The more I taste white Burgundies from the 2010 vintage, the more I love them. Frédéric Burrier’s unoaked Mâconnais white is very stylish indeed, with notes of stone fruit and citrus and a long, chalky aftertaste. Who needs barrels when the flavours are as good as this?
2009 Château Ksara, Clos St Alphonse, Bekaa Valley
( £9.49, 13%, Marks & Spencer )It’s great to see a few Lebanese wines breaking into the retail mainstream, especially at a price and quality level such as this. It’s a blend of mostly Syrah with 30% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and it underlines the country’s potential with Bordeaux-meets-the-Rhône-Valley style blends. Elegant, sweetly oaked stuff with restrained alcohol for the Bekaa Valley, some spice and an undertone of green pepper. A very modern wine from Lebanon’s oldest winery.
2010 Txomin Etxaniz Chacolí de Guetaria, Basque Country
( £13.99, 11.35%, Waitrose )The wines of the Basque country don’t often leave Spain, partly because they are glugged so enthusiastically in the bars of San Sebastián and Bilbao, but also because they are difficult to pronounce. If you don’t know Chacolí as a wine style, it’s made from the Hondarribi Zuri grape, light in alcohol and often slightly spritzy. This one is tangy and refreshingly acidic, with a little fatness from lees contact and notes of apples and fresh lemons. Try it with sea food or a lip-smacking aperitif.
2009 Louis Max, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Very light in colour, although there’s nothing wrong with that in Burgundy. Leafy, balanced and aromatic with summer pudding and wild strawberry fruit. The palate is very different, showing more oak, slightly firm extracted tannins, medium acidity and not quite enough fruit to balance the dryness. This may oopen up over the next two or three years.
2010 Taste the Difference Crozes-Hermitage, Rhône Valley
( £8.99, 13%, Sainsbury's )It was a smart move by Sainsbury’s to source their Crozes from the biodynamic wild child of the Rhône Valley, Michel Chapoutier. Sourced from three different terroirs in this comparatively large appellation, it’s a classis example of a cooler climate Syrah, albeit an unoaked one. Blackberry spice and smoked meat are the dominant aromas and flavours here, underpinned by good structure and supple tannins. Try chilling it slightly.
2010 Catena Malbec, Mendoza
( £12.49, 13.9%, Waitrose )This may be the best mid-priced Malbec yet from Argentina’s leading producer. It’s perfumed and stylish, with notes of violets and fresh plums on the nose, followed by ripe, but not over-ripe blackberry fruit, subtle vanilla oak, textured, grainy tannins and refreshing minerality and zip. The oak is better integrated than in previous releases and there’s welcome finesse here. Great now, but will develop in the bottle for another three to five years.
2009 Château de la Tour Vieilles Vignes, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )A mid ruby wine showing a slight cloudiness when I tasted it. This old vine cuvée is marked by smoky, vanilla oak on the nose, with meaty aromas that owe as much to Syrah as they do to Pinot Noir. Very woody on the palate too, with a chunky extracted finish. This may soften over time, but I think the oak will continue to dominate the fruit.
2009 Bertagna, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Mid ruby/red with a pinkish rim. There’s some evidence of whole bunch fermetnation on the nose and palate here – a slight greenness that adds some texture and structure. The wine is quite extracted, but is clearly built for the longer haul, with notes of vanilla, fresh earth and raspberry and summer pudding fruit.
2009 La Reine Pédauque, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Mid ruby with a pinkish rim. Youthfaul and bright on the nose, albeit witn an overlay of oak. On the palate the wine is quite extracted with marked acidity and not enough fruit to compensate. A wine that is closer to a 2008 than 2009 in style, with firm, dry tannins and rather thin fruit flavours.
2009 Chantal Lescure, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Deep ruby, youthful, garnet coloured at the rim. Dense, compact, with some minty reduction. A little bitter with high acidity, perhaps suffering from bottle shock? High acid and tannin, not very complex. Lacks what should be the redeeming feature of the vintage: namely, fruit.
2009 Capitain-Gagnerot, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Very pale garnet and hints of brick red. Forward or just a little developed? Strange toffee oak secents on top of the wine. Very fruity, with fresh acidity, but just a little confected, with strawbery coulis fruit. Forward, ripe, very 2009.
2011 Commanderie de Peyrassol Rosé, Côtes de Provence
( £9.99, 12.5%, Majestic )We may still be waiting for summer here in rain-sodden Blighty, but why not pretend you’re on the Côte d’Azur with a bottle of this slinky, floral, pale pink blend of Syrah and Grenache. It’s delicate and very subtle with notes of rosehip and raspberry, bright, sappy acidity and a refreshing finish. Great as an aperitif, even better with salad, fish or chicken dishes. Essence of southern France.