great value wines

Le Vieux Mas (France) Marsanne/Viognier 1998/99
Wine of the week 29/04/01. The nose is buttery and full, with little floral notes and lightly herbal nuances over weighty, peach and apricot fruit. On the palate it is full and powerful, with a chewy texture and plenty of fruit. Bottoms Up, Wine Rack £4.49 Label image.

Danie de Wet (South Africa) Chardonnay 'sur lie' 2000
Wine of the week 08/04/01. A Chardonnay for the 'anything but Chardonnay' club: no sign of blowsy, overripe tropical fruit, no smothering with oaky custard aromas, no overpowering alcoholic soup that tires the senses after a few sips. This has enough creamy, biscuity richness from the lees ageing to counterbalance tingling fresh lemony fruit. The palate broadens but stays sharp, adding a nutty, oatmeally quality. Safeway, £3.99 Label image.

Quiltro (Chile) Chardonnay 1998
Wine of the week 11/03/01. Made in a fresh, tropical sunshine style, the nose offers vibrant citrus fruit aromas, along with an overlay of tropical guava and pineapple sweetness. On the palate it is juicy and uncomplicated, but full of peach and lemon fruit, quite creamy and full, with a really zingy, fruit-burst character. Oddbins £3.99 Label image.

Buitenverwachting (South Africa) Chardonnay 1998
Wine of the week 04/02/01. Heavenly nose of honey, butterscotch, lemon and oatmeal. On the palate it is richly-textured and floods the mouth with ripe, spiced-apple fruit, cream and ground almonds, whilst a steely backbone of lemon and lime gives definition and length. A toasty, spicy layering is very classy and the finish is wonderfully pure and long. Oddbins £8.99 Label image.

Clos Petite Bellane (France) Côtes du Rhône Blanc 1999
Wine of the week 28/01/01. A 50/50 blend of Roussanne and Viognier, this richly golden wine has delicious aromas of peaches and butterscotch, with a floral lift and a tantalising glimpse of burnt orange. On the palate it is full, rich and lush with a heady blend of sweet fruits, alcohol, an underlying nuttiness. Oddbins £5.49 Label image.

Hilltop (Hungary) "Virgin Vintage" Sauvignon Blanc 1999
Wine of the week 21/01/01. The nose suggests bright, crunchy tropical fruit, with a typical gooseberry and blackcurrant-leaf edge of a more herbal quality. The palate is fresh and medium-bodied with lots of bursting, crunchy fruit, a hint of pineapple sweetness and then freshening citrussy, grapefruit acidity. Safeway £5.99 Label image.

Waterside White (South Africa) Chardonnay/Colombard 1999
Wine of the week 03/12/00. A fresh and aromatic white, where the crisp liveliness of the Colombard is given weight and juicy texture by the Chardonnay. The pale straw colour doesn't hint at a powerful (13.5% ABV) wine, and the nose has lots of floral and exotic fruit notes. The palate is rich and full, with buttery citrus flavours and chewy texture. Safeway £4.55, Sainsbury £4.49 Label image.

Pirramimma (Australia) Late Harvest Riesling 1998
Wine of the week 19/11/00. Lots of luscious tropical fruit on the nose and palate. Notes of quince, sweet vanilla, marzipan and honey. Orange is the overriding fruit flavour - very marmalady - with peach and lime-jelly fruit and good acidity. Good, pure finish. Excellent dessert wine. Majestic £5.99 (50cl) Label image.

Vergelegen (South Africa) Chardonnay 1998/9
Wine of the week 05/11/00.Beautifully poised and elegant, with a nose of butterscotch, pear and peachy fruit, little nuances of ginger and cinnamon, and a lovely clarity that reminds me of classy white Burgundy. On the palate there's a gorgeous balance of buttery tropical fruit: rich, round pineapple and ripe melon, a certain nutty, savoury quality and lovely citrus acidity. Sainsbury £6.49 Label image.

Domaine Kuentz-Bas (Alsace) "Signature" 1998
Wine of the week 15/10/00. The fruit profile here is aromatic on the nose with lots of floral and grapy aromas as well as fresh apple fruit and sweeter, melony notes. The palate is quite full and rich with lots of clean, crisp fruit and a little spicy nuance. Lovely stuff at the price. Unwins, Wine Society, Wimbledon Wine Cellars £4.99. Label image.

Cono Sur (Chile) Gewürztraminer 1999
Wine of the week 01/10/00. Crisp, delightfully perfumed nose of bursting lychee, grapefruit and Turkish delight. The palate has limpid pear and guava fruitiness and bright orange zestiness. It is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced. Majestic / Tesco £4.99 Label image.

Inycon (Italy) Chardonnay 1999
Wine of the week 17/09/00. This has a delicate butterscotch richness over orchard fruit and luxuriant tropical nuances. It has a lovely palate displaying just a sheen of custardy vanilla but also layers of deep, ripe juicy fruit. Sainsbury £4.99 Label image.

Louis Jadot (Burgundy) St-Veran "Domaine de Curis" 1998 Wine of the week 03/09/00. This has a pale straw colour and a pure, citrus fruit character on the nose with apple and honeysuckle nuances, hints of butterscotch. On the palate it has plenty of fresh acidity and good orchard fruit flavours with medium body and a nutty dryness. Waitrose £7.99 Label image.

Domaine de Montahuc "Comte Cathare" 1998
Wine of the week 20/08/00. This gorgeous dessert wine is attractively fresh and flowery on the nose, with a subtle honeyed edge to soft, white pear and peach fruit on the palate. The raised alcohol is barely noticeable into an polished, long, sweet and pure finish. Oddbins £5.99 per 50cl Label image.

Domaine des Fontanelles (France) Viognier 1999
Wine of the week 06/08/00. Hallmark Viognier characteristics of peach, apricot and blossom on the nose with a clean but full-bodied palate of pear and peach and a delightful orangy zestiness. The mouthfilling fruit is nicely balanced by tangy acidity. Majestic £3.99 Label image.

Carta Vieja (Chile) Sauvignon Blanc 1999
Wine of the week 23/07/00. This is a cracking Sauvignon. Chill it well and enjoy the essence of crunchy gooseberry and tropical fruit flavours offset against the bracing citrus acidity. Delicious stuff for summer drinking. Oddbins £3.99 Label image.

Fetzer (California) Bonterra Muscat 1998
Wine of the week 15/01/00. The nose is sweet and grapy with floral, summery overtones and notes of currants and raisins There are hints of sweet parma violets and old-fashioned love-heart sweets. On the palate it is deliciously honeyed and sweet and reminds me of peach juice. It is quite light-bodied but unctuous and finishes with good acidity. Oddbins £7.99 per half bottle Label image.

Bethany (Australia) Riesling 1998
Wine of the week 09/07/00. The nose is dominated by mineral, white fruit and even salty aromas, but limes and spice are in there too. Cool, classy and eleganty fruited on the palate, this is a very crisp style without any of the waxy, petrolly headiness of some rieslings. Majestic £5.49 Label image.

Casablanca (Chile) Santa Isabel Chardonnay 1998
Wine of the week 25/06/00. Eighty percent of this wine is cool fermented in stainless steel, the remaining 20% is aged in small oak barrels on its lees. This results in a pale golden wine with very fresh aromatics of lemon, melon and pear with a subtle layering of creamy oak beneath, and restrained and cool nuances of sweeter pineapple fruit. Oddbins £6.99 Label image.

Vereinigte Hospitien (Germany) "Sanctus Jacobus" Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 1992
Wine of the week 04/06/00. This has beautiful, delicate waxy lime aromas leading to a perfectly weighted palate with refreshing crunchy green apple fruit, little hints of tropical pineapple sweetness and a shimmering citrus acidity. Gorgeous mature Riesling - and fantastic value. Majestic £4.99 Label image.

Domaine Lafage (France) Muscat Sec 1999
Wine of the week 07/05/00. This Vin de Pays d'Oc wine from the South of France celebrates the Muscat's grapy aromatics and fruity flavours, but vinifies these totally dry to give a tangy, refreshing wine. There are orchard fruits on the nose as well as a boiled sweets and a tiny sherbety burst which hints at a gentle pétillance. Safeway £3.99 Label image.

Domaine de Raissac (VdP d'Oc) Viognier 1999
Wine of the week 30/04/00. A fine Viognier with a powerful yet flowery, fragrant nose with juicy peach, apricot and tropical fruit aromas. Good acidity keeps it very fresh, but there is abundant peach and melon fruit, full body and good length. Majestic £4.99 Label image.

Norton (Argentina) Torrontés 1999
Wine of the week 23/04/00. Intensely perfumed floral nose with hints of confectionery, violets and zingy lime and tropical fruit. The palate is quite light, and those zippy lime and lemon flavours carry through. There's a fine sense of purity and freshness with crisp acidity, but very easy to drink. Oddbins £4.49 Label image.

Pewsey Vale (Australia) Eden Valley Riesling 1999
Wine of the week 02/04/00. This has that characteristic nose of zesty lime, wild flowers and a tropical note. There's just a hint of waxiness. On the palate it is quite unctuously textured, but medium-bodied with with very good fruit, a ripe intesity of flavour and crisp, citrus acidity keeping it sharp. Tesco/Oddbins £5.99 Label image.

Domaine des Deux Roches (Burgundy) St-Véran 1998
Wine of the week 19/03/00. This outstanding wine has an absolutely typical nose of melon, pear, honeysuckle and a hint of butter. On the palate it is weighty and full-textured with rounded but clean flavours of apple and pear, a certain lusciousness and nuances of brazil nut and cinammon. Acidity is subtle but ample. Berry Bros & Rudd £7.65 (www.bbr.co.uk) (03/00) Label image.

Domaine des Fontanelles (France) Sauvignon Blanc 1999
Wine of the week 12/03/00. This has a very fresh nose with a grassy edge and boiled-sweet aromas. Delicate but pure perfume of pear-drops. The palate is just as fresh: it has lots of citrus and gooseberry fruit that really gives an impression of sweetness, but it finishes dry with plenty of crisp, clean-as-a-whistle acidity. Majestic £3.99 (03/00) Label image.

Marqués de Riscal (Spain) Limousin Reserva 1996
Wine of the week 27/02/00. Aged in top-quality barrels of Limousin oak, the nose is wonderful, with luscious aromas of buttery brazil nuts, melon and honeysuckle, peach and some cinnamon spice. On the palate it is quite full-bodied. The fruit is predominantly apple and melon, but there's that buttressing of creamy, buttery oak and a toasty wrapping of nuts and herbal nuances. AmiVin £7.99 (02/00) Label image.

Dashwood (New Zealand) Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 1999
Wine of the week 13/02/00. From the excellent Vavasour winery, the nose has a beautiful combination of classic leafy gooseberry and nettle aromas with pure, ripe lychee and mango notes. On the palate it is fresh and stacked with zippy apple and lemon flavours along with glimpses of that sweet tropical fruit, but the whole thing punched through with a streak of pure citrus acidity that leaves it tangy and mouthwatering. Thresher £6.99 (02/00) Label image.

Seaview (Australia) Bottled Fermented Brut N.V.
Wine of the week 12/12/99. This has plenty of yeasty, toasty richness on the nose and a palate filled with clean citrus fruit, then rounded-out with more mellow peach and apricot flavours. The mousse is creamy and the wine has a nice balance. A straightforward wine, but one that's absolutely spot on as a party fizz. Majestic £6.49 (12/99) Label image.

Organic Soave Superiore 1998
Wine of the week 26/12/99. The nose displays a lovely honeyed richness and floral edge to ripe pear and citrus fruit. Quite full on the palate, it is limpid and pure, there are layers of peachy fruit and fine acidity. A cracking Soave from certified organic vineyards. Safeway £4.99 (12/99) Label image.

Viña Porta (Chile) Chardonnay 1998
Wine of the week 28/11/99. This wine has a very flashy nose, with heaps of toasty oak and ripe peach and apricot fruit. There are little hints of sweet tropical pineapple too. The palate is quite succulent and savoury with plenty of gingery spice and an almost spearminty ripeness of fruit. There's a nice depth, with suggestions of bitter-orange and darker flavours. Oddbins £4.99 (11/99) Label image.

Sainsbury's White Bordeaux (France) N.V.
Wine of the week 21/11/99. Nose of lemon and peach, with a slightly grassy note. The palate is balanced and fresh with plenty of citrus fruit, but also a buttery softness in the mouth that makes it very drinkable on its own, or with fish or maybe Chinese food. Exemplary cheap wine. Sainsbury £3.29 (11/99) Label image.

Montana (NZ) Marlborough Reserve Chardonnay1996
Wine of the week 24/10/99. Fine, aromatic nose of limes and unctuous, buttery tropical fruit. There are limpid notes of pineapple and even coconut, and just a little enhancement from charry oak. On the palate it is poised and elegant, with a wonderful purity of fruit, great balance and a long, long finish. Victoria Wine/Thresher/Bottoms Up £7.99 (10/99) Label image.

Three Valley Select (California) Muscat 1995
Wine of the week 10/10/99. This Muscat is made from late harvested grapes and qualifies as off-dry. The nose has fresh aromas of grapes and ripe melon with pretty floral nuances. On the palate there's an intense burst of sweetness before broad, juicy, peachy fruit fills the palate and some lemon and lime acidity kicks in to leave the finish quite dry and savoury. Oddbins £3.49. (10/99) Label image.

Lagar de Cervera (Spain, Rías Baixas) Albariño 1997
Wine of the week 19/09/99. Nose of flowers, minerals and salts with a citrus tang, but also an oatmeally, almost buttery note. Palate is quite rich and alcoholic with fine pear, peach and lime fruit and a hint of sweetness. Good balance and length. Sainsbury, £6.99 (09/99) Label image.

Hardys (Australia) Banrock Station Chardonnay 1998
Wine of the week 05/09/99. This wine has a delightful nose of powdered ginger, cinnamon and wax over buttery fruit. On the palate the fruit is quite cool and lemony, with fresh melon and apple notes, the edges softened by a little sheen of vanilla from moderate exposure to oak. Sainsbury £3.99 (09/99) Label image.

Fox Wood (France) Reserve Chardonnay 1997
Wine of the week 22/08/99. This Chardonnay displays a grown-up marriage of ripe, tasty fruit and some serious Old World structure. The nose has buttery oak and the palate combines peachy fruit with gentle acidity and a savoury, spicy, food-friendly character. £6.49 Internet retailer Amivin (08/99) Label image.

Neszmély (Hungary) "Hilltop" Gewürztraminer 1997
Not so overtly perfumed as typical Alsace examples, the nose has developing aromas of lychee and tropical fruit. The palate is spicy and full-flavoured, with quite tart raspberry fruit, plenty of alcohol and body and a powerful finish (07/99) Thresher £4.69. Label image

Garden Valley (France) Chardonnay VdP du Jardin de la France 1997
Lightly-oaked sappy, honeysuckle aromas with notes of pear and melon. It is fresh with good acidity, a creamy mouthfeel and more of that white fruit character. Savoury and good both on its own or with food. Thresher, Victoria Wine £4.49 (07/99). Label image.

Domaine de Raissac (VdP d'Oc) "C.V.M." 1998
Nose of cinammon, cloves and ginger with vanilla and peach. On the palate it is savoury and spicy with powerful peach fruit, a nicely sour plummy edge and good acidity. (06/99) Majestic, £4.99. Label image.

Banrock Station (Australia) Chenin Blanc/Semillon/Chardonnay 1998
Wine of the week 27/06/99. Nose of spice, wax, wool and notes of cinammon and cloves. The palate is full, flavoursome and smoothly-textured with buttery citrus fruit, excellent balance and good length. (06/99) Sainsbury, Safeway £3.49. Label image.

Newlands Field (South Africa) First Release Colombard 1999
Wine of the week 06/06/99. Delicately perfumed and flavoured crisp white with subtle tropical fruit and tangy acidity. It is refreshing and summery and slips down a treat. Asda £2.29 (06/99) Label image.

Ca' del Solo (California) "Bloody Good White" 1997
Wine of the week 23/05/99. Oxidised aromas of over-ripe melon, sweet nectarine and rancid butter. The palate is oily and dense, with great buttery layers of fruit, fine citrus acidity and hints of spice and herbs. It is mouthfilling and luscious with a long finish. Oddbins £6.49 (05/99) Label image.

State Domain Trier (M-S-R) Serriger Heiligenborn Riesling Spätlese 1990
Beautiful aromatics of flowers, limes, petrol and unctuous guava and pear, all tinged with honey. The palate is opulent with sweet peach and tropical fruit, but a beautifully pure core of acidity that keeps it balanced and sharp through a long, fruit-laden finish. Majestic £4.99 (05/99) Label image.

Cave de Turckheim (Alsace) Pinot Blanc 1997
Wine of the week 16/05/99. The nose is nicely waxy and honeyed with tropical hints on top of melon fruit. The palate is quite full and lush with ripe pear and melon flavours and notes of spice. A good all-round food wine. Oddbins £4.99 (05/99) Label image.

Santa Carolina (Chile) Chardonnay 1998
Wine of the week 02/05/99. Creamy, nutty nose and hints of butterscotch, tropical fruit and warm toast. Medium bodied, the plate has excellent balance with fine, ripe but restrained tropical fruit flavours, lovely lime-fresh acidity and moderate toasty oak in the finish. Oddbins £4.49 (05/99) Label image

Verdicchio Classico dei Castelli di Jesi 1997
Lemon-scented wine with a fragrant, herbal nose and lots of cool melon and citrus fruit. Medium-bodied, it is beautifully fruity and really quite elegant. This wine has far more character than most Italian whites in the sub £5 category. Tesco £3.99 (04/99)

Matra Mountain (Hungary) Pinot Grigio 1997
Wine of the week 14/03/99. The nose has nettles, crisp green apples and citrus fruit. The palate has a real lemony freshness, with some nice pear-drop fruitiness and an almond note. Pure, nicely made and cheap. £3.79, Safeway (03/99) Label image.

Domaine Gerovassiliou (Greece) Chardonnay 1996
Wine of the week 28/02/99. Hugely oaky, charred, burnt, buttery toast aromas at first seem overwhelming, but the full-bodied palate has beautiful definition with fruit of lemons and cool melons, plenty of hazelnut and butter richness and unusual, herbal nuances. The finish is long and spicy. Oddbins, £6.49 (02/99) Label image.

red wines

Estancia (California) Pinnacles Pinot Noir 2000
Wine of the week 30/12/01. The 2000 vintage saw a more "hand-crafted" approach to Pinot Noir at Estancia which has paid off handsomely. It has an appealing nose of vanilla, crushed red berries and gentle earthy, truffly warmth. The palate is doused in a big mouthful of sweet strawberry fruit, with a nicely silky texture and a lingering smoke and tobacco note. Decent value at £9.99, but with £3 off it is a top buy. Safeway £6.99 until 05/01. Label image.

Château Fontenil (France) Fronsac 1998
Wine of the week 23/12/01. Dense, plummy, blackcurranty nose that is very deep, with nuances of cedar. It is driven along by dense black fruit that adds a chocolaty richness to the palate, with some plum-skin roughness and plenty of depth. There are ripe tannins and this finishes with class and length. Very good indeed in a powerful style. £12.99 Oddbins. Label image.

Infierno (Spain) Monastrell/Merlot 1999
Wine of the week 09/12/01. The nose is brimming with sweet, spicy berry fruit, with a little undertow of creamy vanilla, prune and crunchy pepper. On the palate there's a wonderful bitter dark chocolate edge to juicy blue/black fruit that is succulent and savoury with lip-smacking tannins and a warm, coffee-bean finish. Very highly recommended. £4.99 Safeway. Label image.

Accademia del Sole (Italy) Sangiovese/Negroamaro 2000
Wine of the week 18/11/01. The nose is hugely inviting, with deep, creamy tobacco-tinged fruit, plum, berries and a hint of sweet molasses. On the palate there's a lovely scented cherry sweetness with fine, medium-bodied texture and a broad, gentle acidity. Mellow tannins give a savoury appeal, and this has good length and a smoky, vanilla-edged sweetness on the finish. Safeway £5.49. Label image.

Rio Itata (Chile) Carmenère 2000
Wine of the week 11/11/01. The nose is filled with creamy black plum, hints of chocolate and a cedary nuance. On the palate that sumptuous ripe fruit floods across the tongue with a little cherry edge of acidity and a background of tannin to keep it sharp. Opulent, sweet and beautifully focused.
Was £5.69, now £3.99 (bin-end) from greatgrog.co.uk. Label image

Heritage Vineyards (California) Red 1999
Wine of the week 21/10/01. Big, inviting, opulent nose of sweet vanilla, spice and lush blackberry and plum fruit. On the palate it is chewy and densely-fruited with a chocolaty depth of sweet, ripe and juicy fruit. There's that slick of spicy oak and just a little tannic bite keeping it fresh enough. Nothing complex here, but your dinner party guests won't know this fruit and character-packed red comes at such a keen price. Terrific stuff. £3.99 SPAR branches. Label image

Primi (Spain) Rioja 2000
Wine of the week 14/10/01. This is the very modern face of Riojan wine, a vibrant, discreetly-oaked red wine designed for today's tastes and today's market. It has plenty of sweet cherry fruit on the nose, and a dry, savoury palate that displays more cherry and plum fruit and a chewy, gently tannic core with good acidity. Balanced and refined, this is a fruity and food-friendly red of some style. £4.99 Safeway, Somerfield, Tesco, Bibendum. Label image

Domaine des Lauriers (France) Faugères 1998
Wine of the week 23/09/01. Wonderfully deep, polished, creamy nose that is not too flashy, allowing dark, glossy blackberry and blackcurrant fruit to shine through. On the palate it is dramatically rich and powerful, with full body and sweet, sweet blackcurrant and plum fruit that is terrifically ripe and generous. Silky tannins bolster the finish, and the wine has impeccable balance. Long and fantastic stuff. Selected Safeway £5.99. Label image.

Bodegas Castaño (Spain) Hécula 1999
Wine of the week 09/09/01. This wine benefits from subtle oak ageing to present a nose of sour cherries, spice and stewed fruit compote, buttressed by silky sweet vanilla. On the palate it is poised and elegant, belying its 14% alcohol. The medium-bodied wine fills the mouth with sweet-edged blackberry and plum fruit, again a warm clove spice note, and generous slightly coffee-flavoured oaky finish. ChateauOnline.co.uk £6.99. Label image.

Santa Julia (Argentina) Tempranillo 2000
Wine of the week 02/09/01. This has a deep and sumptuous nose that belies a £4.49 price tag, with tobacco, clove and cinammon spice intertwined around rich berry fruit. The palate is packed with sweet, fat cherry and and ripe strawberry fruit that has a dark, fudge-like, warming background of tannins, lowish acidity and a long, fruity finish. Undeniably classy red wine at the price. Sainsbury's £4.49 Label image.

Normans (Australia) Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc 1997
Wine of the week 19/08/01. Densely crammed with succulent raspberry fruit. Beneath, a solid, deep, briarwood, tobacco and almost punch-like mulberry character displays cinammon spice and nutmeg. On the palate it is warm and chewy, with full body and silky texture to deep, savoury blackcurrant and raspberry fruit and fine, chocolaty tannins. Safeway £7.99 Label image.

Borie de Maurel (France) Rêve de Carignan 2000
Wine of the week 29/07/01. Dense, dark, liquorice and black cherry nose, with hints of sweet violet and blackcurrant. On the palate it maintains a firm, tight, forceful character, but with no lack of juicy black fruit and a creamy texture. Oddbins £7.49 Label image.

Domaine Laporte (France) 'Ruscino' 2000
Wine of the week 16/07/01. Big, sweet, tarry and smoky nose of leather and cherries. The palate has an instantly dry and savoury appeal with mouth-coating tannins and loads of damson and black plum fruit. Medium bodied and well-balanced, this has a bit of structure too. £5.99 Oddbins Label image.

Antinori (Italy) Chianti Classico Riserva 1997
Wine of the week 01/07/01. A beautifully elegant with a nose of leafy cedarwood, tobacco, plum and a hint of roasted meat. There's a soft, spicy layer of sweet vanilla and some bright redcurrant fruit nuances. On the palate the acidity is forceful and gives the wine definition and clarity, whilst cherry and sharp damson-skin fruit tingles on the palate. A little creamy oak adds weight to the finish. £8.99 Safeway Label image.

Four Vines (California) Zinfandel 1997
Wine of the week 11/06/01. Highly aromatic nose of cedarwood, burning embers, pepper and exotic spices with a bright, berry fruitiness. The palate is creamily-textured and ripe, filled with sweet, jammy blackcurrant fruit, still fragrant and exotic, with a deeper suggestion of sweet plums. The tannins and acidity brace the finish. £9.99 Sainsbury's Label image.

Cosme Palacio y Hermanos (Rioja) 1998
Wine of the week 28/05/01. The nose is softly layered with sweet summer berry and plummy fruits, wrapped in a cloak of spicy, mellow, tobacco and vanilla. On the palate it has a warming core of fine tannins and gutsy ripe fruit, but there is also a medium-bodied elegance and savoury, moreish sweet fruit-cakey mid-palate. £6.99 Safeway, Oddbins Label image.

Picajuan Peak (Argentina) Malbec 2000
Wine of the week 05/05/01. Wonderfully spice-dusted nose of black fruit and a hint of sweet, chocolaty darkness. On the palate it is grippy, with fine tannins, but a weight of supple, savoury dark fruits and a little creaminess to the body before that shot of tannin. Tesco £3.89 Label image.

Château Sérigeau (France) Bordeaux 1999
Wine of the week 22/04/01. This has leafy, earthy, soft red fruits on the nose with a sweet, minty ripeness suggesting cassis. The palate is pleasing, with cherry and redcurrant fruit, a nice tobacco-tinged softness, little tannin but good acidity. ChateauOnline £3.99 Label image.

Domaine de Tudery (France) Saint-Chinian Vieilles Vignes 1998
Wine of the week 15/04/01. Powerfully spiced and lushly fruited wine with dark damson aromas and a liquoricy depth. On the palate this is juicy, supple stuff with good acidity and drying tannins, a definite meatiness about the palate and plenty of rich spiciness in the finish. Safeway £5.99. Label image.

Château de Sours (Bordeaux) Rosé 2000
Wine of the week 01/04/01. This wine has a gorgeous deep, vibrant pink colour and an immediately appealing nose, redolent of roses, violets and ripe, sweet summer berry fruits. Those crisp, fruity flavours continue, joined by a yeasty, almost Champagne-like quality to the fruit and a delicious, raspberry tart freshness. This wine really is like a breath of fresh, fruit-filled, air. Majestic, Corney & Barrow, ItsWine.com £6.99 Label image.

Château Mansenoble (France) 1999
Wine of the week 25/03/01. The nose is powerful and tight, with aromas of cedar, cherry and damson plums and juicy blackcurrant with a wonderfully clean, unoaked freshness. On the palate the fruit is framed by savoury tannins and a tough sheen of tightly-focused, chewy bittersweet fruit and acidity. Nicely textured, this is the kind of wine that reveals itself slowly as the sheer depth and quality of fruit emerges. Chandos Deli £5.99 Label image.

Casa Lapostolle (Chile) Merlot 1999
Wine of the week 18/03/01. Cedary, cigar-box aromas, cherry and blackcurrant fruit, some hints of chocolate and a bittersweet note. On the palate it has juicy acidity and firm, ripe tannins as well as plenty of sweet but savoury black plum fruit. Thresher, Bottoms Up, Oddbins, ChateauOnline £6.99-£7.49 Label image.

CrownCap (Italy) 1998
Wine of the week 04/03/01. This has an expressive nose of juicy unoaked summer berry fruit, dusted with spice and enlivened on the palate by a juicy edge of acidity. There's a little rum-soaked raisin darkness, but this is fruity, warming, lip-smacking wine. ChateauOnline £4.29 Label image.

Haselgrove (Australia) Bentwing Shiraz 1998
Wine of the week 18/02/01. Lovely stuff with brightly-focused nose of peppery black fruits and a raspberry sweetness. There's just a hint of that typically Australian eucalyptus and mint quality. On the palate it is medium-bodied and easy to drink with relatively low tannins. Safeway £7.99 Label image.

Gracia de Chile 'Pasajero' Cabernet Sauvignon 1999
Wine of the week 11/02/01. Six months maturing in French oak barrels has given a subtle toasty complexity on the nose. The wine also displays beautiful cherry and blackcurrant fruit and there is more of that bittersweet cherry fruit flooding the palate. Although there's a plummy depth of flavour to this wine, it is brightly styled, with juicy acidity and tannins. Oddbins, Virginwines.com, Co-op £5.99 Label image.

Bela Fonte (Portugal) Jaen 1998
Wine of the week 07/01/01. Rich and dark, full of creamy cherry fruit and dark, spicy tobacco and plum. This is delicious wine that could well be the ultimate match for pizza. Safeway £4.99 Label image.

Domaine Boyar (Bulgaria) Premium Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon 1999
Wine of the week 31/12/00. Unoaked and fresh in style, this is juicy, blackcurrant and cherry scented Cabernet with a spine of tannins in the mouth and little nuances of plum and chocolate beneath fresh red fruits. Somerfield £3.99 Label image.

Fetzer (California) Valley Oaks Zinfandel 1998
Wine of the week 17/12/00. The nose is beautifully deep and spicy, with rich, warm, winter berries and a sweet jamminess of fruit. On the palate it is very punchy and fresh, notes of blackberry, raspberry and a peppery edge. There is good ripeness and a lovely support from integrated oak adding cream to the texture and a tobacco spice to the finish. Majestic/Oddbins/Safeway/Thresher £6.99 Label image.

Santa Julia (Argentina) Bonarda/Sangiovese 2000
Wine of the week 10/12/00. The colour is a fresh ruby and the nose has soft tobacco scents, with a briary quality and some earthy bramble fruit. On the palate there is lots of tart, crisp cherry fruit from the Sangiovese, but then that tobacco, cigar-like, smoky softness rolls back in. Morrison's/Sainsbury/Waitrose £3.99-£4.49 Label image.

Domaine de Contenson (France) Merlot 1999
Wine of the week 26/11/00. The nose is crammed with summer berry fruit, spice and a little hint of vanilla. On the palate this has plenty of attack and grip, with concentrated red fruit flavours that are ripe and juicy, but given lots of backbone through solid tannins and plenty of acidity. Safeway £4.49 Label image.