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JANCIS ROBINSON MW attends a tasting of 1996 red Bordeaux to see how the top bottles are faring 10 years on. The right bank is dismissed straight away and she comments: It was decided to focus on the left bank, Mdoc and Graves, as the 1996 vintage was so much more successful there than in St-Emilion and Pomerol.' A number of examples from Margaux and the southern Mdoc suffer from under-ripeness', although Graves leaves Robinson very impressed'. The first growths and the best of St-Estphes and St-Juliens are worth hanging on to, she says, whereas the Pauillacs are ready to drink now. Robinson's overall favourites include all five first growths, as well as Pichon Baron, Domaine de Chevalier and Loville Poyferr.
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ANTHONY ROSE revisits Chianti and asks if it's ready to shed the image of the old straw-clad bottle for good. He remarks: This unlikely style icon of every trattoria table in the country was a fitting symbol of just how far Chianti's reputation has fallen in the sixties and seventies.' Improvements in vineyard and winemaking techniques have made a big difference, he discovers, which has all been in favour of Chianti Classico's main ingredient: Sangiovese. Planted in the right locations and properly handled, the Tuscan grape is now producing some superb quality wines.' Rose singles out a few examples to illustrate the point, including 2004 Taste the Difference Chianti Classico (7.59; Sainsbury's).
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JANE MACQUITTY was one of the nine judges present at the recent rerun of the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting comparing the top wines of France and California, and she didn't 'expect the Californians to come out on top'. She was to be proved wrong and commented: 'There was no denying the grace and refinement of the California wines. Other New World wine producers such as Australia and Chile are not in the same league.' The overall winner was Ridge's Monte Bello and the 1999 vintage can be found at Berry Bros and Rudd (102).
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JONATHAN RAY visits the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms for an atmospheric tasting of Pol Roger, the great man's favourite fizz. Churchill liked to drink his Pol Roger by the pint and it is reckoned that in the last 10 years of his life more than 500 cases of the stuff passed through his cellars', reveals Ray. He is treated to both a recent vintage (1998) and a very old one (1914), in the company of Bill Gunn, managing director of Pol Roger. The former Champagne is described as crisp and vibrant, with wonderful creamy fruit' and although the older vintage is struggling to keep its bubbles, it is still remarkable'.
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Chablis is the subject for VICTORIA MOORE this week, in her new-style Guardian column. It might be one of the wine world's most well-known names but that doesn't mean it's consistent, warns Moore. There are so many different Chablis tastes, it's hard to know which you might be getting,' she says. To give readers a head start, she recommends four examples of different styles, including the approachable' 2004 M&S Chablis (8.99; Marks & Spencer).
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Sherry's time has come,' declares JANE MacQUITTY, but it's no thanks to the latest release from Harvey's: On sale for a steep 7 or so in Tesco and Sainsbury's next month, it [Harvey's Orange Aperitif] smells of Terry's Chocolate Orange and tastes of orange cough sweets.' The overall category, however, is enjoying a resurgence, she reports: The average price that British drinkers are prepared to pay for a bottle of Sherry is up from a rock-bottom 4.64 in 2002 to 5.55 in 2006.' For a winter aperitif, she recommends Old Amontillado Sanlucar, Hidalgo (8.60; Tanners).
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With the current spell of tropical weather, VICTORIA MOORE concedes that 'talking about Port might appear to be an exercise in contrariness'. But not if it's chilled, she argues, and this is what they do with aged Tawny Port in the Douro. 'It's a delicious thing to pull out for the cheese course', she remarks and her top suggestions include M&S 20-Year-Old Tawny Port (21.99).
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Viognier is not for everyone, says SUSY ATKINS, and cheap examples should be avoided as a matter of course. She advises: Trade up to well over 5 for a true taste of this exotic grape.' One example is 2003/4 Ctes du Rhne Blanc, Guigal, France (7.99; Waitrose).
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According to JOANNA SIMON, chancellor Gordon Brown is considering increasing the duty on higher-alcohol wines exceeding 14% abv. In the meantime, she suggests trying a bottle of 15% 2004 Show Reserve Shiraz, McLaren Vale (6.49; The Real Wine Co).
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In terms of wine matching, deli food requires good all-rounders with similarly straightforward qualities,' says JAMIE GOODE, and he has a few suggestions up his sleeve. One possibility is 2004 Santa Rita Floresta Sauvignon Blanc, Leyda, Chile (9.49; Waitrose).
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JANCIS ROBINSON MW celebrates the launch of the third edition of The Oxford Companion to Wine with a special tasting evening'. She picks out nine wines for a mention in her column, which she thinks are so good they could become classics of the future, yet did not exist in 1999 when the last edition of the Companion came out'. Among the chosen ones is the very vivacious' 2003 Tokara Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch, South Africa (23; Hic Wines of Castleford).
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JANE MacQUITTY goes to work on celebrity winemakers and the result isn't pretty. Anyone willing to shell out for the 2005 Vida Nova from Cliff Richard needs their head examined' and Francis Ford Coppola's Californian offering doesn't fare much better. Actors Gerard Dpardieu and Sam Neill are the only two famous vignerons to escape a roasting. According to MacQuitty, Neill's Central Otago Pinot Noirs are sublime' and Dpardieu's collection is characterful but erratic'.
A 66-page Real Food Guide gives MacQuitty an extra two pages this week and she advises readers on how to choose wine and where to find it.
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Gazpachos are a great way to start a summer dinner party', says JAMIE GOODE and the best wine matches will have a bit of richness and weight'. Try 2005 Martn Codax Albario, Ras Baixas (8.50; Majestic, Roberson, SH Jones, Wright Wine).
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Glassware is the topic up for discussion by ANTHONY ROSE this week, because some of the ghastly vessels that pass as wine glasses often fail to do justice to the liquid in the bottle'. For something better than everyday drinking, Rose points readers towards the usual suspects: Schott-Ziesel and Riedel. He also comes up with a couple of alternatives, including Mikasa's Open Up glass (from 20 for four glasses; mikasa-uk.com), made from a new material called Kwarx manufactured by Arc International, which is so durable that he manages to break it only by hurling it at the floor from a great height'. His wine suggestion for under a fiver is 2005 Tesco Finest Gavi (4.49 until 10 October).
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Only Beaujolais Nouveau has a truly celebrated arrival in the UK each year, but the summer just gone has seen VICTORIA MOORE becoming mildly obsessed with the arrival of the new vintage southern hemisphere Sauvignon Blancs'. She reveals an admiration for South African expressions of this variety but recommends an example from New Zealand: 2006 Ned Waihopai Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough (9.99; Waitrose).
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MATTHEW JUKES sets himself the task of matching wines of serious calibre' with the accompanying recipes taken from Jamie Oliver's latest cookbook. Crispy duck with spiced plum chutney is paired with 2004 Yering Station Shiraz/Viognier, Yarra Valley, Victoria (9.99; Sainsbury's).
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RICHARD EHRLICH talks about wine competitions such as the International Wine Challenge (IWC) and the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), and while he approves of the judging methods of both, the DWWA wins hands-down in the website department. His top wines of the week are all from Sainsbury's and include 2004 Ctes du Rhne Prfrence (4.99).
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Bordeaux has finally released its prices for the 2005 vintage and ANTHONY ROSE reports: Just when everyone thought that the big-name chteaux couldn't get more expensive, many of them have surpassed themselves in an orgy of exorbitant pricing.' The good news is that some of the lesser chteaux have kept things affordable, and when it comes to getting hold of them, Rose says: Among the specialists, Farr Vintners has one of the best-priced selections.' His recommendation for wine under a fiver is 2005 Palandri Pinnacle Semillon Sauvignon (4.99; Waitrose).
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Sauvignon Blanc may not have the flexibility of Chardonnay, admits JOANNA SIMON, but it's an ideal aperitif or accompaniment to the last of the summer salads'. She recommends 2005 Santa Rita Floresta Sauvignon Blanc, Chile (9.99; Waitrose).
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The varied, often spicy flavours of Caribbean dishes mean they're compatible with a lot
of tipples,' says JAMIE GOODE.
He picks out a few robust,
full-flavoured' options such as 2004 Chteau de Pennautier Cabards, France (5.49; Majestic, Berry Bros & Rudd).
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