A name of some famous wine-producing location right there on the spot is somehow a lot more stimulating when examined on a bottle label.

And the knowledge you're heading for the place where the stuff is made, and certainly bound to get a taste – several tastes, in fact – only adds to the stimulation.

Memories of holidays across the Channel came to mind when I saw a new list from the on-line business www.fromvineyardsdirect.com

This firm, operating successfully for some years now, delivers wine direct from the vineyard to your front door here in the UK, and claims to undercut the traditional retailer by a significant amount.

A couple of the wines I tasted recently bore names which would have certainly set me salivating if I'd spotted them from the car window on fingerposts.

These were Margaux and Pauillac, two of the great names of Bordeaux, a region from which good quality wines at reasonable prices are found more easily these days than they used to be – thanks partly to fierce competition from the New World, I suspect.

In fact the first of four bottles I tasted courtesy of fromvineyardsdirect bore a price tag which was really pretty low in relation to its contents.

La Reserve Claret 2006 (13 per cent, £7.95) is a blend of 70 per cent merlot and 30 per cent cabernet sauvignon, selected from St Emilion vineyards.

It has dry, concentrated tastes of dark fruit, with hints of cigar-box, which would grace any dinner table.

The vineyards were planted exclusively for the on-line outfit by Jonathan Maltus, who produces Chateau Teyssier and Le Dome, said to be one of St Emilion's greatest and most expensive wines. Great value.

Margaux 2006 (12.5 per cent, £18.45) follows a particularly splendid 2005 offering. But the 2006 vintage was also reported to be extremely good, and I'd describe this latest arrival as very fine.

It's rich and complex, with layers of flavour dominated by a rich blackcurrant theme, with light spices. The colour is a deep, vibrant purple, striking to look at, and the aroma particularly delightful and lingering.

This wine is ready for drinking now, but the producers say it has at least a decade to go, possibly more.

Chateau Ducluzeau Listrac-Medoc 2000 (13 per cent, £14.95) is a sound claret also up for consumption right now, a fully mature wine from the reportedly impressive 2000 vintage.

It spent up to 18 months in oak barrels, adding complexity to its elegant character. I enjoyed a glass with a substantial slice of Pont L'Eveque, a cheese whose creamy distinctive tastes instantly evoke the atmosphere of the farmyard.

Pauillac 2006 (13 per cent, £18.65) is a classic claret which has to be worth every penny – and I speak as someone generally reluctant to fork out much more than a tenner for a decent bottle.

It is rich and full, with shimmering, subtle, dark berry tastes touched with cedarwood in the background. Sums up the very best qualities of claret, sought after by its admirers.

Can be enjoyed now, but would repay keeping for some years for anyone who can wait that long.

I generally open bottles like the ones above at least an hour or two before serving.

Minimum order from this firm is a case of 12 bottles.


Flavour of strong tradition

Bordeaux wines are readily available in ever-growing numbers from big chain retailers, not just specialist wine merchants.

I was especially interested to try one from a family estate which has been going strong since 1820. I assumed that during this time the operators must have picked up just about all there is to know about quality wine production.

Chateau Grand Verdus 2006 (13 per cent, £7.99, £6.39 each if you buy 12, Oddbins) is a soft, intense, blackcurrant-laden wine, with a velvety character, made for red-meat dishes.

Chateau Le Fregne 2007 (13 per cent, £6.99, Majestic) is an easy-drinking, 'petit chateau' claret.

Black cherry and blackcurrants and firm tannins are the style of this smooth red, just right to brighten up a rainy Sunday when the lunchtime roast is brought to the table. Beef would be the best option for it.

Chateau Caronne St Germaine 2004 Haut Medoc (13 per cent, £12.99, Majestic) spent a year in French oak, which has bestowed a hint of vanilla to the rounded, full fruit flavour.

An appealing aroma of berries and spice.


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