WINE BOX

THE WEEK'S BEST BUYS

***La Tour du Prevot 1996, Marks & Spencer, pounds 4.99

**Shiraz Vin de Pays d'Oc 1996,

Marks & Spencer, pounds 3.99

I have a sentimental attachment to the wines of the southern Rhone, especially those of lesser appellations such as Cotes du Ventoux. So I was pleased to see that Marks & Spencer has been taking advantage of the weak franc to lay in some strong wines from the region. One of the stars is La Tour du Prevot 1996, a Cotes du Ventoux made by the Perrin family. The Perrins' Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Chateau de Beaucastel, is exemplary of its kind, and so is La Tour du Prevot: spicy, plummy, delicious, and an easy three stars. One pound cheaper but still of good quality is another southerner, this one a Shiraz Vin de Pays d'Oc 1996. Though not weighty enough to deserve more than two stars, it has lively, punchy fruit and a reasonable finish for a cheap wine.