This elegant, dry, full-bodied wine has fruity and earthy characteristics

This Syrah blend with soft black fruits and spice has been shaped by the sunbaked rocky soils of the Languedoc hinterland. A herbal, spicy bouquet is followed by youthful red cherries and supple mineral character derived from the schist rich soils.

Slinky smooth with ruby-bright fruit

Vincent Avril makes this non vintage blend using 2/3 of the current vintage (2020) with the remaining 1/3 the previous year’s wine from barrel – the result is a playful, wine with more than enough depth to stay true to it’s noble Clos des Papes lineage. Sourced from vines along the banks of Rhone River , it is a mosaic blend made up of Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Mourvedre, Carignan and Cinsault. For our money one of the best value wines in France that sells out quickly – largely in the best bistros across the country.

The only thing ancient about this wine is the name - here is the new generation of Beaujolais-Villages Once tasted, forever conquered. Its creator is a genius: Jean-Paul Brun, a counter-conventional winegrower, has reinvigorated the reputation of Beaujolais wines. Of a quality equal to the wines of Côte de Beaune, its winery, Terres Dorées, offers excellent quality for the price.

Pascal Fournillon is a sweet-natured man, always happy when people find him in the sleepy hamlet of Bernouil, some 10 miles north-east of Chablis town. His mum also makes the best gougeres if you need further incentive. Pascal's vineyards cover some 23 hectares of land in the appellations of Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru and Epineuil. He is bottling more and more of his own wine rather than selling in bulk and this means we have access to good allocations of Chablis that Pascal is happy to age for us for a few years till it is perfect to drink. This Bourgogne Epineuil is well-balanced, a charming easy-drinking and generous Pinot Noir. The texture is marked by smooth and soft velvety tannins.

Wonderful and characterful juicy red full of Languedoc sunshine produced from beautiful Grenache, Carignan and Syrah from the family's own vineyards. Our partners for many years.

This Roboul cuvée exudes lifted fruit aromas in abundance with blackberries, blueberries, pomegranates and also gentle garrigue notes. On the palate it is velvety with curious, beautiful interest. There is a perfect balance between alcohol and acidity and it ends with a striking freshness. It's a marvelous wee wine. Full bottle 1,341 g. Single vineyard. 60% Mourvèdre (20 years old), 40% Grenache (30 years old) on pudding stone, clay, sand and limestone tuffeau. Hand-picked; whole-bunch, spontaneous fermentation; minimal cap work; very gently pressed. Fermented separately because the Mourvèdre ripens so much later than the Grenache. 12 months in old oak barrels of 600, 500 and 400 litres. "If I’d not known what this wine was, and put it to my nose, my first guess would be Pinot Noir, Tasmania. Rosehips. Nectarine skin. Hibiscus tea. Morels. Then, after tasting it, I’d change my mind. I’d wonder if this was Cinsault, one of Alex Milner’s wraith-like beauties, perhaps: the bruised rose petals, the jasmine tea, the taste of prickly pears and dust and pungent-peppery-green at the back of my throat. Then I smell garrigue - cistus, broom heather, wild thyme, the smell of the wind blowing through holm oaks and twisted pines and I am in the south of France. This is the fey child of Roussillon. This is a wine that dances in the thin places". Very Good Value. Tamlyn Currin on jancisrobinson.com 18/20 jancisrobinson.com

100% Grenache Noir, harvested from various vineyards in the Roussillon is then partially fermented and spirit added to create a port like red wine, but with softer tannins and lower alcohol 16%. Sweet, fruity and a joy with chocolate. "It smells a little like freshly polished, old teak and mahogany furniture in a huge room full of echoing ancient flagstone floors. But oh, oh, oh, the taste! Blackberry jam. Blackberry jam lavishly heaped on oh-so-slightly-burnt nutty, seedy, dark-rye bread. There is a scrape of tannins; they feel like a piece of broken pottery gently grazed across the tongue. But I keep coming back to that luscious swirl of pure, intensely blackberry fruit, that has seduced me to weak-kneed compliance". Tamlyn Currin on jancisrobinson.com 17.5/20 jancisrobinson.com

An absolute classic. Parker 94-96/100. Vinous 93-95. Suckling 98. Richard Hemming, jancisrobinson.com 17+. John Livingstone-Learmonth 4.5*

The Santenay Premier Cru Les Gravieres is well-built and develop a floral bouquet. The mouth is often very large with bold tannins. This wine reminds us the Grands Crus from the Cote de Nuits. Pairs well with red meats, game or various cheeses.

In recent years this has been stunning value and, even more, a stunning red Burgundy. The 2019 is true to form, a fleshy, layered, old-vine red Burgundy that is both delicious now and also age-worthy. It hails from a single 0.94-hectare parcel of 40-plus-year-old Pinot Noir vines grown on the red clays of Les Grandes Terres (on the Santenay side of the commune). This clay-rich soil type has always produced the finest and plumpest reds of the village.

This Roboul cuvée exudes lifted fruit aromas in abundance with blackberries, blueberries, pomegranates and also gentle garrigue notes. On the palate it is velvety with curious, beautiful interest. There is a perfect balance between alcohol and acidity and it ends with a striking freshness. It's a marvelous wee wine. Full bottle 1,341 g. Single vineyard. 60% Mourvèdre (20 years old), 40% Grenache (30 years old) on pudding stone, clay, sand and limestone tuffeau. Hand-picked; whole-bunch, spontaneous fermentation; minimal cap work; very gently pressed. Fermented separately because the Mourvèdre ripens so much later than the Grenache. 12 months in old oak barrels of 600, 500 and 400 litres. "If I’d not known what this wine was, and put it to my nose, my first guess would be Pinot Noir, Tasmania. Rosehips. Nectarine skin. Hibiscus tea. Morels. Then, after tasting it, I’d change my mind. I’d wonder if this was Cinsault, one of Alex Milner’s wraith-like beauties, perhaps: the bruised rose petals, the jasmine tea, the taste of prickly pears and dust and pungent-peppery-green at the back of my throat. Then I smell garrigue - cistus, broom heather, wild thyme, the smell of the wind blowing through holm oaks and twisted pines and I am in the south of France. This is the fey child of Roussillon. This is a wine that dances in the thin places". Very Good Value. Tamlyn Currin on jancisrobinson.com 18/20 jancisrobinson.com

A new cuvee debuting in 2019 form the Le Mollard leu-dit which is elegant, refined and with Burgundian in style. Very fine wine indeed. For those that love lifted Syrah with real class and elegance. Bravo Xavier!

A wine plenty of fruit with well integrated structure. This full round wine is very long and charming.

Les Gravières premier cru is on Santenay's border with Chassagne-Montrachet. It gets a bit more sun than most of the commune, and is one of the best Santenay vineyards, for both reds and whites. While the excellent Vincent Girardin is better known for whites, this Pinot is nonetheless reliable, and good value for Burgundy in this particularly good vintage. Plenty of red berry fruit, with earth and subtle spice. It is tangy and vibrant, still youthful. Soft and with lots of savoury interest.

Our Aloxe-Corton "Domaine Latour" 2018 has a deep garnet color. The nose is intense with aromas of liquorice, cherry and some empyreumatic notes. Liquorice is found in the mouth. This wine is round with silky tannins and a nice persistence.

Grand Puy Casse is a classic Pauillac and this 2nd wine is very fine. Classic creme de cassis notes intermixed with liquorice, a bit of toast in an elegant frame. From vineyards bordering the premier cru sites of Mouton Rothschild, Lafite-Rothschild and Château Pontet-Canet, fruit from 20 year old vines grown on gravel soil is hand-harvested and carefully selected. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks before part of the wine undergoes malolactic conversion in new barrels. The fermented wine is aged in French oak barrels, of which around 30-40% are new each year.

Patrick Javillier is a perfectionist. He vinifies parcel by parcel giving the wine its concentration and richness. Raspberry and vanilla go hand-in-hand on the nose. Supple, fresh, this wine is discreet and accessible in its youth. Les Grands Liards is located at the foot of the hillside with a clay and limestone soil rich in pebbles. Asian style beef will be enhanced by this Red Savigny-Lès-Beaune.

The Brunier family, owners of Domaine de Vieux Telepraphe in Chateauneuf du Pape, also makes 'Piedlong'. "Coming from the plateau in the center of the appellation and 90% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Piedlong boasts a more ruby/translucent colour to go with feminine, perfumed notes of wild strawberries, loamy soil, herbes de Provence, and peppery garrigue. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it has terrific overall balance, some grainy, present tannins, and a great finish. This is another terrific 2019 in the making that’s going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for 10-15 years." Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com (June 2020)

Manual harvest and sorting, aged in oak barrels for 15 months. Alexia Russo and Caroline Fyot changed their careers, following their dreams of having their own wine estate. Settling in The Côte Chalonnaise and the Château de Garnerot, they created their first vintage in 2018. This Mercurey is garnet in colour packed with fine jammy red fruits and black pepper bouquet. The palate is balanced and structured. A liquorice finish gives it length. Its spicy aromas call for fine cured meats, white meat with spicy sauces, roasted poultry, grilled red meats, mushroom omelet, beef stew and fresh pasta, veal kidneys. Drink now or discover in a few years (five to ten years).

Harvest and manual sorting, maturing in oak barrels for 15 months. Light and supple, moderately tannic but with character, under a dark purple robe with purplish reflections. Nose: red fruits (raspberry, morello cherry) and black fruits (blackberries) enhanced with liquorice and undergrowth. With time it will evolve to strawberry jam, gingerbread, animal and leather notes. Subtle, delicate and with a fine tannic structure, this wine stands out as a versatile Burgundy. Whether it’s cold meats, hot entrees or variety meats. It goes very well with roasted poultry, red meat, risottos, pizza and braised beef.

Parker 94-96 "I still think it is the equal of the Brunier family's Chteauneufs" (Vieux Telegraphe etc.) "tremendous Gigondas... 75-year-old vines". Jancis 17+ .." most delicious purity right from nose to finish"

The perfect Christmas accompaniment, with a classic bouquet of red & black fruit, liquorice & leather. Beautifully structured with superb freshness and ageing potential.

At Monthe?lie, pronounced 'Monthlie', the first traces of vineyards date back to the 9th Century. Situated between Volnay, Meursault and Auxey-Duresses, this village often remains unnoticed by the visitor on a journey from Volnay to Meursault. Rich aromas of different berry fruits. Perfumed and willowy on the palate, the wine expresses a delicate softness. Good ageing potential.

We thought this an absolute classic Coudoulet showing really good value for money. Deep ruby, with a complex nose of violet, cranberry, black fruit, and cocoa. This wine is instantly pretty in the glass. Full bodied with excellent acidty and a firm backbone of ripe tannin. Layers of flavour appear and recede: chocolate, plums, pâte de fruits, then mint, then black cherry, then seville orange. Impressive and rather moreish. Delightful now but should evolve nicely over the next decade.

Pommard 1er Cru Epenots Olivier Leflaive is one of the best Pommard from Leflaive. A great 1er Cru with beautyfull aromatic fineness!

Vinification is traditional and the wines are matured in oak casks (20-30% new) for 12 months before minimal filtration and then bottling. The quality is very high and is often superior to many wines from more fashionable villages that sell at twice the price.

Fairly pale crimson. Medium intensity nose with some suggestion of forest-floor aromas. Medium weight but very fine tannins and good purity. Really quite a racy Rugiens with excellent balance and a refreshing but not lean finish. 

Deep crimson. Pure dark fruit, elegantly inviting. Smells as if there is some Cab Franc even though there isn’t; that fine leafiness. Lovely depth of fruit, fully ripe but elegant and refined not bumptious or overripe. Pure fruit, cedary complexity and flowing tannins.

This 2nd wine from Clerc Milon, Pastourelle, is absolutely delicious! Clerc Milon 5th GCC, was purchased and subsequently renovated by Ch. Mouton Rothschild in 1970. Its wines benefited from the directorship of Jean Emmanuel Danjoy, who came from 9 years at Opus One in 2009. Pastorelle has been made since 2009 from younger vines. Deep ruby with succulent and spicy aromas of black currant, black cherry and cedar. Deep flavoursGreat depth of flavour and well balanced, coming out its shell after 6 years.

Lovely soft fruit with spice, plums, herbs and a touch of leather behind. Quite forward in the mouth with soft, ripe tannins, great length and a luscious finish. This is the second wine of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe.

Pech Mege is a silky, focussed wine showing deep red fruits and the fresh minerality which is a characteristic of the schist soil of their vineyards.

Sauvignon Blanc on the nose, but there is also 20 percent Sauvignon Gris which gives weight and body. Good creamy weight and depth, white and yellow fruits with a crisp finish.

Rich and fruity Madiran from the excellent Plaimont Producteurs, who are really energising the whole South West region of France. Very approachable and great with duck, red meats and grilloed vegetables.

Guy Vanlanker's best cuvée (and still under £20 - one of the best wines in the Languedoc!) from low yielding Syrah and Grenache vines. 24 months in old oak gives the wine time to shed its tannic cloak. This is a wine of power, elegance and depth, a real Grand Cru of the region.