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

Defaix Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2000 Burgundy, France
I'll begin this month's reccos with two Chablis (is that the plural?). Defaix are one of my favourite Chablis producers, making very traditional-styled wines and releasing them late with some bottle age. This has a complex nose of citrus fruits, herbs, nuts and minerals. The palate is full flavoured but tight with lots of nutty, minerally character and lively acidity. Very good/excellent 92/100 (Threshers/Wine Rack £12.99)

William Fevre Chablis 2002 Burgundy, France
Lovely fresh nose: crisp and minerally with citrus and grapefruit character, together with a perfumed, nutty, damp straw note. The palate is savoury with a good concentration of minerally fruit. Lovely definition and balance. Despite the concentration this is not at all thick and heavy. Very good/excellent 91/100 (£8.99 Sainsbury)

Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2003 Constantia, South Africa
Next two Sauvignons. Sauvignon Blanc can get a little boring, but it’s an incredibly useful grape that makes wines that drink well with a wide range of foods, or even on their own. This is a very good one. Full, open nose with blackcurrant (yes) and herb notes: quite aromatic and full. The palate is concentrated and ripe with a lovely grassy edge to the rich fruit. Impressive full flavoured style. Very good/excellent 90/100 (£7.99 Sainsbury)

Greenhough Sauvignon Blanc 2003 Nelson, New Zealand
Marlborough is the New Zealand region most associated with Sauvignon, but this one from Nelson is worth checking out. Enticing, rich grassy nose with some sweetness, hints of tropical fruit and an appealing grassiness. The palate shows good complexity: it is crisp and herby with nice fruit. A textbook, concentrated rich style of Sauvignon with good balance. Very good/excellent 90/100 (Around £12 - I'll double check - Lay & Wheeler)

Albert Mann Pinot Blanc Auxerrois 2002 Alsace
I’m a keen fan of decent Alsace whites, and this fits the bill. Fresh, open, fruity and grapey with a slightly sweet honeyed character and subtle herbiness. There’s a bit of spiciness too. Overall this is dry, but there’s some sweetness to the fruit. It’s an expressive white with great balance. Very good/excellent 90/100 (£9.99 Oddbins)

Lowe Hunter Valley Shiraz 2000 Australia
A classic Hunter Valley Shiraz: aromatic, spicy, tarry nose with sweet ripe red fruits. The palate is rich and spicy: quite elegant with high acidity. The balance is just right between the sweet fruit, high acid and the spicy tannins, with some earthy undercurrents. A lovely wine showing great typicity. Very good/excellent 93/100 (£12.50 www.strathardlefinewines.co.uk)

Torzi Matthews Frost Dodger Shiraz 2002 Eden Valley, South Australia
This is the first vintage of this exciting new wine, which was made in a rather unusual Italian-inspired way. Prior to crush the handpicked fruit was dried on racks, before fermentation and then ageing 18 months in a mix of new and old French and American barriques. The first thing that you notice about this wine is its colour: it is a dark red/black without some of the vibrancy seen in young wines. The nose is very striking, dominated by clearly defined black fruit aromas, together with some earthy spiciness. Great fruit purity. The palate is very concentrated, sweet, lush and smooth, with a spicy black cherry edge. Great length here, with a seamless elegance to the intense fruit. A drinkable yet serious wine with a distinctive personality, it will be interesting to see how this evolves. Tried twice, with consistent notes: it kept its shape very well after opening and was still superb three days later. Excellent 95/100 (£25, Cellar Door in Hampshire, www.thecellardoor.co.uk)

Teusner Joshua 2003 Barossa Valley, Australia
A repeat recommendation: I tried this again in Australia, and my notes and rating tallied well. An elegantly packaged unoaked blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre. Lovely open nose dominated by distinctive peppery fruit (primarily cherries and berries) with a liqueur-like sweetness, and a hint of earthiness. The palate is ripe and open with sweet peppery, spicy berry fruit. The finish is spicy and earthy. Quite a distinctive wine and almost southern Rhône-like. Not too obvious - I really like this. Very good/excellent 93/100 (£12.95 The Cellar Door, www.thecellardoor.co.uk) 

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