there is an archive of even older Wines of the Week here.

white - red - rosé - sparkling - sweet

white wines

Lingenfelder (Germany) Bee Label Morio Muskat 2003
Wine of the week 23/10/04. The nose is filled with soft, downy peach-skin aromas and a delicate perfume. The palate is nicely balanced, with lots of sweetness but a raft of zesty mineral and lime and a fleshy mid-palate. The weight of succulent apricot fruit pushes through to the long finish in a distinctive and very enjoyable wine. £6.99 Oddbins. (more)

Chiaro di Luna (Italy) Bianco di Custoza
Wine of the week 10/10/04. The nose is crisp and citrussy, with a little suggestion of creamy oatmeal, and a hint of sweeter tropical fruit. On the palate there is a sweet candied edge to the fruit, but the powering force is vivid and vivacious lemon fruit that is waxy and bold. There's a nice bite of acidity making this very juicy and mouthwatering, and an ideal partner to creamy pastas or a dish of char-grilled prawns doused in butter and lemon.
£3.99 Somerfield. (more)

Monteney (France) Graves 2002
Wine of the week 26/09/04. Succulent pear and melon fruit, a streak of lemon, and just a background hint of vanillin oak adding a creaminess. The palate is solidly packed with citrus and crisp red apple fruit, in a big, zesty mouthful of flavour that is powerful through the mid palate, and just fills out into the finish with a little more of that creamy oak quality. Acidity is well-balanced, and this concentrated, tangy white wine is bottled in screwcap to retain plenty of zing. £3.99 Aldi. (more)

Villa Maria (New Zealand) Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2002
Wine of the week 05/09/04. The nose is a gorgeous melange of ripe green fig, cashew nuts and toasty aromatics. On the palate it is concentrated and quite powerful, with a wrapping of warming, oaky flavours, but a heart of clean, limpid melon and crisp orchard fruit. The sweetness of the fruit is offset by a big rush of grapefruity acidity, and the alcoholic concentration (14%) helps make the long finish powerful, savoury but beautifully balanced. Excellent. £8.99 Oddbins. (more)

Villa Malizia (Italy) Pinot Grigio 2003
Wine of the week 22/08/04. Straw, a touch of honeysuckle, and soft pear fruit on the nose with hints of both exotic, ripe nectarine, and a subtle floral nuance. On the palate it washes over the tongue with an easy-drinking fruitiness, but there is a nutty quality too. The fruit is again ripe pear and crisp apple, but those suggestions of sweeter, more tropical flavours linger on the tongue, and there is crisp, nimble acidity and a tiny hint of spice into the finish. This is uncomplicated, punter-friendly stuff, but we all need a bit of that from time to time. Lovely. £3.99 Aldi. (more)

Cape Grace (South Africa) Sauvignon Blanc / Chenin Blanc 2003
Wine of the week 08/08/04. There's an interesting creamy note of custard powder on the nose at first, then a bursting fruit impression of crunchy green apples and a more tropical, melon and peachy fruit. On the palate it is quite rich and full-bodied, with a silky mouthfeel and a weight of ripe fruits. A punch of quite fat and oily, but cleansing lemon fruit and acidity cuts through the finish, with a just a hint of Sauvignon's herbal character. This is very easy drinking and just off-dry. £3.99 Waitrose. (more)

Snake Creek (Australia) Chardonnay/Semillon 2003
Wine of the week 11/07/04. 10% Colombard in the blend is key on the nose giving an edge of real gooseberry and nettle pungency, before quite a vivid core of waxy lemon and gently toasty fruit. On the palate it is very vibrant, with a lick of grapefruit and lime against ripe, sweet tropical fruit all fleshed out with a little cashew and oatmeal from a short time in oak. With a nice mouthfeel and quite a long finish, this is highly recommended. £3.99, Oddbins. (more)

Hacienda San Jose (Argentina) Sauvignon Blanc 2002
Wine of the week 04/07/04. The nose has a slightly oily fatness, with lychee and tropical fruits, and a hint of gooseberry crunch. On the palate there's lots of lemon and lime verve, with a hint of herbal, grassy quality and a broad texture on the mid palate. There's a little bit of alcoholic heat on the finish (13.2%) but that, with the wine's weight and the balanced acidity, equips it to take on grilled goat's cheese or a creamy risotto. £3.99, Aldi. (more).

Simon Gilbert (Australia) Verdelho 2002
Wine of the week 23/05/04. Attractive nose of lemon and lime, with a doughy quality and beneath a gentle spice and delicate notes of white flowers. On the palate this is again delicate in flavour; there's almost a sweetness to the fruit, like jelly beans and nectarine juice, and then a dry white fruit character fills in, with plenty of crisp, fresh pear and apple. It has medium-body and a nice leesy texture, with some waxiness and richness emerging. It has nice acidity too, with lemony notes. Try matching to Thai and Chinese food. £4.99 Safeway. See stockists on wine-searcher.com. (more).

Domaine la Combe Blanche (France) Four à Chaux de la Combe 2000
Wine of the week 25/04/04. A blend of the Rhône's Roussanne and Viognier with a touch of Chardonnay, it is aged in a mix of new and old barriques. The nose opened out to reveal a honeyed sense of limpidity, with plenty of creamy peach and yellow plum, still with some vanillin, custardy oak on top. The palate is full-bodied and chewy, with rich, bold fruit flavours suggesting melon and very ripe pears, but with a pineapply, tropical sweet edge. Quite unusal, and very good indeed. Leon Stolarski £8.75. (more).

Château de la Fessardière (France) Muscadet 2003
Wine of the week 11/04/04. The nose is subtle and mineral, with some nutty elements and succulent, firm, pear fruit. There are little notes of salt and straw. On the palate it is very pure and concentrated; there's a real spine of steely, lemony character wrapped with supple, dry, melon and crisp pear. It is fresh and appetising, with bracing minerality and real complexity. £4.99 Sainsbury's. (more).

André Bonhomme (Burgundy) Viré-Clessé cuvée spéciale 2002
Wine of the week 14/03/04. The nose is intense and vibrant, with a shimmering quality of lime and honeyed lemon fruit, and little notes of herbs and buttered toast. On the palate it is rich and full-textured, with a lovely oatmeally quality and a broad underpinning of mellow, background oak. The fruit is equally vibrant in the mouth, with real concentration and elegance, and plenty of tropical sweetness. Perfect white Burgundy, combining copious fruit with elegance and structure £9.99, Domaine Direct. (more).

Inycon (Italy) Grecanico 2001
Wine of the week 07/03/04. A certain leafy pungency on the nose, but fairly restrained, with notes of almond and straw, and some of that citrus quality. On the palate it is really quite decisive, with a concentrated fruit quality that has a real tell-tale Italian bitter almond, or even Campari-like edge, to cool pear and lemon fruit. Though only 12% alcohol, this is a powerful wine thanks to a leesy, waxy concentration. £4.99, Safeway. (more).

Peter Lehmann (Australia) Wildcard Chardonnay 2002
Wine of the week 18/01/04. This wine is unoaked, but 11% Semillon, plus an enriching regime of lees ageing and stirring, has given the wine complexity and an oatmeally quality that adds lots of warmth and texture to melon and white peach fruit. Thre is a real edge of sweetness on the palate, but those leesy, lightly waxy flavours and a great thrust of lemony acidity really kicks in, giving the wine power and a decisive finish, whilst it stays easy to drink and food friendly. £5.49 Oddbins, and Budgens. (more).

Feudi di San Gregorio (Italy) Fiano di Avellino 2002
Wine of the week 28/12/03. Crystaline purity of fruit on the nose; luscious notes of peach, pear and almond, with hints of honeysuckle and spices. The fruit on the palate has a rich texture and hints of honey, but it is a the core of pure pear and apple fruit and shimmering acidity that dominates. This is a limpid and delicious unoaked wine of great poise and finesse. £9.99 Waitrose, Waitrose Direct. (more).

Santa Rita (Chile) Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2003
Wine of the week 14/12/03. Nose of lemon and gooseberry, with a nettly quality and hint of sourness. There's a dry, elegant minerality too. On the palate this wine really has some backbone, with a decisive rasp of acidity that shoots through the mid-palate, and a flood of waxy, citrussy fruit. There are teasing glimpses of a mealier, richer texture and some sweeter fruit, but then that hammer-blow of mouthwatering lemon returns, as clean and bracing as you could ask for from a great Sancerre. Lovely, concentrated and impressive stuff. £6.99 Majestic - but on offer 2 @ £5.94 until 26th January. Also in Everywine.co.uk. (more).

Bonterra (California) white 2002
Wine of the week 30/11/03. The nose has plenty of Muscat character, along with a distinct impression of ripe ogen melon and a little nutty, peachy note. On the palate it is quite full-bodied, with a lovely zing of gooseberry and lime fruit, but all set against a fine, nutty apple background, with more of that ripe melon fruit and a well-balanced, quite generous acidity. A very distinctive and harmonious wine that is clean as a whistle. What's more, Booths Online are is offering £15 off an order of £50 or more for first-time customers. £6.99, Booths (more).

Viña Caña (Spain) Rioja Blanco 2002
Wine of the week 09/11/03. Beautifully fresh and lemony, but with a touch of creamy, oaty quality and just the merest sheen of vanilla. On the palate it is quite full bodied and powerful, with a wonderful, juicy, zesty fruit character shot through with crisp citrus flavours, but also rounded-out with leesy richness and a big, generous mandarin orange and grapefruit acidity. Lovely stuff and well priced too. £4.49, Somerfield. (more).

Tesco (France) Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2002
Wine of the week 26/10/03. Fresh, vinous nose crammed with the scent of apples, even notes of richer, tropical fruit, and just a hint of cold, briny seas. There's a hint of freshly struck match, but it is not unpeasant. On the palate there's a prickle of C02, and a plenty of zesty, crisp, tart green apple and lemony fruit. It is quite rich in texture, and there's a hint of nutty leesiness. Really very nice, but crying out for a big bowl of mussels in white wine and cream, and plenty of crusty bread. £4.69 Tesco. (more).

Domaine Begude (France) Limoux Chardonnay 2001
Wine of the week 12/10/03. The nose is absolutely like a good Meursault, with a creamy ground ginger and waxy quality over melon and green apple fruit. The palate has crisp white fruit flavours, with juicy apple to the fore, but there are notes of herbs and minerals too, and just a subtle support from nutty oak. It is long and has great balance, with a stripe of acidity running through to the finish. £7.99 Booths (Oddbins have the 2002). (more).

Torres (Spain) Vina Esmeralda 2002
Wine of the week 28/09/03. Floral nose, with scents of summer flowers, musk, and a downy mango- and peach-skin perfume. On the palate there's a little spritz of carbon dioxide that gives a tingling impression, then a surprisingly dry palate of crunchy green apple fruit, with just little edges of more tropical, sweet nectarine and again, mango flavours. (more).
Booths, Oddbins, Waitrose, Tesco, Unwins £5.49-£5.99

Les Jamelles (France) Viognier 2002
Wine of the week 07/09/03. Expressive nose of apricots and peaches, floral, blossom notes and a touch of butter and cream. On the palate it is nicely rich and full-textured without being blowsy, with a great pillowing breadth of pear and downy, peach skin fruit. This has a really sweet edge, but it is also set against adequate acidity so that this wine finishes balanced and clean, if soft and easy to drink. A really nicely made example of Viognier. £4.99 Co-op Stores. (more).

Peter Lehmann (Australia) Barossa Semillon 2001
Wine of the week 24/08/03. The nose slowly unravels to reveal quite complex notes of lanolin, beeswax and honey. There is a core of lime and some orchard fruit. On the palate it is fresh and clean as a whistle (it is unoaked) but it is also surprisingly powerful, with a searing core of acidity that runs like a ramrod through zingy citrus fruit. This is very enjoyable now, but cellaring for five to eight years is also on the cards. Down from £5.49 to £3.99, Sainsbury's until 16th September. Also Oddbins, Safeway, Unwins. (more).

Schlumberger (France) "S" Vin d'Alsace
Wine of the week 27/07/03. The nose is aromatic and vivacious, with lychee, citrus and tropical fruits, and little notes of summer flowers. On the palate a lovely weight of peach and pineapply fruit is cut with orange and tangerine acidity. There's even a little sense of waxy minerality, before a long, pure, sweetish finish. Excellent for oriental cuisine or for those who like a sweeter style. £5.99 down to £4.99 until August 23rd, Safeway. (more).

Champs du Moulin (France) Colombard/Chardonnay 2002
Wine of the week 13/7/03. Fresh, herbal, gooseberry-tinged passionfruit aromas, with little floral nuances and some lemony zip. On the palate it is clean and very fresh, shot through with vivacious orange and lychee flavours, and crisply-defined apple fruit and acidity. Quite light, and perhaps missing a little punch if you want to be hyper-critical, it is nevertheless a cracking little summer wine that has really good staying power in the mouth and offers a lot for the money. £4.49, but on offer at £3.99, Great Grog / greatgrog.co.uk (free delivery). (more).

Clearsprings (South Africa) White Wine
Wine of the week 15/06/03. The nose is brimming with fresh summer aromas of ripe pear and crisp apples, and on the palate there is a juicy richness of fruit, hinting at peach and mango, but with a restraining tug of orchard fruit acidity. It is only just off-dry, and finishes with plenty of presence. Don't bother with the red partner, which is a rather washed out effort, but tucking away a few bottles of this is a top summer tip. Iceland stores, £2.99, on offer at £2.39 until July 12th. (more).

Albert Mann (Alsace) Pinot Blanc Auxerrois 2001
Wine of the week 08/06/03. Dry, immensely flavourful wine with an attractively honeyed, spicy, straw and nut nose showing good white fruit character. The palate displays a gorgeous fruit sweetness, with bold, fleshy peach fruit and lots of tangerine cut and verve. Lovely acidity adds a grapefruity tang. Though medium- to full-bodied and full of limpid fruit, it is fresh, crisp, and has an elegant finish. £7.29, Oddbins and Oddbins.com (more).

Louis Jadot (France) Bourgogne Chardonnay 2000
Wines of the week 25/05/03. Pleasant background creaminess on the nose, with hints of nuttiness, but mostly clean orchard fruit aromas. On the palate it is precise and focused, with a medium-bodied texture and abundant, crisp white fruit flavours. Beautifully honed acids, but the clarity of fruit pushes through into a clean, firm finish. A nicely grown-up style of Chardonnay. Everywine, Edencroft Wines, Thresher, Wine Rack, Bottoms Up, Victoria Wine, Sainsbury's £8.99 (more).

Villa Maria (NZ) Private Bin Sauvigon Blanc 2002
Wine of the week 11/05/03. Pungent, piercing gooseberry fruit, with an edge of green bean and nettle, just hints of a lychee and tropical fruit ripeness. On the palate it has a great shockwave of mineral and grapefruit acidity running through it, but is layered with sweet tropical fruit and retains that grassy, almost flinty edge. It has full body and plenty of verve. A wine that retains plenty of character, whilst being available on the mass market. Safeway, Booths, Luvian's, Oddbins, Tesco, Majestic, Sainsbury's, Unwins, £7.99. (more).

Cuvée des Amandiers (France) Blanc 2002
Wine of the week 27/04/03. The nose is aromatic and gently floral, with a real purity of pear and downy peach-skin fruit. On the palate it has a sweet fruit attack, with plenty of ripe pear and ogen melon, but also a fine citrus acid backbone that keeps the picture crisp. It is quite full-bodied and has plenty of texture in the mouth, but stays focused and fruity into a long finish. A lovely drop of inexpensive summer white. £3.19 Majestic. (more).

Sainsbury (Italy) Grecanico di Sicilia
Wine of the week 20/04/03. Subtle but very attractive notes of ground almonds, quince and citrus. On the palate that oily texture fills the mouth despite a modest 12% alcohol, with downy peach-skin flavour, that lemon verbena zestiness and again that background suggestion of nuts or wild herbs. The acid balance is perfect for this wine, which finishes with plenty of verve and is delicious well-chilled as an aperitif. £3.99 Sainsbury. (more).

The Organic Vineyard (France) Vermentino
Wine of the week 30/03/03. Beguilingly aromatic, with scents of spring flowers, peach and lemon zest, and just a little marmalade and toast suggestion. On the palate it is fairly straightforward glugging stuff, with a rich, juicy, mouthfilling weight of apple fruit, decent balance and a smidgeon of oak. Aldi, £3.49. (more).

Concha y Toro (Chile) Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay 2000
Wine of the week 16/03/03. The nose is loaded with fig, quince and exotic peppered mango aromas. There are honeysuckle hints, and notes of toasted hazelnuts. On the palate it is creamy-bodied and smooth, with an elegant acidity tightening tropical fruit flavours, peach and more creamy, leesy, toasty notes on the finish. A powerful, lingering, and impressive wine. Safeway, £6.99. (more).

Unwind (South Africa) Sauvignon Blanc
Wine of the week 23/02/03. Plenty of zing, with crisp gooseberry and nettle aromas, and a hint of lychee, leading on to a palate brimming with pear and tropical fruit. This is a gluggable wine with plenty of ripe, easy-drinking fruit presented in a straightforward fashion, and a nice tongue-tingling acidity to freshen-up the finish. £4.99, Tesco. Label image.

Brookland (Australia) Verse 1 Chardonnay 2001
Wine of the week 16/02/03.The nose is delightfully honeyed, with nutty, leesy opulence, rich honeysuckle notes, and a slick of custardy vanilla. The palate is packed with buttery, rich peach fruit, with some tropical sweetness of pineapple and marzipan. There's a sharpening edge of lemony acidity, but the finish stays quite broad and juicy. Oddbins £7.99. For three pounds less, Snake Creek (Australia) Chardonnay 2002 delivers lovely aromatics, ripe tropical fruit, a touch of honey in the mouth and fine balance. Oddbins £4.99. Label image.

Oyster Bay (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc 2002
Wine of the week 02/02/03. Delightful nose of fresh pear, passionfruit and lime, with just glimpses of grassy, herbal notes and of a richer, tropical core. On the palate there is plenty of pungent gooseberry and nettle zing, with luscious, lightly honeyed pineapple chunk notes and plenty of racy acidity. A real blast of Marlborough freshness and verve at a very reasonable price. Everywine, Luvian's, Majestic, Co-op, Safeway, Sainsbury's, Somerfield; £6.99. Label image.

Tyrrell's (Australia) Old Winery Verdelho 2001
Wine of the week 19/01/03. Crisp, mouthwatering dry white brimming with lime and green apple fruit. It is the antithesis of big blowsy Chardonnays, with only 11.5% alcohol and a palate of juicy, nimble flavours, yet it also has some honey and toasty character, and plenty of stuffing as complex fruity flavours persist into a long, pure, finish. Elegant, quite light, but really delicious. From independent merchants including Great Grog, Peckham's, House of Menzies, The Bristol Wine Company, Corkscrew Wines, Philglas & Swiggot, £6.99

The Crossings (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc 2001
Wine of the week 05/01/03. Elegant white fruit and pepper on the nose, lots of citrus and just a suggestion of oily green bean. A little zesty, glimpse of grapefruit and lychee, but all very cool and stylish. On the palate there's a searing core of tongue-tingling mineral acidity which is razor sharp rubbing against keen citrus fruit. The wine has plenty of weight and a fine, rich texture which broadens out these steely flavours. The impression in the mouth is further softened by a subtle tropicality, but the verve and length of this wine is all about crisp, apple and mineral flavours and purity of fruit into a long, lingering finish. Tesco, £6.99. Label image.

Sainsbury's Mosel Riesling (Germany) 2001
Wine of the week 01/12/02. 2001 is a fabulous vintage in the Mosel, and quality shines out from even a basic wine like this. The nose is deliciously inviting, with lime, lemon and hints of waxiness, and a tiny note of minerals and salts. On the palate it is has sweet, crunchy essence of fresh apple fruit. It is medium-bodied and crisp, with good lemon acidity keeping it quite dry, though there is a hint of sweetness that would make it a great match with spicy foods. Sainsbury's £3.99. Label image.

Inama (Italy) Soave Classico Superiore 2001
Wine of the week 17/11/02. The immediate impression on the nose is of fresh, crisp pears. There's a touch of luscious nectarine, then elderflower, straw and a gentle almond nuttiness. On the palate there is a distinctive mandarin orange note and little herbal nuances of sage and dry, straw-like flavour. Again, a gentle nuttiness adds subtle complexity with good acidity extending the pure, long finish. A lightly-styled, elegant wine. Sainsbury, £7.99, in 150 stores. Label image.

Grove Mill (New Zealand) Chardonnay 2000
Wine of the week 27/10/02. A gorgeous Chardonnay with a soft, alluring honeysuckle, butterscotch and toasted almond nose. There are hints of guava and nectarine, and the palate has a mealy, creamy texture that fills the mouth. There are flavours of stone fruits and hints of tropical richness, with toasty oak filling in beneath, and fine apple acidity to freshen the finish. Safeway, Oddbins, £8.99. Label image.

St Hallett (Australia) Chardonnay (& Shiraz) 2001
Wines of the week 13/10/02. A half-price offer at Tesco from 16/10-29/10 makes these utterly irresistable. The Chardonnay is delicately oaked and suffused with sweet-edged pear and waxy lemon fruit, with medium-body and plenty of smooth-textured, ripe and classy fruit on the palate. Some toasty oak adds depth to the finish. The Shiraz is just delicious, with a warming nose of nutmeg, berries and pepper, leading on to a soft palate of ripe cherry and black fruit, finishing with soft background tannins and oaky spice. Tesco £5.99. Label image.

Capel Vale (Australia) Verdelho 2001
Wine of the week 06/10/02. A little American oak maturation adds just a background of hot-buttered toast on the nose over brazil nut, citrus and fuller, pineapply fruit, as well as subtle hints of aromatic floral notes. On the palate it is juicy and quite richly-textured, with mouth-filling nectarine and tropical pineapple fruit, all sharpened by a cut of fresh lime acidity into a long, powerful, finish where the spice of the oak ageing adds a little enriching note. Everywine, Majestic, Booths £7.99. Label image.

Bleu (France) Muscadet Sèvre et Maine 2001
Wine of the week 22/09/02. The nose is delicate and almondy, hinting at flowers, salts and pear-drop fruit. On the palate there is a tiny spritz that brings the wine to life, and along with a rush of zesty citrus fruit makes for a very invigorating, fresh, shellfish-friendly style. There is a little nutty richness on the palate, but this wine is about subtlety and crisp, savoury finesse. Sainsbury's £4.99. Label image.

Alamos (Argentina) Chardonnay 2000
Wine of the week 08/09/02. Toasty, charry, butterscotch and vanilla nose, followed on to the palate with a buttery weight of ripe tropical fruit suggesting guava, pineapple and nectarine, all shot through with a vervy streak of lime acidity. It has a lovely mouth-feel and balance, and a long, delicious, honeyed finish. £5.99 from Bibendum, Everywine, Majestic, Oddbins. Label image.

Yalumba (Australia) "Y" Series Riesling 2001
Wine of the week 25/08/02. Deliciously easy-drinking wine, with abundent fruit on the nose suggesting limes, lemon zest and hinting at luscious tropical fruit. On the palate the smooth, rich texture gives a fine mouthfeel, and more of that waxy, rich lime fruit comes layered with hints of honey and pineapple. There's a wonderfully taut clarity about this wine in the mouth, with pure fruit flavours and a balance of crisp grapefruit acidity. It lingers on the palate with a lovely sense of precision. Safeway £5.99. Label image.

Domaine de Beraut (France) Cuvée Harmonie 2001
Wine of the week 18/08/02. This terrific little white wine comes from the Côtes de Gascogne, not far from Bordeaux. The nose is wonderfully aromatic and pungent, with distinctive gooseberry and lychee fruit, and notes of succulent tangerine. On the palate it is deliciously juicy and quite full, with weighty passionfruit and waxy citrus flavours, and again that exotic lychee note. There is excellent balancing acidity, and a long, powerful, yet pure finish. Excellent stuff at the price. Safeway £4.49. Label image.

Valle Berta (Italy) Gavi 2001
Wine of the week 21/07/02. Subtle floral fragrance, with plenty of crisp asian pear and melon fruit, and a pear-drop note. On the palate it is refreshingly zesty, with lemon and lime flavours, but quite a broad, weighty appeal. There are subtle undertones of fig and almond, and the finish is quite long and elegant. Very attractive and a nice Sauvigon Blanc alternative. From Virginwines.com £6.99. Label image. N.B. There's £15 off of your first order with Virgin for wine-pages subscribers. Click here to sign up.

Yangarra Park (Australia) Chardonnay 2001
Wine of the week 14/07/02. Nice balance, with a nose offering lots of limpid, butterscotchy aromas, pure, but clean tropical fruit and a nice nutty undertone from French oak fermentation. On the palate it has a weighty texture, but quite a cool character with citrus freshness cutting through rich, ripe fruit and a mellow background of toasty oak into the clean finish. Waitrose £7.99. Label image.

Lingenfelder (Germany) Bird Label Riesling 2001
Wine of the week 30/06/02. The nose brims with tropical, pineapple, lime-fresh waxy citus, and glacé fruits. There's just a suggestion of punchy gooseberry and something mineral too, that adds up to a deliciously complex but arresting picture. On the palate it has a luscious, freshly-squeezed apricot juiciness with plenty of weight and body, and an almost smoothie richness that is shot-through with a dazzling cut of apple acidity. Will cellar for five years plus. Oddbins and Oddbins.com, £4.99. Label image.

Castelliere (Italy) Pinot Grigio 2001
Wine of the week 16/06/02. The nose has layers of herbal and buttery notes, with soft, peachy fruit and a little suggestion of hazelnut. On the palate it is crisp and refreshing thanks to vivid citrus flavours, but a just off-dry suggestion and a nutty creaminess adds mouth-appeal, and there's more of that nutty quality. Fresh and appetising, there is good, clean pear and apple acidity into the finish. Virginwines.com £6.99. Label image.

Flagstone (South Africa) Noon Gun 2001
Wine of the week 02/06/02. Crisp and refreshing, though with plenty of weight and texture in the mouth. This sings on the nose with crunchy gooseberry notes, but there's a hint of floral, exotic, waxy lime-leaf too. On the palate creamy, full-bodied fruit is joined by juicy, crisp acidity and there is fine length. A seriously delicious and different white, and highly recommended. Oddbins and Oddbins on-line, £3.99. Label image.

Neil Ellis (South Africa) Sauvignon Blanc 2001
Wine of the week 21/04/02. From low-yielding vineyards in the Groenekloof area, this has punchy, passionfruit and lychee aromas, with lots of luscious ripeness and a little freshening hint of green bean. The palate has apricot and tropical fruit character, with a broad, weighty mid-palate and a fine streak of lime-fresh acidity. Long, pure and oozing finesse, this is world class Sauvignon Blanc. £7.99, Selected Safeway and Everywine.co.uk. Label image.

Penfolds (Australia) Rawson's Retreat Riesling 2001
Wine of the week 07/04/02. Burst with fresh, juicy lime fruit. There's a little exotic hint of pineapple and tropical fruit, but also floral nuances and a little suggestion of wet stones and minerals. The palate has plenty of richness, with medium-body, but the great cut and thrust is sweet yet sharp lime cordial flavours, with hints of juicy, ripe pear and apple. The finish is crisply-defined by pure, elegant acidity. £4.99 Oddbins, Booths, Tesco, Co-op, Unwins, First Quench. Label image.

Domaine Duffour (France) Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne 2000
Wine of the week 17/03/02. Terrifically punchy nose of gooseberry and greengage fruit. There are nuances of nettles and exotic passionfruit. On the palate it is packed with crunchy fruit and zesty acidity, a rich texture and a good length of tingling, vibrant fruit into the finish. This is straightforward, juicy, delicious quaffing wine with a bit of genuine get up and go. Berry Bros & Rudd £4.85. Label image.

Pewsey Vale (Australia) Eden Valley Riesling 2000
Wine of the week 10/03/02. Delightful, shimmering, limpid beauty of a white wine with a floral and wax nose that heaves with slightly butterscotchy pear and apple fruit. On the palate it is full and smooth-textured, with gorgeous ripe, sweet, pear and peach flavours, and bracing citrus and mineral acidity. At £8.99 it is decent value. Label image.

Undurraga (Chile) Gewürztraminer 2000
Wine of the week 03/03/02. Beautifully balanced and dry, whilst being scented and full of powerful character. It is toffeed and alluring on the nose, with aromas of honey, fig and apricot. Lovely fruit fills the palate, which is dry and full-bodied, yet nicely crisp with citrus acidity. Quite delicious, and a little bit different. £5.99 Peckhams, everywine.co.uk, selected Tesco and Asda. Label image.

Sacred Hill (NZ) Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2001
Wine of the week 17/02/02. The nose is enticingly aromatic, with plenty of tropical fruit, a zesty lime note and a gentle hint of gooseberry. On the palate there is a blast of zippy acidity up front, adding a cutting edge to powerful, concentrated apple and peach fruit before a long, savoury, tangy finish. £7.99 Unwins, everywine.co.uk. Label image.

Blueridge (Bulgaria) Chardonnay 2000
Wines of the week 25/01/02. A terrific Chardonnay with sufficient oomph to match against even quite hearty foods. The vanilla and butterscotch nose gives way to plenty of juicy plum and apricot fruit, good citrussy acidity and a nutty, spicy finish. I'm also pretty sure it would be £5.99 if the label was Australian. £3.99 Somerfield. Label image.

Domaine de Peyrat (France) Viognier 1999
Wine of the week 06/01/02. Light oak ageing has added a gorgeous, gentle sheen of vanilla and butterscotch on top of limpid pear and nectarine fruit. On the plate it is beautifully juicy with lively apple acidity keeping the ripe apricot and nectarine fruit in check, and lovely medium-bodied balance staying perfectly poised into a long, lightly spicy finish. Only 12.5% alcohol, I would offer a money back guarantee if I was selling this stuff - sensationally good. Thresher, Wine Rack, Bottoms Up £5.99. Label image.

red wines

sparkling

Ferrari (Italy) Brut Metodo Classico
Wine of the week 13/02/05. A terrific sparkling wine that bubbles vigorously in the glass, and reveals a nose of gently herbal, softly yeasty lemon and crunchy apple fruit. There is good depth, with a pear skin quality and just a hint of caramel. On the palate this is mouthfilling and flooded with lemony fruit. It has real crunch and vibrancy, that broadens out with some peachier notes, but then a bracing grapefruit acidity powers through the finish. Very fine wine this. Oddbins £14.95. (more).

Jacquart Champagne Brut "Mosaique" NV
Wine of the week 18/07/04. On the nose there is a dominant note of lemon and crisp apple fruit, with just a touch of yeast and cashew. On the palate the mousse is rolling and full, and the Champagne is immediately assertive with bold herbal and citrus fruit that immediately sets the mouth watering. A softer, pillowing breadth starts to fill in, yet the wine stays very focused and savoury, with lovely weight and texture, and a cutting acidity that really sharpens the finish. This is a fine Champagne, and obviously a terrific bargain at the special price. £9.99 until July 29th 2004, Majestic. (more).

Co-op (Spain) Tempranillo Brut NV
Wine of the week 30/05/04. Vividly purple wine with a foaming pink mousse, and a nose showing lots of bold red berries and hints of chocolate and cloves. On the palate the mousse is rich and rolling, though it dies quite quickly. There's a sweetness to the fruit on the palate, and a drying chocolaty texture, then quite a kick of briary tannin pushes through. This is not in the same league as the best Ozzie examples, but it is several pounds cheaper, fun and enjoyable. Co-op, £5.79. (more).

rosé

Yering Station (Australia) Pinot Noir Rosé 'Extra Dry' 2004
Wine of the week 19/06/05. Ageing in French oak barriques adds a delicate smokiness and spicy warmth, but this is a vividly fruity wine. On the palate it has real Pinot character: a fine truffle and damp earth nuance to sweet strawberry fruit, all wrapped in that sheen of well-judged oak and with a fine core of acidity that shimmers and lengthens the finish. An absolutely terrific and totally individual wine. Majestic £9.99, or two @ £8.49. (more)

Château Tour de Mirambeau (France) Rosé 2002
Wine of the week 10/08/03. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a rosé in an uncompromisingly dry, unfrivolous style. The colour is a deep salmon, and the nose, though rather closed at first, reveals lovely scents of minerals, herbs and redcurrants with a little airing. On the palate it is very dry and savoury, with a steely core of mineral acidity and a touch of tannic bite. Again that quality of redcurrant and tart raspberry fruit begins to show through. Bottled in a screw-cap. £6.49 Oddbins, Oddbins.com. (more)

sweet