Reliable, independent buying advice from the wine anorak
September 2002

Wines under £8 | Wines over £8

Previous months' recommendations:  August 2001 | September 2001 | October 2001 | November 2001 | December 2001 | January 2002 | February 2002 | March 2002 | April 2002 | May 2002 | June 2002 | July 2002 | August 2002

My rating system explained. Use www.wine-searcher.com to locate a stockist in your area. 

Bargain picks

Domaine Duffour Vin de Pays des Côtes du Gascogne, France
80% Colombard, 10% Gros Manseng, 10% Ugni Blanc, average vine age 20 years. Wonderful nose of striking lemon and grapefruit: very fresh and aromatic. Bright zesty fruit on the palate with high acidity. Good concentration and some minerality. A brilliantly fresh and crisp food wine. Very good+ (£4.85 Berry Bros)

Domaine La Cazal ‘Le Pas de Zarat’, Minervois 1999, Languedoc, France
From gravely soils, this dark coloured wine is dominated by Mourvèdre. Beautifully fragrant hebal nose with a delicious, meaty, green olive edge. Superb savoury, herbal, meaty palate with great balance. Quite superb. Very good/excellent (Marks & Spencer £7.99)

Wines over £8

Craggy Range Seven Poplars Vineyard Chardonnay 2000, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Classy, appealing nose with tight fruit and toasty, bready barrique notes. The palate is beautifully balanced showing lean, restrained fruit and stylish oak. Still quite light and fresh despite the concentration. Brilliant stuff. Excellent (Waitrose £11.99, still some left although they won't be listing this again)  

Bruno Sorg Tokay Pinot Gris Grand Cru Florimont 2000, Alsace
Slightly muted nose with a touch of lemony fruit. Very rich, full textured, concentrated palate with a spicy acid finish. Lovely savoury edge and nice balancing sweetness. This is a complex food wine that will no doubt evolve. Very good/excellent (Martinez £12.95) 

Patrick Coulbis Pouilly Fumé Les Cocques 2000
Fresh, savoury, minerally nose showing bright fruit and a wet stones character. Good intensity on the acidic mineralic palate. Very dry and satisfying, this is a traditional style of Pouilly Fumé: it shows good concentration but it is not too fruit driven. Needs food. Very good/excellent (£9.45 Berry Bros)

Michel Ogier Côte Rôtie 1995, Northern Rhône
Very deep coloured. Powerful, meaty nose has a lovely perfumed bacon-like edge. Rich, but still quite elegant with smooth, classy raspberry fruit. The palate is extremely savoury with firm tannins, herby fruit and high acidity. Hints of green olives and stinky cheese, too. A sensational wine. Excellent (£9.45 per half, Berry Bros)

Eric et Joel Durand Cornas 2000, Northern Rhône
Nice savoury meaty, spicy nose with some attractive sweet raspberry fruit. Savoury, meaty palate shows lovely balance. The fruit shines through. Delicious stuff, with some tannic structure. Very good/excellent (Nickolls & Perks have this for sale in bond c.£14/bottle)

Quinta do Infantado Vintage Port 1999, Portugal
Deep red/black colour. Intense spicy, herby nose with complex liquorice and caramel notes. Wonderfully focused vivid spicy/herby palate showing lots of savoury, spicy, tannic structure. This is superbly structured, although there's something a little unusual about the nose: a lifted, almost minty note. Lots of potential here for development. Very good/excellent (£25, Oportowines.com)

Torbreck 'Juveniles' 2001 Barossa, Australia
I was bowled over by this unoaked blend of Grenache (60%), Mourvèdre (20%) and Shiraz (20%). Lovely meaty savoury nose with an attractive animal-like complexity and some earthy notes. Delicious soft fruit on the palate but with an intriguing herby/earthy edge. Although this is one of Torbreck’s cheaper offerings, it’s a brilliant wine: expressive and reminiscent of a very good, ripe Crozes Hermitage. Excellent (Noel Young £14; Ballantynes, £19.99)

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