White
Villa Maria Wairau Valley Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, Marlborough, 1998 (Berrys, Harry St; McCabes, Blackrock and Foxrock; Pottery Vine, Kill O'The Grange; Londis, Malahide; Egans, Drogheda; Galvins, Cork and other outlets, usually £13.95). Many of New Zealand's poshest Sauvignons seduce at high speed with explosive perfume, then grow tiresome. I like this one because it works the other way round, unleashing its herbaceous charms by degrees, alongside mouth-filling reminders of ripe grapefruit.
Speaking of degrees, this is one of the few white wines I've tasted in a long time which wears its 14 per cent alcohol lightly.
Domaine Emilian Gillet MaconVire Quintaine 1998 (Wines Direct, £15.75 if you buy a case, which may be mixed). The latest vintage of this luscious Burgundy is nothing short of stunning. From Jean Thevenet, the man who showed Macon producers how to get into the super-league by leaving their grapes to ripen until the last second, it's peachy, honeyed, yet beautifully fresh. No oak - just pure fruit, given kid glove treatment. Glorious.
Red
Le Lune Barolo, Marchesi di Barolo 1995 (leading outlets of Dunnes Stores, £16.99). Barolo, one of the great high kings of the wine world, doesn't usually come in drinkable form at this price, so here's a chance to see what the fuss is about. This is new-wave Barolo - not austere, as of old, but smooth-textured, almost lush, with an overlay of caramel and chocolate. It's part of Dunnes Stores's Italian wine sale, running until August 19th.