L’Hallali Grande Reservé ’00 Gigondas: Light ruby red. Alcoholic, a bit of fruit, slightly musty. Quite dry and acidic. Long, slightly hot finish, with pepper and berries. Plonk, but good plonk. B-QPR at $10.

Guigal ’99 CdR: Nice colour. Powerful nose, lots of fruit, with a herbal touch. A real summer wine. Tannins quite smooth, with berries and a hint of bayleaf. Smooth, long finish. Not very complex, but nice enough. “A” QPR at $8,50.

Domaine Maxime Chomel ’99 Crozes-Hermitage. This smelled BAD (in a good way)! Runny camembert, manure. Very fruity, with lots of cherry flavours and some liquorice. Sweet, but nicely balanced with a refreshing acidity. Nice finish. Good QPR at $10.

IMHO, the Maxime Chomel was the better wine, but the Guigal is a more pleasant one for easy drinking.