White
Chateau Bertinerie Premieres Cotes de Blaye 1998 (Wines Direct, £7.30 if you buy a case, which may be mixed). Eric Bentegnies's pure Sauvignon Blanc is a winner - fragrant and brilliantly fresh yet creamy-smooth. Chateau du Seuil Graves 1998 (Mitchells, Kildare Street and Glasthule; McCabes, Blackrock and Foxrock; Deveneys, Dundrum; Martha's Vineyard, Rathfarnham; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock and a few other outlets, £13.99-£14.99). This is a really classy Semillon-based wine, with a toasty richness that doesn't go overboard and a long, firm finish. Try the impressive Watts reds while you're at it - either the Chateau label or the succulent Domaine at under a tenner.
Red
Calvet Reserve Bordeaux Rouge 1997/8 (very widely available, usually £7.99). Bordeaux goes user-friendly - this has a nice, plump cushion of ripe fruit, but there's also a touch of the mineral bite Bordeaux-lovers expect. Good at the price.
Chateau Meaume Bordeaux Superieur 1996 (magnums - twice the normal bottle size - Redmonds, Ranelagh; McCabes, Blackrock and Foxrock; Higgins, Clonskeagh; On the Grapevine, Dalkey; Cheers-Gibneys, Malahide; Londis, Malahide; O'Keeffes, Kilkenny; Greenacres, Wexford; Kellys-Next Door, Longford; Fahys, Ballina and some other outlets, usually about £16.99). A monster bottle from a cracking vintage. See Bottle of the Week.
Chateau Patache d'Aux, Medoc Cru Bourgeois 1996/7 (Tesco, £11.99, and some independent off-licences countrywide). I've enjoyed this wine for years and will for more, having seen what the Lapalu family is up to, near the northern tip of the Medoc. Classic Bordeaux, finely tuned and tempting. Buy the 1996 if you can. Frank Phelan Saint-Estephe 1996 (McCabes, Blackrock and Foxrock; Redmonds, Ranelagh and some other independent off-licences, £2223; also many restaurants). If you feel like trading up a bit, try the second wine of Chateau Phelan-Segur. Velvety fruit, supple tannins, serious allure. The 1998 is better still. . .