Domaine de l'Ecu Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2004: A pale coloured wine, with a very light, straw hue. The nose is just so enticing, with freshness in abundance, characterised by notes of grapefruit and lemon, wild flowers and a minerality with a little hint of spice. On the palate it has a fine, broad texture, immediately framed and supported by a fresh but not overdone acidity. This is really very beautifully balanced, and it is remarkable to think this is the entry-level wine in the Bossard portfolio. Gently polished in style and yet tingly-zippy, lively and flavoursome, with much in the way of citrus fruit and a rocky, savoury, sappy minerality carried by a pithy texture. Delicious, and although I rate it on a par with the La Lune tasted below, for its precision and definition I think this wine just has the edge for me. Delicious, and excellent value. 17/20 (£6.50)

Ferme de la Sansonnière Anjou La Lune 2005: It has a fine hue, not at all deep, with a gentle straw-coloured core fading to a wide, clear, watery hue at the rim. The nose begins in a subtle fashion, but slowly develops a forceful character in the glass, with notes of honey, straw and ginger cake, and there is a similar feel to the palate, although here it seems clearly much more exotic. It is ripe and round, full of honey, moist ginger cake, herbs, straw, candied fruits and more, but with a fine, tingling spice which provides a reference point around which the other flavours rotate. Overall it is in a very soft style, with low acidity and a fleshy, resinous mouthfeel reflecting residual sugar, and a little grip, all no doubt reflecting the character of the vintage which was warm. But the flavours are bright, savoury and sappy, and overall this is certainly to be admired. 17/20 (£13.25)

Domaine de la Charmoise Touraine Vinifera Gamay 2005: Another of Marionnet's ungrafted wines, from a vineyard established on its own roots in 1992. What an amazing commitment to the vine it must be to undertake planting, knowing that in a decade or perhaps just a little longer the vines will be so afflicted as to require replacement. The cork here here is a twin-top, two disks of cork flanking agglomerate material in the centre, and the business end is coated with the thickest layer of bright purple tartrate crystals I have ever seen. A sign that the wine has probably not been cold-stabilised, I tend to associate this with vignerons striving for maximum quality in a 'natural' style, which fits in with my perception of Marionnet perfectly. The nose has a sweet, almost gamey character, with plenty of fruit. On the palate, a lovely cool freshness with plenty of defining acidity, and a lovely sappy, savoury, balanced character that improves immeasurably over an hour or two, so this is a bottle well worth opening a little in advance. A fine mouth-watering style and a lovely frame of fruit. Very good indeed. 17/20 (£9.50)

Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny 2006:: This wine has a vibrant hue, with a moderately deep colour which is obviously youthful. On the nose there are touches of smoke, seashells and seasalt, along with complex raspberry and cherry fruit, as well as a little complex meat, particularly bacon. The palate is lean but full of flavour, quite sappy and juicy, mouthwatering in fact. This is in part due to a firm acidic structure, a nice grip and bite, and certainly a good coating of tannin on the finish. It has that lovely, stony, cherry-stone texture that makes good Saumur-Champigny so interesting to drink, but although exuberant and showing an attractive, rounded texture through the midpalate, it still has that reserved, fresh and flavoursome character. Very tasty. 16.5/20 (£9.00)