Reliable, independent buying advice from the wine anorak
June 2003

Wines under £8 | Wines over £8

Previous months' recommendations: May 2002 | June 2002 | July 2002 | August 2002 | September 2002 | October 2002 | November 2002 | December 2002 | January 2003 | February 2003 | March 2003 | April 2003 | May 2003

My rating system explained. Use www.wine-searcher.com to locate a stockist in your area. See also: the wineanorak's shopping list - recommended wines from each of the main UK retail outlets.

Bargain picks 

Palacio de Bornos Verdejo 2002 Rueda, Spain
Aromatic, full grassy nose is very appealing and leads to a full flavoured savoury palate that finishes dry. Satisfying and with good food compatibility – tasted blind you’d swear this was a Sauvignon Blanc. Much classier than normal at this price point. Very good+ (£4.99 Waitrose)

Tria Syrah 2002 Sicilia, Italy
Remarkable stuff. Intense nose of luscious raspberry fruit – bold and liqueur like. Ripe, rich raspberry fruit dominates the palate, which shows immense concentration. Lovely pure fruit is the key. Very good/excellent (£5.99 Waitrose)

Navardia Rioja 2001 Spain
Produced by Bagordi, this organic Rioja is a real star. It’s a blend of Tempranillo with some Merlot and has a lovely spicy, toasty-edged nose, with rich, vivid fruit. The palate shows lovely clean chewy, spicy fruit. Modern and fruit driven but still showing lots of personality. Very good+ (£5.99 Marks & Spencer)  

Vinos Organicos Emiliano (VOE) Novas Carmenere/Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 Colchagua, Chile
This organic Chilean red is a blend of 63% Carmenere, 34% Cabernet, 2% Syrah and 1% Mourvedre, with roughly two thirds aged in French and American oak barrels. Very deep coloured. A bit shy on the nose initially, but on the palate it is a powerful, richly fruited wine, with a spicy edge to the full textured palate. It is very ripe with lots of blackcurrant and berry fruit, but there’s more to it than just pure fruit with some nice structure. Very good+ (£5.99 Vintage Roots)

Wines over £8

Château Tour Grise Samur Brut (red label) 1999 Loire, France
This biodynamic sparkling white is a deep gold colour. It has a remarkable rich, honeyed, apricotty nose with a toasty, yeasty edge. The palate is savoury and complex – almost Sauternes like – with honeyed complexity and good acidity. Finishes dry. Very appealing and complex. Very good/excellent (£8.99 Devigne Wines, Welshpool)  

Le Due Terre Sacrisassi Bianco 2000 Colli Orientali del Friuli, Italy
A blend of the indigenous Ribolla Gialla with Tocai Friulano, together with some Sauvignon Blanc, this is a remarkable white wine. The knockout pungent nose is almost wildly aromatic – herby, fat and smoky with good intensity. The palate is fat, fruity, herby and complex. Striking and intense this is dry with layered fruit flavours and a hint of smoked bacon. Excellent (£14.95 Berry Bros & Rudd)

Beyerskloof Synergy Cape Blend 2001 Stellenbosch, South Africa
Cape blends are the new thing in South Africa – reds made with at least 30% and less than 70% Pinotage in the mix, which seems to bring out the best in this unusual variety. This example shows quite a classy herby nose with some menthol notes. The palate displays well structured, spicy, earthy berry fruit with a hint of green olives. Lovely weight. Very good/excellent (£8.99 Tesco)

Mas Foulaquier ‘Le Rollier’ 2000 Pic St Loup Coteaux du Languedoc, France
Pierre Jequier recently acquired this 8 ha estate in the soon-to-be appellation of Pic St Loup, and is making impressive wines. This shows ripe sweet red fruits on the nose. The palate is rounded and rich with mineral-edged ripe berry fruits. Quite elegant. Very good/excellent (£9.95 Berry Bros & Rudd)

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