Château Nicot, Entre-Deux-Mers 2007, 12.5%, €12.50Not much aroma, but a mini-explosion of delicious, subtle nettles and goosberries, with a good, crisp lemon tang and a spare minerality. Drink solo or with salads. Stockists: Red Island Wines, Skerries; Partridges, Gorey: Bin No.9, Clonskeagh; Wicklow Wine Co.
Château Bel Air Perponchier, Bordeaux Blanc 2007, 12.1%, €16.50I beg anyone who loves New Zealand Sauvignon to try this beauty. It will knock socks off anything the Kiwis can put up. Aromatic and fresh, with a real touch of class, oodles of perfectly ripe fruit, and a snappy dry finish. Yum! Stockists: Bin No. 9, Clonskeagh; The Wine Centre, Kilkenny; Thomas Deli, Foxrock; The Wicklow Arms, Delgany; Sweeney's, Glasnevin; McCabes, Mount Merrion; The Gables, Foxrock; O'Donovans, Cork; Donnybrook Fair.
Château Manoir de Gravoux Terra Burdigala 2005, Côtes de Castillon, 13.5%, €16.70Made with nearly 90 per cent Merlot, this has wonderful ripe elegant plum fruits, with some perfectly integrated tannins. Good length and lovely restraint - a real gentleman. Serve with roast lamb. Stockists: Mad about Wine, Moycullen; www.jnwine.com
Château Haut-Vigneau, Pèssàc-Lèognan 2005, 12.5%, €24.50This is a wonderful wine, structured as all good Bordeaux should be, with ripe firm tannins on the finish. But it also has the delicious, intense sweet fruit, typical of the excellent 2005 vintage. It will certainly improve, but you will find it hard to resist the temptation to drink it now. Stockist: Donnybrook Fair