Producer / Shipper

Country

Wine

Region / appellation

Vintage

Colour

Price

Comment

Score
(/10)

F

Beaumont des Crayères

Champagne

NV

White Sparkling

15.99

40% Chardonnay; 30% Pinot Noir; 30% Pinot Meunier

7

Pellé

F

Menetou Salon Morogues

1994

White

6.99

In bottle 2 months. Quite pale with green tinges. Quite strong legs. Slightly flowery, gooseberry aromas. Fairly smooth. Good body, nice length: full.

7

Michelot Buisson

F

Meursault

Meursault

1993

White

13.49

100% Chardonnay. Very young. 100% oak fermentation. Nice gold, Fine legs - v. Powerful. Very roasted toasty oak on nose, with hints of sweet, slightly flowery vanilla, with aromas of toasted onion in background. Full attack - rich and fruity with lots of fruit.

6

F

Rollan de By

Médoc Cru Bourgeois

1993

Red

9.99

Not in bottle. 100% new oak for 14 months. 75% merlot; 25% Cab sauv. Very attractive. Very young tannic nose. Ok. Some tannin on palate. Nice balance

5

F

Gevrey Chambertin, Domaine Louis Trapet

Gevrey Chambertin

1993

Red

12.99

Jeune vignes: all < 15 years old. Very young. 100% in barrel. 35% new oak with very light toasting. Surprisingly intense dark colour, showing young cherry. V. Full legs. V full fruit on nose: cherries & vague hints of tannin. Fruit at first then some acidity after a while.

5

The Brothers Vineyards

NZ

Semillon Sauvignon

Marlborough

1993

White

6.49

Exceptionally grassy nose. Very powerful fruit. Exceptional. Rather odd, but very good - really different. Exceptionally powerful semillon on palate. Memorable.

8.5

James Herrick / A.H.Wines Ltd, Yeovil

F

James Herrick Chardonnay

Languedoc

1994

White

4.99

Nice colour. Not much nose. OK, but not exciting.

4.5

F

Champagne H. Blin brut

Champagne

NV

White Sparkling

13.99

Good. Plenty of flavour. Good compromise between more powerful flavours of such as Bollinger and the more nondescript champagnes

7.5

F

Beaujolais Villages Château du Basty

Beaujolais Villages

1994

Red

5.49

Very attractive colour; nice young gamay nose. Good. But overpriced in comparison with new world/Spain

6

F

Côte de Brouilly, Dom. De la Pierre Bleue

Côte de Brouilly

1994

Red

6.99

Lovely nose. Good. But not outstanding.

5

F

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune Tête de Cuvée

Hautes Côtes de Beaune

1992

Red

5.99

Good fresh nose. Very nice complex flavours which continue to develop long after.

7.5

F

Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes-de-Nuits Tête de Cuvée

Hautes Côtes de Nuit

1992

Red

5.99

Good colour. Nose a bit more reticent than Beaune

6.5

Seppelt

AUS

Premier Cuvée Brut

NV

White Sparkling

6.49

Bottle fermented. C. 60% Chardonnay. Delicate appley bouquet. Nice crisp dry finish. Not remarkable.

4

Seaview

AUS

Seaview Sparkling Pinot Noir-Chardonnay

1991

White Sparkling

7.49

Little nose. Quite crisp and fresh. OK

4

AUS

Yalumba Cuvée One Pinot Nor/Chardonnay

NV

White Sparkling

7.99

Decent nose. Fresh on palate - good, creamy. Not bad at all.

6.5

Santa Carolina

Chile

Santa Carolina Sauvignon Blanc

1994

White

3.99

Fair nose. Not particularly fresh, but well rounded

4

Santa Carolina

Chile

Suavignon Blanc Special Reserve

Maipo Valley

1994

White

4.99

Markedly more complex than the ordinary Santa Carolina Sauv Blanc, but at the expense of freshness and clarity.

4

Santa Carolina

Chile

Chardonnay

1994

White

4.49

30% in US & French oak for 6 months; 70% in stainless steel. Very thin nose. Good on palate, slightly tropical tastes. Full and fresh.,

5.5

Santa Carolina

Chile

Chardonnay Reserve

1994

White

5.99

More oak and toastiness on nose. Very full & smooth. Good

6

Bodegas Montecillo

E

Montecillo Cumbrero Blanco

1994

White

3.99

Nice & light. Good length with some spicy overtones

5.5

Château Tour de Mirambeau

F

Château Tour de Mirambeau Sauvignon

Bordeaux

1994

White

4.99

Nice nose. Very good in mouth, well rounded. Fair amount of mouth-puckering acidity that almost seems tannin-like. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
 

7

Oxford Landing

AUS

Oxford Landing Cabernet/Shiraz

1993

Red

4.95

Decent colour. Nose OK. Decent drinking

5

Yalumba

AUS

"The Menzies" Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

Coonawarra

1991

Red

7.49

Deep colour. Not a very dominant nose. OK, perhaps a bit innocuous.

5

Yalumba

AUS

Bush Vine Grenache

1993

Red

6.99

Little nose. Vibrant youthful colour. Very attractive on palate. Fairly rich. Good

7.5

Mitchelton Wines

AUS

Mitchelton Riesling

Victoria

1994

White

4.99

Very pronounced Riesling nose. Very full varietal characteristics on palate. Smooth with a nice crisp finish.

7.5

Mitchelton Wines

AUS

Mitchelton Marsanne

Victoria

1993

White

4.99

Decent ripe nose. Full and rich. Good.

7

Mitchelton Wines

AUS

Preece Chardonnay

Victoria

1994

White

6.25

OK. Fairly standard varietal characteristics. Not brilliant.

4

Mitchelton Wines

AUS

Reserve Chardonnay

Victoria

1992

White

7.49

Nice pale gold. V. full nose - lots of toasty oak. Possibly a bit too much oak. A bit odd - has lost much of its varietal character

5

Barton & Guestier

F

Merlot

VdP d'Oc

1994

Red

3.99

Nice nose. Good clean merlot. Not the best, but perfectly OK.

4.5

Barton & Guestier

F

Cabernet Sauvignon

VdP d'Oc

1994

Red

3.99

Good colour. Disappointing nose. Generally unexciting.

3

Barton & Guestier

F

Sandeman Claret

Bordeaux

1992

Red

3.99

Quite a pale, mature-ish colour. Attractive nose. OK. Light. Bit insipid?

4.5

Barton & Guestier

F

Fondation 1725 Bordeaux Rouge

Bordeaux

1990

Red

4.99

Decent, fairly mature colour. Nose OK. Good - mouthfilling.

6

Barton & Guestier

F

Margaux Tradition

Margaux

1993

Red

7.99

Deep, attractive colour. Attractive, quite light nose. Fairly good, nice length. Good structure.

5.5

Barton & Guestier

F

St Julien Tradition

St Julien

1992

Red

7.99

Good colour. Uninteresting nose. Good. Nice character.

6

Barton & Guestier

F

Château Magnol

Haut Medoc

1990

Red

7.99

Good colour. Very good nose. Good. Full of character - nice structure.

7.5

Italvini

I

Puglian White

NV ?

White

2.99

Slightly flowery nose. Good, full flavour. Rich

7

Italvini

I

Chardonnay del Salento

1994

White

3.99

Unexciting.

3

Italvini

I

Chardonnay Vigneto di Caramia

1993

White

5.99

Very golden colour. Good smoky nose. Nice, rounded & full. Good.

6

Bodegas Palacio

E

Cosme Palacio y Hermanos

Rioja

1993

White

5.49

Golden yellow. Rich varietal nose, with full vanilla oak tones. Very full and mouthfilling. Really rich. Excellent traditional white Rioja.

8

Palacio de la Vega

E

Palacio de la Vega Cabernet Sauvignon

Navarra

1991

Red

?

Excellent colour & nose. Very full. Great structure. Very good.

8.5

Palacio de la Vega

E

Palacio de la Vega Merlot

Navarra

1992

Red

?

Nice deep, fairly mature colour. Some oak on nose. Excellent merlot.

8.5

Palacio de la Vega

E

Palacio de la Vega Crianza Cabernet Sauvignon-Tempranillo

Navarra

1992

Red

4.99

V. full nose. Good vaguely maturing colour. Not too heavy on tannins. Good

7.5

Palacio de la Vega

E

Palacio de la Vega Tinto

Navarra

1993

Red

3.99

Very attractive colour. Nice flavours - still young. Lots of tannins. Good, but a bit young.

6.5

Palacio de la Vega

E

Palacio de la Vega Tempranillo Joven

Navarra

1994

Red

3.49

Very young appearance and nose. Full of fruit. Clean, fresh. Remarkably little tannin.

6.5

Lindemans

AUS

Cawarra Colombard Chardonnay

1994

White

3.99

80% Colombard; 20% Chardonnay. Attractive. Herbaceous, fresh & clean. Quite good.

5.5

Lindemans

AUS

Cawarra Semillon Chardonnay

1994

White

3.69

85% Semillon; 15% Chardonnay. Quite flowery, fairly fresh. Not bad, especially for price.

5.5

Lindemans

AUS

Bin 65 Chardonnay

1994

White

4.95

Pretty standard chardonnay. OK. Nothing outstanding.

4

Wynns

AUS

Coonawarra Estate Riesling

Coonawarra

1993

White

4.19

Nice nose. Lacking varietal character. Unimpressive.

3

Wynns

AUS

Coonawarra Estate Chardonnay

Coonawarra

1991

White

6.99

Nice oak, but otherwise pretty standard stuff. Good.

5.5

AUS

Rouge Hoome Chardonnay

Coonawarra

1992

White

6.99

Very full nose with nice hints of oak. Full, rich and creamy. Surprisingly little oak comes through.

6

Oxford Landing

AUS

Oxford Landing Sauvignon Blanc

1994

White

4.95

Not bad. Mature flavour. Perhaps lacking freshness.

4.5

Oxford Landing

AUS

Oxford Landing Chardonnay

1994

White

4.95

Fairly standard. Quite good. Full, not too oaky.

5

Boutinot Prince

F

Pinot Blanc Turckheim

Alsace

1993

White

4.49

Little nose. Nice and fragrant on palate. Good.

6

Boutinot Prince

F

Muscat Cuvée Reserve Turckheim

Alsace

1994

White

5.49

Fragrant nose. Quite fragrant on palate too. But a bit disappointing.

3.5

Boutinot Prince

F

Tokay Pinot Gris Turckheim

Alsace

1993

White

4.99

Nice fragrant nose. But generally not as impressive as Turckheim Pinot Blanc.

4.5

Coldstream Hills

AUS

Chardonnay

Yarra Valley

1993

White

8.49

OK. Standard chardonnay. Not worth the money.

5

Coldstream Hills

AUS

Chardonnay Reserve

Yarra Valley

1992

White

12.49

V. nice nose. Bit odd on palate. Tastes of oak and not much else.

3

Beringer Vineyards

USA

Fumé Blanc

Napa Valley

1993

White

5.99

Nice floral nose. V full, rich. Nice after.

7

Beringer Vineyards

USA

Private Reserve Chardonnay

Napa Valley

1993

White

14.49

Odd raw oak nose. Very good. Complex with very long flavours.

8.5

Bodegas y Bebidas

E

Albor Blanco

Rioja

1994

White

3.79

Very fresh. Pure unadulterated fruit. Sort of Rioja Nouveau.

7.5

Bodegas y Bebidas

E

Solana Blanco

1994

White

4.29

Very reasonable & fresh.

5.5

Bodegas y Bebidas

E

Vivala Jumilla

1994

White

2.99

Very fruity nose. Crisp youngish colour. Fruity & young on palate. Excellent for price.

7

Bodegas y Bebidas

E

Vega de Moriz Tinto

1994

Red

3.29

Young fruity nose. Bit too young. Tannins need to settle. Plenty of fruit.

5

Bodegas y Bebidas

E

Albor Tinto

Rioja

1994

Red

3.79

Pure fruit nose. Pure fruit on palate. VG.

8

Bodegas y Bebidas

E

Veganueva Garnacha

1993

Red

3.49

Nice colour - not too young. Great nose. More to it than the red Albor - including more tannin. VG.

8.5

Bodegas y Bebidas

E

Solana Cencibel

1994

Red

4.29

Young fruit on nose. Good, but not as good as Veganueva.

7

Bodegas y Bebidas

E

Las Campanas Crianza

1991

Red

3.99

V. light strawberry red. Fairly complex nose. Good. Not exceptional but good.

7

Bodegas y Bebidas

E

Campo Viejo Reserva

Rioja

1990

Red

5.49

Nice mature colour - v.crisp & clean. Nice nose with decent hints of vanilla. V. nice. Lots of oak, but not overwhelmingly heavy tannin.

7.5

Bodegas y Bebidas

E

Marques de Puerto Reserva

1989

Red

6.49

Not as good as Campo Viejo - not as complex.

7

Bodegas y Bebidas

E

Campo Viejo Gran Reserva

Rioja

1985

Red.

7.49

Pretty much what you would expect of a good Rioja gran reserva. Very good. Great length. Very powerful after.

8.5

Château Tour de Mirambeau

F

Château Tour de Mirambeau Rouge

Bordeaux

1993

Red

5.49

Nice colour. Full fruit. Light and well rounded.

6

Château Tour de Mirambeau

F

Château Tour de Mirambeau Cuvée Passion Rouge

Bordeaux

1993

Red

6.99

Great nose. Nice balance and structure. VG.

7.5

Hardys

AUS

Nottage Hill Chardonnay

Southeastern Australia

1994

White

4.69

Very fresh. Little oak. Nice varietal nose. Clean and sharp. Quite refreshing. OK.

5

Hardys

AUS

Eileen Hardy Chardonnay

Yarra Valley

1993

White

9.99

Very full, complex nose. Quite full and complex, but not really very exciting

5.5

Leasingham

AUS

Leasingham Domaine Chardonnay

Clare Valley

1993

White

5.49

Barrel fermented & on lees for 12 months. Good on nose. Decent structure. Fairly unexciting

5

Leasingham

AUS

Leasingham Domaine Semillon

Clare Valley

1993

White

5.49

Smoky nose. Nice & fresh with some citrus-ey flavours. Nothing special.

5

J & F Lurton

F

Terret

VdP des Côtes de Thau

1994

White

3.49

Terret is the grape used for Noilly Prat. Really quite attractive

6

J & F Lurton

F

Sauvignon "Sur Lie"

nr Béziers

1994

White

?

Mainly Terret Bouret: Sauvignon Blanc is minority grape in blend. Not particularly Sauvignony. Some complexity. OK. But not really particularly interesting.

5

J & F Lurton

F

Domaine des Salices Sauvignon

nr Carcassonne

1994

White

?

Not bad. Fairly full varietal character. But not outstanding.

5.5

J & F Lurton

E

Hermanos Lurton Rueda

Vallodolid & Segovia regions

1993

White

?

50% viura; 50% verdejo. Attractive nose. Good. Solid.

6

Bodegas Montecillo

E

Montecillo Cumbrero Tinto

Fuenmayor

1990

Red

4.99

V. attractive colour. Nice, but thin nose. Bit innocuous. Fairly good.

5

Bodegas Montecillo

E

Montecillo Cumbrero Viña Monty

Fuenmayor

1986

Red

7.49

Nice, attractive mature colour. V. full complex nose. Excellent, esp for price

8.5

Istituto Enologico Italiano

I

Prosecco de Valdobbiadene, I.E.I

NV

White

5.99

Little nose. Some flavour. Largely innocuous.

4.5

Istituto Enologico Italiano

I

Chardonnay del Veneto, La Casona

Veneto

1994

White

3.39

Attractive floral nose. OK. Thin, but acceptable.

4.5

Istituto Enologico Italiano

I

Pinot Grigio Grave del Friuli, Le Fredis

1994

White

5.49

Unexciting nose. Bit spritzy on palate. Little to it. Poss not really very nice at all.

2.5

Istituto Enologico Italiano

I

Gavi, La Chiara

Gavi

1992

White

4.99

Boring. Little to it.

3