The Wine List vintage 2005 has a papery, book binding material nose. It's full of wine notes and hints at food pairings, with a long listings finish. It will not however, improve with age.

And shame on you Matthew Jukes, for missing out Horst Sauer from your list of best German wine producers. Herr Sauer has just been named International Wine Challenge White Winemaker of the Year 2004, yet he doesn't get a mention.

But I'm just being pedantic. I liked The Wine List 2005. Flipping through the first section, listing the top 250 wines, I stopped at the wines I had also tasted and compared notes. That's always fun (for wine anoraks like me anyway).

There's also an A to Z of food and wine pairings, with a gazetteer, a list of UK wine merchants and vintage tables. There's a fair glassful of useful information in this pocket-sized guide. Jukes' wine notes are always lively and usually meaningful and comprehensible.

I have a little quandary over the book's £7.99 price tag though. For that money I could have a bottle of Tim Adams Clare Valley Riesling. Or have some change left over from buying a bottle of McWilliam's Hanwood Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Both appear in the Jukes' 250 but the following are my tasting notes not Matthew's.

McWilliam's Hanwood Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 has ripe blackcurrant flavours and sprightly tannins.

Not overly weighty, this beauty has good amounts of oak nicely balanced, with layers of dark chocolate and a little sherbet. It's wonderfully fresh, almost perfect from start to finish and an absolute joy to drink. There again, I'm a sucker for a decent Australian cabernet sauvignon but this one's a snip at £6.49.

Tim Adams Clare Valley Riesling 2004 is exceptionally crisp and very dry, just how a riesling should be in my estimation.

Lime and lemon flavours jostle for attention alongside a lively effervescence and floral nose. What a great wine for under £8 and versatile too! It's citrus fruit and fresh acidity would pair wonderfully with Asian food but it also makes a splendid aperitif.

With Asian food in mind, look out for a forthcoming Tipping's Tipples where I'll be sampling a few other wines to complement a curry.

McWilliam's Hanwood Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, £6.49-£6.99 at Tesco and Thresher

****

Tim Adams Clare Valley Riesling 2004, £7.99 at Tesco

****

The Wine List 2005 by Matthew Jukes is published by Headline, price £7.99

Updated: 16:42 Friday, October 01, 2004