Excellent and very underrated apéritif from the Cognac region of France. A blend of fresh grape juice from Colombard grapes and wonderfully smooth cognac, it has freshness, a hint of sweetness and a clean finish.

Nose: Light aromas of berries, orange blossom and grapefruit. Taste: Fresh, lively and fruity. Balanced structure.

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.

The de Fargues ’95 has a ripe, generous, quintessential de Fargues nose with tangy marmalade, Seville orange and quince jus, though it does not quite have the razor-sharp delineation of a top-flight wine from the estate. The palate is medium-bodied with a citrus lemon, orange peel and fresh apricot. Like the nose, it would benefit from more tension and animation towards the finish, yet it is certainly generous and should drink well for years to come.

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

Tasted blind at the 10-Year On Tasting in Sauternes. The 2005 Château de Fargues has a rich and intense bouquet with layers of honey, dried peach, beeswax and acacia that soar from the glass. The palate is powerful and authoritative: intense botrytis-rich honeyed fruit with compelling mineralité underneath. It fans out in glorious fashion – a stunning de Fargues that is now beginning to show its talents. As I remarked a couple of years ago, just afford it a couple more years so that it can fully absorb the vestiges of oak. Drink 2018-2045. 95 pts Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (219), June 2015

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.

Slightly oaked mistelles with herbal aromas balanced with floral notes and hints of chamomile on the nose.

A blend of Cognac and juice from red grape varieties, aged for five years in oak casks. A fruity, full-flavoured aperitif to be enjoyed well chilled. Château d'Orignac has won accolades in France and throughout the world. It is made from two-thirds grape must (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) with one-third Cognac and takes almost 10 years to produce, which results in an intense, complex nose of peaches, apricots, honey, almonds and Cognac and an unforgettably smooth texture on the palate.

A Traditional Banyuls, sweet, complex and marvellous, aged partly in glass bonbonnes which are exposed to the sun to achieve rancio characters, and part in old foudre. Banyuls Robert Pages is a blend of Grenache (90%) and Grenache Gris (10%). With 80 g/l residual sugar, this traditional style is a striking, fleshy wine with complex aromas of baked plums, dried figs, bitter orange, coffee, vanilla and spices. Incredibly complex and layered, the palate is opulent, round and sweet yet with a fresh and pure nutty finish. It is an excellent match with blue cheeses such as Roquefort or Gorgonzola or with a cheese plate in general.

Owned by the Gerardin family since the beginning of the 20th Century this dessert wine comes from the Monbazillac region of South West France. Similar grapes varieties and conditions to Sauternes are experienced in Monbazillac, with the development of noble rot in late autumn. Old vines of 50+ years are used to make this golden aromatic dessert wine which shows botrytis aromas of smoke, marmalade, honey. A good but not very high level of residual sugar and bright acidity make for a delicious and easy to drink wine to match with fruit desserts, pastries and blue cheeses.

The Montesquiou family have been a source of Jurancon wines for generations, today it is run by brothers Sébastien and Fabrice who have raised the quality of the estate to a new level. The brothers employ many of the techniques of biodynamic viticulture so that no insecticides and herbicides are used. Superb value dessert wine. The vineayrds of Jurancon are blessed with a very dry autumn allowing grapes to be left on the vine well into November, by which time they have begun to dry, concentrating the sugars and the flavours, whilst retaining all of the bracing acidity which is the hallmark of Petit Manseng. The palate hits you with a mouthful of rich apricot and peach flavours, as well as significant sweetness from 120grams+ residual sugar. Still you have great acidity, length and richness. A joy and terrific value.

Great vintage and a really good small Barsac property that is next door neighbours with Ch Doisy Daene, the excellent Grand Cru.

Rolly-Gassmann is a domaine like no other and has a unique style. It is located at Rorschwihr, a sleepy village on the northern rim of Haut-Rhin. The vineyards are located in Rorschwihr and the neighbouring Rodern and Bergheim. The wines are small masterpieces with very good definition. They all carry the signature of Rolly-Gassmann, a certain shameless, velvety sweetness. The fruit is rich and manages to balance the fruit with a vibrant acidity to form wines that melt on the palate.

Ch Coutet is a wonderful dessert wine producer, where the sweetness and acidity are in perfect balance, allowing the wine to age as well as offer instnat pleasure. A very classy wine to complete the perfect dinner.

Great vintage and a really good small Barsac property that is next door neighbours with Ch Doisy Daene, the excellent Grand Cru.

Sheltered from oceanic influence by the Vosges Mountains, the Alsace wine region enjoys practically the lowest rainfall in France (only 400-500mm per year) and is blessed with a semi-continental climate, sunny, hotand dry. These optimal weather conditions, along with a nice and cool fall season, allow the grapes to ripen slowly and to develop an amazing complexity of aromas. Overt Riesling character at once, with baked tertiary fruit. Evolving. A touch musky. Great balance at 90g/l RS. Not cloying, rather Tarte au Citron. Hugely persistent.

The Montesquiou family have been a source of Jurancon wines for generations, today it is run by brothers Sébastien and Fabrice who have raised the quality of the estate to a new level. The brothers employ many of the techniques of biodynamic viticulture so that no insecticides and herbicides are used. Superb value dessert wine. The vineayrds of Jurancon are blessed with a very dry autumn allowing grapes to be left on the vine well into November, by which time they have begun to dry, concentrating the sugars and the flavours, whilst retaining all of the bracing acidity which is the hallmark of Petit Manseng. The palate hits you with a mouthful of rich apricot and peach flavours, as well as significant sweetness from 120grams+ residual sugar. Still you have great acidity, length and richness. A joy and terrific value.

The nectar from Beaumes de Venise is a joy with many desserts. Fragrantly laced with white flowers and violets, this is fully sweet and delicious.

From vineyards across the Garonne river from Sauternes. Similar style, less expensive. Full burnished gold, not particulalry aromatic, syrupy, nice apricoty baked apple flavours , decent oak grip and acid.

RS 140 g/l, TA 4.0 g/l. Pale gold. Quite mineral/oily on the nose, some very ripe fruit underneath. Honey and lemon on the palate. Rich apricot fruit, very tangy and full. Touch of barley sugar on the finish. Warm and full and luscious so much so that the freshness is not so obvious.

Sheltered from oceanic influence by the Vosges Mountains, the Alsace wine region enjoys practically the lowest rainfall in France (only 400-500mm per year) and is blessed with a semi-continental climate, sunny, hotand dry. These optimal weather conditions, along with a nice and cool fall season, allow the grapes to ripen slowly and to develop an amazing complexity of aromas. Overt Riesling character at once, with baked tertiary fruit. Evolving. A touch musky. Great balance at 90g/l RS. Not cloying, rather Tarte au Citron. Hugely persistent.

Sheltered from oceanic influence by the Vosges Mountains, the Alsace wine region enjoys practically the lowest rainfall in France (only 400-500mm per year) and is blessed with a semi-continental climate, sunny, hotand dry. These optimal weather conditions, along with a nice and cool fall season, allow the grapes to ripen slowly and to develop an amazing complexity of aromas.

The vineyard used to produce this wine is over 2000 years old, still hand worked and totally organic. Made from Grenache, perfect with chocolate.

A rare bottling from the cellars at Soulanes of a barrel of fortified Grenat that was left along for 19 years with no topping up. The wine is tawny in colour now. The nose is wild and complex. The palate is a wonder too. Here in tiny quantities. Grab now.

A rare bottling from the cellars at Soulanes of a barrel of fortified Grenache Blanc that was left along for 16 years with no topping up. The wine is amber in colour now. The nose is wild, thrilling and utterly complex. The palate is bright, wild, long and quite brilliant. Here in tiny quantities. Grab now.

This Loire Valley sweet wine has a lovely golden colour with rich aromas of peach and pear giving a "chewing the fruit" sensation. A very complex, persistent and well balanced wine.

This Loire Valley sweet wine has a lovely golden colour with rich aromas of peach and pear giving a "chewing the fruit" sensation. A very complex, persistent and well balanced wine.

A delicious sweet wine. Essences of pear and honey, with a long delicious finish. The perfect sauternes substitute. Dreamy with blue cheese

Known as the Ch Yquem of the Loire, Ch de Fesles' Bonnezeaux is an astonishing wine made from Chenin Blanc. 100% botrytis affected grapes picked over 6 'tries' or passes through the vineyard. Unctuously sweet with 175g/lt residual sugar, yet fresh and tangy acidity makes it incredibly long and satisfying.

Great vintage and a really good small Barsac property that is next door neighbours with Ch Doisy Daene, the excellent Grand Cru.

Chateau Cantegril belongs to the Dubourdieu family which also owns the excellent Ch Doisy-Daene in Barsac. Cantegril is a 10.5 hectare vineyard in Barsac and is planted with 100% Semillon grape variety. First Class rating from the CWM team; "Very nicely balanced. Good botrytis character, easy to enjoy young with bright acid and plenty of flavour."

Lionel Comelade produces this stunning wine from ancient vine Macabeu and Grenache Gris grown on amazing black and white schist soil vineyards between Estagel and Latour de France in the Roussillon. Both white grapes were harvested later in the season in 1988 with high sugar levels. The grapes were partially fermented in concrete vats and then neutral brandy was added to stop fermentation and keep natural sweetness in the wine. Then the wine was passed to second use oak barrels and left in the cellar for 32 years before bottling (to order). No ‘topping up’ of the barrels occurred in the 32 years. The wine is tremendous, possibly surpassing the 1987. It is ‘ambre’ in colour. A bright, wild nose with orange rind, orange oil and warm spices. The pallet is thrilling with great complexity and depth with thrilling, wild acidity which really charms. Astonishing and quite unique. The wine is one of the best value fortified wines in the world. 32 years of age, so interesting and delicious. A steal at this price.

Outstanding. Floral, herbal and gorgeous bright red and black fruit on the nose, The palate is divine with it's exquisite purity and balance. Great at the table with both savoury and sweet dishes. Published on decanter.com June 2022: Domaine des Soulanes, Grenat, Maury, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 2021 93/100 "Super ripe and fruity aromas, piles of cherries, plums and currants. Mouth-watering and succulent, with great freshness encircling the sweetness. The fortification is well integrated and it has tempting structural tannins and good freshness, making it very vinous. A great wine to experiment with food pairings across the spectrum of courses - from savoury to sweet". Drinking Window 2022 - 2035