Sometimes there is nothing like a good wine from Burgundy, red or white.

Louis Jadot Puilly-Fuisse 2002 will cellar nicely, if you are lucky enough to have a wine cellar. It would make a fantastic accompaniment to your Christmas turkey, if you can wait that long. It's also good to drink now, which seems to make more sense to me.

Chardonnay can be such an expressive grape; it can also be dull as ditch water. I'm glad to say this Louis Jadot example represents the former. It shows wonderful subtlety, from the perfumed aroma to the nutty, citrus fruit. This is a rich and full-flavoured white with good clean acidity.

I feel duty bound to point out at this juncture that money spent on good white wines can be utterly wasted by over chilling. Much more than three hours in the fridge and all those delicate flavours begin to disappear. If the wine has been in the fridge for too long, warm it gently by holding your hands around the glass. As the wine warms the bouquet will become much more noticeable and the flavours apparent.

Wines made with pinot noir are not for everyone, I think they might be an acquired taste. But it is a taste I have acquired. There is talk of pinot noir sales soaring since the release in cinemas of the film Sideways.

Louis Jadot Beaune 2000 is, typically for the Cote de Beaune, light but full flavoured and rippling with tannin. A good nose, with apricot and raisin aromas leads to cherry, red apple and citrus flavours. I love wines of such dry, spicy, piquant complexity.

Another word of warning, don't let red wines get too warm in the summer. Lighter styles of red wine can even benefit from slightly chilling when temperatures soar but don't over do it!

As a cheaper alternative, the following wines are made by Burgundian winemakers using the traditional grape varieties already featured. But the duo are from the South of France. This red and white are much more affordable and as you would expect, very typically French.

Louis Latour Grand Ardeche Chardonnay 2002 is a golden, creamy textured wine with vanilla and a little oak. It is distinctly dry but the zesty fruit present gives way to a sweetening drop of honey on the finish.

Not quite as magnificent as the Cote de Beaune version mentioned earlier but doing a good job nonetheless is Louis Latour Domaine de Valmoissine Pinot Noir 2002. Peppery, spicy and prickly with good tannins there are ample amounts of redcurrant and raspberry fruit flavours present in this wine.

Louis Jadot Puilly-Fuisse 2002, £10.99 at Tesco, www.everywine.co.uk and www.wills-burgundy.com 17/20

Louis Jadot Beaune 2000, £15.99 at Thresher, www.everywine.co.uk and www.wills-burgundy.com 17/20

Louis Latour Grand Ardeche Chardonnay 2002, £7.49 buy two save £3 at Majestic 15/20

Louis Latour Domaine de Valmoissine Pinot Noir 2002, £7.49 buy two save £3 at Majestic 16/20

Updated: 16:02 Friday, May 20, 2005