Château Haut-Beauséjour, St Estèphe, 1998, €27 The same appellation four years earlier, and another mixed vintage, but this wine moves up a notch in quality, with its subtle autumn-fruit aromas and rich, dense texture combining to produce a wine drinking really well. From: Searsons, Monkstown, Co Dublin.
Château de Pressac, St Émilion Grand Cru, 2000, €35 (on offer at €29.95) Like to know what all this Bordeaux fuss is about? Try this enchanting example of St Émilion's velvety way with Merlot from the last great vintage. A soft purple hue with earth and berries on the nose gives way to a rich, layered texture in the mouth with a long, measured finish. Classy and lovely. From: O'Briens.
Château L'Enclos Bonis, St Estèphe, 2002, €19.95 St Estèphe is renowned for austere, long-living wines, but this modest contender from a very mixed vintage has traces of the appellation's famed berry intensity on the nose and a pleasing roundness. From: Mitchell & Son, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, and Glasthule, Co Dublin; French Flair, Tralee, Co Kerry; Myles Doyle, Gorey, Co Wexford; and Meath Arms, Aughrim.