Araldica Gavi 2000, Piedmont, Italy
This modern-styled Piedmont white is made from the Cortese grape, and it's lovely for the price. The nose is beautifully aromatic, with delicate floral and citrus fruit notes together with some 'boiled sweets' character. The floral, limey palate is fresh with lots of bright fruit: elegant and well balanced. Very good commercial winemaking. Very good+ (£4.99 Sainsbury) 12/01

Laurent Miquel Syrah Mourvèdre 2000, Vin de Pays d'Oc, France
This deep-coloured wine has an attractive nose of meaty, spicy berry fruit. The palate is savoury with plummy fruit and an attractive damson-like bitterness. With a chunky structure, this is satisfying stuff for the price: the sort of thing the South of France does so well. Very good+ (£4.99 Sainsbury)

Le Pigeoulet Rouge 2000, Vin de Pays de Vacluse, France
This nicely packaged wine comes from the Brunier family, who also make the well regarded Châteauneuf du Pape Vieux Télégraphe. It's a bright red/purple colour, with an attractive nose of slightly herby, spicy red berry fruit. Delicious medium-bodied meaty/savoury palate with some spiciness on the finish. A tasty glugging wine and good value at about £6-£7. Very good+ (£6.99 Selfridges, also at Adnams)

Millton Merlot Cabernet 1998 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
One of the standouts in a recent Wine magazine organic wine tasting, this full-on red has a remarkable open nose with rich, bright fruit and lifted menthol and smoky elements. Savoury berry fruit dominates the palate and it has a dry finish. Distinctive stuff with real character. Very good/excellent (£7.99 Vinceremos)

Nyetimber Première Cuvée Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay Brut 1993, England
This fizz is widely regarded as the leading light of the English wine scene, and if you haven't already tried it, you really should. A full golden colour, it has a complex, mature, biscuitty, yeasty nose. The palate is savoury, dry and rich, in a classv vintage Champagne style. There's plenty of complexity here but I'd be tempted to drink this delicious wine soon, rather than banking on any further evolution. Very good+ (£16.95 Berry Bros) 11/01

Vincent Girardin Mersault 'Les Narvaux' 1999, Burgundy, France
Girardin is one of the new wave of high quality negociants that are currently making waves in Burgundy, and I was quite taken with this expensive but classy Mersault. It's fermented in barriques, a third of which are new, and this new oak contributes to the beautifully seductive, nutty, smoky nose, underpinned with tropical fruits and with a bready, mealy edge. The palate is rich, spicy and intense with a high acid core. Nicely balanced, and successfully adds a new world-style veneer to the classic white Burgundy character. Very good/excellent (£18.99 Majestic)

Vieux Télégraphe Rouge 1999 Châteauneuf du Pape, Southern Rhône, France
A wine that lives up to this estate's considerable reputation. Deep coloured with a brooding nose showing intense spicy fruit with some herbs and menthol -- still a touch closed though. Concentrated, chunky, classic palate with lots of spicy character. It's tannic, aggressive, and a bit tight at the moment, but has super potential for ageing: don't open for a decade or so. Excellent (£17.90 Justerini & Brooks)

Gilles Barge Côte Rôtie Cuvée du Plessy 1998, Northern Rhône, France
Wonderful open nose showing beautifully complex perfumed, meaty Syrah fruit, with a herbal green olive edge. The palate is intensely savoury and nicely balanced, with meaty, herbal fruit and substantial structure from the tannins and acidity. I'd leave for a little while before drinking though. Excellent (£18.50 A&B Vintners)