Previous months' recommendations: March 2003 | April 2003 | May 2003 | June 2003 | July 2003 | August 2003 | September 2003 | October 2003 | November 2003 | December 2003 | January 2004 | February 2004 | March 2004

My rating system explained. Use www.wine-searcher.com to locate a stockist in your area and my directory of UK wine merchants for details of those listed here. See also: the wineanorak's shopping list - recommended wines from each of the main UK retail outlets. These recommendations are truly independent: I don't accept payment or other favours for inclusions, nor do I sell wine.

La Cuvée Mythique Blanc 2002 Vin de Pays d’Oc, France
This is a delicious complex white wine from the south of France with aromas of peach, apricot, vanilla and almonds. The palate is fruity and nutty with good acidity. Full flavoured and delicious, this even outshines the very good Cuvée Mythique red that we know and love. Very good/excellent 90/100 (£6.99 Waitrose)

Domaine des Pensées Sauvages 2000 Corbières, France
Made by English couple Nick and Clare Bradford, this is a wild, dangerous wine. It has a lovely perfumed nose of smoky, roasted red fruits with notes of garrigue and a minerally edge. The palate is concentrated and intensely savoury with a lovely, slightly bitter cherry edge to the herby fruit. Good acid and a spicy, earthy finish. Very good/excellent 90/100 (£6.95 Berry Bros & Rudd)

Château Pech Redon La Clape 1999 Coteaux du Langeudoc, France
Continuing with a Languedoc theme, this red from the thriving La Clape sub region has a savoury, spicy, herby, slightly animally nose. The palate is firm and spicy with nice richness of earthy fruit. It’s an attractive spicy wine. Very good+ 89/100 (£6.49 Majestic)

Seresin Estate Pinot Noir 2002 Marlborough, New Zealand
The shoulders are taken off the bunches to avoid the sweet and sour effect often found with Pinot Noir. Some whole berry component is left in the fermentation, which is achieved by natural yeasts. Sweet ripe fruit on the nose. Very smooth ripe fruit on the palate with some elegance. Lovely juicy, ripe wine that is quite elegant. Very good/excellent 93/100 (available from the UK agent John Armit Wines, who tell me it is stocked by Handford, Philglass & Swiggot and Wimbledon Wines for around £18)

Achaval Ferrer Quimera 2001 Mendoza, Argentina
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot. Interestingly, the blend occurs before racking into barrels, of which 40% are new (10% American oak and 90% French oak). The wine shows a sensational rounded, sweet perfumed nose, with creamy blackcurrant fruit. The palate displays more of this sweet, rounded fruit which hides a smooth tannic core. There’s a subtle herby complexity and some minerality is apparent on the finish. Very good/excellent 92/100 (£20.56 Corney & Barrow)

Schloss Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner Tradition 2001 Langenlois, Austria
I was very impressed by this GV, made in a traditional style that aims to replicate the way the wine would have been made 100 years ago. Fresh, crisp grassy nose leads to a fascinating palate that is rich textured with amazing rich white pepper character and a rich texture. Striking stuff and quite lovely. Had twice with consistet notes. Very good/excellent 93/100 (£14.49 Noel Young Wines) The other Schloss Gobelsburg wines also come highly recommended.

Schwarz Wine Company Thiele Road Grenache 2002 Barossa, Australia
Hampshire-based merchant David Thomas imports a range of small-production garage wines from the Barossa – all of them are pretty serious, but I’ve chosen to recommend this wine simply because Grenache is such a neglected variety. It’s a myth that all Australian wines taste the same. Keep the yields down and handle them carefully in the winery and you get wines that display ample varietal and terroir expression. This wine has a savoury, varietally true nose with some minerality. The palate shows a nice weight of savoury fruit. Classy and sophisticated: not a massive blockbuster but a real Grenache. Very good/excellent 91/100 (David still has some of the Schwarz Nitschke Block Shiraz 2001, which I rated at 93/100 recently, up from a score of 90 last summer) (Contact David Thomas, davidthomas@dmtwineimports.co.uk for more details: should be around £15 per bottle)

E-mail me with your recommendations or suggestions at jamie@wineanorak.co.uk