I popped this with some Beechcroft beef burgers to celebrate feeling almost slightly less appallingly ill and the incredible meaty flavour of the burgers worked a treat with the soft bum-action of the Bandol. I could almost forgive the glaring winemaking faults in the wine, that had Editor Daniel and I engaged in deep oenological discussion, but they are faults and so I am going to be rude about them. If someone made a Pinot this Brett-y they’d deserve a punishment worse than Pinotage.

Bandol 1997, Chateau Pibarnon

OK, Let’s not mess around here, there is a definite poo character to this nose. I say horse, editor Daniel says cow, but farmyards are not even a sniff away. Now it is easy to be seduced by Brett, the evil beer-yeast that causes this aroma, especially when it is Bandol, but it’s a fault, I tell you, a wine-making fault and it shouldn’t be there. It causes unpredictable ageing profiles and some Brett-y bottles can smell more of poo than my en suite after a curry. That is not an attractive image, is it? It’s not even an attractive aroma profile so I want to stop thinking about the image now. However, even though wines can have faults, and let me be abundantly clear this wine does have a fault, they can still have some enjoyment value. There is soft, dark fruit, a leathery complexity and good earthiness. It also smells of poo! Do you hear me? POO! I may be getting less tolerant of this in my almost middle age, but this wine would have aged better and gratified me far more deeply if it were not quite so themed on poo. The palate is also poo-ridden, but that fruit, together with soft tannins makes it extremely enjoyable with meaty burgers. I know saying something is ‘a food wine’ is the poo-iest cop-out on the planet, but this really went well with serious meat action. Those unbound proteins and the tannins of the wine harmonise very well. Good length and pretty complex too, but when a lot of that complexity is in the form of a myriad variety of animal poo then I just find myself edging away in a polite but subtle manner (after pouring another glass when no one is looking). It’s a good wine, but it could be a lot better. I think I should try ageing some more recent vintages of Pibarnon. Since the 2001 vintage they’ve cleaned up their winery no end and, whilst the general view is they don’t age, I bet with a few years under their belt the Brett-less Pibarnon’s are just sex-licious.

We are having a couple of glasses of Domaine de Trevallon 2008 to celebrate. I admit my mind is not entirely focussed on the wine, I want to dance around and skip with delight, but I’ll tell you a bit about it:

When young like this one Trevallon is quite a fruity, ripe little number. But there is that ‘little’ – it is not an Australian Cabernet/Shiraz monster but rather has a distinctly elegant character. The fruit is certainly attractive at this age, but the elegance and complexity it shows tell me (as does being informed by many previous tasting encounters) it’ll be best in 7-10 years. It’s a great drink at around that age. My money saving tips with this wine, which is getting distinctly well-known and therefore not cheap, are to buy the less lauded vintages (I prefer the restraint they show when not super ripe and they are no worse in quality) and if you are in the UK buy them from Leon Stolarski Fine Wines – he doesn’t charge the Earth.

Now it is back to boozing and being inordinately mirth-charged! Hooray!

I am not a snob; something is not worthy of note simply because it is expensive. My encyclopaedic knowledge of wine was built from the bottom upwards so I am well aware that quality exists at many price levels and the most expensive doesn’t equate with the best. I normally say that good wine starts at ten pounds but today, as the number three is on my mind, I’ll tell you about three sub-tenner wines I love. For quality kit, on a shop shelf rather than direct from a producer, sub-ten pounds is cheap.

Just to pre-empt any pleasure-hating tightwads who say that any wine priced more than £2.99 is too expensive I’ll say this: Last night I had a bottle of the Sherry I recommend – it cost £8.44. I cannot think of a single method to make people as happy as we who drank by only spending that amount of cash. Not if you purchased £8.44 worth of staggeringly mature Cheddar or even sherbet flying saucers would you grin and chortle so much. So prise open your wallet and get something nice for a change. Right, the wines!

Manzanilla La Gitana, Hidalgo – £8.44 from Waitrose Wine (and many other places)

Dry Sherry does not come much drier, lighter or more refreshing and at this price the amount of invigorating pleasure it delivers makes one almost feel cheeky when buying a bottle. There are very few wines that hit the required spots quite so accurately on a warm summer’s day or just before lunch if you were obliged to be awake in the morning. It is a wonderful, interesting wine of real character that has been made using a far more convoluted and expensive process than inordinately less enjoyable stuff that usually commands higher prices such as New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (why people think NZ SB is good value, or nice, is totally beyond me). Even better, Waitrose online and Ocado seem to give 25% off the price every other month so this really is the bargain of the wine world. It is so totally brilliant that within minutes of reading this I expect every lover of good times to score a few bottles to stick in the fridge; frankly I’m a tad scandalised you don’t already have some.

Faugeres 2008, Domaine St Martin d’Agel – £8.99 from Leon Stolarski Fine Wines

I’ve had this wine a few times but am slightly embarrassed to admit none of those bottles I’ve purchased myself direct from Leon. It must be this guilt that has resulted in me dreaming about him a few times in recent weeks – he seems very tolerant of me continually getting lost in a miniscule but inordinately confusing village whilst drinking a huge bottle of rather good Bandol from his list. Nice chap. This wine is also a goody. It fits the cotemporary idiom for reds being fleshy with ripe, round fruit and soft tannins. Most such wines are simply dull, especially at this price-point. Moreover, if I am uncharacteristically indirect I might hint that there at least several reasons why Faugeres isn’t the first name to leap to most people’s minds when thinking of quality wine. The characters that set this apart from others of its style, price and appellation are its cleanliness (it doesn’t smell of sewage), the satisfying restraint and harmony (neither alcohol nor fruit are excessive on the nose or palate) and the commendable complexity it shows in terms of fruit, spice and earth attributes. The Bandol of my Leon-filled dreams (The 2001 here) may turn the ‘profound’ dial up to 11, but that doesn’t cost £8.99.

Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso 2009, Torre del Falasco – £9.50 from The Wine Society

Valpolicella is generally frightful stuff – all too often thin, acrid and made for people who feel they need punishing for serious crimes they’ve perpetrated against humanity. This is a bit of a shame as the wines can have a crisp fruitiness and vigorous energy that make them very refreshing reds to drink with great pleasure. Moreover, I feel the very best should flash with hints of the style shown by their siblings, the Amarones which are characterful and intense enough to be meditation wines perhaps second only to Port in migraine-generating ability. This wine certainly does this is is not over-priced like most Italian wines. There is intense, concentrated fruit that shows good complexity, and the palate has fine-tuned balance between fruit, tannin, acid and alcohol. I admit it is a bit of a biggie, but that excellent balance gives it interest for even lovers of less booze-mongous pleasures. Quite a bargain and beezer quality too.

Less regular readers of this site might be thinking, “Why didn’t he mention a £4-to-7 Claret? There are so many of them.” The answer is simple: THEY ARE ALL CRAP!

Burgundy is always a favourite wine to drink as that region clearly makes the best wines, certainly the best red wines, in the world. The village Gevrey James brought along was stunning and we were very pleased that the two whites showed not the slightest hint of oxidation. I was rather chuffed to follow these up with an instructive selection of Domaine Tempier Bandols. It is a bit of a shame that Domaine Tempier no longer make wines of such individual character and cellar-worthiness. I was presented the first three wines blind so my notes contain the steps I made toward guessing the wines’ identities.

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Folatieres 2001, Domaine Paul Pernot

This is the kind of nose one hopes for when tasting quality white Burgundy that has some age on it. It may have mature, toasty, buttery aromas, but that lemon fruit is fresh as a daisy and it has plenty of life to it. The refined minerality seems very Puligny in character and, given the minimalist use of new oak that seems in real harmony with the composition of the nose, I think it is a good Pernot wine. Cripes, now that is a glorious palate of charm and ravishment that I just want to wallow in. The fruit and body may not be ultra-focussed, a hint of broadness can be most appealing, though, and it is in this wine. The acidity is good, but perhaps not as high as in some vintages: is this a 2000, 2002 or 2005? It also has mature flavours present, that broadness could well be due to its age, and I think it is drinking as well now as it ever will. The finish goes on and on. I feel I have some experience with this wine and I am delighted to have tried it again, my guess: Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Folatieres 2000, Domaine Paul Pernot (Oh well, not such a bad guess, I’d have thought there would be more acidity in a 2001 but I am still happy to have enjoyed this). Many thanks for bringing this, Peter, I loved it.

Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Referts 2001, Domaine J. M. Boillot

Wow, this is bursting with fresh, ripe fruit and as far as I can tell shows only hints of maturity. It is a sophisticated white Burgundy, though, with its great minerality and classy, restrained oak treatment. A 2005 Premier Cru, I’d suggest, although the village is difficult to pin down. I’ll have a taste. Great minerality here as well, with finely balanced acidity and absolutely delicious fruit. This is really giving and forward, with great length and real sophistication to its flavours. As far as typical village descriptions go it is clearly one of the big three and a post-pubescent example at that: I think it is a bit too buxom for Puligny, not enough like flat Champagne for Chassagne and so I am left with Meursault. I can see this as an allure-charged, young Meursault from a ripe vintage, but I am afraid the producer alludes me. My guess: 2005 Meursault Premier Cru from a producer I am less familiar with (wrong village and vintage, feeble effort Strangey old chap. It did seem very young when we were first sampling this). Many thanks, James, this was a top bottle of Puligny. I don’t drink much JM Boillot these days and I clearly should.

Gevrey-Chambertin 2002, Domaine Georges Mugneret

Irresistable, hedonisitic fruit on the nose charged with intricate minerality and oozing with undeniable class. It can only be damned good red Burgundy. It is not showing much in the way of tertiary characteristics and the fruit is really opulent – this is a young wine from a great and distinctly ripe vintage – a 2005? The village is not entirely clear to me, but based on the wanton extravagance of the nose I’d lean toward a Chambolle Premier Cru. I can see that assessment fitting with the palate which is really silky and svelte with polished tannins and gorgeous fruit. Despite its ripeness the acidity is totally in the zone and its sophisticated earthiness does it for me in passionate style. Really long finish. Young and giving, with a long smile-provoking life ahead of it – it is a stunning wine of manifest class. My guess: Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru 2005 from a Premier Cru and producer I’d rather not commit myself to (Hopeless!) Great wine James, one of the best village-level numbers I’ve had in quite a while, thanks for popping it.

Bandol Cuvee Speciale La Miguoa 1999, Domaine Tempier

Given my reasonably comprehensive exposure to Tempier wines I think this shows precisely what one seeks in mature Miguoa – it has soft, scented fruit, that has a hint of dirtiness to it (thanks to the Brett) and a powerfully rich earthiness. There are shades of leathery, meatiness to it, but in Miguoa these are always more subdued than in the other single vineyard wines thanks to its lower proportion of Mourvedre. For all its ‘unwashed animal’s rude bits’ aromas, this is a real charmer of a nose, giving, open and really complex. I love the palate, too, which has soft, ripe tannins showing not a hint of toughness, brilliantly mature fruit and that powerful earthiness that these wines showed so well before the 2001 style shift. This is absolutely a point, top-hole kit that reminds me of many happy experiences in the past.

Bandol Cuvee Speciale La Tourtine 1999, Domaine Tempier

Now this is more in the leathery, meaty zone as far as expressions of Bandol go. Not short on ripe but mature dark fruit, though, and it pulses with vigorous earthy complexity. It does seem accessible on the nose, but not as suggestively open and welcoming as the Miguoa. Even though this is 12 years old there is still more than a shade of rigour to the tannic structure. That being said I think the harmony is just fine, as there is an abundance of dark fruit and rich minerality keeping things balanced and enjoyable. If you like classic expressions of high Mourvedre-content Bandol you would be pleased as chips to try this, and chuffed as punch if you kept it for a few more years. Great stuff, I can totally understand the view I held when first I encountered Bandol that La Tourtine was the best one could get.

Bandol Cuvee Speciale Cabassaou 1999, Domaine Tempier

A stunning and intense expression of Mourvedre fruit on the nose, it throbs with dark berries, grilled meat and arse-walloping strips of leather. The nose shows a bit of the high alcohol level, but such is the lunatic scale of all the other components on display this does not seem like such an issue. Indeed, this is a wine for those who like them of heroic constitution and almost intimidating personality. Not a sculpted, ravishing little number, oh no. Cripes, if I thought the Tourtine needed more time then I suppose I will have to forget my remaining bottles of this I have stashed in the cellar until I am distinctly old, tired and shagged out – it is seriously tannic, butch and a country mile away from full maturity. Those tannins could do ten rounds with a seriously worrying prize-fighter and leave him looking like he’d been chewed up and spat out. I think it does have the stuffing to become a mature and accessible wine at some point in the future, but it could easily take as long as I have already cellared it for to reach that state. Top stuff, but needs a long, long time.

Edward had a few old bottles of dubious provenance that he had picked up very cheaply at an auction and, sadly, some were simply dead. These included a half of Heidseck Dry Monopole 1928 and Chateau d’Yquem 1960, both of which would have been intriguing if in condition. The rest of our drinking was rich and varied, with some bottles absolutely engorged with pleasure and others which were quite surprising. Here are the notes on the whites:

Vin de Laurence 1998, Mas de Daumas Gassac

This was our first drink on arrival and by arse was it a weirdie – given it blind I asked if it was supposed to be as it was and suggested it might be stupendously shagged-out Sauternes or really freaky Madeira. It is brown. There are lots of funky, oxidised, acetone aromas here and virtually nothing in the way of fruit. That being said, if you like Madeira, or possibly are a necrophiliac (please don’t tell me if you are a necrophiliac, I just don’t want to know that information), there are characters you might enjoy. It certainly isn’t simple. The palate has good acidity, plenty of sweetness and perilously little in common with normally-made whites. Real length to the flavours, though, and if you can recognise that conventional does not equate with attractive you may well see merit in this wine. Ageing potential? Cripes! How much more spent, knackered and absurdly crapulent can it get?

Riesling Kabinett Scharzhofberger 2002 auction wine, Egon Muller

When Mr T told us he was going to pop this my excitement was protrusive; I tried it at the Grosser Ring tasting years ago and it was super-beezer. I am surprised by how muted the nose is. Sure, there is lime fruit and great minerality, but it doesn’t explode with refulgent brilliance. I fear this is in a bit of a middle-aged hole. Yeah, that is what I get from the palate as well: the fruit is demure and the minerality burns with merely timorous intensity. It is clearly an incredible kabinett of real style and class, but it is so tightly wound at the moment it takes my most perceptive and analytical tasting faculties to disinter its sophisticated charms. Come back in five-plus years time.

Brut Chardonnay 1995, Pol Roger

Can I be ego-maniacal briefly? Well, it is my site so if I cannot here then I don’t know where else I can. So: we were given this blind and I nailed it instantly – it was a true piece of blind-tasting mastery. Ho ho ho. Brilliantly biscuity on the nose with an incredibly stylish lemon fruit character – this is a stunning, pure-Chardonnay fizz from an extremely serious Chardonnay vintage. Serious class, I’m telling you. The mousse is delightfully fine, and the interplay between mature flavours, ripe lemon fruit and great acidity just leaves me gagging for another taste. To me, this is clearly superior to and in far better condition than the bottle of Salon 1996 I popped a couple of weeks ago. If you’ve got some of this in your cellar then you have purchased supremely wisely, it is great now but clearly will just keep on getting better for many years to come. Blanc des Blancs Champagne at its most tumescently satisfying.

Champagne Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill 1996, Pol Roger

Wow, such density and depth on this nose. The Pinot influence is strong but it doesn’t seem overbearing or ponderous. Very attractive, in all honesty. The palate is scrumptious. Its fruit is ripe and strident with a fiercely bold whack of acidity and the flavours just go on and on. If you want scale and decent complexity in your fizz-necking experiences this delivers all one could possibly ask. Excepting sparklers at the loony-nutcase-hatstand end of explosively stylish greatness, such as Krug 1996, this is the complete Champagne experience.

Riesling Clos Ste Hune Vendanges Tardives Hors Choix 1989, Trimbach

The ravishing purity and finesse of this nose speak to and emotionally effect me in a allure-charged, beauteous style I find hard to articulate. It is bewitching. Considering this is a selection of old vines that have been late harvested in a hot vintage it seems amazing that it is not power that defines its set of aromas but rather svelte, understated sophistication and carefully composed elegance. Yeah, there is candied orange fruit, lots of ripe lime characters, some petrol and all that stuff one is supposed to find in mature Riesling, but that isn’t what this nose it is about. It is a coruscating entity of breathtaking purity and unrestrained beauty. Its alive, and it knows it is good. The professional wino in me feels I should talk about the fine acid, rich minerality and layers of candied fruit which this obviously possesses, but reducing this scintillating entity to a list of component parts seems risible. As I swirl it around my palate I feel its lambent intensity and fulgurous exquisiteness shining focussed beams of enjoyment directly into my pleasure-centres. Tasting this is an incredible experience both viscerally and intellectually – it is intensely flavourous yet totally delicate and beguiling. The harmony is, if I may say a rude word, frankly mind-buggering. Bottles like this show that the limits of pleasure really are yet to be defined or reached – totally up for drinking and the best bottle of this I’ve witnessed.

Part 2 (the reds) will follow in a few hours.