Fergettine Franciacorta Satèn (Lombardy, Italy) 2003: From the only Italian region legally required to use the méthode champenoise, this 100% Chardonnay cuvée has spent 36 months on the lees, and is bottled at a pressure of 4.5 atmospheres, so it has a crémant style. It has an appealing, bright, lemony character on the nose, and a creamy mousse in the mouth, underpinned by quite firm acidity. Clean white fruits dominate, ripe but with a herby twist, this is very attractive. It is drinking now but with all that structure I am confident it would develop nicely in bottle too. 16.5+/20 (£20)

Cavit Primo Prosecco (Veneto, Italy) NV: Fresh and aromatic on the nose, soft and herby fruit, floral and a little sherbetty. Soft and papery on the palate, gentle in style, with clean aromatics, this is simple fayre but it will please many palates and it is good value as party fizz. 14.5/20 (£6)

Cloudy Bay Pelorus (Marlborough, NZ) NV: This is the current release of the non-vintage Pelorus, which is usually predominantly Chardonnay and which spends two years on the lees before disgorgement. Here the wine has leafy fruit on the nose, but with a little tropical, sweet, confected, sherbetty edge to it as well. There are also little hints of toffee, although they are certainly subtle. The palate seems clean though, showing pure white fruits and a good substance. An attractive wine, nicely framed by good acidity, this needs a year or two I think. 16+/20 (£14)

Krug Grande Cuvée NV: Current release. This has a surprisingly steely element to the nose, which is clean, pure and very primary, with just a subtle vein of nuts behind it all. The palate is really very good; it has a great depth, with a lovely, harmonious character. On the finish it reveals a little more of its deeper style, as it shows here a full, nutty crescendo. Excellent potential here, but right now this is clearly still in a very primary and tight phase. 17.5+/20 (£95)

Domaine Mittnacht Frères Riesling 2006: The 'midnight brothers' have made a very lively and characterful Riesling here, showing aromas of rich and ripe fruits, with a slightly dried character. There is a nice style on the palate, good minerally acidity, and a flourish of dried white fruits on the finish. This is really appealing, but needs time to show its best. 16.5+/20 (£11)

Christian Moreau Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons 2006: This has an interesting papery element on the nose, otherwise some faint minerality, but otherwise it is in a dumb and youthful stage. There is a good structure on the palate, rich with an appropriate weight, and overall it has balance. This is looking very promising for the future. 17+/20 (£16)

Michel Bouzereau Bourgogne Chardonnay 2006: This is declassified Meursault, I am told. It starts off a little reduced on the nose, a little rubbery, but this does blow off to give notes of toastiness. Nice flesh, buttery but with nice acidity underneath, and slightly high-toned. A good grip, a good depth of flavour, clean and characterful. Finishes well with nice length. 16+/20 (£16)

Domaine de Chevilly Quincy 2006: Quincy is just down the road from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, and can offer a good value alternative. This example has a minerally, herby, steely edge to the aromas, and a good grip on the palate. It is firm and structured, with minerally green fruit and a dry finish. It also has a bit of length, and overall a good style. 16/20 (£9.50)

Sautereau Sancerre 2007: A subdued, papery character on the nose here, but then it opens out to reveal aromas of exotic passion fruit and perhaps a hint of mango. The palate is rounded, fresh, chalk-edged but not incisive. The acidity is only moderate, the tropical fruit sweet but also a bit peppery. It has grip, but overall a little too diffuse and short for me. 15/20 (£12.50)

Cave de l'Ormarine Duc de Morny Picpoul de Pinet 2007: Picpoul can be found scattered throughout Provence and the Languedoc, although it is only in the vineyards of Picpoul de Pinet does it have its own appellation. This has a fresh and fragrant set of aromas, with lovely, shell-like minerality evident. Perfumed, and a touch rounded on the palate, it has a soft and easy character, and I think I would enjoy it more if there was more acidity. Good though. 14.5/20 (£8)

St Ferréol Viognier (VdP d'Oc) 2006: Barrel-fermented, this wine shows the creamy honey-toast of its birth, with some nice peach fruit alongside. There seems to be more perfume on the palate, with rather soft, lychee, apricot stone and pine nut characteristics, although it does seem rather diffuse and loose knit. There is some nice acidity though. Good. 16.5/20 (Price to be confirmed)

Domaine de Triennes Viognier Sainte-Fleur (VdP du Var) 2005: A wine from a large Provençal estate established by Jacques Seysses, Aubert de Villaine (of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) and Michel Macau, this has aromas of honey and acacia, with fresh bunches of wild flowers alongside. The palate is gentle, fairly appealing although it has a rather fat midpalate, but it also has a slightly bitter, husky grip. Certainly an interesting wine here. 14.5/20 (£14)

Dreissigacker Riesling Trocken 2007: This has floral fruit on the nose, with a plain minerality. Quite aromatic, soft, supple, with a very gentle attack considering this is a trocken. Overall it has a full but calm presence, and although I find it quite straightforward it is still certainly attractive. 16/20 (£10)

Markus Molitor Riesling Feinherb 2006: Feinherb is an old term, gaining in popularity once again, used in place of halbtrocken, so this should be between a kabinett and trocken in style. It has a nice, steely, fruit character on the nose, with a minerally, appley freshness. On the palate it has a gentle disposition, just off-dry, fresh, supple and soft. It has only moderate concentration of flavour, but overall a nice character and it finishes nicely. Good. 15.5/20 (£9.25)

Pieropan Soave Classico (Veneto) 2007: The last vintage of this wine that I tasted was the 2006 nine months ago and I found it quite closed down. Today I am having the same experience with the 2007. It has subtle, honey-herby fruit on the nose. A good weight on the palate, which is supple and full, rounded with a good grip. Fine, ripe, but with a nice acidity underneath. Very good, although difficult to judge. 16-16.5+/20 (£10)

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough) 2006: New Zealand's most famous wine, I am sure; I last tasted this vintage two years ago. This has a very pure nose, loaded with asparagus, creamy yellow fruits and even a little gooseberry. Very fine, well defined, rich, full and surprisingly creamy, this is a substantial wine which fills out very nicely on the palate, and which even seems to have a little grip at the end. Good length too. 17+/20 (£23)

Seresin Sauvignon Blanc Marama (Marlborough) 2007: This has an unusual nose for Sauvignon, all fennel and toast, and that is because this wine has seen fermentation followed by 14 months in oak. The palate is clean, fairly richly textured, with unsurprisingly a lot of oaky-toasty grip. Lots of substance here, power, pepper and spice, and even a little wood tannin, leading up to a big, spicy finish. Not everybody's cup of tea I am sure, but I like it. Good. 16+/20 (£16)

Seresin Chardonnay Momo (Marlborough) 2006: I find honeyed oak on the nose here, a full and fat character, and plenty of tropical fruit. There is a lot of creamy oak on the palate too, although it is rich and rounded, with plenty of substance. This seems to me to be rather loose knit, nevertheless there are elements of quality here. This is good. 16+/20 (£9.50)

Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon (Margaret River, WA) 2007: This is an old friend, although not in this vintage; the last I tasted was the 2005. There is a touch of methylpyrazine to the nose, which has a very brisk and typical style. It is lively, yet rich and fleshy, and fairly substantial in the mouth. Overall though it is rather soft in composition, and it has a rather flat finish. A bit short, too. It is good, though. 15/20 (£11.50)

Frankland Estate Rocky Gully Riesling (Frankland River, WA) 2006: The Frankland Estate, situated on the Frankland River, is home to Barrie Smith and Judi Cullam. This wine has a great nose, full of minerals and petrol, evocative and ripe. Full and fleshy on the palate, the wine is actually far less incisive than I was hoping for based on the aromas. It is rather soft, with a short finish marked by a confected edge to the dried fruit. 15/20 (£8.50)

Tallarook Roussanne (Upper Goulburn, Victoria) 2005: The nose here shows plenty of oaky character, alongside dried fruits with a minerally, rather sherbetty edge. Soft, rounded, rather gentle on the palate, although built up underneath by some firm, oak-derived tannins. The acid is rather low-level, and overall it has a loose, open-knit composition. It doesn't have a lot of vigour. Nevertheless there are some good features here. 15.5/20 (£10)

Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc (Stellenbosch) 2007: This has a varietally-true style on the nose, which has herby buttercream, scattered with tropical fruits and spiced with methylpyrazines. Perhaps a mix of ripe, late-harvested and borderline, early-harvested fruit? Looking at the harvest start and end dates it went on for over five weeks, so this is a possibility. The palate ripe and rounded, with gentle acids but a firm grip which persists through onto the finish. Good, but rather a distinctive style that won't be for everyone. 15.5/20 (£11.50)

Sepp Moser Sauvignon Blanc Auslese 2003: This has a just fabulous nose, showing a huge concentration of gritty, concentrated sweet fruits. On the palate it is overtly sweet, but showing lots of very typical Sauvignon character as an unusual contrast. It is intense and honeyed, yet also herby, and when it warms a little on the palate it develops notes of smoke, and a meaty richness. Totally unexpected, certainly off the wall, but still very good. 17+/20 (£8)

Araldica Moscato Passito (Piedmont) 2004: On the nose this has dried fruits, especially oranges with honey, and no shortage of sweetness. The palate, as you might expect, has a similar soft, sweet, honeyed style. Nevertheless it is open, aromatic and has an appley freshness. Although straightforward has good character and at this price is a real bargain. 15.5/20 (£6)

Charles Hours Uroulat (Jurançon) 2005: A domaine that I have only discovered in the last few years, Charles Hours makes excellent Jurançon, both dry and sweet. This has lovely dense, honeyed sweetness. Full, rounded, minerally, quite soft and open, although with good acidity and overall a delicious style. Great fruit on the finish, direct and vibrant, but so rich too. Great potential here. 17.5+/20 (£16.50)