate of ripe cherries and plums, with good acidity and a bit of spicy structure. It's not the world's most complex wine, but it's balanced, food friendly and delicious. 86/100 02/09

Quinta de Foz De Arouce 2006 Beiras, Portugal
I've tried the reserve version (Vinhas Velhas), but not this, the regular wine - a blend of Baga and Touriga Nacional. It's made by Joao Portugal Ramos from his wife's property, and it's really attractive. The nose shows sweet plummy fruit with some spiciness. The palate is quite Italian in character, with plummy, damsony bitterness as well as sweet cherry fruit, and quite firm structure, as well as fresh acidity. There's some modernity here, but there's also a more traditional earthy spicy character. 88/100 02/09

Dona Dominga Andes Vineyard Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Cochagua, Chile
Sweet blackcurrant pastille nose with some creamy notes. The palate shows pure, sweet blackcurrant fruit with a creamy edge and a hint of herbiness. A little rubbery on the finish. 85/100 (£9.99 Waitrose, Oddbins) 02/09

Anakena Ona Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Carmenere 2006 Rapel, Chile
Deep coloured and seductive, with sweet blackcurrant fruit as well as notes of cloves, tar and rubber. Smooth textured and quite pure with some spicy structure. A good effort. 88/100 (£9.99 Oddbins) 02/09

Cantavida Carmenere 2007 Rapel, Chile
Unoaked, this is a delicious example of the Carmenere grape variety - one that I'm keen on. It shows sweet blackcurrant fruit with a lovely gravelly, earthy, autumnal edge to it and some smooth but grainy tannins. This is the sort of easy drinking wine that Chile does really well, but there's also a hint of seriousness here. 87/100 (£6.99 Oddbins) 02/09

De Bortoli Vat 4 Petit Verdot 2006 South Eastern Australia
Lovely fresh, sweet, pure blackberry and plum fruit here with a nice spicy imprint from the American oak it's matured in. Nice purity with a lovely savouriness that makes it food friendly. It isn't the world's most profound wine, but it's delicious, well balanced and substantial. 14.5% alcohol. 88/100 (£7.99 Sainsbury) 02/09

Bellingham 'The Bernard Series' Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2007 Coastal Region, South Africa
40 year old bush vine Chenin fermented in barrel. Remarkable stuff that will revive even the most tired taste buds. Wildly aromatic nose of peaches, cream, spice and herbs - warm and lively. The palate has an amazing concentration of rich, sweet peachy, figgy fruit with lemony freshness and spicy vanilla oak notes. There's also a hint of cheesy Chenin funk, and the texture is rich and mouthfilling. 91/100 (£8.99 Majestic) 02/09

De Bortoli Gulf Station Pinot Noir 2007 Yarra Valley, Australia
Weighing in at just 12.5% alcohol, this is a fresh Pinot Noir from hand-picked fruit that tastes more old world than new. The nose shows tight, fresh, savoury dark cherry fruit with a slightly green herbal edge. The palate is bright and tangy with herb-tinged berry fruit and distinctly savoury, earthy structure, as well as high acidity. It could probably do with just a touch more fruity aromatic quality, but it's an interesting take on Pinot. A a really good food wine that may age well. 89/100 (£9.99 Sainsbury's) 02/09

Anakena Viognier 2008 Rapel Valley, Chile
A really stunning new world interpretation of Viognier. It's fresh and aromatic, combining richness and exotic fruit notes with lively vigour. The nose shows ripe peach and fresh tangerine notes, with a hint of vanilla. The palate is richly fruited with apricot and peach fruit meshing well with livlier citrus notes. It's just a beautifully balanced, full flavoured, fresh expression of this grape. 91/100 (£8.99 Thresher) 02/09

Vinalba Malbec Reserva 2006 Mendoza, Argentina
Deep coloured. Amazingly sweetly fruited, alluring nose with very ripe blackberries and a hint of blackcurrant jam. The palate is lush and sweet with ripe, dense, pure fruit and some savoury, spicy notes. Lots of impact here: a dense, full, sweet red wine with lovely purity of fruit and real flavour impact. It's unashamedly new world in style and will be sure to win lots of fans. 90/100 (£9.99 Majestic) 02/09

Bluff Hill Brut NV, New Zealand (M&S £8.99)
From Pernod Ricard. Rich, toasty and quite complex with a lovely savoury character, backed up by good acidity. Richly flavoured and quite serious: a good food wine. 89/100 01/09

Kaituna Hills Chardonnay Reserve 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand (M&S £9.99) From Pernod Ricard. Bold aromatics with toast, herbs, figs and some spicy vanilla notes. Broad, intense, richly textured palate has real richness, with ripe melon and pineapple fruit combining well with some new oak. A really stylish effort which justifies it’s £10 price-tag. 89/100 01/09

Kaituna Hills Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2006 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand (M&S £8.99)
From Pernod Ricard. Very fresh, bright blackcurrant fruit nose with a savoury, gravelly edge and some subtle grassy greenness hiding in the background. The palate shows a nice combination of sweet but just-ripe dark fruits with some more savoury, fresh herby notes. This is what you hope inexpensive Bordeaux could be like: generous yet savoury, and digestible and food friendly. 87/100 01/09

Clocktower Pinot Noir 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand (M&S £10.99)
From Wither Hills. A richly flavoured Marlborough Pinot with powerful dark cherry and raspberry fruit together with a strongly savoury herby, slightly green, earthy structure. It’s not as elegant as some top Pinots, but it is attractive and fresh. 88/100 01/09

Benegas Finca Libertad 2005 Mendoza, Argentina
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Cabernet Franc (32%) and Merlot (13%). Michel Rolland is the consultant winemaker here, and there's some similarity in style to the Clos de Los Siete, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It shows lovely, smooth, refined pure blackberry fruit with some plummy notes, as well as spicy new oak. It's rich and modern, but not totally over-the-top. As well as the sweet fruit, there are notes of chocolate, coffee and spice, and I reckon it could age quite nicely over the next few years. 90/100 (£12.99 Virgin Wines) 01/09

Alamos Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Mendoza, Argentina
This is a really impressive inexpensive red. The nose shows sweet, pure red berry and blackberry fruit. The palate is smooth and refined with accessible blackberry and blackcurrant fruit which flirts with jamminess but stays fresh and well defined. A lovely easy drinker. 87/100 (£7.07 Bibendum, on sale at £5.49 3-13 February) 01/09

Southbank Estate Syrah 2005 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
This is a light, medium-bodied red with fresh cherry and red berry fruit, as well as some hints of white pepper and a bit of gravelly grip on the palate. It's a bright, quite savoury red, with more in common with red Burgundy than Australian Shiraz. It flirts with greenness, but there's enough ripeness here for it to work really well. At just 12.5% alcohol, this is a bright, vibrant, food-friendly Syrah that will age well, and which is dangerously drinkable. 89/100 (£13 Majestic, Blackrock Wines, Penistone Court Wines) 01/09

Cricova Vin de Colectie Dionis 1992 Moldova
10% alcohol. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, which I think is the first time I've had this combination. It's a bright cherry red colour without much fading at the rim. The nose shows lovely aromatics with notes of leather and herbs under the sweet, focused raspberry and plum fruit. The palate shows nice fresh fruit with an earthy, savoury undercurrent and just a hint of earthy funkiness on the finish. It's evolving really well, and would have got a higher rating had it not been for the slight savoury funk. Overall, though, I was really impressed by this wine. 89/100 (Exquisite Wines) 01/09

Cricova Vin de Colectie Gratiesti Nectar 1990 Moldova
16% alcohol. Orange/brown colour. Bold, rich and sweet with flavours of raisins, barley sugar, nuts, apricots and dates. Quite richly textured and very sweet. Warming, like a Tawny Port crossed with a sweet sherry, with nice complexity. 90/100 (Exquisite Wines) 01/09

Jean Becker Gewurztraminer 2006 Alsace, France
An organic wine, this is deliciously balanced and rounded. It shows grape, melon and lychee aromas with a smooth, textured palate. There's also a distinctive tangerine character here. It's off-dry but not at all cloying. A benchmark Gewurz with some spicy minerality on the finish. 90/100 (£10.99 Oddbins) 01/09

Casalinho Arinto 2007 Vinho Verde, Portugal
This is really good. Beautifully aromatic with notes of herbs, lemon and minerals. The palate is zippy and bright with lovely herby freshness and light, zippy lemony fruit. Very fresh and precise. This is a beautiful wine with lovely spritzy freshness, as well as some seriousness. 90/100 (Milton Sandford) 01/09

Romanisco Reserva 2005 Douro, Portugal
Fresh dark cherry and spice nose with some tarry richness, as well as a plummy, herby note. The palate has a tarry, spicy edge to the spicy, savoury plummy fruit. An intense savoury style with chunky tannins. Good stuff. 87/100 (Milton Sandford) 01/09

Jacob's Creek Reserve Pinot Noir 2006 Southeast Australia
The colour is encouraging: it isn't too deep. Sweet, quite dense cherry and blackberry fruit on the nose with some spiciness and a hint of green sappiness. The palate has a nice texture, with some sweetness, and attractive cherry and plum fruit. There's a bit of tannic grip on the finish, which clamps down a bit on the fruit, and there's some greenness evident, too. But overall, a really attractive lighter-styled red wine that tastes like Pinot Noir. That's an achievement. It's the sort of wine I'd opt for in a restaurant or supermarket with a restricted, commercially oriented list, and you can derive some real pleasure from it. 86/100 01/09

Afros Vinho Verde Tinto Vinhao 2007 Portugal
Remarkable stuff, and pretty refined by Vinhao standards. Opaque inky-dark red black colour with a purpe rim. Intense, sweet but savoury pure raspberry and cranberry fruit nose. The palate has a slightly spicy spike under the intense, pure, cherry, raspberry and plum fruit with a spicy, tannic bite. Brilliantly vivid, savoury and moreish with a gastronomic character. Great fun, but with a serious side. I love it. 92/100 01/09

Afros Vinho Verde Tinto Espumante 2006 Portugal
Another Vinhao, this time the sparkling version. Really deep red/purple in colour, this sparkling red is really food friendly. There's nice vivid dark fruit here with a hint of chocolatey richness and a trace of meatiness. Lovely acidity and some delicious tannic grip. But it shows some refinement, too. This is delicious stuff that would work brilliantly with a wide range of foods. 91/100 01/09

Domaine Berthoumieu Tanatis Vin de Liquer NV, Southwest France
Really interesting sweet, spicy, earthy blackfruits nose. The palate is dense and spicy with lovely pure sweet blackberry fruit and some pepperiness, as well as firm tannins that mesh well with the sweetness. There are subtle hints of mint and medicine in the background, too. Delicious and unusual. 92/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene) 01/09

Gerard Bertrand Cigalus 2007 Vin de Pays d'Oc, France
75% Chardonnay, 20% Viognier and 5% Sauvignon Blanc, two-thirds of which is fermented and aged in new oak. It's a really refined wine that shows great balance between the lush, rounded, opulent Viognier and Chardonnay characters, and an innate sort of fruity freshness, which keeps it from being at all heavy. It's even a bit floral. The oak is really well integrated, just supplying a little vanilla spice and subtle breadiness. Overall, it's a really refined, modern wine of real poise, and the Viognier is adding something distinctive to it. 91/100 (Oddbins) 01/09

Nicolas Catena Zapata 2005 Argentina
Approximately two-thirds Cabernet and one-third Malbec, this is a serious effort from one of Argentina's top producers. A concentrated, dark coloured wine it is currently extremely oaky: on opening, there's a big waft of vanilla and spice, along with ripe, sweet blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. After a while, this oak subsides a little, revealing more interesting floral and mineral notes under the super-ripe fruit. The palate is dense, smooth, ripe and rich with concentrated sweet fruits and some smooth but spicy tannic structure hiding underneath it. Currently quite oak dominated, all the ingredients are here for a long, graceful evolution. Don't open this now, but in five, ten or fifteen years, I reckon it will be quite special. It's 'new world' in style, and I'd probably prefer a little less ripeness, but it's serious. 93/100 (Bibendum) 01/09

Jim Barry The Benbournie Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 Clare Valley, South Australia
From a 70 acre vineyard planted in 1964, aged in new American oak for 14 months. This is a serious effort. Wonderfully dense of earthy, spicy blackcurrant fruit, with that almost oily blackcurrant bud character. The palate is dense with spicy, slightly medicinal blackcurrant fruit as well as a cedary woodiness. There's lovely intensity here, but all the flavours meld together well to form a serious wine with real focus and concentration. 93/100 (UK agent: Negociants UK) 01/09

Quinta do Vallado Touriga Nacional 2005 Douro, Portugal
Wonderfully aromatic nose of dark, violetty, spicy fruit with some complex meaty notes. The palate shows sweet dark cherry and raspberry fruit with some oak influence and a nice savoury, spicy tannic structure. A stylish, fruit-driven style with beautiful Touriga aromatics. 93/100 (£17.99 Waitrose) 01/09

Les Foulards Rouges 'La Soif du Mal' Vin de Table de France (NV)
No vintage declared (although the code 'L06' on the label indicates one), this light coloured red is utterly delicious and very drinkable. It has aromas of sweet cherry fruit with a sappy edge and lively purity, countered by an earthy, spicy note. The palate is bright and supple with a spicy, herby character that I often get in natural wines, as well as fresh, rather savoury cherry fruit. Think somewhere between new Zealand Pinot Noir and a deliciously fresh Gamay from the Beaujolais, and you've got something of the character of this wine. It's light, fragrant and aromatic. 13.5% alcohol, but it tastes lighter than this. This is remarkable, considering that this wine is a 70/30 Syrah/Grenache blend from the Roussillon. 'Soif du Mal' translates, I guess, as a wicked thirst, and this is the sort of wine that will certainly satisfy a thirst. 91/100 (UK agent: Les Caves de Pyrene) 12/08

Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Marlborough, New Zealand
This is tight, crisp and minerally with some limey fruit and grassy notes, as well as a bit of residual sugar adding roundness. Real purity and focus here - it's almost like a Riesling. 90/100 12/08

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
Fresh, herby, grassy nose. The palate is lean with high acidity. This is an acidic Sauvignon with some minerality. An averagely good Marlborough Sauvignon, which is surprising considering its fame. 87/100 12/08

Dog Point Vineyard Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Marlborough, New Zealand
Remarkable stuff, vinified with a bit of oak, although it's not an oaky wine. Stongly herbal, aromatic nose with bright grassy fruit and some grapefruit and citrus pith notes. Pungent, intense palate with a tangerine peel edge to the grassy fruit. I had this down as a high-end Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc - quite unlike anything else I've had from New Zealand. 92/100 12/08

Chateau Lynch Bages 1973 Pauillac, Bordeaux
This is a fully mature, savoury Bordeaux with some soy notes joining the earth, spice and red fruit character. Tastes like old wine, but there's still some interest and life here. Savoury and bone dry with high acidity. Drinking quite well, but don't hold on to this any longer, because it's fading fast. 83/100 12/08

Sandeman 30 Year Old Tawny Port
Beautifully complex and intense with amazingly complex nutty, citrussy, woody notes combining together brilliantly. Superb with amazing acidity and complexity. Beautiful. 94/100 12/08

Gilles Robin Crozes Hermitage Cuvee Alberic Bouvet 2005 Northern Rhone, France
I really like this wine: it's a fantastic expression of northern Rhone Syrah. Deep coloured, it has a fresh, peppery dark fruits nose with a meaty, slightly animally complexion to the sweet blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. The palate has a lovely earthy, meaty, spicy edge to the ripe black fruits with good acidity and a subtle plummy bitterness keeping things nice and savoury. Tight and youthful, this is great with hearty food right now, but could be kept for another five years to mellow out a bit. 13.5% alcohol. 91/100 (£14.95 Great Western Wine)  12/08

Kumkani Lamner Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Groenekloof, South Africa
This is amazing stuff. Weighing in at 14.5% alcohol and with immense concentration, it's a serious Sauvignon from a vineyard whose climate is moderated by the fact that it's just 7 kms from the Atlantic ocean. It has a powerful green grassy, herbal nose with green peppery notes. On the palate there's tropical fruit/passion fruit richness balanced nicely by the powerful grassy methoxypyrazine character. Not at all subtle, but a serious, striking wine. 92/100 (£11.99 Majestic, £9.99 each if you buy two) 12/08

Mumm de Cramant Grand Cru Champagne Brut Chardonnay
12% alcohol. This Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs is beautifully precise with crisp lemont fruit and nice herb and apple complexity. It's concentrated and intense with lovely fruit expression. Quite dry and savoury - this has a lower dosage (sugar addition) than is normal for Brut Champagne. A brilliant effort. 93/100 (£43.99 Thresher, Harrods, Ocado) 12/08

Frederic Mabileau Racines 2005 Bourgueil, Loire, France
13% alcohol. Cabernet Franc from 40 year old vines. This is a really delicious, ripe Loire red with beautifully focused sweet blackcurrant and raspberry fruit with a slightly sappy edge and some gravelly, chalky notes adding contrast. Impressive stuff. I really like the savouriness combined with the pure dark fruit: it's what Loire reds do so well. 90/100 (£8.99 Waitrose) 12/08

Quinta do Poço do Lobo Garrafeira 1993 Beiras, Portugal
From Caves São João, this is a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Bairrada region. It’s evolving really nicely with a beautiful nose of tar, herbs, earth and sweet blackcurrant fruit. The palate is fresh and elegant with good balance between the sweet fruits and savoury, gravelly, earthy notes. Delicious structure and drinking perfectly now. It's great to be able to buy a wine with some bottle age on it like this. 91/100 (£10.49 Laithwaites) 12/08

I Clivi di Ferdinando Lanuzzo Clivi Brazan 2004 Collio Gorziano, Friuli, Italy
This is a Tocai from 50-70 year old vines. Made without any oak, with natural ferments and gravity bottle filling by hand after the wine has spent two years on its own lees. Even though it's had some bottle age, this is pale in colour and has a fresh, slightly floral nose of herbs, apples, pears and wax. The palate has a wonderful minerally complexity and a concentrated yet quite linear fruity character. Satisfying, pure wine that rewards a bit of attention. The producer has a nice website: http://www.clivi.it/. 91/100 (13.5% alcohol; imported into the UK by Fields, Morris & Verdin - can't find any stockists online, alas - guide price, £15-20). 12/08

Domaine de la Romanée Conti Romanée St Vivant 1993
Beautifully elegant, perfumed nose is warm and open with subtle herbiness, hints of earth and nice spiciness. A bit of greenness, but in a nice way. The palate is earthy and spicy with good structure and lots of elegance. The fruit is beginning to recede a bit but there’s lots of complexity here, and some herby notes meshing well with spicy tannins. Some people I was tasting with were disappointed by this, but I found it thrilling, although I wouldn’t say it has a huge amount of evolution ahead of it. And it’s absurdly expensive, but it is DRC. 95/100 (£699 The Sampler) 12/08

Harlan Estate 2002 Napa Valley
My first time with this cult Napa wine, which sells for around £600 a bottle. Fresh, spicy, earthy aromatic nose with sweet blackcurrant fruit and warm, subtly tarry, spicy notes. Hint of chocolate, too. The palate is sweetly fruited and dense with really nice dense, spicy, slightly earthy structure under the rich, but not overblown fruit. It’s an accessible new world-style wine but it’s balanced and has a long finish. 93/100 12/08

Screaming Eagle 1999 Napa Valley
A rare chance to try one of the most sought after Napa cult wines. Wonderfully aromatic with perfumed, sweet, complex, beautifully poised nose of tar, herbs, spice and sweet berry fruits. The palate is evolving beautifully with notes of leather and spice under the elegant sweet red berry fruits. Really nicely balanced with beautiful fusion of complex spicy notes, fruit and structure. 96/100 (£1500 The Sampler) 12/08

Château Margaux 1934 Margaux, Bordeaux
It’s always a great experience to taste very old wine, even though it is a bit of a lottery. This elderly Margaux is an orange-brown colour, and the nose is earthy, spicy, mature and quite complex. The palate is light with some earthy notes and fresh acidity, as well as some meaty hints. Not much left here: it has a beguiling, faded, haunting beauty, but it’s beginning to taste of old wine. There’s real interest, but I suspect this isn’t a great bottle. 92/100 (£550 The Sampler) 12/08

Château Petrus 1983 Pomerol, Bordeaux
A little disappointing considering the reputation of Petrus, but still an attractive mature Pomerol. Warm, spicy and earthy on the nose, with some sweetness. The palate is earthy, slightly herby and has fresh acidity, with some evolution. Quite structured but the fruit is beginning to recede a bit. An attractive, savoury wine, but some way short of greatness. 92/100 (£850 The Sampler) 12/08

Château Le Pin 1995 Pomerol, Bordeaux
This cult Pomerol is very appealing, but surely you don’t have to spend a grand to get something like this? Lovely sweet aromatics showing subtly leafy sweet red fruits. Quite complex. The palate has some firm savoury character with nice spiciness and freshness. It’s balanced, earthy and fresh with nice bright fruit and a hint of nice greenness. 93/100 (£1000 The Sampler) 12/08

Château Mouton Rothschild 2000 Pauillac, Bordeaux
Earthy, spicy and slightly rustic on the nose. Quite firm. Is there some brett here? The palate is earthy and dense with a robust spicy character. Dense and firm at the moment but lacks real elegance. To be honest, I expected a bit more from this. 91/100 (£700 The Sampler) 12/08

Château D’Yquem 1983 Sauternes
Totally beautiful. This is concentrated and perfectly balanced with dense, complex spicy lemon/citrus flavours with waxy, spicy notes and wonderful depth. Drinking perfectly now. 96/100 12/08

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 1990 Southern Rhône, France
This is a lovely, light, evolved wine drinking at its peak. Complex, warm, spicy and earthy with a lovely earthy, spicy character, as well as some meaty funkiness. A savoury style with lots of interest. 94/100 (£160 The Sampler) 12/08

Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage Port 1988
I really like this. It's showing some evolution, which has added complexity, but there's still a real fruity presence here. Deep coloured, it's aromatic with lovely complex dark fruits with herbs, leather and spice, as well as a hint of sweet tarriness. The palate is open and lively - vinous, almost - with pure plum and dark cherry fruit backed up by warming spiciness and notes of earth, tea and tar. It's drinking beautifully now, with lovely complexity and a dark elegance, but do decant this because it has a ton of sediment in it. 20.5% alcohol. 93/100 (£19.99 Sainsbury, Waitrose, Fortnum & Mason, Booths, Costco, Makro) 12/08

Domaine Ninot Rully Blanc 'La Barre' 2006 Burgundy, France
A Chablis-like expression of Chardonnay: crisp, minerally, precise and with a taut presence. There's good concentration here and lovely fresh acidity. Distinct minerality is the central theme. Serious in a savoury, traditional style. 13% alcohol. 89/100 (£12.95 Jeroboams here) 12/08

Château Doisy-Daëne Sec 2007 Bordeaux
100% Sauvignon from a Château that is more famous for its fabulous Sauternes. It is made by Denis Dubourdieu, the Bordeaux University professor famous for his work on the flavour compounds in Sauvignon Blanc. Grapefruit and lemon notes dominate, with some herby, tangy savouriness and high acidity. There’s a pronounced tangerine character, too, with lovely contrast between the ripe, bright fruit and the more savoury pithy notes. Some wood here, but it fits in perfectly. A complex, gastronomic wine. 93/100 (£14.50 The Wine Society) 12/08

Château Ulysse Collin Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut NV
First vintage for this new producer – a non-dosage wine at 12.5% alcohol. Deep yellow coloured with lovely toast and herb aromatics. The palate is savoury and spicy with lovely depth and some richness, despite the lack of dosage. Lovely complexity and some notes of toffee, too, emerging after a while. Interesting stuff. 92/100 12/08

Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1998
I love Taittinger’s Comtes, a Blanc de Blanc from Grand Cru vineyard sources, part aged in oak. Toasty and intense with lovely precision and complexity. Bright, expressive and fine with lovely toasty complexity as well as some lemony freshness. A really complex, refined fizz of great appeal. 94/100 12/08

Pierre Morey Meursault Perrieres 2002 Burgundy
Something not right here. Toasty, buttery, popcorn and cabbage edge to the nose, together with some oxidation. The palate is dense and savoury with good acidity but no depth. 12/08

Y de Yquem 2005 Bordeaux
A dry(ish) white wine from Château d’Yquem, and it’s delicious. Rich and intense with lovely lemony, melony, herby fruit. Some richer apricot, spice and wax notes on the palate which also has some sweetness (c. 8g/l residual sugar) as well as some vanilla and toast notes. The first time I’ve tried this, and I liked it. 92/100 12/08

Ponsot Clos de la Roche 1981 Burgundy
We bought this off the Arches’ wine list. You tend to approach old Burgundies from non-classic vintages with trepidation, but this was delicious. Beautifully aromatic with meaty, spicy, soy sauce notes as well as some fruit. The palate has lovely acidity and depth, with elegant, fresh fruit and some earthy notes. Beautifully evolved and drinking very well now. 93/100 12/08

Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin 1991 Burgundy
This is thrilling. Beautifully dense, spicy and aromatic with dark cherry fruit and a lovely savoury, slightly sour character. Beautifully perfumed and dense with lovely expressive personality and lots of complexity. 95/100 12/08

Dominique Laurent Ruchottes-Chambertin 2001 Burgundy
Very rich, smooth, dark and meaty with nice spiciness on the nose. The palate is intense, dark and spicy with lovely density and weight. Good structure. This is a powerful, rich wine with great potential for positive development. 94/100 12/08

Leroy Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Fonteny 1999 Burgundy
Amazing blackcurranty, leafy nose. The palate is powerful and rich with dense fruit. Structured like a Bordeaux. An extracted, rich style that’s not at ease with itself. 90/100 12/08

Emmanuel Rouget Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaumonts 1999 Burgundy
Dense, intense, spicy and quite firm with lovely lifted dark fruit aromatics and a complex, sweetly fruited palate. Quite a serious effort with plenty more to give. Very rich. 93/100 12/08

Domaine George Jayer Nuits St Georges 2002 Burgundy
Made by Rouget. Beautiful aromatics: sweet, rounded, spicy and smooth. The palate is quite elegant with nice complexity to the sweet red fruits. Ripe, rich and delicious. 93/100 12/08

Reguengos de Melgaco Alvarinho 2006 Vinho Verde, Portugal
Fresh, bright, minerally, lemony nose with some fruity depth as well as the freshness. The palate has a citrussy edge to some beautifully weighted just-ripe peach notes, with a lovely fresh balanced character. Quite serious stuff, this. 90/100 (UK retail c. £12, agent Hallgarten) 11/08

Noval 10 Year Old Tawny Port
Pale in colour: cherry red with orange tints. It's smooth, sweet and mellow with subtle spicy notes on the nose. The palate is elegant and super-smooth with nice soft texture and some mellow warmth. Some floral notes and hints of cherry add aromatic interest; overall, this shows great purity and elegance. 91/100 (£16 Waitrose, Tanners) 11/08

Codorniu Reina Ma Cristina 2006 Cava, Spain
Distinctly Cava in style, with a herby, lemony, fruity nose. The palate is crisp, herby and tangy with some citrussy notes and a distinctive citrus/grapefruit pith character. Not trying to be Champagne, this is a serious, quite complex expression of Cava. 90/100 (£17.99 Majestic)  11/08

Parxet Titiana Chardonnay NV Cava, Spain
What happens when you ditch the traditional Cava grape varieties and use Champagne? This. It has a broad, toasty, slightly nutty nose with rich fruit and notes of apple, pear and peach. The palate is warm, fruity and nutt with a smooth, sophisticated character. Very stylish and broad, and like a ripe, rich expression of Champagne, yet a little softer. 90/100 (£10.99 Moreno) 11/08

Sao del Coster Terram Priorat 2005
14% alcohol. Almost Italian in style, with a hint of the Douro, too. This is a superb expression of Priorat that really needs time. It is dark, with a gravelly, spicy, minerally nose showing taut, tarry plum, blackberry and raspberry fruit. The palate is fresh, focused and savoury with youthful fruit and good acidity. There's firm structure with spicy tannins and a bit of earthiness that reminds me a bit of a top Chianti. Real potential here, if you are patient: could be a 20 year wine. 92/100 11/08

Adega de Pegões Colheita Seleccionada 2005 Terras do Sado, Portugal
13.5% alcohol. Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grown in the sandy soils of the Setúbal Peninsula near Lisbon. This has a lovely sweet, fresh, aromatic nose of cherries, plums and raspberries, with lovely fruit purity. The palate is bright and refreshing with tangy cherry and berry fruit, and a hint of plummy bitterness and savoury spiciness on the finish. This is really delicious, and great value for the 6 or 7 Euros it retails for in Portugal. It’s made by the over-performing co-op at Pegões, which is probably Portugal’s best. 88/100 (UK agent is Hallgarten) 11/08

Torres 'Perpetual' Salmos 2005 Priorat, Spain
Old vine Carignan and Grenache from steeply sloped schistous (licorella) soils, with 16 months in French oak, weighing in at 15% alcohol. This is quite delicious, although it currently shows itself in a ripe, 'modern', slightly oaky style (although there's certainly enough fruit here to stand up to the oak). Beautifully dense, quite complex black fruit character at its core, with ripeness yet freshness. There's a floral, mineral lift to the nose, as well as some oak spice, and the palate is dense and quite structured, with a chocolatey, spicy edge to the forward fruit. The tannins lurking under the fruit suggest that this is a wine with a good deal of evolution ahead of it. It's rich, likeable and a bit oaky now, but with a few years in bottle I reckon it will hit a point of beautiful balance. It's one of those wines you can drink very happily now, but wish you'd waited a few years before popping the cork. Serious. 93/100 (£17.99 Fareham Wine Cellar) 11/08

Tenuta di Vagliano Palistorti 2005 Colline Luccesi, Tuscany
I really like this fresh, supple, fruit-driven yet fresh red from the little known Colline Luccesi in Tuscany. The vineyards this wine came from have been farmed organically since 1997 and biodynamically since 2002. They have limestone and sandstone soils, and are in the hills 10 km north of the northern Tuscan town of Lucca. This is a blend of 70% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot and 10% Syrah, and it shows a bright, fresh nose of spicy-edged, rather pure black cherry and raspberry fruit, with nice freshness. The palate is fresh and supple with just a hint of greenness under the bright cherry and berry fruit, and a nicely savoury, spicy kick. This is a beautifully food friendly red of real appeal, with potential for further development. In style, it's modern and fruity, but with lovely savoury seriousness, too. 13% alcohol and really easy to drink, but if you want an oaky, rich, new world style red then this is not for you. 91/100 (£16.95 Berry Bros & Rudd) 11/08

Mas Belles Eaux Vieux Carignan 2006 Vin de Pays de Caux, France
Old vine Carignan (over 60 years). Forward bright spicy fruit with some pure blackberry character and a bit of sweet black cherry. Nicely dense and savoury with some spiciness. Good combination of sweet pure fruit with some of that savoury, plummy, spicy Carignan character, as well as a bit of earthiness on the finish. Quite youthful with the potential to develop in bottle. 90/100 (£14.99 Bristol Wine Co, Cotswald Vintners, Hendersons Wines, Worcester Wine Co) 11/08

Henry Fessy Cuvee 'Georges Fessy' 2007 Brouilly, Beaujolais
This is sweet, seductive and fruity, with a smooth red cherry fruit character, as well as a hint of bubblegum aromatics. It's very polished and fruity, but a little bit too smooth and confected for me. It's nice enough, but there are lots of wines offering simple fruit these days, and I'm left wanting a little bit more. 86/100 (£10.99 Handford, Amps, Planet of the Grapes)  11/08

Yvon Metras Fleurie 2007 Beaujolais, France
This is fantastic. It has a complex, forward nose of bright cherries, spice and earth, with an underlying sweetness and some subtly tarry notes. The palate is smooth, seamless and really elegant with a delicious earthy, minerally core to the fruit holding everything in lovely tension. There's some sweetness and richness here that you don't really expect from Beaujolais, but there's also lovely elegance. This is what Gamay can do so well. 91/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene) 11/08

Dog Point Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
Lively aromatic nose with a nice combination of intense, grassy herby notes with restrained passion fruit character. It falls on the side of freshness rather than richness. The palate is concentrated, rich, vibrant and intense with lovely rich fruity characters combining with grassy, minerally freshness. Fantastic grown-up Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc of real interest. 91/100 (£12.95 Berry Bros & Rudd) 11/08

Dog Point Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 Marlborough, New Zealand
This is just fantastic. One of the very best New Zealand Pinot Noirs: complex, balanced, and every so slightly funky. The nose has a lovely subtly meaty, spicy, warm, herb tinged cherry fruit character, as well as some floral, almost northern Rhône-like notes. The palate is textured and elegant with beautifully balanced savoury spiciness, just a touch of herbiness, and sweet berry fruits with just enough structure to keep things savoury. Beautifully poised and very easy to drink, this has seriousness, elegance and charm. 94/100 (13.5% alcohol, cork sealed) (£20.50 Berry Bros & Rudd) 11/08

Disznoko Dry Furmint 2006 Tokaji, Hungary
Distintive, fresh, flinty, minerally nose with complex fresh herb and lemon notes. The palate is really minerally with distinctive herb-tinged fruit. It's a bit Chablis-like in style with pronounced minerality and a hint of smokiness. Lovely. 90/100 (£9.19 Waitrose) 11/08

Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port 2001 Portugal
Bottled in 2003, this is Taylor's top Port from a year that didn't quite make it to an official 'Vintage'. Coming after 2000, 2001 was actually a pretty good vintage in the Douro, and so this wine is relatively underpriced (had 2000 been a poor year, I bet they'd have declared 2001). It's a serious Vintage Port style, so could do with decanting, and will improve for some years to come - although it is delicious now. Deep coloured, it has a lovely floral, aromatic blueberry and blackberry nose with some tarry, spicy notes. The palate is concentrated with beautifully pure sweet fruit and a lovely spicy, savoury, tannic structure. I'd either drink this now, or leave it for a decade: I often find top Vintage Ports perform well young, enter a sullen middle age, and then reemerge into a mellow, complex maturity. 93/100 (c £23 Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose, Selfridges, Majestic, Oddbins) 11/08

Domaine des Foulards Rouge Cuvee Octobre [2008] Vin de Table
A young wine from the Roussillon, this is amazingly fresh and bright, with sweet, pure, sappy cherry and berry fruit. Vibrant and joyful this is superbly drinkable with lovely purity and freshness. 89/100 (£6 glass; £23.50 bottle)

Philippe Valette Macon-Chaintre 2005 Burgundy, France
Lovely concentration and intensity here, with beautiful balance between the rich bold fruit and smoky, spicy minerality/ A tiny hint of oxidation adds richness. Complex rich, toasty and intense with lovely boldness and intensity. 92/100 (£8.50 glass/£33.75 bottle at Terroirs wine bar) 11/08

Massia Vecchia Bianco 2006 Maremma, Toscano, Italy
65% Vermentino, with some skin maceration. Orange coloured, this has lovely aromatics: fresh, lifted floral notes with lemons, herby notes and a hint of sweetness. The palate has some lovely spiciness with herb and mineral notes. Quite beautiful, and almost like a red wine in terms of its structure. 94/100 (£48 bottle at Terroirs wine bar) 11/08

Carso Zidarich ‘Teran’ 2005 Friuli, Italy
This is a varietal Teran/Terrano (a special sort of Refosco). It’s powerful, minerally and super-fresh with notes of gravel and citrus. Lovely fruit purity, with black cherry, plum and raspberry. Vivid, intense and delicious. A sappy, grippy character keeps it fresh. 91/100 (£38.50 bottle at Terroirs wine bar) 11/08

Clos Lapeyre Jurançon ‘Magendia’ 2005
100% Petit Manseng, late harvested. Savoury, herby and pithy with intense citrussy fruit and lovely complexity. Richly textured and quite pure, with nice acidity. 92/100 (£6.50 glass at Terroirs wine bar) 11/08

Quinta Lagoalva de Cima Alfrocheiro 2006 Ribatejo, Portugal
Cherry red in colour, this has a nose of bright cherry and berry fruit, with a hint of spiciness. The palate is juicy and vibrant with lovely red cherry and raspberry fruit, backed up by firm, spicy tannins. There's a nice fresh quality to this wine, which reminds me a bit of Pinot Noir. While it's quite structured, the fruit has a lightness to it that's really attractive. Some earthy spiciness on the finish. Delicious stuff. 90/100 (Clark Foyster Wines is the UK agent; the Wine Society have the 2005 for £9.95) 11/08

D'Arenberg 'The Feathered Dinosaur' Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 McLaren Vale, South Australia
This is a massive wine: indeed, it's the first time I've seen a screwcap liner like this stained with the wine! It's an incredibly taut, intense, complex, tight wound wine with aromas of sweet, minerally, spicy blackcurrant and raspberry fruit, with some meaty, earthy notes. The palate has dense sweet fruit, but comes across as intensely savoury with spicy, earthy, cedary, tarry notes, strong tannins and high acidity. There may even be a bit of matchstick reduction here, too - there's so much going on it's hard to separate the individual flavour components out. I reckon this will age into a mellow, rich, tarry spiciness, but it really does need some time. Lovely stuff in a traditionally Australian style, but you do need to be in the right mood for it. 94/100 (£17.99 Tesco) 11/08

Spier Private Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Stellenbosch, South Africa
This is as dramatic as Cloudy Bay was when it was first released: bold, aromatic, almost overpowering in its intensity, with rich tropical fruits, plus fresh grassiness, some chalky minerality and hints of smoke and spice. Concentrated and richly textured, yet fresh at the same time. It's a full-on style with real interest, and much better than I was expecting it to be. 91/100 (£13.99 Morrisons) 11/08

Château Beaucastel Blanc 2003 Châteauneauf-du-Pape
Yellow/gold colour, this is a rich white wine that’s made in a slightly oxidative style. It has nutty, rich, broad fruit with nice complexity – toasty and waxy. Unusual stuff with a broad texture and lots of flavour. 90/100

Conceito Bastardo 2007 Vinho Regional Durienses
Apparently 100 years ago Bastardo and Alvarilhão were the most widely planted grapes in the Douro. They don’t have a lot of colour, and this is why Sousão, a teinturier (red fleshed) variety, was introduced from Vinho Verde. This is a remarkable wine. It’s a varietal Bastardo made in lagar, with stems, and no sulfur dioxide addition. Very pale in colour, it looks like a rosé. It has a beautiful, fresh, aromatic nose with a nice herby green edge to the bright cherry fruit. The palate is remarkable: even though this is a pale wine, it is intense, with a rounded texture and lovely spiciness. Fresh, super-elegant and persistent, this is a beautiful wine. It’s labelled Vinho Regional because the IVDP refused the Douro appellation numerous times because this is ‘atypical’. 93/100

Niepoort Charme 2002 Douro
Not much of this made in 2002. Quite deep coloured, the nose shows sweet aromatic, spicy-edged red berry and cherry fruit. Smooth and aromatic. The palate is dense an firm with some nice tannic structure and a core of tight spiciness. There’s some elegance here, but also some structure, with a subtle, integrated greenness. Stylish and intense with lovely purity, and beginning to evolve nicely – if I had some I’d keep it for a while before opening. 93/100

Prunotto Bussia Barolo 1996 Piedmont, Italy
A new-wave modern Barolo that’s ageing pretty well. Tight yet aromatic nose is spicy, minerally and tarry. The palate is fresh and intense with lovely bright tarry red fruits. Great acidity, and still quite fruity with nice minerality. 92/100

Château La Tour 1999 Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
Tight, earthy, spicy nose with nice savoury black fruits. Brooding and intense. The palate is firm and tannic with some evolution, but real future potential. Serious stuff with some elegance. 94/100

Conceito Vintage Port 2005
Sweet, rich, intense and spicy with good structure. Pure and quite serious with lovely intensity of fruit. 93/100

Fonseca Guimarens Vintage Port 2001
Really nice aromatics. Fresh, slightly spicy and quite sweet with red and lack fruits to the fore. The palate is expressive, dense and sweet with lovely structure and brilliant spicy tannins. A very expressive, alive Port with real complexity. 94/100

Fonseca Vintage Port 2003
This is incredible. Intense, sweet, firm spicy nose. The palate shows some concentration with lovely intensity and firm tannins. A massively intense, structured Vintage Port that’s utterly serious. 96/100

JM da Fonseca Moscatel de Setubal 1976
Beautifully aromatic: fresh and spicy with dried fruits, citrus, waxy notes. The palate is super-concentrated with intense spicy, fresh, herby super-complex fruit and spice characters. Thrillingly intense with lovely complexity. Simply amazing. 96/100

JM da Fonseca Moscatel de Setubal 1960
Amazing stuff, with a really volatile, intense nose showing wildly aromatic varnish and old furniture notes. The palate is amazingly complex: powerful, intense, tarry, wild, raisiny and viscous with alarming flavours and an everlasting finish. I’d score this higher, but it isn’t really balanced. A remarkable wine experience. 94/100

Kendermanns Pinot Noir Special Edition 2007 Pfalz, Germany
Quite pale coloured, which is often a good thing with Pinot Noir. This shows somewhat muted aromatics, but lovely fresh, slightly sweet cherryish fruit on the palate with nice smooth texture and a hint of green sappiness. It’s not the most complex Pinot ever, but it does taste like Pinot Noir, and it’s a satisfying drop with attractive ripe fruit. 86/100 (£7.99 Tesco) 10/08

Villa Wolf Pinot Noir 2006 Pfalz, Germany
Pale cherry red colour. There’s an attractive herby, savoury, minerally character to the nose which shows some lightly aromatic red cherry fruit. The palate has a smooth, elegant sort of fruitiness, with a hint of grippy spiciness backing up the red cherry fruits, as well as a trace of undergrowthy complexity. A light, attractive Pinot of real merit. 88/100 (£9.99 Oddbins, £7.99 if you buy any 12 wines) 10/08

Meyer-Näkel Dernauer Pfarrwingert Spätburgunder Grosses Gewächs 2006 Ahr, Germany
This is a really beautiful, complex wine. It’s the follow-on vintage from the one that won the Pinot Noir trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2008. Fantastically aromatic nose reminds me a bit of a really good Marlborough (New Zealand) Pinot Noir: it’s sweet and forward, with bright fresh cherry fruit coupled with subtle green sappy and herby medicinal notes. It’s really attractive: one of those wines that you just want to smell again and again. The palate is complex with spicy dark cherry fruit coupled with red berry notes. It’s sweet, but savoury at the same time, with some plummy bitterness in the background, good acidity and some grippy tannins, but always the sweet fruit is to the fore. This shows just how good German Pinot Noir can be, but it does come at a price. 93/100 (£41.50 The Wine Barn, http://www.thewinebarn.co.uk/ ) 10/08

Domaine La Combe Blanche 'Le Blanc' 2000 Vin de Pays des Cotes de Brian, France
A blend of Roussanne and Viognier aged in barrel for 12 months. Yellow/gold in colour this is very smooth, with a fruity sweet pear nose that also has complex notes of mandarin, fennel and apricot. The palate shows warm, sweet fruit with a crystalline fruits richness and some hints of nuts and peach. Broad, smooth and quite complex, with freshness as well as richness. Just lovely. 92/100 (£9.75 Leon Stolarski) 10/08

Grand Lauze Ledogar Vin de Table Francais
The Roman 'IV' on the label indicates this is from the 2004 vintage. This is one of those wines that ended up being rejected by the local Appellation authorization committee (in this case for Corbieres) for being 'atypical', hence the Vin de Table status. It's actually pretty serious: a blend of 12 barrels, 8 of which are 100-year old Carignan, 2 Mourvedre, 1 Grenache and 1 Syrah. All organically grown, with some biodynamic practices. Deep coloured, this has a tight, dense, slightly reductive nose showing spicy dark fruits. The palate is intense and concentrated with fresh, savoury, spicy dark fruits with firm tannins and attractive, minerally complexity. It's a pure, focused, youthful wine of real impact that needs time to show its best. Old vine Carignan at its best - not the easiest wine to 'get', but pretty serious. 91/100 (£15 http://www.therealwineco.co.uk/) 10/08

Brightwater Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Nelson, New Zealand
Remarkably forward, aromatic passion fruit nose that's quite tropical, and slightly 'sweaty'. The palate is broad and quite rich with tropical fruit and a grassy minerally freshness. A really intense, striking sort of Sauvignon that teeters on the edge of being unbalanced, but which I quite like. 90/100 (£10.79 Laithwaites)  10/08

Guerrieri Rizzardi 'Pojega' Ripasso 2006 Valpolicella DOC Classico Superiore, Italy
A single-vineyard wine made primarily from Corvina and Corvinone grape varieties, then aged in oak. It shows sweet cherry and berry fruit character with a liqueur-like purity, as well as some subtle earthy, spicy elements in the background. It's really quite elegant with good concentration, yet at the same time a lightness and purity to the fruit. There's a bit of textural richness but it never loses it fresh, cherryish fruity character. 90/100 (£9.99 HBJ Wines, Longford Wines) 10/08

Waipara Springs Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Waipara, New Zealand
Part from ungrafted 20 year old vines; part from a new block of selected clones. Limestone-rich soils. This is a cracking Sauvignon with some Loire-like minerality and well as focused grassy, fruity, blackcurrant bud aromatics. The palate is concentrated with lovely bright grassy, herby fruit and lovely textural richness, finishing quite minerally with high acidity. Lively, intense and well balanced. 92/100 (£9.99 Hellion Wines, http://www.hellionwines.co.uk/ - this is the new vintage, just available, with the equally good 2007 vintage still available in a whole range of independent wine merchants, such as Stone Vine & Sun and Noel Young) 10/08

Ara Composite Pinot Noir 2006 Marlborough, New Zealand
Quite light in colour for a new world Pinot, this has notes of red cherry, cranberry, rhubarb and sweet herbs. The palate is fresh and a bit sappy, with grassy, green herbal notes under the fresh cherry fruit. It’s quite tangy, with good acidity, and a bit of spiciness. There’s a persistence here, and some nice textural elements, although there’s a bit of herby bitterness to the finish that clamps down on the fruit. It’s a really attractive, supple, savoury style of new world Pinot that will likely evolve interestingly over the next five years. 13% alcohol. 89/100 (£10.95 Berry Bros & Rudd, Majestic) 09/08

Ara Resolute Pinot Noir 2006 Marlborough, New Zealand
Quite light in colour, this has a charming, beguiling nose of sweet red cherries with integrated warm spicy notes adding an appealing warmth. Still fresh, though. The palate has spicy complexity sitting nicely under the smooth sweet cherry fruit, with textural richness and a bit of tannic grip keeping things savoury. There’s a hint of chocolate here, too, presumably from the oak (which is unobtrusive). Pretty serious stuff, with a distinctly European sheen. A complex, understated, elegant new world interpretation of Pinot Noir with the potential to develop well over the next few years. 13% alcohol. 91/100 (£19.99 Majestic, available from early November) 09/08

Clos de los Siete 2007 Mendoza, Argentina
A blend of 48% Malbec, 28% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Syrah, harvested from the end of March until the end of April. Deep coloured, this has lovely floral aromatics together with ripe but not jammy summer fruit aromas. There's a bit of spice, too. The palate is nicely poised with sweet but well defined dark fruits and good acidity. This isn't jammy or super-ripe, which is a good thing. But the alcohol (14.5%) is evident, and the tannins are a little drying and grippy in the mouth, and they clamp down the finish somewhat. It's a beautifully packaged wine that offers great value for money, and without those rather drying tannins it would get a higher rating. 90/100 (£10.99 Waitrose, Majestic, Oddbins) 09/08

Stork's Tower 'Triunfo' Verdejo Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon, Spain
A really interesting wine. It's barrel fermented, but rather than being an oaky monster, this is complex, fresh and minerally. The nose shows tight nutty, herby, citrus pith aromas that are joined on the palate by complex grassy, herbal, citrussy notes. There's good concentration, but the overall effect is one of a very fresh, focused, minerally wine with nice textural elements and good acidity, rather than something 'big'. There's a hint of tangerine on the finish, too. Highly food compatible, with potential for further development. 90/100 (expected retail will be c. £14 in the UK) 09/08

Domaine de Chassorney Bourgogne Pinot Noir 'Bedeau' 2005 Burgundy, France
Frederic Cossard is a natural wines sort of guy who works with very little sulfur dioxide, and this is a beautifully expressive, pure, alive expression of Pinot Noir that belies its humble appellation. The nose is lively and bright, with enthralling spicy, almost meaty complexity under the fresh, vivid bright cherry fruit. It is slightly lifted, but not at all dirty or muddy. The palate has lovely freshness, with good acidity and spicy, peppery, sappy notes countering the sweet cherry fruit beautifully. Elegance, freshness and definition are the hallmarks here: there's a hint of rusticity, but it's not detracting at all from the appeal of this lovely wine. I think this is utterly beautiful, and I could drink a lot of it. 93/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene) 09/08

Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Chardonnay 2006 California
Fresh, fruit driven nose with hints of citrus peel and white peach. The palate is quite crisp with a bit of nutty richness, some tropical fruit and notes of lemon and spice. A solid commercial Chardonnay with some freshness and definition. 83/100 (£7.20 all supermarkets, Thresher and some independents, but it's much cheaper in the USA, apparently) 09/08

Marimar Estate Acero Chardonnay Don Miguel Vineyard 2006 Russian River Valley, Sonoma
This unoaked Chardonnay is really stylish. This is full flavoured and concentrated with a nice nuttiness and some buttery richness to the focused, slightly sweet-tasting fruit with good acidity and a long, minerally finish. Much more complex than many unoaked Chardonnays, with good food compatibility. You sort of expect Californian Chardonnay to be over-blown, so it's a lovely surprise to find a wine like this, even though it is a hefty 14.2% alcohol. 90/100 09/08

The Magnificent Wine Company Steak House Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Columbia Valley, Washington State, USA
I've reported on the previous vintage of this wine here. It's an attractively packaged wine, with a roasted, savoury edge to the dark fruits on the nose. The palate shows sweet cherry and plum fruits backed up by earthy, spicy notes and with some grippy structure. Quite European in style, and a great food wine. Enjoyable. 86/100 (£7.99 Co-op) 09/08

Clos Saint-Martin Madiran 2005 Southwest France
A co-op Madiran, unsurprisingly this doesn't have all that much of the character that makes Madiran such a distinctive wine. But it's an agreeable enough drinking wine, though, with juicy blackcurranty fruit kept savoury with some grippy tannins. There's fresh acidity, too. 84/100 (£6.79 Nicolas)  09/08

Rogers & Pietersen Mullens Vineyard Shiraz 2006 Moonambel, Victoria, Australia
At just 13% alcohol, this is an elegant, bright expression of Aussie Shiraz. It shows a nose of sweet, spicy blackberry and raspberry fruit that's well defined and a bit tight at the moment. The palate has good acidity and some tannic grip, with fresh, focused fruit and a sense of the flavour being hemmed in a bit, waiting to come out. There's some Rhone like meaty, spiciness that adds complexity, and I reckon that in three years this wine will have opened out beautifully and will just be singing. A serious effort, but don't drink it just yet. 91/100 (£16.99 Philglas & Swiggot) 09/08

Neudorf Moutere Chardonnay 1998 Nelson, New Zealand
Yellow gold in colour, this is rich and intense with a lovely toasty depth to the herby, slightly citrussy fruit. It's pungent and dense on the palate with complex herb-tinged fruit complemented by sweet nutty, spicy oak and hints of oiliness. There's citrussy freshness on the finish. A delicious, bold Chardonnay that's evolving well. 92/100 09/08

Chave Hermitage 1983 Northern Rhone, France
A fantastic wine. Beautifully aromatic, with a fresh, spicy personality and a complexity that’s hard to put into words. I was getting notes of tar, earth, herbs, blood and meat. It’s sweet but savoury at the same time. The palate showed spicy red fruits with a subtle medicinal character, as well as tangy citrus notes on the finish. A complex, multifaceted wine with nice definition. 95/100 09/08

Thierry Germain Domaine des Roches Neuves 'Insolite' 2006 Saumur, Loire
Fantastic stuff from old vine Chenin Blanc. Notes of honey, spice, apples, vanilla and dry straw on the nose. The palate is savoury and vivid with fresh green apple and lemon acidity and concentrated herb and straw savouriness. Extremely fresh with real cut and bite: this needs food, really. A complex savoury wine with a bit of bite. 91/100 (around £13, Les Caves de Pyrene, artisanwines.co.uk, Wimbledon Wine Cellar, RSJ) 09/08

Walther Polz Therese Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Sudsteirmark, Austria
Serious Sauvignon from Styria, in southern Austria. Rounded and generous with ripe fruit and just a hint of greenness. Good concentration. Quite a rich style, but still savoury. 89/100 09/08

Georg Bruer Berg Schloossberg Riesling 2006 Rheingau, Germany
A fantastic wine that shows Riesling at its best. Lovey taut limey fruit on the nose; great concentration and minerality on the palate. Good weight with real presence and also a bit of residual sugar adding volume. 92/100 09/08

Bründlmayer Steinmassl Riesling 2006 Kamptal, Austria
Willi Brundlmayer was there to present this wine. Taut, pure and mineralic with some lemony fruit on the nose. Good concentration on the palate with lovely fresh acidity. Bright and lovely. 91/100 09/08

Louis Carillon Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Champs Canet 2005 Burgundy, France
This wine will divide people, I reckon. Nicely focused nose with creamy, nutty notes and precise citrussy notes showing some new oak. Oaky palate has nice focus and purity, with promise for the future. Oak dominated at present, though, and so the score is a bit of an act of faith. 92/100 09/08

Schloss Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner Tradition 2005 Kamptal, Austria
Michael Moosbrugger made this wine in a traditional style after finding papers in the loft of the monastery detailing how the wines were made in the past, and it’s brilliant. Richly textured, smooth and slightly creamy with some spice and mineral characters on the nose. The palate is texturally rich and complex with great depth and a hint of honeyed richness. 92/100 09/08

Domaine Bonneau du Martray Corton Grand Cru 2003 Burgundy
An atypical vintage for Burgundy, but this wine still has lots of interest. Dark coloured, it has sweet, intense, spicy dark fruits backed up by firm, spicy tannins. Really dense and quite surprising, I suspect this will benefit from some age. It’s not really all that Burgundian at the moment! 90/100 09/08

Moric (Roland Velich) Blaufränkisch Neckenmarkter Alte Reben 2004 Burgenland, Austria
Lovely minerally blackcurrant fruit is the dominant theme here. It’s quite focused, with lovely structure from smooth but firm tannins. Good integration of oak and lovely minerality to this serious red wine. 92/100 09/08

Château Leoville-las-Cases 2004 St Julien, Bordeaux
This is a beautiful Claret of great purity, that’s ageing very well. Lovely blackcurrant fruit nose with minerally, spicy depth. The palate has good structure and presence under the generous, pure, sweet fruit. Just a baby, but with fantastic potential. 94/100 09/08

Sottimano Maté 2007 Vino Rosso da Tavola, Piedmont, Italy
From a 1.1 hectare vineyard in Treiso, this is a varietal Brachetto fermented with indigenous yeasts, and it's gorgeous. The nose is extravagantly aromatic with sweet cherry, herb and plum notes that leap out of the glass. The palate is light, fresh and subtly sappy with cherryish fruit together with some earthy, herby notes keeping things savoury. Think grown-up Beaujolais on steroids and you are pretty much there. Just perfect with antipasti, or even for sipping on its own - and it won't object to being chilled lightly before serving. There's a real elegance to this wine that I love. 91/100 (Available in the UK from http://www.lescaves.co.uk/) 09/08

Huber Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Niederosterrich, Austria
Wonderfully pure, precise and aromatic, with lovely minerality and bright fruit, along with some freshness from high carbon dioxide levels. The palate is pure with rounded, fresh, almost transparent fruit, a hint of fruit sweetness, and then beautifully focused minerality. It's a bright wine, but it's not at all sharp or acidic. There's a lovely combination of ripe fruit and minerality, but none of the grassiness that's a signature of this grape in New Zealand. It reminds me a bit of Gruner Veltliner, with its textural components and hints of spiciness. 91/100 (£12.99 Oddbins, UK agent Thierrys) 09/08

Monty's French Red 2007 Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes, France
Lovely spicy, earthy edge to the fruit on the nose - quite savoury with some tarry notes. The palate is savoury and has an earthy undercurrent to the fruit, which is bright and expressive. A lovely wine, made in a style I really love. 90/100 (£7.99 Adnams)  09/08

Matetic EQ Syrah 2006 San Antonio, Chile
Incredible stuff. Very deep coloured. Intense, pure blackberry and blackcurrant nose complemented by spicy, meaty, earthy notes, as well as a hint of olive and tar. The palate is earthy and dense with plenty of structure, but also lots of blackberry and plum fruit. There's lovely fresh acidity. Just a tiny trace of that Chilean rubbery greenness, but overall this is a really serious effort and I'll be buying some more with a view to seeing how it ages over the medium term. 92/100 (£12.75 Oddbins, reduced from £17)  09/08

Mission Hill Riesling Reserve Icewine 2006 Okanagan Valley, Canada
Very, very sweet and grapey with aromatic grapey, raisiny notes. Massively concentrated, viscous palate is supersweet, rounded an full. A huge wine that's still in balance, if a little overpowering. 90/100 09/08

Rabl Gruner Veltliner Eiswein 2006 Langenlois, Austria
Citrussy, sweet and herby with lovely elegant, fresh fruit that's viscous and intense at the same time. Nice acidity. A striking, supersweet unctuous wine with the richness offset by good acidity. 91/100 09/08

Ordonez Seleccion Especial No 1 2006 Malaga, Spain
Aromatic with lovely complex orange, tea and herb notes on the nose. Viscous, grapey palate with sweet fruitiness but also a lovely expressive character. 91/100 09/08

Hans Lang Riesling Auslese Hattenheimer Hassel 2005 Rheingau, Germany
Sweet and honeyed with some melony fruit. Rich with lots of fruit, and quite viscous, too. Well made but not as exciting as I was hoping. 89/100 09/08

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Sparkling Rose NV, England
Made by Chapel Down, this is really delicious. A very pale salmon pink colour, it's only just a rose. The nose is super-sophisticated with tight herby, citrussy notes as well as a hint of strawberry. The palate is dry and complex, with a hint of fruity richness offsettin the high acidity really nicely. There's none of the overt herbiness that is the besetting sin of so many English wines, and all the flavours work in tandem to create a stylish whole. Pretty serious effort - shame about the rather naff packaging. 90/100 (£17.99 Sainsbury's)  09/08

Schloss Vollrads Riesling Kabinett Trocken 2007 Rheingau, Germany
Minerally, lemony nose is focused and precise. The palate is crisp, limey and acidic with lots of minerality. A pure, zippy sort of Riesling with beautiful focus. Highly food compatible and bone dry. 12% alcohol. 89/100 (9 Euros) 09/08

Qupe Roussanne 2005 Central Coast, California
Really intense, nutty and broad with notes of vanilla and toast. Thick textured and bold – a bit oily even? Viscous, rich and structured. 90/100 (09/08)

Muddy Water Pinot Noir 2006 Waipara, New Zealand
Cherry and berry fruit nose with some herbiness. Bright but intense, with some attractive meaty depth on the palate. Fruit driven and nicely balanced with good acidity and texture. 91/100 (09/08)

Sula Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Nashik, India
Fresh green herby nose with minerally methoxypyrazine nose. The palate has nice bright fruit. Herby and minerally with good acidity. Crisp, fresh and very stylish. 88/100 (09/08)

Charles Melton Rose of Virginia 2008 Barossa, Australia
Deep pink/red colour. Sweet, vivid raspberry and cherry fruit with a nice rich texture and bold, sweet juicy character. Very smooth and pure. 90/100 (09/08)

Mont de Toit 2003 Wellington, South Africa
A red blend from the Cape showing rich, bold sweet blackcurrant fruit. Quite lush and pure with a slightly green herby edge. Smooth with real personality – a ripe yet sophisticated wine. 91/100 (09/08)

Ridge Montebello Chardonnay 2004 Sonoma, California
Nutty, smooth, toasty and intense with smooth creamy character. Nicely integrated oak with lovely balance and a hint of minerality. Sophisticated stuff. 92/100 (09/08)

Cabidos Cuvée St Clément Petit Manseng 2004 Vin de Pays du Comté Tolosan, France
Bright, grapey, herby and sweet with a nice texture. Lemony fresh with a really bright character. Lovely sweet wine. 90/100 (09/08)

Marimar Estate Don Miguel Vineyard Chardonnay 2004 Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California
This comes from an organic vineyard in a cool part of the Russian River Valley just 10 miles from the coast. 4000 vines/hectare planting density is high for California. With some bottle age, this is quite a serious, mineralic-yet-rich Chardonnay, offering a complex herby, toasty, mealy nose with some lemony freshness. The palate is quite powerful and structured, with warm toasty, bready notes alongside grippy, spicy savouriness and fresh, clean fruit with good acidity. Unlike some California Chardonnays, it doesn’t descend into a buttery, oaky, tropical fruit blob, but keeps its minerally, acidic edges. Complex, powerful stuff that would work well with food. 91/100 (US retail $28) 07/08

Marimar Estate Don Miguel Vineyard Pinot Noir 2003 Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California
Cherry red in colour, this has an attractively sappy nose with some subtle herbal notes alongside the ripe cherry and raspberry fruit. There are secondary notes of tobacco and undergrowth. The palate is smooth and quite elegant with the sweet red berry fruit complemented by some spicy, forest floor notes, as well as a hint of meatiness. Ripe but nuanced. 90/100 (US retail $35) 07/08

Waitrose Joseph Mellot Sancerre La Franchotte 2007 Loire, France
Really fresh, slightly smoky mineralic green herby nose. Tight and a little reductive. The palate is fresh, piercing and focused, with high acidity and slightly herbal fruit. Lovely focus of taut, lemony, grapefruit fruit on the palate. A great food wine, and the antithesis of some flowery, exuberant New Zealand Sauvignons. 88/100 (Waitrose) 07/08

Santa Rita Floresta Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Leyda Valley, Chile
Attractively packaged, this Sauvignon comes from the cool-climate coastal Leyda region in Chile. It’s quite impressive, with a mandarin and grapefruit notes, as well as some green pepper and a bit of minerality. Concentrated but smooth and quite understated, this is sophisticated rather than showy. A serious effort. 91/100 (£8.99 Waitrose) 07/08 

Howard Park Chardonnay 2006 Great Southern, Western Australia
Fresh but warm nose of buttered toast, spice and citrus fruits. The palate is concentrated and taut with classy, toasty oak combining well with rich tropical fruits offset nicely by herby, lemony freshness. A refined, pure expression of new world Chardonnay that needs a year or two longer to show at its best. Finishes with lovely grapefruity acidity. This is a million miles away from overdone, blowsy Australian Chardonnays of yesteryear. 13% alcohol. 91/100 07/08

Negro Roero Arneis 2007 Italy
Bright, fresh full flavoured white with a distinctively savoury, minerally character, and a little nutty waxiness under the citrussy fruit. The defining quality here is the minerality, which makes this a really useful food wine. Reasonably serious. 88/100 (£9.95 Great Western Wine) 07/08

Buglioni Il Clandestino 2007 Bianco Veronese IGT Italy
From Valpolicella country, this is a really attractive fruit focused white. The nose has complex herb, smoke and mineral layers as well as some fresh white peach notes. The palate is focused and fresh with some gentle melony fruit as well as a stony, minerally finish. 89/100 (£8.55 Great Western Wine) 07/08

Dönnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett 2006 Nahe, Germany
What a remarkable wine. It’s incredibly rich – much richer than you’d expect a Mosel Kabinett to be – with bold, sweet citrus, melon and pear flavours mingling beautifully with spicy minerality and brisk acidity. All the competing elements are held in almost perfect tension, with the sugar/acid balance supporting the expressive fruitiness quite wonderfully. It’s concentrated and quite sweet, and really elegant and harmonious. It’s great to find so much complexity in a relatively young wine like this. 8.5% alcohol. 93/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene) 07/08

Naia Verdejo 2007 Rueda, Spain
Crisp, minerally, complex and elegant, with an aromatic nose of grapefruit and lemon that leads to a palate where there's crisp yet rich textured spicy apple, pear and citrus fruit. Beautifully balanced and quite complex. Drink now. 91/100 (£10.99 Indigo Wine [the agent in the UK], Harrods, The Vineyard [Dorking], Christopher Piper) 08/08

Marks & Spencer Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc 'Le Fussier' 2006 Rhone, France
A blend of Grenache Blanc, Picpoul, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussane, without oak, from Chateau Mont Redon. Fresh herby, lemony flowery nose is crisp. The palate is rounded and quite fat, as Rhone whites tend to be, but with some crisp minerality on the finish. Delightfully expressive and crisp, and quite complex, too. 91/100 (£13.99 Marks & Spencer) 08/08 

Ochoa Graciano & Garnacha 2005 Navarra, Spain
A beautiful, fruit-forward red wine made with Grenache combined with the highly regarded but now rare Rioja grape Graciano. Deep coloured, the dominant feature here is vibrant, juicy, sweet raspberry and dark cherry fruit with very little oak impact and a spicy, tangy finish. This is a stylish, modern red wine of real appeal, for current drinking (it's sealed with a purple coloured synthetic cork). 89/100 (£7.99 Taurus Wines, Christopher Piper, Bentley's, Arthur Rackhams) 08/08

Maycas del Limari Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2007 Limari Valley, Chile
Super-fresh, this is a bright Sauvignon with a nose showing gooseberry, grapefruit and green pepper. The palate is crisp and fruity with vivid fruit and a hint of greenness that comes across as almost spicy. A beautifully expressive, lean, concentrated Sauvignon that's quite extreme but works really well. Think Awatere Valley with even more edginess. 90/100 (£8.99 Tesco) 08/08

Maycas del Limari Syrah Reserva 2007 Limari Valley, Chile
Amazingly deep colour. Beautiful nose of sweet brooding blackberry and raspberry jam with complex spicy notes and lovely purity. On the palate there's a hint of rubbery greenness, which along with the pure blackcurrant fruit which makes it taste a bit Chilean, but there are also warm spicy notes. It's a ripe, fruity wine of broad appeal, and overdelivers for its price point. 90/100 (£8.99 Oddbins, Tesco) 08/08

Champagne Jacques Lassaigne Les Vignes de Montgeux Blanc de Blancs NV
No dosage. Lovely aromatic nose is gently lemony with real refinement. The palate is lively and crisp with savoury citrus character, and really good length and balance. Doesn’t seem harsh despite the lack of dosage. 93/100 05/08

Domaine de la Cadette Melon 2007 Bourgogne Vézelay, Burgundy
A bit of a rarity, this is made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape variety. Tight, herby nose. The palate is crisp, pure and mineralic with nice density of flavour, but all the flavour is green apples and minerals – it’s very pure. Not really fruity, but full of interest. 90/100 05/08

Domaine de la Cadette Claudius 2007 Bourgogne Vézelay, Burgundy
Bright nose is quite friuty and slightly minerally. The palate has lemony fruit and minerals, with good acidity. Crisp and fresh. 87/100 05/08

Domaine Valette Mâcon Villages 2005 Burgundy, France
There’s a bit of matchstick reduction on the nose. Powerful, intense palate is quite herby and minerally, with dense citrus fruit and some reductive notes. Striking stuff. 90/100 05/08

Domaine Valette ‘Le Clos de Monsieur Noly’ Pouilly-Fuissé 1999 Burgundy, France
Deep yellow/gold colour. Intense, nutty, toasty, slightly bready nose with hints of oxidation. The palate is concentrated, intense, broad and nutty with lemony freshness and some bready notes. Amazing acidity. A concentrated, striking wine. 93/100 05/08

Catherine and Pierre Breton Bourgeuil ‘Trinch!’ 2007 Loire, France
Beautifully perfumed bright fruit on the nose, with cherries and berries. Very fresh and pure. The palate is elegantly fruity with a nice grippy edge. A beautiful bright wine. 90/100 05/08

Catherine and Pierre Breton Bourgeuil ‘Clos Sénéchal’ 2006 Loire, France
Vibrant red with a purple fringe. Bright cherryish fruit here on the nose with some spicy notes. The palate is bright and vibrant with beautiful berry fruit and some grippy tannic structure. Pure, structured and intense. 91/100 05/08

Catherine and Pierre Breton Bourgeuil ‘Les Perrières’ 2005 Loire, France
Earthy, spicy cherry and berry fruit nose. Perfumed, fresh and quite complex. The palate has a nice earthy depth to it. Quite savoury and structured with a firm finish. Serious effort. 91/100 05/08

Clos Fantine Faugères 2004 Languedoc, France
From schistose vineyards, in which no chemicals were used except for a bit of sulfur for the Carignan. SO₂ just used a little at bottling. Elegant, fine red fruits nose with some spice and earth notes. The palate is smooth with lovely texture and earthy, spicy notes under the bright fruits. Lovely. 90/100 05/08

Domaine des Marquises Lou Carignan 2007 Vin de Pays de l’Herault, France
Pure red fruits nose with forward cherry fruit. The palate is pure with lovely vibrant vfruit and nice freshness. A joyful wine. 89/100 05/08

Cuvée Cariña Coste Longue Vin de Table NV France
Made by Pierrette and Claude Navare from St Chinian terroir, by maceration carbonique. Very aromatic open, perfumed nose with floral red fruits and a bit of meatiness. The palate is quite dense with an open, fruity, meaty character and an earthy, spicy finish. Quite elegant in an oxidative style. 90/100 05/08

Château Sainte Anne 2005 Côtes de Provence, France
Open, sweetly fruited nose is fresh and spicy with elegant red fruits. The palate is soft with spicy earthy depth and a hint of meatiness. Sweet, but with a nice savoury spiciness. 89/100 05/08

Château Sainte Anne 2005 Bandol, France
90% Mourvèdre. Forward, bright red berry fruit nose is quite tight with some sweetness and spiciness. The palate is dense, focused, savoury and spicy, showing firm tannic structure. Really intense, this is one for keeping. 91/100 05/08

Vilafonte series m 2005 Paarl, South Africa
A blend of 52% Merlot, 17% Malbec and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, weighing in at 14.5% alcohol. This has a dark fruits nose with a smooth, spicy, earthy edge and some hints of medicine and old libraries. The palate is earthy with smooth tannins and a long savoury finish. This is an interesting wine: it's not about primary fruit, but rather spicy and earthy notes dominate. Quite stylish with good ageing potential. 89/100 08/08

Vilafonte series c 2005 Paarl, South Africa
66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot and 6% Malbec. This is the more structured and dense of the Vilafonte wines, and I prefer it. The sophisticated, complex nose shows blackcurrant fruit with a herby, spicy, earthy sort of personality. The palate is strongly savoury with spice, earth and medicinal hints to the dense, structured fruit. A bold, savoury, tannic wine with a good future ahead of it. 91/100  08/08

Nathalie et Christian Chaussard Les Longues Vignes 2005 Coteaux du Loir
Slightly chilled, this is a beautifully aromatic red wine with a peppery, spicy edge to the pure, sweet cherry fruit on the nose. The palate is smooth and pure but with a distinctly savoury, earthy, spicy finish. Complex and alive, with lovely freshness. A hauntingly beautiful light red wine. 92/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene) 08/08

Macia Batle Crianza 2005 Binissalem, Mallorca, Spain
Sweet, seductive ripe fruity nose with some savoury, spicy, tarry notes. Quite sophisticated in a warm, ripe style. The palate is sweetly fruited but has bold, earthy, spicy notes, too. Nicely savoury, finishing long and earthy. A complex wine that should evolve nicely for the next three years or so. 90/100 (£10.99 Noel Young, The Vineyard Dorking, Thomas Panton, Corks of Cotham) 08/08

Jorge Ordonez & Co Malaga Seleccion Especial No 1 2006
Made from Moscatel grapes dried on the vine. Light yellow in colour, this has a beautifully fresh aromatic nose of citrus oil, grapes and mandarins. The palate is super sweet and quite viscous, but with lovely bright spicy orange fruit and good acid providing a perfect counterpoint. Deliciously fresh, and quite complex for a young wine, this is tremendously easy to drink. 92/100 (£12.99 per half, Indigo Wines, Lay & Wheeler, The Vineking) 07/08

Howard Park Chardonnay 2006 Great Southern, Western Australia
Fresh but warm nose of buttered toast, spice and citrus fruits. The palate is concentrated and taut with classy, toasty oak combining well with rich tropical fruits offset nicely by herby, lemony freshness. A refined, pure expression of new world Chardonnay that needs a year or two longer to show at its best. Finishes with lovely grapefruity acidity. This is a million miles away from overdone, blowsy Australian Chardonnays of yesteryear. 13% alcohol. 91/100 (http://www.bibendum-wine.co.uk/)

Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay 2006 Sonoma Coast, California
Full yellow colour. Nutty nose has a fresh minerality to it, as well as a hint of lemon. The palate shows nice balance between some buttery softness and some firmer, slightly bitter citrussy notes. The overall effect is of a fairly sophisticated, well balanced and food friendly wine that doesn't show too much of that broad, fat, slightly blowsy personality that's the besetting sin of Californian Chardonnay. I'd be happy to drink this in a high-end restaurant with richer seafood dishes, and if it wasn't for the slight hint of bitterness on the finish I'd rate it higher. 89/100 (£14.99 Waitrose, Majestic, but will be promoted in both soon at £9.99) 07/08

Louis Jadot Les Climats Chardonnay Reserve 2004 Burgundy, France
This is a bit different: from Burgundy, where terroir reigns supreme, we have a blend of different village and even 1er Cru sites, in a wine labelled varietally. It's creamy, sophisticated and a bit toasty on the nose, leading to a precise, gently nutty, lemony palate that's fresh and mineralic, with well integrated oak. With some bottle age, this is showing really well, and is surprisingly unevolved. It tastes like an ultra-sophisticated new world Chardonnay. 90/100 (£13.99 Vickis of Chobham, Kingsgate Wine Winchester, £18.99 Thresher but with a multibottle deal) 07/08

La Chasse du Pape Chardonnay 'Unoaked' 2007 Vin de Pays d'Oc, France
Attractive broad, fruity nose. It's quite rich with melon, apple and pear. The palate is fresh and nicely fruity, with a really approachable sort of personality. What it lacks in depth, it makes up for in charm. Impressive commercial winemaking. 86/100 07/08

Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet ‘La Souteronne’ Gamay 2007 Vin de Pays de l’Ardèche, France 
Fresh, slightly sappy, herb-tinged nose. The palate has a lovely smooth texture and shows pure red cherry and cranberry fruit, with freshness, elegance and just a little spicy grip on the finish, making this a delightful, food-compatible wine of great purity. 91/100 (www.lescaves.co.uk) 07/08

Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet Syrah 2007 Vin de Pays de l’Ardèche, France
This is simply beautiful. There’s a distinctive cool-climate Syrah peppery kick on the nose, which is otherwise really pure and focused, with a gentle leafy character underneath the red fruits. The palate is beautifully supple, slightly sappy, and fantastically elegant, with real purity to the smoothly textured fruit. I guess the granite soils may have something to do with this: it’s light, but aromatic. Just 11.7% alcohol. 93/100 (www.lescaves.co.uk)  07/08

Chateau Tour des Gendres Bergerac Sec Muscadelle Petit Grain 2005 France
Nicely packaged with a musical score as a front label, this is a richly textured Muscadelle of real appeal. It's quite complex, with notes of grapes, lemons, nuts and vanilla ice cream, as well as an almost floral, herby character. In the mouth it is quite thick, with a lush texture and a hint of pithy bitterness on the finish. It reminds me of a cross between an Alsace Pinot Gris and a rich Viognier. Quite a serious effort, and it also tastes quite modern in style, with fruit to the fore. 90/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene) 07/08

Linda Domas Wines Boycat Merlot 2006 McLaren Vale, Australia
Slightly reductive on the nose, with a hint of burnt rubber, but also some really fresh, vibrant berry fruit, as well as a hint of gravel. The palate is juicy and medium bodied, with delightfully expressive, fresh, sweet red berry fruit, a trace of blackcurrant, and also some spicy tannins on the finish. I guess that the McLaren Vale isn't the best place in the world to grow Merlot, but this is still a very attractive, supple, sweetly fruited wine of some appeal. Elegant and very berryish. 88/100 (£8.99 Marks & Spencer) 07/08

Domaine Treloar Three Peaks 2006 Cotes du Roussillon, France
This attractive southern French red is the inaugural vintage from this producer, a Kiwi-English collaboration farming just 10 hectares in the Roussillon. It's a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. A concentrated wine with sweet-yet-focused red and black fruits with a spicy lift. There's a distinctly savoury, spicy quality to this wine which has enough tannin and acidity to keep it quite fresh. Finishes distinctly savoury and quite grippy. A food-friendly style that may develop nicely over the next few years. 90/100 (£10.25 Leon Stolarski) 07/08

Mont Tauch 'Retro' Fitou 2006 Languedoc, France
Light, with savoury, spicy, slightly earthy cherry and berry fruit, as well as just a hint of that wild herb complexity known as 'garrigue'. A versatile, drinkable red with a sense of place to it. 83/100 (£5.99 Tesco) 07/08

Jimenez-Landi 'Pielago' 2006 Mentrida, Toledo, Spain
Beautifully packaged in a deeply punted Burgundy-shaped bottle, this is an ambitious new-wave Spanish red. The nose shows a bit of alcoholic heat, as well as a slightly baked, caramelly edge, along with lush, pure, sweet raspberry and blackberry fruit. The palate is warm and a little jammy, but with a nice spicy definition to the lush fruit. There's a lot going for this wine - the concentrated sweet, ripe fruit, and the attractive spiciness, as well as the fact that any oak is well in the background. But it has just a little too much 'warmth' to it to justify a higher score. New world in style, which I guess is understandable given the fact that it's very much a warm climate wine, made in a modern way. I'd like to see them aim for more freshness, without losing the concentration. 90/100 (£20 Handford Wines) 07/08

Simonnet-Febvre Bourgogne Rose 2006 France
Pink orange in colour, this has a sweet nose of strawberry and redcurrant fruit, with a herbal freshness. The palate is richly textured with a nice sappy finish along with the sweet fruit. Stylish and appealing. It's hard to make serious rose, but this is almost there. 87/100 (£9 Hayward Bros, Anne et Vin, Hennings, ND John) 07/08

Vendanges d'Automne Muscat de Saint Jean de Minervois NV, France
Golden colour with some brown hints. Rich and quite viscous with notes of baked apple, dried apricot and organge peel, as well as some tea-like complexity. Very sweet, with a bit of spice on the finish. A satisfying, thought-provoking wine. 89/100 (Co-op £11.99/50 cl) 07/08

Guerrieri Rizzardi Bardolino Classico 2007 Veneto, Italy
Light red in colour, this is like a very dark rose more than a red wine. Sweet, bright cherry fruit dominates the nose and palate. It's quite rounded, with a rich texture, a hint of sappiness and just a touch of spicy tannin on the finish. Joyful and quite drinkable, but would work well with a range of foods, too. There's a place for this sort of wine. 87/100 (£7.49 Longford Wines, Davy's wine shop) 07/08

Monte Tondo Casette Foscarin 2004 Soave Classico, Italy
Yellow/gold colour. Complex nose of lemon, mandarin and herbs leads to a palate that is mouthfilling, dense and rich, with citrus fruit, honey and a bit of nutty depth. There are some pithy, bitter notes on the finish. It's a complex, food-friendly white that's peaking now. 91/100 (£12.30 Great Western Wine) 07/08

Guerrieri Rizzardi Costeggiola 2007 Soave Classico, Italy
A single vineyard blend of Garganega and Chardonnay. Quite deep yellow colour. Fresh and herby with citrussy notes and a slightly pithy bitterness. A full flavoured wine with a tangy finish. Distinctive. 89/100 (£8.99 Longford, Davy's, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods)  07/08

Tamellini 2006 Soave, Italy
Full yellow colour. Rich and a bit nutty with a sweet, mealy, toasty richness and some melon fruit, as well as some finer honeysuckle notes. Sophisticated and broad with a distinctive sweetness. 89/100 (£9.99 Cadman Fine Wines) 07/08

Julien Schaal 'African Dream' Syrah 2005 Western Cape, South Africa
From a vineyard in Elgin, this is made by a French winemaker and matured in 900 litre French oak barrels, and it's really good. The nose is sweet and ripe with dark cherry and blackberry fruit framed by a subtly roasted, spicy character, as well as a bit of meatiness. The palate combines lush fruit with spicy definition, as well as bright acidity. It's very ripe, but minerally and fresh with it. I wouldn't go so far as to call it Rhone-like, as some has done. It's more like an elegant take on Barossa Valley. Finishes fresh. Great value for money, this. 91/100 (£9.99 Handford Wines) 07/08

Chateau Paul Mas 'Les Dons' Vinus 2005 Coteaux du Languedoc, France
A Shiraz/Grenache blend from 40 year old vines on clay and lime soils, with a bit of maritime influence, this is sleek and sophisticated. Harmonious, smooth red and black fruits combine with fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity to make a very stylish, modern red wine of real appeal. Warm climate elegance here. 89/100  07/08

Fortnum & Mason Amontillado VORS
This is a 40 year old wine but it has so much vitality. It has a massively complex nose of citrus peel, smoke and old furniture, that’s fresh and fruity but also very rich. The palate is dry, tangy and mouthfilling with lovely length and complexity. ‘It’s almost hypnotic in its power and strength, with a salty character, tar, caramel and dried figgy fruits’, says Tim. This unctuous wine is great with food, particularly nuts and smoked fish. ‘It’s a wine to be discussed and enjoyed with company’, says Tim. ‘There’s so much to get into, you need the helping hand of education to enjoy it.’ (£18.50/half bottle) 95/100 06/08

Fortnum & Mason Oloroso VORS
This has a richer, nuttier nose than the Amontillado, with some caramel and fudge. ‘There’s a layer of richness that is almost like Christmas cake’, points out Tim. The palate is soft, rich and broad-textured. Smooth, complex and nutty with woody, slightly earthy notes. The finish is intense and almost eternal: you can still taste it minutes later. ‘The thing I love about it is that despite its age, there is still some fruit here with a broad array of secondary flavours, such as smoky bacon, burnt toffee, leather and tobacco’, says Tim. ‘It’s as if you have a magnifying glass: all these flavours come into such focus.’ It’s a wine that is luscious and sumptuous on the palate, yet it is bone dry. How would you use a wine like this? ‘The dream partner is top air-dried Spanish ham’, reckons Tim, ‘but one can be versatile with it: it’s lovely with a big rich beef stew, great with cheese, and works brilliantly as a digestif’. As with all these sherries, a little goes a long way, and you can keep an open bottle for a long time, so even though it isn’t cheap, a bottle can provide a lot of pleasure over many evenings. (£18.50/half bottle) 94/100 06/08

Fortnum & Mason Pedro Ximénez VOS
This is mind-blowing stuff. It’s a concentrated brown/black colour with a consistency of used engine oil. The super-sweet aromatic nose is raisiny, yet fresh at the same time. The palate is thick, viscous and incredibly sweet, while remaining quite pure and even a little elegant. ‘This is impossibly unctuous with huge intensity’, remarks Tim. ‘It’s so intense and opulent’. He reckons it works bizarrely well with blue cheese and also works well with chocolate. ‘It’s a pudding in its own right: you almost need a spoon to drink it’. (£19.50 half/bottle). 93/100 06/08

Le Clos de Tu-Boeuf La Guerrerie Vin de Table Français
This is actually from the 2006 vintage, and it’s a wine made by Thierry Puzelat in the Loire, from a blend of Cot (aka Malbec, 70%) and Gamay (30%), with the grapes grown in the Cheverny appellation. Following Doug Wregg’s advice (he’s the dude from Les Caves de Pyrene who import this into the UK), I chilled it down and decanted it before drinking. It’s fantastic, life-affirmining, ‘alive’ wine. It’s aromatic with some earthy, spicy depth to the dark fruits. In the mouth it’s refreshing and bright with a lovely dense, grippy, spicy earthy quality under the focused bright fruit. It finishes quite grippy, but the defining feature is the brightness. It’s a natural tasting sort of wine that’s just so easy to drink. It’s kind of like Pinot Noir, but with some edges. 91/100 (£11.75 Les Caves de Pyrene) 06/08

Domaine de la Grande Pallière Rosé 2007 Côtes de Provence, France
This organic rosé is a beautiful pale salmon pink colour. The dominant theme here is fresh strawberry fruit with good acidity and a smooth, luxurious texture. There’s a bit of spicy, bite too. It’s the sort of wine you could quaff without too much though, but if you give it some contemplation, it rewards you with some complexity. 89/100 (£9.95 Nicolas) 06/08

Les Maîtres Vignerons de la Presqu’ile de Saint-Tropez Cuvée Carte Noir 2007 Côtes de Provence, France
In a very elegant round-shouldered, tall bottle, this is an attractive salmon pink colour. There’s gentle strawberry fruit here, along with a savoury mineral character and an attractively rounded texture. A stylish, grown-up sort of rosé that’s perfect for a summer’s day, and has the ability to recreate summer if you drink it in another season. 88/100 (£9.50 Nicolas) 06/08

Cline Syrah 2005 California
A distinctive wine, showing ripe plummy, berry fruit along with some meatiness, a touch of olive character and a hint of herbal greenness. It's ripe, sweet and accessible, but there's a savoury meatiness that reminds me a bit of some South African Syrahs (although this isn't meant to be taken negatively). My only criticism is that it's tending towards the medicinal end of the spectrum. 86/100 (£7.99 Co-op) 06/08

The Magnificent Wine Co. 'Steak House' Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Columbia Valley, Washington State
Nicely packaged, and billed as a steak wine, this is a bright, quite refined Cabernet that is light in style. There's some bright red fruit here, but also a complex, earthy, spicy, slightly phenolic quality that makes me suspect a bit of brettanomyces. Fresh and quite European in style, this is attractive and food friendly. 87/100 (£7.99 Co-op) 06/08

Marks & Spencer Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie 2007 Italy
A bright, fresh, modern expression of Pinot Grigio with lemon and lime fruit coupled with some herby depth. It’s nicely savoury with a crisp, dry character. A versatile white. 84/100 (M&S) 06/08

Laurent Miquel Nord Sud Rosé Syrah Grenache 2007 Coteaux du Languedoc, France
Delightful rosé with lovely balance between the sweet strawberry fruit, some warm herbiness and fresh acidity. Attractively packaged, too. A very stylish wine that’s perfect for summer drinking. 86/100 (£7.19 Tesco) 06/08

Lagunilla Reserva Rioja 2003 Spain
A rich, warm style of Rioja with a nice combination of sweet fruit and sweet spicy oak, together with soft, contoured tannins. There’s a bit of tarry, charred edginess, too, which adds a savoury bite to what would otherwise be rather a tame wine. This is one for lovers of the traditional Rioja style. 86/100 (£9.99 Sainsbury, Morrisons) 06/08

Marmesa Vineyards Hollister Peak Chardonnay 2005 Edna Valley, California
Unusually for California, this is an unoaked Chardonnay, aged on its lees to add complexity. It’s rich and boldly fruited, with a warm, buttery, broad character balanced nicely by citrussy, stony freshness. Imagine Chablis, taken up a couple of notches in richness, ripeness and weight, and you’ll be close. Unoaked Chardonnay runs the risk of being boring, but this certainly isn’t. 89/100 (£9.99 Oddbins) 06/08

Le Clos de Tu-Boeuf La Guerrerie Vin de Table Français
This is actually from the 2006 vintage, and it’s a wine made by Thierry Puzelat in the Loire, from a blend of Cot (aka Malbec, 70%) and Gamay (30%), with the grapes grown in the Cheverny appellation. Following Doug Wregg’s advice (he’s the dude from Les Caves de Pyrene who import this into the UK), I chilled it down and decanted it before drinking. It’s fantastic, life-affirmining, ‘alive’ wine. It’s aromatic with some earthy, spicy depth to the dark fruits. In the mouth it’s refreshing and bright with a lovely dense, grippy, spicy earthy quality under the focused bright fruit. It finishes quite grippy, but the defining feature is the brightness. It’s a natural tasting sort of wine that’s just so easy to drink. It’s kind of like Pinot Noir, but with some edges. 91/100 (£11.75 Les Caves de Pyrene) 06/08

Mount Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
This is a Marlborough Sauvignon from an estate owned by Marchese Lodovico Antinori. Does it have a European feel to it? Yes, at least a bit. It’s crisp, fresh and minerally with a lovely grassy, gently herby edge to the vivid citrus fruit and grapefruit core. Very refreshing, with high acidity. Quite serious. 91/100 (£13.99 Bottle & Basket, Edencroft, NZ House of Wine, Portland Wine, Wimbledon Wine, Planet of the Grapes) 06/08

Frankland Estate Olmo’s Reward 2003 Frankland River, Western Australia
This is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with a bit of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon in the mix, and it’s brilliant. Lovely ripe, aromatic nose with fresh, intense black fruits and a minerally edge. Expressive. The palate shows real poise and elegance with ripe, dark fruits and fresh minerality. Structured and savoury. 94/100 (£16.75 Berry Bros & Rudd) 06/08

Domaine de la Grande Pallière Rosé 2007 Côtes de Provence, France
This organic rosé is a beautiful pale salmon pink colour. The dominant theme here is fresh strawberry fruit with good acidity and a smooth, luxurious texture. There’s a bit of spicy, bite too. It’s the sort of wine you could quaff without too much though, but if you give it some contemplation, it rewards you with some complexity. 89/100 (£9.95 Nicolas) 06/08

Les Maîtres Vignerons de la Presqu’ile de Saint-Tropez Cuvée Carte Noir 2007 Côtes de Provence, France
In a very elegant round-shouldered, tall bottle, this is an attractive salmon pink colour. There’s gentle strawberry fruit here, along with a savoury mineral character and an attractively rounded texture. A stylish, grown-up sort of rosé that’s perfect for a summer’s day, and has the ability to recreate summer if you drink it in another season. 88/100 (£9.50 Nicolas) 06/08

EOS Reserve Petite Sirah 2004 Paso Robles, California
An inky dark purple black colour, this is a bold, intense red wine of real character, although it won't appeal to everyone. It's bursting with rich blackberry and raspberry fruit, together with some bitter dark chocolate notes, as well as a bit of earthiness. I'm even getting a hint of rubber here. All this is underlain by some firm spicy tannins. Not at all shy, but savoury and dense enough to stop it being just another sweet, over-ripe, over-cooked new world red. Hard to score such a distinctive wine. It's edgy, imperfect, but interesting. 89/100 (£9.99 Co-op) 06/08

Pierre Luneau-Papin Semper Excelsior Clos des Noelles 2002 Muscadet Sevre et Maine, France
After a 30 month elevage, this attractively packaged Muscadet is just beautiful. It's a concentrated, full flavoured white with expressive, complex mineral and herb notes on the nose. The palate is rich with powerful mineralic fruit and hints of citrus pith, as well as an almost marine-like quality that's hard to describe. Almost profound. 90/100 (Available in UK from Les Caves de Pyrene) 06/08

Cline Syrah 2005 California
A distinctive wine, showing ripe plummy, berry fruit along with some meatiness, a touch of olive character and a hint of herbal greenness. It's ripe, sweet and accessible, but there's a savoury meatiness that reminds me a bit of some South African Syrahs (although this isn't meant to be taken negatively). My only criticism is that it's tending towards the medicinal end of the spectrum. 86/100 (£7.99 Co-op) 06/08

The Magnificent Wine Co. 'Steak House' Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Columbia Valley, Washington State
Nicely packaged, and billed as a steak wine, this is a bright, quite refined Cabernet that is light in style. There's some bright red fruit here, but also a complex, earthy, spicy, slightly phenolic quality that makes me suspect a bit of brettanomyces. Fresh and quite European in style, this is attractive and food friendly. 87/100 (£7.99 Co-op) 06/08

Billaud Simon Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir 2002 France
Fine, bready and minerally, this is fresh and bright yet rich and deep at the same time. Quite serious. 92/100 05/08

Bernard Van Berg Le Vin Le Plus Simplement 2005 Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire, France
This red Burgundy shows what you can do with a lowly terroir and yields of just 18 hl/ha. It's quite reductive (burnt match) along with vibrant red berry fruit. It's fresh and quite elegant with freshness and nice depth of fruit and a bit of meatiness. Very stylish for this appellation, and with a few years in bottle should shed its reductive youth and turn out very nice. 90/100 05/08

La Baume 'La Grande Olivette' Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Vin de Pays d'Oc, France
Beautifully packaged in a deeply punted bottle, this is a serious Sauvignon Blanc. The nose shows lots of rich, almost pungent gooseberry and passion fruit (technically, this is a thiol-rich style, and it's almost sweaty), together with some green pepper notes. The palate is concentrated and intense with richness combining nicely with grassy freshness. Stylish stuff. 90/100 (£6.99 Waitrose) 05/08

Shaw & Smith Adelaide Hills Shiraz 2006 Australia
is pretty impressive. It has a fantastic peppery, cool-climate Syrah character, with some meatiness and raspberry fruit. There's also a darker blackberry fruit character, and some spicy oak in the background. At the moment this is quite tight-wound and tannic, but I'm very impressed by the freshness and definition. This is pretty serious. 93/100

Burgans Albarino 2006 Rias Baixas, Spain
A classic Albarino with a subtly floral, lemony nose and a palate that displays grapefruit and citrus pith character. It's fresh and quite precise, but with good depth of flavour. Stylish. 89/100 (£8.99 Oddbins) 05/08.

Vasse Felix Cabernet Merlot 2005 Margaret River
Lovely expressive well-balanced nose showing elegant blackberry and dark cherry fruit. The palate is ripe with lovely freshness to the sweet, berryish blackcurrant fruit, which is backed up by spicy tannins. Delicious stuff, with freshness, ripeness and balance. A delicious, expressive Margaret River red in quite an elegant style. 91/100 (£10.50 Majestic, Tanners, Christopher Piper) 05/08

Vasse Felix Shiraz 2005 Margaret River
Weighing in at 15% alcohol, this is a dense, deep coloured red with a nose that shows sweet dark fruits, but which is tight wound and spicy, too. The palate is sweet and dense with ripe, intense blackberry fruit and some firm spicy tannins providing a counter for this sweet, lush fruit. There's also a bit of a chocolatey, coffee-ish richness. Pretty serious stuff. 92/100 (£10.50 Hennings, Hailsham Cellars, Cambridge Wine Merchants) 05/08

Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Margaret River
This spends 18 months in French oak. An intense, sweet ripe nose showing blackcurrant fruit with some lovely earthy, chalky, spiciness and lush intensity. The palate is sweetly fruited with lovely depth and a really attractive minerality. A refined, fresh Cabernet of real depth, this has good medium term ageing potential. Intense but balanced. 94/100 (£14.50 Hailsham Cellars, Selfridges, Direct Wines) 05/08

Clos Henri Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
Amazing stuff, this Sauvignon made by Henri Bourgeois of Sancerre. It's beautifully textured with good balance between the sweet, ripe pear and peach notes and the green grassy herby, gooseberry character. Real intensity and complexity here, with lovely focus and just the right amount of greenness to confer savoury freshness. I love the packaging, too - this is one of the few (5%?) of New Zealand wines that is still cork sealed. 93/100 (UK agent Les Caves de Pyrene) 05/08

Villa Maria Reserve Merlot 2005 Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
This tastes so much of the Gimblett Gravels - it reminds me of the Syrahs that I've had from here, even though it's a Merlot? Is that terroir? I still think Syrah is the best variety for this patch of ground, but there's no doubting that this is a lovely Merlot. Deep coloured, it has a lovely fresh, bright peppery, gravelly edge to the well defined blackberry and raspberry fruit. The palate has lovely definition with lovely freshness, concentration and ripeness. There's some nice tannic structure. Pretty serious, especially for a Merlot. 93/100 (£15.99 Waitrose, http://www.nzhouseofwine.co.uk/) 05/08

Familia Zucchardi Bonarda Reserva 2006 Mendoza
A deep-coloured, oak-aged Bonarda weighing in at a modest 13% alcohol. This has an attractive, savoury nose of spicy plummy fruit, which leads to a palate that's dense, savoury and structured. There's plenty of forward red berry, cherry and plum fruit here as well as well integrated oak. Some grippy tannins on the finish make this a useful food wine. Great value for money and really delicious. 88/100 (£6.99 Oddbins) 04/08

Waipara Springs Riesling 2006 Waipara, New Zealand
Weighing in at 10.5% alcohol and with 29 g/litre residual sugar, this Riesling is just gorgeous. Very fresh nose with some carbon dioxide spritz. The palate is off-dry and nicely delicate with good acidity, nice fruit and good balance. It's a Kabinett or perhaps even a Spatlese style that really works well. Interestingly, a quarter of the blend saw some partial ageing in old oak barrels to add a bit of complexity. I reckon you could stick this away for a few years and it would develop beautifully. 92/100 (http://www.hellionwines.com/) 04/08

Mud House Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Marlborough, New Zealand
This is deliciously concentrated and fresh, with a lively, assertive cut-grass and green pepper herbaceousness, as well as piercing lemony, grapefruit pith fruit. A wake-up call to the palate. Deliciously intense and well balanced, this is a versatile wine that would match up well with some of the strong flavours of modern fusion cuisine. 90/100 (£12, UK agent MMD Ltd) 04/08

Sizanani Pinotage 2006 Stellenbosch, South Africa
40% of this brand is owned by an employees trust (http://www.sizanani-wines.co.za/). It's a really gluggable, fruit-forward wine with soft sweet berry and dark cherry fruits countered by a bitter, plummy, tarry, slightly rubbery twist. The overall effect is of a juicy red wine with a sense of deliciousness and enough savouriness to make it work with take-away pizza or spaghetti bolognaise. It takes the slightly negative features of Pinotage and turns them into positives in the context of this wine, so I think it's worthwhile in the right context. 83/100 (£5.99 Oddbins) 04/08

Meerlust Rubicon 2003 Stellenbosch, South Africa
A South African classic that lives up to its reputation. In past vintages I've found Rubicon perhaps a little hard and angular, but today the 2003 is showing beautifully, with sweet, elegant fruit. The nose is ripe, sweet, mineralic and cedary, with a subtle gravelly edge to the ripe red and black fruits. There's some soft earthiness here, too. The palate has a lovely combination of sweet fruit with minerally earthiness, in quite a Bordeaux-like mould, but perhaps without the sternness that classic Bordeaux can show in its youth. It's a fantastic wine in quite a traditional style, which is drinking well now but which will age well. 93/100 04/08

Domaine Treloar ‘Tahi’ 2006 Côtes du Roussillon
The top wine from this domaine, who advocate the use of sustainable viticulture. It’s a big old wine, made with a fair dollop of new oak, but there’s more than enough fruit to deal with it. Tight, dark, concentrated and quite tannic, this could do with a few years to become more approachable and is potentially very long-lived. Ripe dark fruits dominate, with a subtly roasted coffee oak edge and a bit of plummy bitterness on the finish. There’s a lot going for this wine, but it’s pretty tannic and full-on at the moment, and the tannins overpower the finish. I’d be fascinated to see how this wine will taste in a decade: I reckon it will be pretty serious. 93/100 (£16.50 Leon Stolarski here) 04/08

Landelia Malbec ‘Single Vineyard’ 2005 Agrelo, Mendoza
A bit of a bargain this: it’s a dense, dark, fruit driven Malbec of real poise, with some purity to the sweet dark fruits nose that’s nicely complemented by some meatiness and a bit of spice. The palate is densely fruited with chocolatey richness and earthy, spicy complexity, finishing quite savoury. Tastes much more expensive than it is, and is acceptably modern, with lovely focus and purity. Surprisingly low alcohol (13.5%) considering how ripe the fruit profile is. 91/100 (£8.49 Virgin Wines) 04/08

Domaine de la Chevalerie 'Chevalerie' 2005 Bourgeuil, Loire, France
Deep coloured, this has a lovely focused, tight nose with rich, spicy, dark fruits, and just a subtle hint of reductive funk. The palate is concentrated with lush, sweet fruit backed up by rich spicy elements. A generous ripe style with lovely focus, this is a gorgeous expression of Cabernet Franc. 92/100 04/08

Domaine Vincent Carênne Vouvray ‘Le Peu Morier’ 2005 Loire, France
A fantastic Vouvray that is just off-dry. Lovely mineralic nose with some fruit richness. The palate is richly textured with lovely herb and citrus fruit notes, and just a bit of Chenin funk. Finishes really mineralic. 92/100 04/08

Howard Park Riesling 2007 Great Southern, Western Australia
I reckon this is one of Australia’s very best Rieslings. It has a beautifully expressive, elegant limey nose, with a bit of floral perfume. The palate is bone dry but not at all phenolic or rough, with concentrated, delicate (but not fragile) citrussy, minerally fruit. There’s a hint of grippy tannin on the finish, which is pretty dry and perhaps a little bitter (but not overly so). A versatile, stylish and potentially long-lived Riesling of great appeal. 12.5% alcohol. 92/100 (£12.50 Bibendum) 04/08

Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling 2007 Clare Valley, Australia
A drought vintage, with much warmer temperatures than the average (heat summation 1556 degree days versus long-term average of 1332 degree days), but this is still a superb wine. Attractive lime and tangerine peel nose is fresh and balanced. The palate is hugely concentrated with a dry citrus-pith character and minerally length. There’s some real richness and power here, but the delicacy of the variety persists. A beautifully balanced wine with some real weight and potential for further development. 13.5% alcohol. 92/100 (£10.99 Oddbins) 04/08

Howard Park Leston Shiraz 2005 Margaret River, Australia
Vibrant red/purple colour. The nose is distinctly Australian, with some mint, eucalyptus and tarry spiciness, along with sweet red and black fruits. The palate shows lovely freshness, with tight dark fruit and good acidity, along with well integrated oak. A really fresh, juicy style of Shiraz with real precision – I reckon this will age well. It’s a classically Australian style, but with more freshness and focus than most. I reckon this will be peaking in five years but good for 10 more. 91/100 (£14.50 Bibendum) 04/08

The Aurora Vineyard Syrah 2006 Bendigo, Central Otago, New Zealand
A beautiful cool-climate expression of Syrah. It has a really lovely white pepper and spice definition to the raspberry and dark cherry fruit, with an almost Burgundian elegance and freshness. There’s lovely purity to the fruit here, which is ripe and dark with great natural acidity. Real elegance here: it seems nicely poised between the new and old worlds in style. Not a big, dense, showy sort of wine, but utterly compelling – it reminds me of the best of the Gimblett Gravel Syrahs in style. Bendigo is a warm subdistrict of Central Otago, which explains why they’ve been able to make this wine from somewhere you wouldn’t expect to excel with Syrah. 92/100 (£16.99 http://www.hellionwines.com/) 04/08

Fuzion Shiraz Malbec 2007 Mendoza, Argentina
From Familia Zucchardi. Sweet, pure, ripe berry and black fruits dominate here, and there are some autumnal, foresty flavours, too. There's a hint of sweetness, but the dominant feature is the attractive pure fruit. Over-delivers for the price. Just 13% alcohol, too. 83/100 (£3.99 Somerfield) 03/08

Finca Flichman Reserva Shiraz 2006 Mendoza, Argentina
A dark, spicy, slightly meaty wine with lovely fruit intensity. This is joined by a subtle roast coffee edge, perhaps from the oak. There's some grippy structure on the palate which adds savouriness: I reckon this is a style best with food. Some substance here. 86/100 (£5.99 Waitrose, Stevens Garnier) 03/08

Terrazas Reserva Chardonnay 2006 Mendoza, Argentina
From high vineyards, at 1200 m altitude. This initially strikes me as very ripe, with tropical fruit, honey and vanilla to the fore. It's smooth, nutty and rich-textured, but there's also a brightness to the fruit, with some citrussy notes. It's a rounded, well integrated sort of wine of real appeal, although some might prefer their Chardonnays to have a bit more in the way of 'edges' and contrast between the various flavours. I like the way it is so 'together'. 89/100 (£10.99 Harvey Nichols) 03/08

Fuzion Shiraz Malbec 2007 Mendoza, Argentina
From Familia Zucchardi. Sweet, pure, ripe berry and black fruits dominate here, and there are some autumnal, foresty flavours, too. There's a hint of sweetness, but the dominant feature is the attractive pure fruit. Over-delivers for the price. Just 13% alcohol, too. 83/100 (£3.99 Somerfield) 03/08

Finca Flichman Reserva Shiraz 2006 Mendoza, Argentina
A dark, spicy, slightly meaty wine with lovely fruit intensity. This is joined by a subtle roast coffee edge, perhaps from the oak. There's some grippy structure on the palate which adds savouriness: I reckon this is a style best with food. Some substance here. 86/100 (£5.99 Waitrose, Stevens Garnier) 03/08

Terrazas Reserva Chardonnay 2006 Mendoza, Argentina
From high vineyards, at 1200 m altitude. This initially strikes me as very ripe, with tropical fruit, honey and vanilla to the fore. It's smooth, nutty and rich-textured, but there's also a brightness to the fruit, with some citrussy notes. It's a rounded, well integrated sort of wine of real appeal, although some might prefer their Chardonnays to have a bit more in the way of 'edges' and contrast between the various flavours. I like the way it is so 'together'. 89/100 (£10.99 Harvey Nichols) 03/08

Domaine Julien Courtois 'l'Originel' Vin de Table, France
This is a 100% Menu Pineau, an old Loire variety, grown biodynamically. It's a crazy, but lovely wine, reeking of cheese and cider. Herby, waxy, appley and pretty complex on the nose. The palate is appley and wonderfully complex with a long, minerally, acid finish. Fantastic stuff: weird but lovely. 93/100 (£15.99 Les Caves) 03/08

Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle 2006 Vallee d'Aoste, Italy
From the Cave du Vin in Morgex, this is a pure, fresh mountain wine that's part of the Vini Estremi group (http://www.viniestremi.com/). Weighing in at just 11.5% alcohol, it's delicate and minerally with a subtle apple and herb flavour and high acidity. There's a lovely bright savouriness to it: remarkably refreshing stuff. I do like mountain wines. 88/100 (Les Caves de Pyrene) 03/08

Parducci Pinot Noir 2006 California
Mendocino-based Parducci are these days riding the sustainability wagon (I haven't used the perjorative term 'bandwagon' here) - see www.parducci.com/sustainability. I remember Oddbins used to stock a Parducci Charbono a few years back; now they are stocking this Pinot Noir. By Californian standards this is an inexpensive wine, and it certainly tastes like Pinot, although at this price point it's facing strong competition from the cheaper NZ Pinots. The nose is quite sweet, with bright berry and cherry fruit, but there's also a savoury green herbal streak. The nicely balanced palate has a bit of this sweet and savoury thing going on, with sweet berry fruit countered by a spicy herby savouriness. It's not quite elegant enough to be a must buy, but it's certainly acceptable at this price, and avoids being confected and forced. Reminds me a bit of the Cono Sur Pinot. 86/100 (£8.49 Oddbins) 03/08

Domaine Mas Viel Pinot Noir 2006 Vin de Pays d'Oc, France
Sealed with ProCork, a natural cork with a special membrane attached to each chamfered end, to prevent any risk of TCA transmission from the cork to the wine: I haven't seen many of these around. It has a ripe, forward sweet berry fruit nose that's richer than you'd expect from Pinot. Quite dense on the palate with some firm tannins, ripe fruit and a herby tang, together with some sweet vanilla oak notes. It's attractive, in a flirty sort of way, but this doesn't really taste like Pinot. Still, it's quite cheap, and I suspect that if it was from Chile or California, it would have its fans. 81/100 (£6.95 http://www.therealwineco.co.uk/)  03/08

Blason de Bourgogne Mercurey 2003 Burgundy
This is bright and quite tart, displaying cherry and raspberry fruit with some stern, savoury earthy undercurrents. It's lean, a bit acidic, and ungenerous. There's also a rustic herbal streak. It was just a shade under £10 from Tesco and Asda a couple of years ago, and I think it was a bit overpriced. It would work well as a food wine, I suspect, but it's a bit severe on its own. 80/100 03/08

Castillo Labastida Aniversario Rioja 2004
From the Cosecheros de Labastida Co-op, made for Laithwaites. Very deep red/purple colour. Ripe, sweet fruit on the nose which is quite lush, and has a hint of vanilla. The palate is dense and fruit-driven with some ripe, spicy fruit and a bit of tannic structure. It's nice to find this density of fruit and a relative lack of obvious oak in a Rioja. Modern but balanced. 88/100 (£7.06 Laithwaites) 03/08

Monasterio de Santa Cruz Tarragona 2005
Deep red colour. Ripe sweet berryish fruit here with a nice supple quality and a cherry freshness. This is a delicious fruit-driven style that's ripe and approachable with just a hint of spicy seriousness. Well made. 86/100 (£6.55 Laithwaites) 03/08

Marques de la Concordia Tempranillo 2005 Rioja
Deep coloured. Savoury, spicy, slightly earthy and midweight, with a drying finish. Attractive drinkable wine. 84/100 (£5.99 Tesco, Oddbins) 03/08

Bodegas Navajas Vega del Rio Rioja Crianza 2003
Light, bright and quite attractive with red berry fruits, backed up by some earthy, spicy depth. Not profound, but savoury and bright. 83/100 (£5.99 Morrisons) 03/08

Vina Herminia Excelsus 2005 Rioja
Mid-red colour. Complex sweet, ripe cherry and red berry fruit nose is quite perfumed and harmonious. The palate is sweet and round with smooth, elegant, subtly spicy fruit. It seems to have a fair bit of Grenache character (Garnacha makes 45% of the blend). Not a big wine, but really expressive without that overpowering oak influence so often found in Rioja: this spends less than a year in oak, and is better for it. Impressive. 89/100 (£9.99 Oddbins)  03/08

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