As our quest for affordable European wines, we have discovered some more wines that merit your attention. All are under $40 a bottle, most much less. Here they are.

Burgundy

2016 Domaine Maurice Charleux & Fils Maranges 1er Cru, Le Clos des Rois ($28.99 - wine.com) - Maranges is situated at the southern end of the Côte d'Or. This one offers a brick red color and an unmistakable Pinot Noir nose of fraises de bois, cherries, currants, red roses, mulberry, orange peel and incense. The medium bodied flavors are ample yet deep and focused, with notes of licorice, cocoa and minerals, followed by a kirsch and creme de cassis on the smooth tannin finish. 18.5/20 points.

2015 Bouchard Ainé & Fils Fixin "La Mazière" ($33.99 - wine.com) -From north of Gevrey-Chambertin, this offers a brilliant brick red color and enticing aromas of strawberry, cherry, currant, crushed red roses, tobacco leaf, orange peel and incense. The flavors are supple yet robust, with red fruits that are marked by red licorice, cocoa, roasted coffee beans and earth. On the back, the wine intensifies with macerated berries, fraise and cassis liqueurs and charcoal, followed by a ripe sensuous finish. 18.5/20 points.

2016 Ropiteau Saint-Romain Blanc ($26.99 - wine.com) - Saint-Romain is situated above Meursault. This shows a medium gold color and attractive aromas of apple, peach and grapefruit with scents of apple blossoms, acacia flowers and lemon verbena. The flavors are crisp and lively, indicative of a high elevation Chardonnay, with notes of grape skin, peach stone, grapefruit rind and granitic minerals, followed by a finely fruited finish. 18+/20 points.

The following two whites are Tête Cuvées from Pouilly-Fuissé. I bought them to see if they were worth the higher prices than those for the regular bottlings. They are.

2016 Château Fuissé Pouilly-Fuissé "Tête de Cru" ($38.99 - wine.com) - Sourced from the top parcels of the Domaine's vineyards, this is an outstanding White Burgundy. Aged in oak barrels (70%) it displays a brilliant gold color and floral aromas of pear, peach, lemon custard, pear tree blossoms and acacia flowers. The pure Chardonnay flavors are expressive, with notes of pear skin, peach stone and granitic minerals. The resonance continues on the back with poire and pêche liqueurs, vanillin and creme fraiche, followed by a lingering, complex finish. 19/20 points.

2014 Domaine Trouillet Pouilly-Fuissé, "Coeur de Pouilly" ($34.99 - Total Wine) - This is a fine example of Pouilly-Fuissé with some age. Deep golden colored, it possesses a seductive bouquet of ripe pears, pêche melba, orange peel, semi dried pear tree blossoms and oriental white incense. The flavors reveal pure Chardonnay character with white fruits that ate imbued with ripe pear skin, peach stones and granitic minerals. On the back, the wine glides forward, with sensations of toasted hazelnuts, lanolin and poire and pêche liqueurs into a lingering, precise finish. 19/20 points.

Rhone Valley

2017 Les Pallières "au petit bonheur" Rosé Wine ($24.99 - wine.com) - This South Rhone wine is another Rosé not just for summer (see the previous blog below). Peach colored, it possesses exotic aromas of pink peach, cherry, cantaloupe, pomegranate, cherry blossoms, lavender, orange peel and spiced incense. The flavors complement the aromatics with lively fruits that show notes of pear and cherry stones and saline minerals. The back picks up lightly pressed fruits, poire and pêche liqueurs and recurring orange peel on a crisp, dry finish. 18.5/20 points.

2016 Domaine Brusset Gigondas "Tradition Le Grand Montmiral" ($23.99 - Total Wine) - This is terrific value. It shows a purplish ruby color and a rich nose of raspberries, black currants, plums, black roses, mulberry, pipe tobacco, lavender and incense. The flavors are generous and mouth filling yet focused, with notes of licorice, dark cocoa and Montmiral minerals. The back reveals macerated fruits, framboise and cassis liqueurs followed by a pleasing ripe tannin finish. 18.5/20 points.

The following wine was purchased from Last Bottle, which, as the name suggests, deals in end of vintage closeouts. This wine is sold out, but the website lastbottlewines.com is worth checking out for upcoming buys.

2015 Domaine Saint Michel Chateauneuf du Pape, "Les Deux Soeurs" ($35 - Last Bottle) - Deep ruby colored, this wine possesses rich, smoky aromas of raspberry, blueberry and black currants with scents of roses, lavender, olive tapenade and garrigue. The medium full bodied flavors are thick and chewy, with notes of licorice, black tea and mas gravel. The back picks up touches of leather and bacon fat on the way to a grainy yet smooth ripe tannin finish. 18.5/20 points.

Germany

2016 Karhäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel ($19.99 - wine.com) - From near Trier on the Ruwer, this wine offers a brilliant lemon-gold color and floral aromas of pear, peach, apricot and grapefruit with scents of wildflowers and wet stone. The flavors are deliciously ripe and lively, accented by a bit of spritz along with notes of grape and pear skins and Ruwer River minerals. The low alcohol (8.5%) is lifted by bright fruit acids on the lightly spiced medium dry finish. 18.5/20 points.

2016 Dr, Heidemanns-Bergweiler Bernkastler Badstube Riesling Spätlese ($23.99 - Total Wine) - Lemon-gold colored this wine emits floral aromas of Asian pear-apple, white peach, passion fruit and citrus with scents of apple blossoms, wildflowers and clover. The flavors show definite spätlese (late harvest) ripeness, with notes of pear skin, peach stone and granitic minerals, enlivened on the back with racy fruit acids and a bit of spritz on the honeyed medium dry finish. At 8% alcohol, it is easy to drink yet serious. 18.5/20 points.

Next Week: Some more French wines, including super values from the Cotes du Rhone Villages such as Cairrane, Rasteau and Vacqueyras, and a few more German Rieslings.