JMS Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc (Bordeaux) 2007: A wine from Jean-Marc Sauboua, head of Laithwaites winemaking. This comes from the 'hand-selected fruit' (does that mean machine-harvested but hand-sorted?) of 25 year-old vines. A stimulating nose here, first showing notes of ripe pear and rose petal, with a little sweet confectionery alongside, although not in an unappealing way, more like candied lemon, so with plenty of freshness and bite rather than unrivalled sweetness. Although barrel-fermented this does not dominate the nose (only a portion is fermented in oak), but it is there as a seasoning, and behind it a steely, green, nettly note too. On the palate there is a nice substance and plenty of firm acidity with a good dry, peppery grip too. It fleshes out through the midpalate but always keeps that sharp, incisive character through to the finish. A good and appealing style here, full and yet firmly composed, with a short but lemony, wood-grippy finish. 16.5/20 (£8.49)

Blanc Neuf Le Bastide (VdP d'Oc) 2006: I tasted most of these wines completely blind, and I never would have guessed that this was a barrel-fermented blend of Rhône varieties, with 60% Viognier and 20% each of Marsanne and Roussanne. As with the JMS, only a portion is fermented in barrel. It has a fairly pale hue, and an appealing nose which has elements of yellow pepper and a little hint of yellow tomato. I don't see anything Rhône-like and there are elements rather more reminiscent of Alsace; a stony edge and a little sherbetty fruit salad of pears and pepper with a fresh but watery feel. The palate follows this latter vein, providing a low concentration of pepper, bitter spice and lean fruit. A decent if rather plain foil for food, although a little more concentration and impact would be appreciated. It has the sherbet and the spice, but not the fruit or substance that I would really like. 13.5/20 (£8.69)

Brightwater Sauvignon Blanc (Nelson, New Zealand) 2007: This wine comes from the estate of Gary and Valley Neale which is in Nelson, near the tip of the South Island. They have been making wine there since 1999. This vintage has plenty of typicity on the nose, with yellow and green capsicum and greengage, albeit with a slightly fat, warm, stony-herby character sitting behind. There is more than a little chalky, talcy minerality here too. The palate is fresh and fleshy, with a good substance and plenty to keep the lover of New World Sauvignon happy. There is an incisive acidity underneath the flesh so it keeps a good balance, and it has a sappy midpalate and finish. There is a little petit pois alongside the stony peppers which might not appeal, and a little grass too, but the flesh and balance here is certainly worthy of attention. 16/20 (£10.79)

Quinta das Amoras Colheita Seleccionada (Estremadura) 2007: This wine is made by Dino Luis in Portugal's Estremadura region, a collection of coastal vineyards noted mainly for quantity rather than quality, and dominate by local co-operatives. Featuring the indigenous variety Castelão, it has a very deep colour, quite a deep cherry-pink core with a paler rim. The nose starts off with aromas of fruits, strawberries and raspberries, later showing a creamier, blackberry-laced confectionery. The palate is fresh and cool at first, but then shows a slightly bitter grip, and a texture of oil, bitter fruits, lemons and more. There is a green and nettly edge to the fruit here too, and an earthy edge to the flavour. It all seems rather simple and coarse to me, but at least it is dry. 13/20 (£5.99)

Chateau Gachon Cuvée Saint-Georges (Montagne St Emilion) 2005: This wine, a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, has a nice depth of colour, deep and claretty at the core. The nose offers plenty of promise, starting off with some smoky blackcurrant fruit, but soon revealing the aroma of toasty, crunchy-caramel oak, and then the domineering, plummy, spicy fruitcake aromas of Merlot, although it always remains dry and spicy despite the obviously plentiful fruit. A supple and nicely balanced entry, revealing a good and firm but ripe structure through the midpalate, sappy and rounded fruit in the midpalate, with some grip towards the finish. It seems well composed, nicely polished, perhaps showing some rusticity towards the end but there is more than enough gentle substance to compensate. A good wine, and certainly a strong effort for this minor appellation. 16+/20 (£11.99)

Novello delle Vivene Teroldego delle Venezie (Italy) 2007: The spin tells us that this is a special wine made for family and friends but thanks to a long relationship it is now also available to Laithwaites customers. It has a fairly juicy red-purple hue on inspection, and a soft and juicy nose strongly suggesting fermentation by carbonic maceration, with plum, cherry and tomato aromas. The plate has a very soft and rounded texture to match the impression formed on the nose, with a very diffuse feel that never really connects with the palate. There is good acidity but no backbone to speak of otherwise. Plenty of squishy fruit though, with some peppery streaks at the end. This is a decent but uncomplicated wine which may go down well in a simple trattoria, provided the diners were not too demanding. 14/20 (£7.49)

Falcoaria Reserva Ribatejo (Portugal) 2005: A blend of Castelão and Trincadeira, fermented in traditional lagares and then aged in French oak before bottling, this is another wine from Dino Luis. It has a deep and inky hue with a raspberry-pink rim. On the nose, it immediately shows brambly fruit with a ripe and rather jammy character, with little notes of smoke and chalk. The palate is pretty much as you would expect with this in mind; ripe, jammy, rich and rounded fruit, with plenty of warm and fuzzy oak applied on top. It has a very faint red-fruit high-toned note in the background, although it is well hidden behind all the plush texture. It has substance though; a ripe tannic grip, but naturally low acidity. This will go down very well with lovers of opulent wine, for acid-freaks it will be less appreciated. Nevertheless there is definite quality here and it deserves some appreciation for this. 15.5/20 (£11.79)

Hurtado Reserve Pinot Noir (Casablanca, Chile) 2006: Interestingly neither the label nor the Laithwaites list suggest this has anything to do with Cono Sur, but it is printed on the Stelvin capsule for all to see. This example of Chilean Pinot Noir, made by Adolfo Hurtado, has a good depth of colour, and a real blast of beetroot character immediately evident on the nose as soon as the bottle is opened. There are little nuances behind this, of cherry and chocolate, and overall it certainly has an enticing character. Later it shows a rather charred and oaky character belying the wine's ten months in French oak, and a furry animal skin character which has less appeal. The palate has a lovely, tender touch on entry, with plenty of flesh for this variety through the midpalate. There are warm and ripe tannins, and some sweet fruit elements, alongside the more savoury notes that mirror the beetroot nose. On the finish, dry despite the substance of the wine, with some structure showing here. An appealing tingle of acidity throughout makes this a pleasure to drink and food-friendly. It may not appeal to Pinot classicists, with its charry oak and 14% alcohol, but accepting that this is certainly quite drinkable. 16/20 (£9.29)

La Curio The Nubile Grenache Shiraz (McLaren Vale, Australia) 2006: Wines under the Curio label are made by Adam Hooper and Elena Golakova at the Redheads Studio - another Laithwaites innovation according to the literature - in the McLaren Vale; it is a small-scale, garagiste-style operation. The wine in question has a dense colour in the glass, and perhaps a parallel density on the nose, where there is fruit presented with a sweet, smoky, treacle-toffee richness. Sweet and plush on entry, full and round, although with plenty of ripe grip and some acidity beneath. This is a full-on wine, in no way soft or blowsy thanks to some good definition to the undeniably flattering texture. Overall, this is really good albeit in a style that will not appeal to all, but there are elements of poise and purity between the power and the velvet that make this an appealing wine, and perhaps one of the better ones in this nonet. 16.5/20 (£14.39)