James Bercovici - The Big Red Wine Company

Jonathan Maltus' Pezat has arrived at last and lunch with a colleague provided a good opportunity to re-taste it. A mid-weight Claret with not too much oak, it has elegance written all over it. Not sure if the rather cool label means anything but what's in the bottle is brimming with potential. How many people would be able to tell the difference between this and Jonathan's St-Emilion Grand Cru, Ch. Teyssier, I wonder. There aren't many Bordeaux selling for around a tenner in the UK with this much class.

Other commitments meant that Jill had to represent us at a British Heart Foundation fundraiser where, needless to say, she was pouring the wines. Just one white - Domaine des Anges - as I forgot to get any Xavier Sauvignon out of bond (I thought these were about right for an art auction) and a selection of 2004 reds - Xavier Côtes du Rhône, Lacroix Bordeaux Superieur and Madone Beaujolais Villages. All went down well, apparently - not many bottles returned unopened anyway.

The August issue of Decanter arrived today (what is that all about?) with its affordable Tuscan wine recommendations - that includes any wine retailing under £20 apparently. I only sent in samples of the Tenute Monte Rosola wines on the basis that the Molino di Grace ones are much better known. I was pleased to discover that the "Corpo Notte" had made it into the top twenty four with the comments: "Big, spicy, tarry and oaky nose. Palate is soft with good intensity of warm spicy fruit. Decent complexity on the finish". Elsewhere in the same issue, Il Molino di Grace 's 2003 Chianti Classico was described by Tom Maresca as "A supple wine with excellent cherry fruit"