The round-up of tips from the UK's top newspaper wine columnists during the week ending 29th October 2007. Each Monday you'll find a digest of tips from the previous week.








about my sponsors

provenancewines.com

Why not print this page off as your shopping list?
Links to the left feature an archive of previous round-ups.

week beginning 03/12/2007

  the Times - Jane MacQuitty
 

2005 Bourgogne Cuvée Oligocène, P Javillier, Lay & Wheeler £14.50

utterly gorgeous, smoky; rich, creamy, faintly honeyed chardonnay

2005 Ladoix 1er Cru, Le Clou d’Orge, Domaine Chevalier Majest £14.99

delicious, beefy scent; gamey, creosote and sandalwood-spiked palate

2004 Le Soula, Gérard Gauby, A&B Vintners, £18.70; BBR, £19.75

sumptuous, spicy, pineapple and sweet hazelnut-oak scented

2000 Silberberg de Rorschwihr Riesling, Rolly Gassmann, Wine Soc £16

mouthwateringly intense, mature, spritzy, floral spice and verdant flavours

2004 Auxey-Duresses, Vieilles Vignes, Prunier-Bonheur, Loeb, £18.12.

seductive, violet-scented bouquet and fat, ripe, spicy, cabbagey palate

2005 Chablis Premier Cru, Quintessence , Brocard, Tesco £14.99.

light, sappy, steely style, with a long, lingering minerally finish

2002 Pinot Gris Hengst, Wunsch et Mann, Mckinley £13.99; Halemere £13.50

grand, fat, silky, lychee-laden; sweetness will offset rich, spicy dishes

2005 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chaumées, Jouard, Ripley £19.75 by case

fine, big food-suitable white burgundy

2005 Meursault Le Limozin Jobard-Chabloz, Lea & Sademan £19.95 on offer

delicate wine is lots of light, leafy style

2003 Le Soula Gérard Gauby, A&B Cintners £19.60; BBR £19.75

heaves with distinguished, fat, bold, spicy, mulberry-stashed

1999 Beaune Clos du Roi, 1er Cru, Domaine Rapet Ripley £15.50

delicious fat, ripe, spicy, truffley, almost chocolatey fruit

2003 Château Tronquoy-Lalande, Saint Estèphe, Tesco £12.99.

fat, tasty, chocolatey, almost gamey character

1998 Clos des Amandiers, Pomerol, Cprney & Barrow £16.

lovely, ripe, sweet, aged, gamey, truffle and creosote-laden claret

1998 Château Potensac, Médoc, Tanners £18.80.

ripe, silky, cedary claret which will impress all if you pour it on Christmas Day

2005 Saint Joseph, Domaine Georges Vernay, Yapp Bros £15.95.

oodles of peppery, spicy, herby fruit, this one’s a winner

2002 Brunello di Montalcino, Sesti, Castello di Argiano Tanners £19.95

delicious, fat, beefy, savoury, ready-to-drink spice

2005 Gigondas, Terrasses des Safres, Perrin, M&S £14.99.

plenty of lively, yet strong, herby fruit

2003 Costasera Amarone, Masi, Tesco, Wimbledon £19.99; Oddbins £21.99

beefy and perfumed; fine, sweet, savoury, leafy, leathery spice

  the Sunday Times - Joanna Simon
 

2004 Waitrose Cerro de la Mesa Crianza, £8.99

Deep, plummy fruit and spicy oak, made by the stellar CVNE

2002 Baron de Ley Club Privado Rioja Reserva, Thresh, 3 @ £7.33

Beautifully aromatic, dark and concentrated

2004 Pago Real Rioja, £11 (Marks & Spencer).

Rich, spiced strawberry fruit and nutty oak

  the Independent - Anthony Rose
 

2003 Berberana Reserva Rioja. £4.49, Tesco

coconutty oak aromas; sweetly strawberry-fruited quality.

2007 Limarí Sauvignon Blanc. £5.99 (today) on offer M&S

mouthwatering dry white from Concha y Toro's new venture

2003 Chateau Clément Pichon, Cru bourgeois. £14.99, Sainsbury

smooth, cassis-fruit-centred claret with a veneer of toasty oak

  the Observer - Ian Wisniewski
 

Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or (£35.49, selected Sainsbury's, Tesco)

Lemon tart, underlying zestiness and honeyed notes

Laphroaig Quarter Cask (£26, Waitrose, Tesco)

creamy sweetness laced with gentle smoke; coconut and vanilla.

Port Ellen 28-year-old (£140, Royal Mile Whiskies)

creamy chocolate, lemon zest, creme caramel; gentle waft of smoke

Lagavulin 21-year-old, distilled in 1985 (£110, Royal Mile Whiskies)

upfront toasty smokiness, accompanied by vanilla sweetness

Chivas Regal 25-year-old (£185, Harrods)

dried-fruit flavours with toffee and dark chocolate

Hennessy Fine de Cognac (£27, Waitrose, Sainsbury's)

vanilla, butterscotch, raisins and dark chocolate

Delamain Pale & Dry XO (£70, Harvey Nichols)

peaches, apricots and orange marmalade, balanced by subtle dry oak

Camus XO Borderies (£85.89, Arthur Rackham)

creamy toffee, butterscotch, creme caramel and a hint of honey

Remy Martin Coeur de Cognac (£44.99, Selfridgesm Tesco)

Peaches, vanilla and toffee appear, before a wave of ripe fruit

Hine Triomphe (£170, selected Waitrose, Fortnum & Mason)

lightly creamy caramel, butterscotch, chocolate and raisins

  the Telegraph - Jonathan Ray
 

Jacob's Creek Sparkling Rosé (£7.99; Asd, Boo, Bud, Co, Tes, Thr, Mor, Spa)

certainly looks festive and is ideal for getting things going at large gatherings

2006 Marks & Spencer White Burgundy, (£5.99)

crisp, dry and supple

2007 Anakena Chardonnay/Viognier Chile (£4.99; Co-op)

a fruity, full and easy drinking wine.

2005 Vaquero Cabernet Sauvignon, California (£5.25; Jascots)

wonderful, gluggably juicy red

2005 Château Peyriac, Minervois (£3.99; Sainsbury's)

Syrah/Mourvèdre/Grenache is far better than its price suggests.

2007 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (£5.99 on offer Co-op)

grassy, herbaceous

2006 Stamford Brook Shiraz/Viognier, Australia (£5.99; Sains)

lipsmackingly full

2006 Vergelegen Reserve Chardonnay (£12.29; Maj, Whole Foods)
2005 Ravenswood Lodi Zinfandel (£8.99; Sains, Majes, Thresh)

both are full-flavoured, ripe and crammed with New World character

Taylor's 10 Year Old Tawny Port (£16.99; Tes, Sai, Maj, Mor, Som, Thr)
Taylor's 20 Year Old Tawny Port (£27.49; Sain, Wait, Harr, Self)

either will work a treat, with no need for decanting.

  the Guardian - Victoria Moore
 

Sesti Brunello di Montalcino 2001. £347.92 a case, Armit

crackles like a bonfire, powerful, yet has a velvety texture.

Piancornello Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2001. £35, Waitrose

Quite an open texture, and easy to get a handle on

Rosso di Montalcino Talenti 2004. £11.95, Bibendum

soothing, sour cherries and dust palate

Pieri Agostina Rosso di Montalcino 2005. £13, Jeroboams

a tantalising warmth that creeps through you


latest roundup