France: "whites of the moment" (Chablis, Gewurz, Champers and sweeties)...

Shrivelled grapes from www.jurancon-cauhape.com

Chablis 2014 L’Eglantière Jean Durup (Chardonnay, 12.5% abv): surprisingly soft and not too acidic for a Chablis that was probably only bottled recently; it was a bit awkward and closed up to start with, although has attractive citrus fruit on top of its 'mineral' structure, subtle concentration too then tight and crisp on the finish. Needs a few months in bottle to express itself but should be good. €11.75 cellar door, Thorman Hunt & Co. London, $15.99 K&L Wines California. Also available in Germany and the Netherlands.
Chablis 2012 Louis Moreau (Chardy, 12.5% abv) - pretty classic and classy style Chabbers, not very forthcoming at first (was a bit too chilled out) but slowly revealing subtle ripe citrus and peachy fruit, lightly creamy touches and fairly crisp finish. UK: Marks & Spencer £14 (was on promotion for £10.50). Easy to find the Moreau name just about anywhere in the world.
Champagne Louvel Fontaine Brut NV (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier; 12% abv) - sounds like a madey-uppy name and the print was totally tiny, but probably made by one of Champagne's reliable co-op wineries. Attractive Pinot-dominant style with a little more structure and bite than most own-labels, yet nicely balanced by subtle yeasty biscuit flavours. UK: good buy from Asda for £10 on offer, but I wouldn't pay the supposed £24.50 full-price though.
Alsace Gewurztraminer 2013 Cave de Turckheim (13% abv) - another spot-on style typical of well-made Gewurztraminer from Alsace: full of perfumed lychee and rose water aromas/flavours, rounded and quite rich with off-dry finish and a bit of oomph too. Try with Thai food or blue cheese. UK: £8 Sainsbury's "Taste the Difference". Turckheim's wines are widely exported.
Sauternes 2010 L'Ilot de Château Haut-Bergeron (Semillon, Sauvignon blanc; 13.5% abv) - lovely sweet classic, drinking well now although still has a bit of fresh structure to age for a few more years. Lush honey and spice with dried apricot cut by lively orange peel acidity and bitter twist, rich and concentrated but not too heavy in the end. Probably about £12 for a half-bottle - I bought it a while ago now, and that's the price of a different label and vintage of Sauternes currently listed by M&S.
Jurançon 2012 Symphonie de Novembre Domaine Cauhapé (Petit Manseng, 14% abv): selected berries hand-harvested in mid November (see photo at top) then barrel fermented. Delicious and complex opulent nose, honey and botrytis-type? aromas, oily and toasted nutty too with floral citrus edges; lush and sweet vs very fresh cut and oomph, oxidative and honeyed flavours with very light coconut tones, sweet textured vs crisp bite, long and tasty finish. Yum. Try with foie gras, venison or duck paté, strong or blue cheeses, apple or peach tart. Cellar door €19.20, £13.99 half-bottle The Wine Library London, £11.99/€16.50 half-bottle James Nicholson Northern Ireland, £24.90 Hedonism Wines London; $18.84 half-bottle Saratoga Wine Exchange NY, $23.99 half-bottle Toast Wines CT. Also available in Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Switzerland. Made by one of the region's leading estates.
You might also like to have a look at, you've guessed it, some French "reds of the mo" HERE.

Bordeaux mini-focus: Château La Tulipe de la Garde & Château Guiraud

These two châteaux don't actually have anything in common, as far as I know, apart from being loosely "in Bordeaux" albeit about 70 km from each other; one to the northeast of the city near the Dordogne river and the other a good trek southeast along the Garonne...

Château de la Garde was bought by Ilja Gort in 1994, a rather ramshackle wine estate dating from the 13th century apparently; and it took him 10 years to restore and re-equip the property, which is located on 20 hectares of vineyards in a little place called Saint Romain La Virvée (on the way to Libourne). In 2010, Ilja decided to change its name to Château la Tulipe de la Garde, presumably to give it a Dutch twist. I'm told "the vineyards are divided into 30 blocks, which are vinified separately... and made up of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc." Well-known consultant winemaker and Pomerol estate-owner Michel Rolland has been working with them since 2009, to refine the wine's style using less oak and bringing out the fruit, paraphrasing Ilja, who's obviously not publicity shy: in 2008, he had his nose insured by Lloyds of London for five million Euros!

Château La Tulipe de la Garde 2011 Bordeaux Supérieur (13.5%) - a touch more Cab Sauv and touch less Merlot than the 2012 below. Light cedar and herby red pepper notes vs darker cherry / damson fruit, quite powerful with a hint of grip and bitter chocolate tannins, black cherry, plum and blackcurrant flavours; nice freshness vs weight with a lush touch and some developing fruit vs dry structured bite on the finish. It was a little softer after being open for 24 hours with subtle ripe vs crunchy fruit finishing with dark chocolate bitter twist. Attractive modest modern claret, if you like, and fairly good value too.

Château La Tulipe de la Garde 2012 (13.5% abv) - 86% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc; aged for 12 months in new French oak. Much softer wine and 'lighter' (although still similar 13.5% weight) with nice plummy fruit and light cedar edges, crunchy fruit too vs soft and sweet mouth-feel vs a hint of dry grip and subtle cedar/coconut texture, rounded and full finish with more immediate fruit and drinking-now style.
UK: Sainsbury's £10. More info: www.tulipe.co.uk

Château Guiraud probably needs less of an introduction, which is one of the oldest and largest wine estates in sublime sweet wine country, found in Sauternes itself, and is ranked as a Premier Grand Cru Classé in the (in)famous 1855 classification. And apparently the only one belonging to this royal elite that's certified organic. Winemaker and estate manager Xavier Planty embarked on a subtle style change from the 2000 vintage, to give "grip and structure but... cleaner, lighter and more elegant..." In any case, here are a few words on three very different vintages, plus one of Petit Guiraud, the "second wine", and 'Le G' which is their new-ish dry white.

2013 Le G de Château Guiraud - produced from certain 15 ha plots with 70% Sauvignon blanc and 30% Semillon (no noble rot), half of it fermented in barrels used to make Sauternes. Lively citrus and gooseberry aromas vs a more exotic, rounder and creamier side; nice intense lively palate with yeast lees notes then richer finish, lovely dry white.
2011 Petit Guiraud - described as "a modern Sauternes... refined sweetness given extra freshness by a high proportion of Sauvignon." Gorgeous exotic nose with dried apricot and spiced honey, lighter and fresher on the palate with attractive concentrated vs crisp finish.
2008 Château Guiraud - beginning to get enticing marmalade aromas tinged with orange peel, lush yet very crisp mouth-feel with a touch of coconut oak, good balance of sweet exotic botrytis fruit vs that fresher side too.
2001 Château Guiraud - almost restrained for its age with subtle butterscotch notes, rich lush and exotic with lovely 'bite' underneath, beautiful balance of concentrated and long finish with spicy and still lively tones. Classic.
1996 Château Guiraud - orangey brown colour with caramel and marmalade on the nose, lush and concentrated with attractive honey flavours; probably already peaked but a lovely wine anyway.