In its desperate need to stem the encroaching New World tide, the annual Top 100 competition for France’s vins de pays has shown a way of spotlighting good wines and value in an area that can be tough for consumers to get a handle on. Unlike the big New World brands, whose easy virtues make life easy for wine drinkers, French wines tend to rely heavily on the appellations as substitutes for brands. The trouble is that appellations are designations or origin, not quality, and most, like Bordeaux or Côtes du Rhône, are just too big and sprawling to be meaningful.

All is revealed. From left: judges Rosemary George, Olly Smith (behind), Tim Atkin (chair), Joanna Simon, Oz Clarke

Value, diversity of style and personality, without the appellation contrôlée straitjacket, are the chief virtues of vins de pays, a bottomless barrel of country wines from all over France varying in quality from pretty dire to excellent. How to sift the wheat from the chaff? Simple. Put up over 1000 wines and get a panel of palates to whittle them down to their 100 favourites. ‘The Top 100 Vins de Pays competition is an excellent initiative which has helped raise the profile of a category bursting with quality and innovation’, says Dominique Vrigneau, buying director for the French importers, Thierry’s.

Successive competitions have shown that the cream rises to the top with the same names often doing well time and again. One of those names is La Différence, a brand offering ‘real French wines made by real French winemakers’ developed by Richard Evans and Ed Squires of Dedicated Wines in 2006, which ‘came from concentrating on what France does best and what we instinctively felt the consumer really wanted’. With four wines in the Top 100 this year, the boast is justified.

It has the typically fragrant 2008 La Différence Viognier-Muscat, £5.49, Asda, Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsburys, a juicy 2008 La Différence Grenache Blanc (not yet in store), an equally gluggy 2008 La Différence Grenache Noir, £5.49, Morrisons, and, best of the bunch, the excellent 2008 La Différence Carignan, £5.49, Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys, Co-op, which deservedly won the carignan trophy. Guy Anderson is another Englishman who’s done well, his 2008 Les Montgolfiers Sauvignon Blanc Gros Manseng, £6.99, Tesco, taking the trophy for best white blend.

More is revealed

France needs more of this level of value and some of its own producers at least are waking up to the fact. Jean-Claude Mas of the Domaines Paul Mas is one of them. Based in the Languedoc, his wines are consistently excellent value with several usually in the Top 100 and this year his refined, full-flavoured and extremely well-crafted 2008 La Forge Estate Chardonnay, £7.99, Thresher, took the chardonnay trophy, while his equally flavoursome 2008 Paul Mas Estate Marsanne £7.99, Majestic, £9.99, or buy 3 = £6.66, Wine Rack, won it for the eponymous Rhône varietal. Equally good on reds, his 2008 Paul Mas Cabernet de Cabernet, £6.99, Majestic and 2008 La Forge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, £7.99, Asda, were top 100 winners.

Plaimont too, the south-western co-operative that single-handedly revived the diminishing fortunes of Gascony, has raised the quality bar, winning trophies for its crisp, gooseberryish 2008 Rive Haute Sauvignon Blanc and strawberryish pink blend, the 2008 Rive Haute Tannat - Cabernet Rosé (both coming soon). There are others, Gérard Bertrand, Mont Tauch and Laurent Miquel to name just three, all showing that despite the French tendency to shoot itself in one foot, it at least has another good one to put forward. For the full top 100, see anthonyrosewine.com.

Something For the Weekend 16 May 2009

Under a Fiver

2007 Vinchio-Vaglio, Barbera d’Asti, Monferrato, Piemonte.

Made from Piemonte’s barbera grape, this is a bright, vivid, juicy, north Italian red whose sweet and sour cherry flavours are underpinned by peppery notes and refreshing acidity of the barbera grape. £4.49, down from £5.99, until tomorrow, Waitrose.

Under a Tenner

2008 Lone Range Heretaunga Chardonnay, Hawkes Bay

From Rod Easthope’s Wild Rock Company, this is a beautifully crafted, excellent value Kiwi chardonnay, its opulent peachy flavours given a complexing undertone of burgundian-style butterscotch and nuttiness with a tang of zingy freshness. £9.99, Marks & Spencer

Splash Out

2008 de Grendel Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc, Tijgerberg

Cape Sauvignon Blanc is growing in stature and this example from Charles Hopkins, with pungent aromas leading into a concentrated, rich Sancerre-beating dry white with gooseberry and tropical fruit intensity, is one of the best. £16.19, Oddbins.

Vins de Pays Top 100 2009

(n.b. sorry that not all price and stockist info available and prices may vary due to recent budget changes)

Vintage Wine Name Domaine RRP point of sale
2008 Cox Colombard Sovino
2008 Domaine Ventenac Chenin - Colombard Vignobles Alain Maurel
2008 Sauvignon Domaine Saint Marc n/a (Wholesale price £69.48/12bottles)
2008 Sauvignon Rémy Pannier
2008 La Roche Dame Bougrier £6.99
2008 Les Mariés Domaine de La Baume
2008 Sauvignon Blanc Maison Virginie £5.99
2008 Les Salices Sauvignon Domaine François Lurton £7.29 Corney & Barrow Scotland
2008 Grande Réserve Sauvignon Blanc Charmarré £7.99 Vintage not imported yet
2008 Rive Haute Sauvignon Producteurs Plaimont £8.99 Vintage not imported yet
2008 Elément Cave les Trois Blasons £5.99 Bella Wines Ltd
2008 Les Montgolfiers Sauvignon Blanc - Gros Manseng Riviera Wine Company £6.99 Tesco
2008 Riviera Sauvignon Blanc Riviera Wine Company £5.99 Vintage not imported yet
2008 La Lanterne Les Vignobles Foncalieu
2007 Repertoire Hidden Treasures La Compagnie Rhodanienne
2008 Vermentino Domaine Saint Hilaire n/a Vintage not imported yet
2008 Terra Vecchia Les Vins Skalli £5.19 Somerfield
2007 Réserve des Anglais Pierre Roque & Richard Speirs n/a (Wholesale price £70.40/12bottles)
2008 La Différence Grenache Blanc Vindivin £5.49 New launch
2007 Domaine du Cerbier
2008 Le Champ des Lys Grenache - Viognier Domaine La Croix Belle
2008 Le Village du Sud Mont Tauch £4.49 Co-op
2008 Virginie Chardonnay Maison Virginie £5.99
2008 Chardonnay Domaine Salliès
2008 La Belle Terrasse Chardonnay Vignobles James Herrick £6.99 Copestick Murray Wine Solutions
2008 La Forge Estate Chardonnay Domaines Paul Mas £7.99 Thresher
2007 Chardonnay Fruit Domaine de Pellehaut £6.99 booth stores
2008 Harmonie de Gascogne Domaine de Pellehaut £4.99 booth stores
2007 Cigalus Gérard Bertrand n/a
2008 Paul Mas Estate Marsanne Domaines Paul Mas £7.99 Majestic
2007 Nord Sud Viognier Laurent Miquel £7.99 Tesco and Majestic
2008 Viognier Domaine Saint Hilaire £7.65 website + one shop in Ottery St Mary
2008 La Différence Viognier - Muscat Vindivin £5.49 Asda, Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsburys
2008 Winemaker Selection Dry Muscat Gérard Bertrand £5.49 Tesco
2006 Late Harvest Domaine La Bouscade £8.99
2007 Le Moelleux du Clos, Vin de Lune Clos Triguédina n/a Vintage not imported yet
2007 Vent d'Hiver Domaine Chiroulet
2007 Soleil d'Automne Domaine Chiroulet
2007 L'Incompris Domaine du Mas Neuf / Elisabeth et Brigitte Jeanjean
2008 Neffiez Les Coteaux de Neffiés
2008 Grenache Rosé Domaine Peirière £6.49
2008 Syrah Rosé Famille Castel £5.99
2008 Colombelle Producteurs Plaimont £6.99 Vintage not imported yet
2008 Rive Haute Tannat - Cabernet Producteurs Plaimont £6.99 Coe Vintners
2007 Le Fou Pinot Noir Boutinot, France £7.60 Independent Wine Merchants, Great Grog (Edinburgh), The Oxford Wine Company (Witney), Corks of Cotham (Bristol)
2008 Mas des Vignals Domaine de Familongue
2008 Merlot Arnaud de Villeneuve £6.65 The Wine Company Shops - Vintage not imported yet
2008 Bonfils Pur Charactère Merlot £6.99 Copestick Murray Wine Solutions
2008 Classic Merlot Les Producteurs Réunis
2007 Domaines Arnaud Merlot Laurent Miquel n/a Oddbins
2007 Merlot Domaine du Trésor
2007 Merlot Domaine de Campradel
2007 Domaine de la Clapière rouge Domaine de la Clapière £6.99
2006 La Soure Domaine Les Yeuses
2008 Wild Pig Cabernet Sauvignon Gabriel Meffre £6.30 Vintage not imported yet
2008 Couleurs du Sud, Cabernet Sauvignon Les Vins Skalli £5.99 Vintage not imported yet
2008 La Forge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Domaines Paul Mas £7.99 Asda
2007 B&G Réserve Cabernet Sauvignon Barton & Guestier £6.99
2007 Rafale Vignerons Catalans en Roussillon £5.99
2005 Les Hauts Clochers Cabernet Sauvignon Les Caves du Sieur d'Arques n/a Vintage not imported yet
2008 Paul Mas Cabernet de Cabernet Domaines Paul Mas £6.99 Majestic
2008 Domaine Py
2008 Grande Réserve de Gassac Rouge Villeveyrac £7.99
2007 Extrait de l'Ormarine Cave de l'Ormarine
2008 Enseduna Les Vignobles Foncalieu n/a (Wholesale price £66/12bottles)
2007 Marselan Domaine Salliès
2007 Petit Verdot du Bosc Domaine du Bosc n/a Vintage not imported yet
2008 Fortant Les Vins Skalli £6.99 Vintage not imported yet
2008 La Différence Grenache Noir Vindivin £5.49 Morrisons
2007 Pasquiers Grenache Noir Boutinot, France £5.80 Corks of Cotham (Bristol), Red or White (York), Knightwick Wines (Worcester)
2007 Mont Tauch Single Vineyard Mont Tauch £24.99 Vintage not imported yet
2008 Domaine de l'Amiral
2007 Collection Privée de l'Oratoire Léonce Amouroux
2007 Le Grand Noir GSM Union des Producteurs du Haut Minervois £7.99 Roberson Wine - Pas importé en ce moment
2007 Bonfils GPS Madame £9.99 Copestick Murray Wine Solutions
2005 Armonio Château Mas Neuf £23.00
2008 Syrah Code Passion Les Vignerons de Cers Portiragnes
2008 La Châsse du Pape Shiraz Gabriel Meffre £5.49 Waitrose
2008 Famille Castel Syrah Famille Castel £5.99
2008 Maison Virginie Syrah Maison Virginie £5.99
2008 Largesse Shiraz Les Producteurs Réunis £5.99 Classic Wine Direct D.D, Cooden Cellars, United Supplies Ltd, Excellars D.D, Good Wine Shop D.D., Bacchanalia (Cambridge)
2008 Les Bateaux Syrah Domaine François Lurton £6.50
2008 Le Versant Les Vignobles Foncalieu £6.20 City Beverage Shop
2007 Carabènes Domaine Le Nouveau Monde
2007 Syrah Les Epices Domaine Les Yeuses
2007 Avec des Si… Château Mas Neuf n/a Vintage not imported yet
2007 Kyrah Mas Saint-Victor
2008 La Fête du Village Syrah - Grenache Riviera Wine Company £5.99 Vintage not imported yet
2007 Tempête de Saveurs, Oak Aged Les Caves Richemer
2007 Roche Fourcade Les Terrasses Cévenoles
2007 Orénia Réserve Les Vins Philippe Nusswitz
2007 Secret de Lunès Mas de Lunès
2007 Valjulius Domaine Valjulius
2005 Quintus Domaine Gourgazaud
2008 La Différence Carignan Vindivin £5.49 Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys, Co-op
2008 Le Carignan de la Bastide aux Oliviers La Bastide aux Oliviers
2007 Old Vine Carignan, Cuvée Christophe Domaine de la Souterranne £11.50 Oxford Wine
NV Cave de Masse Carignan Merlot Les Vignobles Foncalieu on trade only
2007 Sandpiper Reserve Carignan - Shiraz 4.49 (real retail price = 8.5 but 90% is sold in promotion) Wm Morrison Supermarkets
2008 Terre d'Orb Rouge Cave de Roquebrun