Les Fontanelles Viognier 1999, Vin de Pays d'Oc
Quite full coloured, this is a dry, crisp white with a bit of fatness of texture, a touch of spiciness and melon and mango notes. Lacks some of the exotic, floral, peachy notes normally associated with this variety, but still a nice drop. Good/very good (£4.99 Majestic)

Picpoul de Pinet 'Carte Noire' 1999 Cave L'Ormarine
A full yellow colour, this distinctive Languedoc white has a nice herby/waxy nose and a fresh, savoury, citrus-tinged palate. Bone dry and fresh, it's a good inexpensive food wine. Good/very good (about £4, worldmarechal) 05/01

Domaine Mas de la Garrigue Cuvée C'line 1996 Côtes du Roussillon
A faulty wine? On opening it is slightly cloudy, and there's obviously been some rather odd microbial activity taking place here. It is extremely stinky with an animal-like nose and a savoury, meaty, cheesy, poopy palate. There's also a metallic tang on the palate. I don't mind a bit of stink in my wines, but this has crossed over and is almost undrinkable. Mind you, I'd rather suffer the odd faulty bottle than end up with sterile, over-filtered, techno wines. (La Vigneronne, around £7) 2/01

Corbières d'Embres 1998, Tardieu Laurent
From low-yielding old vine Syrah, Grenache and Carignan, this is an opulent, sexy wine, but not instantly recognizable as Corbières. Deep red/black colour with an attrcative, full, licqouricey, smoky, herby nose. There is classy oak on the palate, together with soft, exotic fruit, lots of alcohol and a rich texture. With lots of everything, this is seductive in a modern style. Very good/excellent (£14.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Corbières Roquefort 1998, Tardieu Laurent
From 80 year-old Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan at heroically low yields of 15 hl/ha. Concentrated, deep red/black colour with an exotic, ripe nose of fruit, licqourice and alcohol. Very ripe and sweetly fruited on the palate hides consiberable tannic structure. Acoholic and quite port-like, with a slightly 'chemical' edge. Very good+ (£14.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00 

Domaine Les Aurelles 'Aurel' 1998, Coteaux du Langeudoc
From a domaine located near Pezenas started a few years ago by Karl Mauguin and Basile Saint-Germain. This is a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre blend from low-yielding old vines. A red/black colour, this has a ripe, herby, sweetly fruited nose. Soft spicy fruit is backed by firm tannins. It's chunky and savoury, and a bit like a very good Châteauneuf du Pape. Very good/excellent, but needs time. (£15.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine de la Marfée, Les Champs Murmurés 1998, Coteaux du Languedoc
Thierry Hasard apparently vinifies this wine in the basement of his house in the centre of Montpellier, and first vintage was in 1997. This is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault A deep red/black colour, with a forward, smoky, licqourice nose. Complex and full, this has a lovely, rich palate with firm, spicy tannins and a nice mineral streak. With great balance, this is modern and delicious; for the long haul. Excellent (£18.75 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine de Creisses 'Les Brunes' 1998, Coteaux du Languedoc
A blend of Cabernet, Mourvèdre and Syrah. Rich, exotic nose of ripe fruit and licqourice. Complex and full, this has a dense, rich palate with firm tannins and quite high alcohol. Nice, but expensive. Very good + (£22.50 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine de la Casa Blanca, Banyuls Tradition 1998
Mainly Grenache Gris. Ripe, sweet, herbal nose -- slightly caramelized. Full, dense and rich on the palate, with great balance and sweet herbiness. This has plenty of what is known as 'rancio' character. Very good/ excellent (£10.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine de la Casa Blanca, Banyuls Vintage 1998
Mainly Grenache Noir, matured in small oak barrels. This is darker coloured, with a less open nose than the Banyuls tradition, and less sweetness too. Dark coloured, this has a complex, herby palate with some tannins. It's quite port-like, without much 'rancio' character. Super balance. Excellent (£11.50 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine de Ravanès Merlot 1998, Vin de Pays
From an ambitious producer from the South of France, this is a mid-weight red with an attractive leafy/herby nose. Soft, balanced and spicy on the palate, perhaps lacking a bit of concentration, with leafy, tobaccoey undertoned. Good/very good. (£7.50 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine de Ravanès Cabernet Sauvignon 1998, Vin de Pays
A mide-weight red showing a refined blackcurrant and herb-laced nose. Nice balanced palate with a bit of spice and some herby notes. Unremarkable. Good/ very good. (£8.50 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine de Comberousse 1998 'Roucaillat', Coteaux du Languedoc
A tasty white wine (a blend of the varieties Grenache Blanc, Rolle and Roussanne), this has an attractive mineralic nose with bright, smoky note. It has a lovely rich palate: rounded, soft and full with nutty, herbal character. Quite fat textured; full flavoured and delicious. Very good+ (£6.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine Terre Mégère Merlot 1998, Vin de Pays
A great bargain from the South of France. Deep purple/black, with a lovely blast of sweet leafy/herbal fruit on the nose, underlain by a touch of smoky complexity. On the palate this shows great concentration and lovely, ripe, mineralic fruit. All you'd want in an inexpensive red. Very good/ excellent (£5.50 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine Terre Mégère Cabernet Sauvignon 1998, Vin de Pays
Deep red colour with an attractive smoky/herbal nose with some ripe fruit. On the palate there is lots of fruit, but overall it is savoury and quite austere. Good concentration; a nice wine. Very good + (£5.75 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine Terre Mégère 'Les Dolomies' 1998, Coteaux du Languedoc
Mostly Syrah, this is a wonderful, rustic, meaty wine of great character. Deep, rich, smoky nose with a meaty depth to it. Concentrated, earthy, rich palate: this is impressive stuff with a slightly wild, animal-like edge. Very good/excellent (£6.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine Vaquer 'L'Exception' 1998, Vin de Pays Catalan
A blend of Carignan and Grenache. Dep red/black colour with a herby/peppery nose that has a touch of caramel about it. Ripe, full and porty palate with good density and rich, slightly sweet fruit. Warming and southern. Very good (£9.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine de la Casa Blanca Collioure 1998
Alain Soufflet uses more Syrah than is usual for this Grenache-dominated appellation. This wine is a full red colour with a lighter rim. Warm Southern nose gives way to a ripe palate dominated by rich, spicy/peppery fruit. There's a bit of tannin there, too. Very good (£8.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00

La Cuvée Mythique 1998, Vin de Pays d'Oc, France
A blend of Val d'Orbieu's best parcels of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan, this is a superb, dense, fruit-packed red at a very good price. Deep coloured, it has a lovely nose of ripe fruit, herbs and well-judged oak. On the concentrated palate there is sweet fruit and oak, underpinned by firm tannins. In style, this sits somewhere in between other new wave Languedoc reds (which tend to be more terroir-driven) and Aussie Shiraz. It's a wine to buy by the case for drinking over the next few years. Very good/excellent (£6.49 Majestic, Waitrose) 1/01

Château Grande Cassagne Blanc 1999 Costières de Nîmes
A nice southern French white with good balance and real character, made mainly from Grenache Blanc with a touch of Roussanne. Attractive perfumed floral nose with a musky edge, followed up by a broad, full flavoured palate. Very good + (£6.99 La Vigneronne) 10/00

Faugères Abbaye de Sylva Plana 1999, La Closeraie
First vintage from new winemaker, handpicked grapes and low yields of 30 hl/ha. Full red/black colour. Slightly muted nose but full, dense palate of soft, ripe, chalky fruit. Nice concentration: needs time to show its best? Very good. (£6.49 Majestic) 10/00

Minervois Domaine des Aires Hautes La Livinière 1998
Soft, forward, slightly sweet nose that seems to be typical of new-wave Minervois. Exotic herby, rich fruit on the palate, with nice balance. Very good+ (Majestic £6.99) 10/00

Château Coupes Roses Les Plôts 1999, Minervois
Deep red purple with a delicious nose: pungent, meaty and exotic. Tannic and full on the palate this is super stuff, with lovely herby complexity. Very good/excellent. (£6.99 Majestic) 10/00

Corbières 1999, Domaine Madelon
Red/black colour, with good concentration. It's a bright, fruity wine with a nice smoky edge. Good/very good, and a good value. (£3.99, Majestic) 10/00

L'Excellence du Château Capendu 1999, Corbières
Impressive red/black colour and good concentration to this nicely packaged wine. Quite muted on the nose, with a modern, fruit-forward palate. A little disappointing. Good+ (£5.99 Majestic) 10/00

Borie du Maurel Cuvée Sylla 1998 Minervois
Perfumed, exotic nose of sweet fruit. Astonishingly intense. Rich and licqouricey with dense fruit, olives and firm tannins. Despite the concentration, this is a soft, intense wine. Very good, but a bit soft, lacking balance. Perhaps the grapes were just a bit too ripe? (£12.99 Oddbins) 7/00

Borie du Maurel Belle de Nuit 1999, Minervois
This is an odd wine. It has rich, soft, concentrated flavours of chocolatey fruit and liquorice, with an exotic nose of sweet herbs, but it lacks the acidity and/or tannins necessary to structure the wine properly. It's certainly attractive in an upfront sort of way -- a bit like an overripe Zinfandel -- but I'm not sure they've got it right. I suspect that with the high alcohol (14%), they harvested these grapes when they were slightly overripe, resulting in an unbalanced wine. (Oddbins £7.49) 8/00

Grande Cassagne Hippolyte 1998, Costières de Nimes
Another dense southern French superwine. Slightly muted, bready nose with masses of sweet, ripe fruit on the palate. There are firm tannins and good acidity balancing the ripe fruit. Very good, but lacks a tiny bit of excitement. 7/00

Barrel-matured Merlot Vin de Pays du Torgan 1998, Mount Tauch, Languedoc
From the well-reputed Mount Tauch cooperative comes this concentrated, oaky, modern-styled red. It is well structured with firm tannins and red berry fruit. Good, without being really interesting, the varietal character of Merlot is underlaid by earthy, dusty, regional character. (£7.99 Tesco) 7/00

Chateau Reig 1991 Coillioure
Soft, dusty mature red with firm tannins. A lovely southern wine with firm acidity and mature character. Good. 7/00

Château de Lancyre Grande Cuvée 1997, Pic Saint-Loup, Coteaux du Languedoc AOC
From a 73 Ha estate, this is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre matured for 12 months in barriques. A red/purple colour, this is wonderful stuff. A smoky nose is followed by a smoky, meaty, herby palate with medium body and quite high acidity. There are hints of tea and tobacco, firm tannins and some cherry fruit. Complex and refined, this is archetypal Pic Saint-Loup with quite a life ahead of it. Very good/ excellent. (£7.19, Tesco) 6/00

Domaine Haut Lirou 1998, Pic Saint-Loup, Coteaux du Languedoc
A herby, meaty, chocolatey wine of medium concentration. Quite pleasant, with real regional character, but why is there no vintage date on the label? (£5.30, Languedoc Select [winesoc.co.uk]) 7/00

Domaine Ollier Taillefer Faugères 1998, Castel Fossibus
Concentrated deep purple colour. Herby nose with some smoky oak. Ripe, complex and with noticeable new oak and plenty of red berry fruit. Savoury and intense with a good tannic structure; a serious, full flavoured wine. Very good + (Languedoc Select [winesoc.co.uk]) 6/00

Mas des Costes Pic Saint-Loup 1997, Coteaux du Languedoc
A satisfying Southern French red with plenty of regional character. 70% Syrah, 30% Grenache. Deep coloured with a nose of smoky bacon and herbs. On the palate it is chunky, deep and herby, with a touch of pepper and chalky tannins. There are red fruits present, and there's also some balancing acidity. Good complexity, and noticeable oak. Good/very good. (£6.65, Languedoc Select [winesoc.co.uk]) 7/00

Château des Peyregrandes 1998, Faugères
35% Syrah, 30% Carignan, 25% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre. Yields of 35 hl/ha.
Deep purple/black colour. Muted stony nose. Firm palate with intense, earthy fruit and strong tannins. A structured, brooding wine; serious, but restrained. May develop nicely. Opens out nicely after a while in the glass to reveal smoky, herby elements. Very good (£6.20 Languedoc Select [winesoc.co.uk]) 6/00

Domaine Begude Chardonnay 1999, Comte Cathare, Vin de Pays d'Oc
A light, fresh, lemony Chardonnay. Its appealing, but quite simple. Medium bodied. Good. (£4.99 Oddbins) 7/00

Domaine Begude Marsanne/Viognier 1999, Comte Cathare, Vin de Pays d'Oc
A 50/50 blend. Gently aromatic wine with a rich, full palate of nutty, floral and melon flavours. Modern in style, but attractive and fresh. A good food match. Good. (Oddbins £4.99) 7/00

1999 Les Clos de Paulilles Rose, Colliure AOC
Syrah-based, this is quite deep coloured for a rose, with sweet cherry and pepper flavours. Deep, fruity and dry, it is a good food wine with a nice texture, but is probably pushing the limit a bit on value for money. (£5.99, Oddbins). 6/00

Chateau Valcyre 1998 Robert Graffinet, Pic Saint Loup, AOC Coteaux du Languedoc, Elevé en fût de Chêne
Youthful red/purple colour. Bright raspberry fruit combines with peppery notes and firm tannins to produce a clean, modern-styled wine with well judged oak. It probably needs some time to show its best; the South of France meets the Hunter Valley. Very good. (£5.45, Languedoc Select [winesoc.co.uk]) 7/00

Château de Jau, Côtes du Roussillon Villages 1997
Full, herby, barnyardy (bretty), peppery wine with high acid, medum body and cherry and red fruits. A typically Southern French red. Good. (Nicolas £6.99) 6/00

Domaine de la Grangenon 1998 Vin de Pays des Coteaux de l'Ardeche
A varietal Syrah in a modern, fruit-driven style: quite unusual for a Southern French wine. Inviting nose of ripe chocolatey fruit with bacon-fat varietal character. Soft and meaty on palate with sweet herby fruit. Youthful and soft, this is a delicious, new-world styled wine. Soft and expressive. Very good, but avoid if you are looking for a traditional styled wine. (£7.50 La Vigneronne) 5/00

Mortiès Grande Cuvée 1996, Mas de Mortiès, Pic Saint-Loup, Coteaux du Languedoc
Deep red/purple, with an open nose of earthy, meaty cherry fruit and a big dose of farmyardy aromas. On the palate there is meaty, chocolatey fruit with a tongue-tingling finish. Tasty southern wine if you don't mind the strong brettanomyces (brett) character. (£9.99 Harrods) 5/00

Domaine de La Motte Chardonnay 1998, James Herrick, Vin de Pays d'Oc
10% barrel fermented; 50% malolactic. Concentrated but tight. Light lemon and mineral laden Chardonnay with some nice smoky/appley notes. Nicely balanced and savoury; quite delicate. Good. (£6.49 Oddbins) 5/00

Domine Les Garrigues de Truilhas 1998, James Herrick, Vin de Pays d'Oc
The name comes from the stony soil of the vineyards. Lean on the nose with smoky, mineral-like characters. Some ripe fruit on the palate, but overall still quite lean, with more smoky, mineralic notes. Slightly bitter finish. Quite good. (£5.49 Oddbins) 5/00

Domaine Capion Cabernet Sauvignon 1997, Vin de Pays de L'Herault
A really impressive domain-bottled Cabernet Sauvignon from the South of France, but with a dreadfully dull label. Concentrated purple/black with a creamy, herbal, chocolatey texture. Leafy, rich blackcurrant fruit with firm tannins and good structure. A nice, new wave Southern French wine. (Berry Brothers & Rudd, £6.95) 5/00

La Gravette 1999 Rosé, AOC Coteaux du Languedoc
A delicious rosé in a modern style: fresh, crisp and dry with strawberry laced sweet fruits and good acidity. Delicate and nicely made. (£4.10 Languedoc Select [winesoc.co.uk]) 6/00

Château de Lascours 1998, Coteaux du Languedoc Pic Saint-Loup, Rosé
Rosé wines are relatively neglected in the UK, but are drunk by the pitcher-full in the South of France. Attractive Amber/pink colour. Lovely fresh, fruity wine with good acidity, full flavour and a peppery edge. Clean and delicious well chilled. On a warm summer's evening, this is the ideal wine, good with food. (£4.45, Languedoc Select [winesoc.co.uk]) 6/00

Château de Lascours 1998, Coteaux du Languedoc Pic Saint-Loup
Lovely stuff. Youthful red/purple colour. A savoury, peppery, herby wine with good concentration and meaty undertones. Firm tannins underlying the fruit; lovely balance and good complexity. Has the distinctive regional character commonly found in many Pic Saint-Loup wines. Despite the meat/earthy character, it is not at all barnyardy or bretty. Very good + (£4.65, Languedoc Select [winesoc.co.uk]) 6/00

Domaine des Courtilles 1998, Corbières AOC
Bernard Schürr, vigneron. Unfiltered, 14.5% alcohol
A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan. It is a vibrant red/purple colour. Intense nose of herbs and liquorice. Ripe and concentrated with flavours of pepper, cherries, vanilla, cinnamon (from the Grenache?) and wet stones (from the Carignan?). With soft tannins, this is distinctively a Corbières wine, yet it has the softness and fruit of a new world wine. Very good, but unusual. (£8.99, Waitrose) 5/00

Château de Cazeneuve Pic-St-Loup 1997 Le Roc des Mates
A £7 wine that tastes like a £15 wine. Deep red/purple colour. Rich, herby and earthy with meaty fruit -- there is also some pepper spice character. Authentic wine with good complexity (there may be some new oak here) with a deep, brooding character that appears to owe more to the vineyard than to the winery. (Fuller's £6.99) 5/00

Viognier 2000, Vignerons Ardechois, Vin de Pays Coteaux de l'Ardeche
This is a nice varietal Viognier that's quite impressive considering the price. The nicely perfumed nose leads to a very soft, rounded, low acid palate. There's a bit of peachy fruit and some minerality. Very nicely textured without being confected. A Condrieu taste-alike? Very good (£4.60 World Marechal) 03/01

Cuvée Prestige Cépage Syrah 1999, Vignerons Ardechois, Vin de Pays Coteaux de l'Ardeche
A brilliantly chunky wine for the price, this is an inky, angular red showing admirable concentration and some nice varietal character. Its solidity means that it's best with food, though. Very good (£3.60 World Marechal) 3/01

Château Puech-Haut 1998 Saint Drézéry, Coteaux de Languedoc
A modern styled wine from this ambitious Languedoc producer. Nose shows forward bright fruit and spicy vanilla oak with a creamy edge. Good concentration and ripe fruit on the palate, with firm tannins and lots of new oak (contributing spicy vanilla and cinnamon notes). Attractive stuff but currently the oak is quite dominant. I suspect and hope that it will integrate much better after a year or two in the bottle. Very good+ (World Marechal, about £8) 3/01

Chateau Grande Cassagne Blanc 1999, Costières de Nîmes
This was delicious when I first tried it, back in summer 2000, but it has lost the lovely floral, aromatic freshness since then -- southern French whites often are best as young as possible. A deep yellow colour, the shy nose is beginning to show the first signs of oxidation. Nice, fresh palate with good balance, firm acidity and a crisp character. Two bottles opened were both very similar. Good/very good (La Vigneronne £6.50) 3/01

Rolly Gassmann Gewürztraminer 1995, Alsace
A lovely, fat-textured example of Alsace Gewürztraminer that's drinking nicely now. Striking ripe nose of lychees, grapes and bacon fat. Lovely rich, full flavoured palate with just enough residual sugar to give a rounded character. Perfectly balanced. Very good/excellent (£12.44 Bibendum) 11/01

Materne Haegelin Pinot Blanc 1999, Alsace
Muted nose with a touch of honey is followed by a dry palate with some mineral notes and a slightly unusual herbal edge. Good depth of flavour but unremarkable. Good/very good (£5.49 Majestic) 10/01

Materne Haegelin Riesling Bollenberg 1999, Alsace
The fresh, lemony/floral nose is quite expressive. Lovely balance on the palate with a dry finish and some complexity. A pretty Riesling, drinking well now. Very good+ (£6.99 Majestic) 10/01

Materne Haegelin Gewürztraminer 1999, Alsace
Delicate perfumed nose is very floral. Delicious palate shows super balance: it's full, rounded and has some residual sugar, but finishes dry. Will go well with food. Very good+ (£8.99 Majestic) 10/01

Materne Haegelin Tokay Pinot Gris 1999, Alsace
A beautifully poised Tokay Pinot Gris. The nose shows notes of smoky bacon and herbs, with a fresh, acidic lift, and leads to a richly textured palate that finishes dry. A full-on wine that will accompany food very well. Very good/excellent (£7.99 Majestic) 10/01

Wunsch & Mann Pinot Blanc 1999, Alsace
(Tasted blind, note as written) Delicate, slightly floral nose with some lemony notes. Palate is dry, slightly spicy, with good concentration of rounded, lemony fruit. There's a hint of residual sugar. This is probably an old-world Riesling (not a great one; possibly a Pinot Blanc?) from Alsace. Very good (£6.75 Handford)

Jean Heywang Klevener de Heiligenstein 1998, Alsace
Apparently, the rare variety of Klevener (not the same as Klevner, which is used a synonym for Pinot Blanc in Alsace), has been a speciality of Heiligenstein since 1742. This is a rich yellow/gold colour, and shows a rich, ripe nose with a spicy edge and some botrytis-like notes. There’s a touch of sulphur and some mineral-like elements too. It is soft, honeyed and mineralic on the palate with lovely texture and length. There’s just a touch of residual sugar: it is not bone dry but it’s not all that sweet, either. A complex wine, best with food. Very good/excellent (£10 La Vigneronne) 4/01

Schlumberger Riesling 1997 'Les Princes Abbés', Alsace
A pale yellow/green colour this has an intense, complex nose of citrus fruits with undertones of smoke and honey. The bone dry, lemony, mineralic palate is fresh and crisp. Quite austere and classically styled, this is a good food wine. Very good+ (£8.85 Bentalls) 5/01

Hugel 'Gentil' 1999, Alsace
This pale coloured blend of Alsace varieties has an attractive grapey/floral nose with a honeyed edge. The palate is fruity and floral with a touch of spice. A nice all purpose house white, this goes down very easily. Very good (£5.99 Sainsbury) 5/01

Domaine Zind Humbrecht Herrenweg de Turkheim Pinot Gris 1998, Alsace
A full yellow gold colour, this wine is slightly spritzy (with fine bubbles), which leads me to worry that it may just have started to referment in the bottle. It has a honeyed, smoky, grapey nose with notes of tinned fruit syrup, caramel and butterscotch. The palate is full and rounded with a touch of residual sugar. Good but odd; it may be of course that this is a slightly faulty bottle. Very good (£9.99 Wine Rack) 5/01

Materne Haegelin Riesling Bollenberg 1999, Alsace, France
A yellow colour, this is has a clean, lemony, floral nose with a touch of honey. Palate is full and savoury with a lovely crisp minerality, some citrussy character and a dry, high acid finish. A lovely wine for the price. (£6.99 Majestic, on offer at £5.99 for 2 or more) 12/01

JB Adam Tokay Pinot Gris 1999, Alsace
JB Adam have their own vineyard holdings and also act as negociants; this is one of their negociant wines. It’s pleasant stuff; varietally true with a slightly smoky, grapey, bacon-fat-laced nose. The palate is full flavoured with grapey, spicy notes and good balance. Soft finish. Not a big wine, but a useful match for richer dishes. It’s a shame that they cut corners by using an agglomerate cork, which I think adds a subtle but discernible taint to the wine. Very good (£6.50 worldmarechal.com) 5/01

Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Herrenweg Turkheim 1993, Alsace
A deep yellow/gold colour, this expressive Riesling has a lovely rich nose with a citrus edge and some spicy notes. The full, fat palate has bags of ripe citrussy fruit and tangy acidity. It's quite complex and with a little bit of residual sugar there's nice balance here, and it's not too sweet and fat to pair well with food. Drinking beautifully now, and quite profound in a ripe style. Excellent (Wine Rack discounted to £9.99) 04/01

Trimbach Muscat Reserve 1998
I was quite surprised by this wine, which was served blind¾ I guessed it was a new world Gewürztraminer! It has an expressive aromatic nose showing sweet floral notes. The palate is clean, dry and grapey, with a bit of spiciness, but there's not quite full enough texture to match the lovely nose. A bit of a one-trick wine, but good with strongly flavoured food. Very good (04/01)

Hugel Riesling 1998, Alsace
The basic Riesling from Hugel (not the 'Tradition' series) has a bright, aromatic, citrussy nose with some floral notes: it's lifted and a bit nervy. The lemony palate is fresh with high acidity and some mineral notes. Quite full flavoured, but a little tight and austere at the moment. Very good (Oddbins £8.95) 6/01

Albert Boxler Pinot Blanc L20B 1998, Alsace
An old vines cuvée from 50 year old vines, this has a lightly floral, honeyed nose with some smoky notes. The palate is complex, mineralic and taut, with great balance, and spice and honey notes. Although it is from a grand cru vineyard site (Brand, I believe), because Pinot Blanc is not one of the noble grapes of Alsace, the producer is not allowed to give this information on the label -- this is why Boxler uses the L20B 'code' instead. Very good/excellent 03/01

Trimbach Pinot Gris Cuvée Reserve Personelle 1997, Alsace
A lightly honeyed, slightly spicy nose is followed up with a fresh, clean, spicy palate: it is quite mineralic and intense, with a touch of honey, and not as fat textured as most Alsace Pinot Gris tends to be. A lean, savoury style. Very good+ 03/01

Marc Kreydenweiss Pinot Gris Grand Cru Moenchberg 1995, Alsace
A lovely, rich Pinot Gris with some botrytis and a touch of residual sugar. The evolved, spicy palate is rich, but has nice balancing acidity, and it is dry enough to pair with food quite well. Very good/excellent

Albert Mann Tokay Pinot Gris Vieilles Vignes 1999
From a tricky vintage a lovely expression of Pinot Gris. This isn't big and fat like some examples of this grape can be, but instead shows good balance. It displays rounded, ripe grapey/spicy flavours, and notes of honey, toffee apples and smoke, with a long spicy finish. Just a touch of residual sugar: the overall impression is quite dry. A rich, full flavoured food wine. Very good+ (£10.49 Oddbins) 03/01

Wunsch & Mann Riesling Grand Cru Hengst 1996
Quite deep coloured. The richly rounded nose is smooth with notes of honey, pears, smoke and minerals. The lively palate shows more honey, smoke and mineral characters, with lemony acidity on the finish. It's quite a serious, minerally wine. Subtle and balanced. Very good+ 4/01

Bott-Geyl Riesling Grand Cru Mandelberg 1997
The subtle, citrus-laden nose has some smoky notes and a lively grapiness. The palate is more open, with some sweetness and complex notes of honey, smoke and minerals. It's a modern, market-driven style that I don't care for much: I find that most of the more ambitious wines from this producer lack balance. Very good 4/01

Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 1997
A serious, backward wine that really needs time to show its best. The minerally, smoky nose leads to a bone dry palate that is complex and mineralic with some citrus elements. It's quite tight and firm, but with a bright future ahead of it. Very good/excellent 4/01

Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste Hune 1996
Possibly the most celebrated Alsace wine? It's hard not to be swayed by reputations as lofty as that enjoyed by this wine, and even harder to assess it fairly so early on in its development. Quite a deep colour, the full, startling nose shows complex bready and mineral notes with some smokiness and perhaps a touch of spice. The palate is quite challenging: bone dry and with high acidity, it shows lime and mineral notes, with huge extract and concentration. Will probably be sensational in time, but quite hard work to drink now because of the high acidity and lack of balancing sugar. Excellent 4/01

Lorentz Tokay Pinot Gris Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim 1990, Alsace
The part closed mineralic nose with hints of smoke and honeyed fruit is followed by a soft, rounded palate with honey and spice flavours, and good depth. It’s an impressive mature wine from a less well known producer, and perhaps the only criticism is a touch of bitterness on the finish. It’s a style I like. Very good+ 1/01

Paul Zinck Gewürztraminer 1999, Alsace, France
This full flavoured Alsatian shows great varietal character. It has a ripe, rich, floral nose with pronounced lychee notes. This is followed up with a nicely balanced palate: rich and full with a touch of sweetness in the finish. I often find that there's a discontinuity in many bone dry Gewürztraminers between the sweetly floral nose and bone dry palate, but this wine gets it right. Very good/excellent (£7.99 Majestic) 1/01

Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Turkheim 1998
A bold flavoured, unusual wine. Deep coloured wine with a floral, lychee, grapey and honeyed nose. On the palate it has a rich, soapy, oily texture, and is dry with a touch of honeyed sweetness in the finish. The high alcohol is apparent. Very good, but not to everyone's taste. (£7.99 Waitrose) 11/00

Riesling Grafenreben 1997 Bott-Geyl
Full, ripe, citrussy nose. It's dry with good concentration on palate, showing more of the citrussy character and nice complexity. Very good. (Majestic £8.99) 10/00

Tokay Pinot Gris Grand Cru Sonnenglanz 1998, Bott-Geyl
Ripe, rich, exotic nose; smoky and complex. On the palate, however, despite the good concentration it's overly sweet and sugary, without enough complexity or acidity. A real shame. Good. (Majestic £13.99) 10/00

Marc Kreydenweiss Tokay Pinot Gris Grand Cru Moenchberg 1995, Alsace
One of the Swedish parcel from Majestic (at about a third of the usual retail price). A stunning, unusual wine. Light gold colour with a smoky nose. On the palate there are complex honeyed flavours, some varietal character and quite a bit of botrytis. It is intense and concentrated, with a slightly sweet finish. It’s beginning to oxidise a little, so drink soon. Very good/excellent 8/00

Materne Haegelin Riesling Bollenberg 1997, Alsace
A serious Alsatian wine at a bargain price. Lovely open nose of citrus fruit and minerals. On the palate there is a lovely structure: it is light and citrus-laden, with good acidity and a touch of sweetness in the finish. Harmonious and interesting. Very good, perhaps even better. (£6.99, Majestic) 2/00

Materne Haegelin Pinot Blanc 1997, Alsace
An impressive, inexpensive Alsatian. Attractive spice and lemon nose. On the palate there is good concentration, with sweet floral notes and spice contributing to what is a nicely balanced and full flavoured wine. Touch of residual sugar? Very good and a steal at £5.49. (Majestic) 2/00

La Gascogne par Alain Brumont 1999 Gros Manseng
Lovely, fresh, zippy white with good grapefruit-like flavour and nice texture. It's a real shame its sealed with a nasty agglomerate cork, which slightly taints the wine. (Worldmarechal.com, about £3) 10/00

La Gascogne d'Alain Brumont Cépage Tannat 1999, Vin de Pays de Côtes de Gascogne
A remarkable dark, inky red/black coloured wine. Nice smoky nose is followed up with clean, earthy fruit with quite firm tannins. A lovely, substantial quaffer for a bargain price. Very good (About £3, World Marechal) 11/00

La Gascogne par Alain Brumont Sauvignon 1999, Vin de Pays de Côtes de Gascogne
Bright, grassy Sauvignon Blanc showing great intensity. Shame about the agglomerate cork which adds a slight taint. Good (very good with a proper cork or a synthetic). (Around £3, World Marechal) 11/00

Tempier Bandol Rosé 1999, Provence
I find it hard to get really excited by Rosé, but this is a good one, from Bandol's most famous name. A pale orange/pink colour with attractive, herby strawberry fruit on the nose. Rich, full-flavoured palate with a nice herby, spicy character. Would be stunning in situ, no doubt. Very good (£11.16 A&B Vintners) 11/01

Tempier Bandol Rouge 'Classique' 1999, Provence
Quite a full, heby nose with a lovely Provencale character. Mid-weight expressive palate is quite complex and shows plenty of character and good balance. Fascinating stuff. Very good+ (£13.61 A&B Vintners) 11/01

Domaine de la Citadelle 1997, Côtes du Luberon
This Provencale wine gets a couple of stars in the latest Guide Hachette; I've only previously tried the unoaked Cuvee Le Chataignier from this revitalised 40 ha estate, which I enjoyed. A vivid purple/black colour, this is initially a bit muted on the nose. The palate shows reasonably high acid and some tannic structure, with flavours of stewed fruits (fascinatingly, the tasting note in the Guide Hachette picks up the same character, quite independently), underlain by chalky tannins. Good concentration. Overall, I was a little disappointed: I was expecting this to be really good, but I found it a bit porty, with a slightly hot alcoholic finish. Very good (About £7, World Marechal) 7/01

Domaine Lafran Veyrolles 1998 Bandol
This is a small 10 ha domaine in Bandol with a good reputation. A blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache and Cinsault, this is lovely stuff. Delightful, full, animal-like nose with cinnamon spice and herbs. Dense, savoury, herbal palate; complex and tannic. Needs time. Very good/excellent (£11.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine Lafran Veyrolles 1998 Bandol Cuvée Longue Garde
Tannic and youthful, this has a rich, herby nose that is just a little muted (as is quite common in southern wines destined for long ageing). Complex, deep and herby on the palate with firm tannins and lots of density. Needs lots of time. Very good + with the potential to be excellent in a decade or so. (£15.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine Gros' Noré 1998 Bandol
From a new domaine owned by Alain Pascal, who rents 15 ha of vines. Deep red/black colour, this has an attractive but slightly muted nose of minerals and smoke. On the palate it is dense, youthful and tannic with a herbal edge to the fruit. Shows great promise and needs some time in bottle to reach its potential. Very good+ (£14.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine de la Courtade Blanc 1998, Côtes du Provence
A quality-minded domaine located on the island of Porquerolles, this aromatic white wine is made from the Rolle grape. It has a floral, perfumed nose, and on the palate it is richly-textured and full flavoured, with quite low acidity. Very good+ (£13.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Château Simone Blanc 1998, Palette
From a tiny appellation, this expensive white wine is a bit of an oddity, but it is of high quality. The full, spicy nose leads to a full flavoured palate with a touch of spice and good balancing acidity. Dry and rich, with some potential to improve in the bottle. Very good + (£17.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine La Bégude 1998 Bandol Rosé
This is very pale pink in colour -- only just a rosé. It has a sweet spicy nose that is followed up on the richly textured palate by some strawberry fruit and high acidity, with a touch of bitterness on the finish. Very good, but rather too expensive? (£9.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Château Simone 1998, Palette Rosé
Another expensive offering from Château Simone, this is an attractive pink/orange colour and has a muted nose. The palate is lovely and rich, with spicy character and good balancing acidity. Good/ very good (£16.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine La Courtade 1998, Côtes du Provence
From an ambitious domaine on the island of Porqourelles, this is a really attractive Mourvèdre-based wine in a modern mould. Lovely, exotic nose of deep, smoky fruit with licqourice and menthol. On the palate it is tannic and dense -- although it is oaky, there's a nice balance between this and the fruit. Very good/excellent (£13.95 La Vigneronne) 11/00

Domaine de la Royère 1998, Côtes du Luberon
This is an old vine, wood-aged cuvée from the Provencale region of the Luberon. It has good concentration and is sweetly fruited with dusty, dry tannins. A smooth, easy drinking red of some substance, and good value at the price (around £6.50). 12/00

Domaine La Dona Tigana 1999 Cassis
This southern French white is a bit shy on the nose. It’s light and fresh, with a hint of a floral note on the palate and zippy acidity. Fine for washing your Bouillabaisse down with on a hot summers day in the Mediterranean, but a little bit neutral and acidic. Interestingly, this is the Domaine of Jean Tigana, the French international football player who now manages Fulham FC. 1/01