Red Wine

An intense ruby red colour. Vinous and clean aromas with hints of red berry fruits. Round in the mouth and medium bodied. A well-rounded finish with mellow tannin.

Bursting with dark berry flavours of blackberry, dark cherry and plums, this Shiraz has soft and supple tannins and a white pepper finish. The fruit for Aloe Tree hails from the increasingly fashionable west coast of the Cape. Cool nights and sea breezes combine to extend the growing season, resulting in perfectly balanced, ripe grapes. The iconic Aloe Tree image is sure to be familiar to anyone who has travelled widely through the Cape and is an important part of the biodiversity which South Africa is famous for. The characteristic silhouette provides a backdrop to one of the most spectacular wine regions in the world where wines grow in harmony with the thousands of plant species that make up the Cape Floral Kingdom. The grapes come from selected vineyard blocks on the west coast. The extra warmth in this area helps develop the full body and ripe flavours of this variety. The vines are planted on Karoo clay soils that add body and texture to the wine. The vines ages vary from 10 to 25 years old. Once the grapes arrive at the winery, the fruit is gently pressed and only the free run juice is used. Using selected yeasts the juice then undergoes fermentation at between 18-22 degrees Celsius for 5 days. Because of the depth of flavour, it requires less oak treatment compared to other grape varieties and matures on French oak for 3 months to improve body and texture. During fermentation the wine is pumped over 3 times a day for colour extraction.

A deep cherry colour with violet tints. Nose is intense with aromas of ripe red seasonal fruit, subtle hints of violets, rosemary and a touch of black pepper. This Bobal shows distinctive power, vibrant fruit, freshness with soft and ripe tannin. Bobal, ancient and native to the parched plains inland from Valencia grows in gnarled bush-vines like the Shiraz of Barossa. Yields are small and concentration epic. This slinky number is dark and dense but wonderfully juicy, with a coconut spice from oak barrels. A forgotten corner of the wine world, but gosh what a bargain. Certified Organic. Bobal is Spain's second most widely planted red grape but is far less familiar to most wine lovers than the most widely planted, Tempranillo. This good-value, unoaked example is grown at high altitude on north- and south-facing slopes by the Altolandon estate, 90 minutes north of Valencia. Deeply coloured, it has some of the rusticity that is associated with the grape, with attractive, slightly spicy blue- and blackberry fruit. Fairly simple, with lightly grippy tannins and good acidity - try it with lamb chops.

The Bardos Reserva is an elegant high-altitude expression of Ribera del Duero wine made from low-yielding Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for 14 months in oak, it has excellent structure from balanced tannins and acidity, alongside complex notes of dark fruit, chocolate and vanilla spice.

Ruby red colour with violet tints showing its youth. On the nose it is fresh and elegant with characteristic aromas of cherry and red fruits typical of this variety. Light, harmonic and round on the palate with soft tannins.

71 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 24 % Merlot, 3 % Petit Verdot, 2 % Cabernet Franc. On the gravel hills of St Estephe, this estate is owned by the Casteja family who own Ch Batailley and Ch Lynch Moussas in Pauillac. Heady aromatics, berry fruit, liquorice, blackcurrant. A touch floral and plummy. Quite dense with plenty of flavour, quite firm tannins, with the possibility of good ageing.

Bright ruby, sweet ripe fruit, vanilla, lot sof sweet fruit, good density and nice acidity, long and very moreish,

Another classic vintage for Caronne Ste Gemme, but with some lovely rich ripe fruit. This is a very classic ‘Claret’, taught perfectly balanced acidity and lots of light touches. Only 13% which is where I think good Bordeauxs should be. There is good aging potential here.

The Guimberteau family has owned the Château Franc-Baudron estate since 1923. This is a vineyard on a human scale where each generation has left its footprint on the family heritage. Since 2010, the new generation of Château Franc-Baudron has embarked on an environmental approach by converting the entire vineyard to organic farming. The area hosts bee-hives, uses plants for treatments (horsetail, nettle and ferns) and seeds flowers to encourage biodiversity of wildlife in the vines. They have begun implementing new winemaking techniques by using minimal inputs to express at its best the nature of the grapes and the type of soil. Most of the family’s plots of Montagne Saint-Emilion are located on a clay-limestone plateau. Bright and intense in colour with aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry and oak notes.Well balanced, powerful and velvety.

Château Haut Boutisse, Saint Emilion Grand Cru, is a family property that has existed since the middle of the 19th century. Located on the foothills of Saint Emilion, the soil (Graves, clay-limestone and sandy loam) is similar to the greatest properties in Saint-Emilion.. A beautiful garnet colour. The complex nose presents a beautiful synergy between aromas of jammy strawberry and rose accompanied by fine smoky notes and dried figs. The mouth has a very nice balance between volume and freshness. The harvest is done manually. Vinification is a cold pre-fermentation maceration followed by alcoholic fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats with pumping over/punching down. The wine is aged for 15 months in new barrels (90%) and concrete vats (10%).

This Claret is fresh and balanced. The blend is Merlot-based and the wine is aged in French oak barrels for 12 months, giving a nice aroma of spice and wood smoke. The palate is fleshy with a hint of plum, the tannins fine and firm, leading to a generous finish. Drink now to 2036

A marvellous wine from the great team at Dourthe, who own Ch Belgrave and other up and coming properties in Bordeaux. Voluptuous, decadent and hugely drinkable.

A rich effort from this well-known property in St Christoly. Lovely rich mouthfeel, ripe and tannic with a luscious long finish. Low acidity suggests drinking this wine young, say 2018-2024.

A very Clos des Papes vintage,' says Vincent Avril, and I know what he means - a vintage that naturally delivers the kind of fresh, elegant wines that this estate is famous for. A tasting of several foudres point to a wine with natural, easy balance. The Mourvèdre is excellent here this year, and adds great depth to the fresh and delightful Grenache that has notes of black tea, black cherry and iron. Elegant and very fine. Drinking Window 2023 - 2042 DECANTER, OCTOBER 2021, SCORE: 98 "2020 Chateauneuf du Pape looked exceptional on this day, offering up scents of framboise and kirsch alongside dried flowers and Asian spices. Full-bodied yet weightless, silky and long, this is special stuff, complex and balanced." Wine Advocate 96 - 98 55% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 5% others. Certified organic. Cask sample tasted at the domaine. Fragrant and fine aromatically with cherry and kirsch notes. Palate rich, suave and supple, the Grenache component to the fore. Tannins really fine and integrated offering length and persistence and devoid of any aggression. Not the power of some vintages but elegant and pure in style. (JL) Jancisrobinson.com 17.5/20

Always stellar value, and delightful in this fresher vintage 2021 bottling. Classic Northern Syrah nose and delicious medium weight utterly delicious and satisfying palate are certainly in check here on this, yet again, brilliant effort. The best value everyday-drinking Northern Rhone Syrah. There is good reasion why this wine has appeared 'by the glass' in many fine restaurants around the globe for many years.

Expert winemaking from Guy Vanlancker produces this fantastic Tempranillo from the exceptional fresh terroir of his La Liviiniere vineyard in Minervois. Aromatic, medium-bodied, rounded red fruits and subtle savoury nuances.

100% Cinsault from 130+ year old vines. Extraordinary wine.

Old vine Grenache grown on decomposed black schist with a limestone sub soil with some quartz, that produces something amazing. Ethereal, sublime and fesh, this achieves a level of finesse akin to fine red Burgundy. Remarkable, special, very good indeed.

Natural, biodynamic and vegan. Grenache, Carignan and now (for the first time) Mourvedre from 80 year old vines, Made without filtering or fining. Pale but gorgeous mid red colour. At first on the nose, you are like "What even is that?". Whatever it is, you know that you like it. Elegant, subtle fruit is intermixed with gentle herb, earth and savoury charachters. Deep and wonderful. On the palate the wine is elegant and deep again, but not heavy in the slightest. Ruffled fruit and savoury notes with minerality and real finesse. These wines are like no other from the Roussillon. Outstanding. Magnum sized.

Energy is a word used a lot by the finest Roussillon growers. We don't think there has been a finer example than this extraordinary wine from the freres Danjou. The 2020 is more 'Cote-Rotie' than the 'Crozes like' 2018. A thrilling wine.

100% old vine Carignan that was bred all in concrete tanks. Notes of leather, black cherries, plums and savoury herbs all emerge from this medium-bodied, fresh, lively wine. This is seamless and gorgeous stuff from Daniel Laffite.

Wonderful new cuvee from the brilliant Daniel and Cathy Laffite based in Tautavel. These guys have some of the most beautiful vineyards we have ever seen, and they are worked with utmost care and respect in an organic way. Glorious Grenache and Carignan deliver so much pleasure with beautiful fruit, great minerality and supple, savoury tannins. DELICIOUS.

Beautifully resolved and brilliant Faugeres in a handy lunch time 50cl format. A dreamy bin-end offer. Snap it up!