Domaine du Salvard Cheverny 2008: A lovely, bright and fresh aromatic nose here. Very green in terms of fruit-style, green peppers, quite expressive. Fuller and more rounded on the palate than I expected, rather muted flavour too, good acidity with a nice crispness though. A slight bitterness too which I like. Good. 15-16/20

Château Gaudrelle Vouvray Brut Millésime 2007: This has a remarkable nose, full of rocks, dust and newsprint. The palate has great vivacity, with brilliant, bright, clean and chalky-minerally character. A nice mousse too. There is a lot to provide interest here. It would make a great summer aperitif. 16-17+/20

Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Montlouis Rémus 2008: Tasted once at Charles Sydney's tasting, and once a day or two later with Anne-Françoise Blot. A clay-limestone terroir. This has gentle, stony, herb and apple fruit on the nose. The palate is nicely composed, polished, with nice minerality. Ripe fruit, lovely weight, and overall a delicious style. Really good potential here. 17-18+/20

Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Vouvray Clos de la Bretonnière 2008: Tasted once at Charles Sydney's tasting, and once a day or two later with Anne-Françoise Blot. A clay-limestone terroir. A fine, attractive, mineral-laced nose. Rather lighter than some on the palate, a touch leafy, but quickly revealing sweet fruit beneath. This is rather ethereal in style, with good substance too, backed up by fine acidity. Very good indeed. 16.5-17.5+/20

Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Montlouis Cuvée des Loups 2005: This liquoreux cuvée is made from botrytised fruit and has 90 g/l residual sugar. Fresh honey and minerals on the nose here, gentle and integrated, this is certainly stylish. Quite fat on the palate, rounded and muted, flattering, rather marrowy, with bright and golden fruits. Good smoky grip in the finish. Lots of structure here, and potential for further development yet. Good wine. 17+/20

Domaine de la Charmoise Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2008: A pungent style here, minerally and chalky, underneath this green pepper and subtle fruit. Quite a soft and rounded palate on entry, with lots of typical Sauvignon character. Good grip and acidity too. This has a very nice style overall. 16-17/20

Domaine de la Charmoise Touraine Gamay Première Vendange 2008: This wine has a beautiful hue, so bright and vibrant. The nose is great too; there is a richness to it, despite the fruit character being stony and firm, full of raspberry, cherry and even a little rhubarb character. Lovely texture, great style, with lively acids and even a little seam of tannin running underneath the fruit. How can Gamay be this good? 16-17+/20

Domaine de la Charmoise Touraine Vinifera Cot 2007: A very dark hue here, with dark and slightly funky fruit character on the nose. It has a good depth, with quite sweet fruit, and a flattering palate which is soft with a little chewy tannin underneath. There is also good acidity - although it is a little swamped by the texture. Overall though - a good style with potential. 15-16+/20

Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvée Terroir 2007: Stony and burnt fruit on the nose, with roasted Provençale vegetables and tomatoes. Moderate weight on the palate, which is surprising in light of the nose, but rather hollow on the midpalate. Muted fruit. Certainly an interesting wine though. 13-14/20

Charles Joguet Chinon Les Varennes du Grand Clos 2007: Minerally, with sweet raspberry elements on the nose, but also a little trace of animal funk. Hints of cat, alongside a little residual sulphur. Decent fruit weight here though, rounded, a little cream even, but with bright and chalky acidity and some peppery tannins. If that sulphur dissipates - as I think it will - this will be a nice wine. 14.5-15.5+/20

Charles Joguet Chinon Clos de la Dioterie 2007: A better depth of fruit here, a sure step up from many of the other 2007s on show. There is a sweetness to the fruit, which is dark and marked by crisp cranberry. As expected the palate is textured, integrated, with some firm acidity. There is a touch of earthy smokiness but otherwise this is pretty good. Not a great vintage for Dioterie, but worth it if the price is right. 15.5-16.5+/20

Yannick Amirault St Nicolas de Bourgueil La Source 2007: La Source is one of Amirault's alluvial vineyards. The wine has an interesting nose, of rose petals, with dry stony fruit; there is a little funkiness to it, but otherwise it seems quite straight and attractive. The palate is light although there is some fruit substance to it, although it is not the most concentrated wine. With a little time this may come good I think. 14-15/20

Yannick Amirault Bourgueil Le Grand Clos 2007: A clay terroir. Rather muted fruit on the nose, with a gentle, slightly sweet, berry character. Nicely put together on the palate, with rock dust minerality and a firm, hard style. It all seems a bit muted and withdrawn at present, but there is potential here. 15-16/20

Domaine de la Butte Bourgueil Le Haut de la Butte 2007: Tasted once at Charles Sydney's tasting, and once a day or two later with Anne-Françoise Blot. There is nice density of fruit here, with a smoky, meaty edge. Clean and a little perfumed. The palate shows some substance and elegance, with ripe tannins and a sweetness to the fruit. Chalky violets and a good texture. Attractive wine. 15-16+/20

Domaine de la Butte Bourgueil Mi-Pente 2007: Also tasted twice, once at Charles Sydney's tasting, and once a day or two later with Anne-Françoise Blot. The first time it seemed very reduced. The palate was grainy yet lean, but I found it impossible to judge. With Anne-Françoise, however, it was showing much better. Served from magnum. This has beautifully poised fruit on the nose, elegant, with a fine, rather claretty violet perfume. Nevertheless it is quite restrained on the palate, firm and tannic, with a lot of structure underneath. Nice balancing acidity. This has just bags of potential, but it needs a lot of time. A finely composed wine. 16-17+/20

Couly-Dutheil Chinon Clos de l'Echo 2005: Rich and dark on the nose, yet also seemingly distant and muted. Perhaps this 2005 is beginning to close down? A creamy weight, gentle - like single cream rather than anything bigger - with a harmonious texture and composition. There are good, firm acids and lots of youthful grip, but some funky elements to it as well. A big style of wine, from a great vintage, this stands out from the other wines tasted here by a mile. It should be great, but with it closing down I have only given it tentative range of possible scores. 17.5-18.5+/20

Domaine Quintin Frères Rive Droits Coteaux du Giennois 2008: A nice minerally character on the nose here, and a soft plumpness to it as well. On the palate it has attractive fruit, a nice weight and crisp definition even if it has a rather light and papery style. Nice wine. 15-16/20

Domaine Michel Vattan Sancerre Calcaire 2008: Good gentle fruit on the nose here. Soft, rounded, with good grip underneath. A moderate concentration, but there is a good midpalate dept and overall this wine holds some appeal. Lots of fresh acid. Good wine. 16-17/20

Domaine Michel Vattan Sancerre Argile 2008: A touch more expressive than the Calcaire on the nose. An elegant minerally quality, full and flavoursome on the palate. Weighty but fresh, with a good minerally grip. Overall an attractive wine. This has very good potential. 16-17/20

Henri Bourgeois Sancerre Grande Réserve 2008: Full fruit on the nose, smoky and even a touch creamy, with yellow fruit characteristics. A lovely palate follows, with a nice smokiness to it, and a fine, sappy substance and rocky, dusty minerality. Lots of potential here. 16.5-17.5/20

François Crochet Sancerre 2008: Attractive character on the nose, which has lemon and herb fruit, and a little suggestion of richness. But it is fresh too. A nice weight, but plenty of good acidity, chalky minerals and green fruit character. Overall a good wine. 15.5-16.5/20

François Crochet Sancerre Les Amoureuses 2008: Oak-fermented. This has an appealing and harmonious character on the nose which carries through onto the palate. Fresh, with good fruit density, and fine substance. Rounded and polished, although it remains brightly styled. Really very good indeed. 17-18+/20

Vincent Pinard Sancerre Cuvée Nuance 2008: Oak-fermented. This has a lively fresh fruit richness on the nose, with an expressive swirl of cream and lemon. A fine palate too; youthful, with a gentle style at first, but a firmer and richer midpalate. Just a little creaminess comes in at the finish. Good acidity. This is very attractive. 17-18+/20

Vincent Pinard Sancerre Cuvée Harmonie 2008: Oak-fermented - and the nose clearly displays this fact. Honey-nut aromas which dominate the fruit. The palate has a fine quality though, and here the oak is less obvious. Beautifully textured, with more evident fruit here, and plenty of appeal. It needs time for the aromas to integrate, but this could be very good. 17-18+/20

La Tour St-Martin Menetou-Salon Honorine 2008: Oak-fermented. Lovely honey-tinged fruit here reflecting the fermentation vessels, but it is well-judged and stylish. The palate is very soft and flattering, quite rich in style, with good grip beneath it though. And good acidity too. It has a nice, warm quality to it. 17-18/20