winner of 2 stars in the Guide Hachette 2021, A wine with presence and shows it from the bouquet, open on aromas of blackberry, raspberry and violet. Aromas that continue in a full and silky mouth, with chiseled tannins. The woodiness blends admirably into the material and brings additional roundness. The finish, of great class, confirms this amiable, almost airy style, which does not exclude the power.

This is the much requested special ingredient in James Bond’s vesper martini recipe: 3 gin, 1 grain vod, ½ lillet. Served in a champagne goblet shaken, large twist of lemon.

A splendid red aperitif from the Bordeaux region, Lillet Rouge is less famous than its Blanc sister (so beloved of James Bond) and will add welcome pep to your Manhattans and Negronis.

59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot. 25% new oak. Very deep purple. Great focus and juiciness. Lots of sinew but very glamorous. Pretty damn good for a second wine!

Ch La Fleur Peyrabon is a 7 hectare vineyard that is very well situated between Ch Mouton Rothschild and Ch Lafite. It is made by the team at Ch Peyrabon. This has a lightness of touch with good flexible tannins and an enjoyable level of extraction so that you feel its presence in terms of mouthfeel and impact without feeling weighed down. They are not going for high drama, but drinkability, still with plenty of Pauillac seriousness and a lovey shower of fresh mint on the finish. Good quality. 50% new oak.

Listrac is a commune close to Margaux that fans of Bordeaux should really check out. Fonreaud is one of its chief exponents and currently producing terrific wines that, were they to have Margaux on the label, should cost much more. The 2016 is one its best ever wines, It has very good structure underlying delicious dark fruits. Fresh acidity too helps make the wine sing from the first sip.

A Starred First from our buying team "Deep colour. Peppery spice on the nose. Charming blackcurrant fruit on the palate, with a creamy texture, and fresh acidity. Very good tannic hold. Slightly toasty, smoky note, but pure fruit that wears it well. Slightly blue. Medium plus acidity, but glamorous, and good length"

A sister wine to the excellent Margaux property Ch d'Arsac, made to the same very high standard but coming from a vineyard just outside the Margaux appellation. 50/50 Merlot/Cabernet, the wine is perfumed and elegant, very nice to drink already, with room to improve in the coming 5 years. Highly recommended.

Well Jancis loves it so who are we to argue "Hugely voluptuous with a riper nose than many of its peers. Very jazzy and polished with great energy. Marked acidity and fine-grained sandy tannins. Really racy. Thick and racy at the same time. Creamy texture

Grippy structured tannin supporting fat, plump black fruit. Should mature well.

Deep ruby, savoury, sweet spiced nose nice acid, complex, slightly stewed, quite soft tannin, mellow, good length

We've been following this excellent property for over 25 years and it never disappoints. Very dark, black cherry aromas. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegant with lovely freshness and well played, soft tannins. Terrific value from the makers of Ch Faugeres, which sits across the fence and boundary as a Saint-Emilion Grad Cru Classé. High 2:1, 90-91 James Suckling

The 2014 Caronne Ste Gemme has a pretty bouquet with blackberry, raspberry coulis and cedar aromas, slightly Pauillac in style with moderate intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite crisp in the mouth if just missing a little depth. It is probably a wine for early drinking although I appreciate how this has gained a little sophistication during its élevage.87 Neal Martin

This does have everything you want in a classy affordable Haut Medoc. The vineyards are in the commune of Le Pian Medoc, south of Margaux and in a sweet spot climatically in 2015. Ripe and succulent Cabernet dominated fruit, present and ripe tannins.

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Spicy new oak amid bright red fruits. Smooth and sweet berry fruit, with a high kick of spice.

As usual, the second wine, the 2006 Clos du Marquis, exhibits a character similar to the grand vin, but it is a more fruit-forward effort with sweeter tannins, and a more precocious, evolved personality.

CWM Rating First Class. Light smoke and meat on nose. Grafite again. Black fruit, blackberry, black cherry, vanilla... really velvety in the mouth. Smoke, plum, medium plus mellowing tannin. Medium plus body. Well balanced.

This is the sort of wine you'd go for when only the best will do. Classic red Bordeaux, blending three grape varieties to perfection. Drinking well now

Chateau Citran is one of the best performing Crus Bourgeois wines and this second wine is suave and sophisticated. Mint, blackcurrant and cigar box aromas lead to a velvety pallet. A second wine means that it's made from slightly younger vines than the Grand Vin, but with just as much care. An excellent freshness, balancing acidity, ripe fruit flavour and a great potential to improve with age. It has perfumed notes of raspberry, black cherry and strawberry, a great texture and a long finish

Wow. Real Cantermerle with stupendous power and depth. Mineral, stone and violet character. Full and structure. It starts slowly and then goes on for minutes. Perhaps best ever?

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 2029

Sémillon/Sauvignon Blanc, delicious Barsac/Sauternes. Pale gold. Luscious w. pronounced aroma intensity w. orange peel, marmalade, lemon peel, viscous pineapple & mango. Creamy, luxurious w. sweet vanilla oak spice. Fantastically appealing. Sweet. Rich & creamy w. luscious mango, pineapple & citrus marmalade. Lemon meringue, concentrated rich vanilla & caramelised orange peel, high acid, full body & a creamy, long finish. Stunning!

Alternative label to Ch Haute Breton Larigaudiere, and much easier to say, this is classic Margaux at an affordable price. This wine is a deep ruby-red with intense, refined ripe red fruit aromas and elegant notes of vanilla and violet. It starts out powerful on the palate with a long, fresh aftertaste..

Gold Medal at the 2016 Bourg International Wine Challenge Aged in French oak barrels. Light straw in colour with fresh grassy stone & citrus fruit nose upfront with a background of butteriness similar to an oak aged chardonnay. Dry, medium acidity and body, with a rich, fat mouthfeel. Flavours of buttery stone fruit and melon with a touch of citrus. Interesting. Good balance. Elegant medium length finish

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

"This is a really beautiful, seductive wine with chocolate, walnuts, currants and some tobacco. Full-bodied, with a supple tannin texture and a flavorful finish. Succulent. Blend of 60% merlot and 40% cabernet sauvignon." 93-94 James Suckling

Cabernet Sauvignon dominant with a nice black fruited nose, this petit chateau tastes anything but from a great vintage. Supple tannins and ripe fruit. Very good value

Good depth of fruit, nicely-judged acidity and velvet-fine tannins. There's wood spice and even cigar-box giving an extra dimension to the cherry-plum fruit.

Super high acidity, really sharp suggesting a good future. Lemon and vanilla and good density.Racy and lively with some richness underneath. Very broad and flattering.

90-93 from Bob Parker "Attractive, subtle smoky notes blend beautifully with the broad, honeyed character of this complex white Bordeaux. Aromas of beer nuts, tropical fruit and caramelized grapefruit emerge from this impressive, medium to full-bodied wine."

Big, rich and velvety like a decent Margaux should be with a modern glossy feel on the palate. Designed for earlier drinking as a second wine, with extended barrel ageing. Delicious fruit, ample weight and body, ripe tannins.

16.5 points CWM and Julia Harding jancisrobinson.com "Mid cherry red. Lovely cherry fragrance too. Cool and silky. Relatively lightweight but fine and gentle on the palate. Pretty and elegant. The producer was worried that this was a lighter-tasting sample than the rest and the second bottle was indeed firmer and richer. Bravo"

16.5 points CWM and Julia Harding jancisrobinson.com "Mid cherry red. Lovely cherry fragrance too. Cool and silky. Relatively lightweight but fine and gentle on the palate. Pretty and elegant. The producer was worried that this was a lighter-tasting sample than the rest and the second bottle was indeed firmer and richer. Bravo"

16.5 points CWM and Julia Harding jancisrobinson.com "Mid cherry red. Lovely cherry fragrance too. Cool and silky. Relatively lightweight but fine and gentle on the palate. Pretty and elegant. The producer was worried that this was a lighter-tasting sample than the rest and the second bottle was indeed firmer and richer. Bravo"

2nd Wine of Ch Laroque, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé. Made of 96% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc from vines more than 50 years old, the medium to deep garnet-purple coloured 2016 Les Tours de Laroque opens with pretty raspberry coulis, black cherries and warm plums scents with underlying fungi, black loam and cracked pepper hints plus a touch of beef drippings. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and fresh, with a firm line of grainy tannins, it delivers a graceful, earthy finish.

Very sweet and broad. rather like a particularly ripe Bolgheri wine on the nose! Very sweet and luscious. A good restaurant wine. Round tannins and lots of freshness. Very salivatory.

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 2018-2023.

Floral and red. Fragrant. Elegant backbone, focused tannin, fresh acidity, and medicinal finish. Fruit remains throughout. Dark ruby, glossy. Attractive chocolate blueberry aromas, Juicy, sweet palate with excellent balance, lift and ripe tannins, Long and very good

CWM Ranking - First Class Perfumed nose. Cream, cassis, blueberry cheesecake - really inviting, if primary and oak derived. Juicy, plenty of tannin but fun blueberry fruit. Well structured. Fruit remains though. As does acidity. Totally charming.