Rasteau aged in Amphora by this great Southern Rhone estate. Silky smooth, with a touch more restraint. Classy stuff.

A blend of Genache Blanc, Gris and Noir, from ancient 90 year old vines in the ancient and quite amazing 'C|os des Escounils' that the brothers are developing and working on re-establishing it's other potential vineyard areas. This is beautiful, racy, elegant wine that is softly textured and very ‘modern’ in its freshness and balance.

The Szepsy family has been producing Tokaj wines since the 1500s and 18th generation family member, Istvàn Szepsy, is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most innovative winemakers in Hungary. Szamorodni is a late-harvested style of sweet wine pioneered by Szepsy and is lighter than the Puttonyos wines. The word Szamorodni means “as it comes” that means that we harvest those bunches that contain aszú berries and healthy ripe berries as a whole (when making Aszú wine, aszú berries are picked separately) before pressing soaking eases the botrytised taste to be released. The wine contains 170g residual sugar despite of that and thanks to the method, the result is a fresh sweet wine with the taste of yellow and dried fruits, minerals and a hint of botrytis. SWA Gold Medal.

A seductive combination of white nectarine, pink grapefruit and candied orange rind mingles with the more savoury aromas of roasted chestnuts and hot buttered brioche – an elaborate concoction infused with linseed and woodsmoke. The savouriness carries through onto a wonderfully dry palate that has great texture and concentration, with distinct flintiness, tight structure and terrific ageing potential.

A classic Northern Rhône Syrah, aged for 24 months in 10% new oak barrels. Full of dark fruits, black pepper and toasty spice.

International Wine & Spirits Awards (IWSC) 2010 Sherry Trophy winner. Gonzalez Byass is also the 2010 IWSC Winemaker of the Year. “Mid amber bronze in colour. Arresting scents of damp woodlands, earl grey tea, bitter orange, dried cherry and caramel. Classic Palo Cortado dry style with a hint of sweetness which shows how this can be easily become a superb dessert wine.” IWSC 2017 Gold

Another perennial favourite, this is an old vine Syrah-dominated cuvee that comes from vines around the village of Roaix, which is northeast of Gigondas. Its vibrant ruby color is followed by terrific notes of blueberries, blackberries, pepper and resinous herbs, and it has a kiss of vanilla that will be completely integrated by the time this sees the inside of a bottle. This is a medium to full-bodied, ultra-pure beauty.

Honeyed, cedar, orange peel with notes of spiced fruit, lemon marmalade and a lingering sweet finish. Heavenly!

Intense nose of real concentration. Vibrant and jewelly – like essence of Central Otago but with a drier finish than many. Still very youthful and savoury. Great stuff! 2020 Vintage Jancis Robinson MW

mature and complex NV

Gonzalez Byass is the 2010 IWSC Winemaker of the Year. “Treacle tart, bonfire toffee figs, nice raisoned fruit, all with a light spice. Thick yet balanced - very tasty.” IWC 2018 Gold

A beautifully put-together claret, made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc from vineyards located on cool limestone soils. The terrific Stephane Derenencourt consults here. Lovely extraction with lots of fruit, ripe tannina nd acidity. Long and complex and able to age although beautiful now.

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 1990 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 33 years. The wine is tremendous, possibly surpassing the 1988. It is ‘ambre’ in colour. A bright, wild nose with orange rind, orange oil and warm spices. The palate 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. 33 years of age, so interesting and delicious. A steal at this price.

The outstanding Barbera d'Alba DOC "Loirano Soprano" is from the upper part of Zio Nando vineyard situated at the top of the Lirano hill at Sinio at 390m altitude, enjoying a splendid position on the crag with western exposure. The soils are sandy-limestone, with the presence of bluish marl at a depth of one metre. Soil with sub-alkaline reaction, low in nitrogen but rich in magnesium. These conditions guarantee a wine with a potency and refinement that is unique in Langa. Optimal tannic and aromatic development over time. Vinified only in the best vintages for Barbera grapes. Manually harvested, wildly fermented and raised for two years in French oak barrels. Limited production. This rarely makes it out of its homeland.

Not only is the magnificent Gigondas estate 500 years old, it's owned by Daniel and Frédéric Brunier. Know the name? They are behind Châteauneuf's leading estate, Vieux Télégraphe. Meting out the same care, they produce this rich, old-vine Gigondas. And Daniel reckons that 2019 is his best vintage to date. A perfectly balanced wine, finely poised and with great length.

Colour is ruby red, dense and compact. Nose has big intensity and persistence, ethereal, fruity with hints of cherries and dried prunes, dried flowers, sweet spices. On the palate, the wine is densely structured and smooth, perfectly balancing its rich endowment of velvety tannins.

Production is now in the hands of Gérard Duplessis’ son Lilian. Wines are allowed to mature for as long as it takes before being put on the market. Though the wines are bottled after a second winter, they are often not released until the Duplessis team feel that they are ready to start being drunk. Their wines do show both the hallmarks of classical Chablis and good differentiation between vineyards. They are classical, tightly knit, mineral examples of Chablis.

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.

50% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 15% Rondinella, 5% Oseleta Very intense ruby red color, the nose reveals an enticing range of steeped cherry and fig cake flavors with accents of dried thyme, pomegranate and espresso. In the mouth it is creamy and with lightly firm tannins and acidity that’s just at the right level to accentuate and perpetuate the flavors. The whole tasting is embellished with a very pleasant tannic texture, which fades towards a spiced finish of excellent persistence.

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

Famously delicate and sexy pink At the March 2022 Taste Champagne (300 wines) I have to say this stood out as one of the most delicious "drinking Champagnes" on show - and there were some very Showy wines on show that day. A huge success for us, easy to forget just how gorgeous it is - firstly it is so very savoury, forget the cherry fruits, it's more like Xmas cake, rhubarb, forest floor, nettle and nutmeg. When the glass is empty the aromas persist. This is Grand stuff, the stuff of deluxe cuvee, truly epic. And a dinner wine too. A cunning counsel for you - don't serve it too cold, err on the cellar-temperature side. March 2022. Of course the whole Billecart range is exceptional and impressive but the 'basic NV is a STEAL! Seriously, super-tight with Silex and citrus, grippy and bracing. On best-ever form.

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 1990 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 33 years. The wine is tremendous, possibly surpassing the 1988. It is ‘ambre’ in colour. A bright, wild nose with orange rind, orange oil and warm spices. The palate 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. 33 years of age, so interesting and delicious. A steal at this price.

Right from the get-go, this sets itself apart from the rest of the pack with a level of polish, complexity and balance. The nose has ripe peach and mango fruits; gentle savoury, yeasty complexity adds biscuity aromas too. The palate has an immediate sense of concentration and the textural richness builds in smooth layers; there’s pear and nectarine, and a juicy, precise finish. Scents of a summer orchard: juicy nectarines, plump sun-dried apricots and tree-ripened lemons mingled with musky oriental spices. The palate is silky and sumptuous – warm honeyed stone fruit with almonds and shortcake. A lithe, textural wine of intense richness, laced with a citrusy, sherbet-like zest.

A rare Tokaji from the small Breitenbach estate. Rich, waxy, honied, buttery. Hugely compex, with layers of flavour that linger for minutes. Delicious on it's own, but also a beautiful match to balanced desserts or rich cheeses. Founded in 2006 the Breitenbach winery is nestled in the heart of Hungary's Tokaji wine region. With just 6 hectares of 40-80 year old vines their focus is on the native grapes Furmint and Hárslevel?. Viticulture is done by hand and the mission is quality not quantity which is evident in their wines.

From one of the great Pinot vineyards of the world. The wine has a nose of perfumed red and black cherries, star anise and earth. The palate is silky and expansive with nuanced, spice-laced berry flavor layers energized by lip-smacking acidity, with a long finish. Scored 95+ points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate; 94 points Wine & Spirits Magazine; 92 points Wine Enthusiast; 90 points Vinous.

Big heady scent of dark fruit, leather and tobacco. Much more medium bodied compared to some of the recent vintages with good acidity and balance. Length is good with dry tannins, many years of life over which this will be enjoyed Meerlust's gorgeous iconic Bordeaux blend - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot.

2013 is a subtle, elegant, fresh, vertical, complex, silky, and well-defined vintage. This wine is a true paradox, enjoyable to drink now, but timeless when allowed to age in bottle. The rainy end to the harvest left its imprint on the wine from this vintage. 2013 was a year to spend time in the vineyard, tend to it with care, and not rest on your laurels during harvest. A more elegant, subtle, and complex profile. The grapes are harvested from the 40 hectares used to produce Unico, a wine that ages at least ten years between barrel and bottle, representing one of the world's longest ageing processes. For the first phase, we used 225-litre French and American oak barrels to start to structure the wine; the second phase involved using 22,000-litre wooden vats. A long, complex, yet wonderful wine construction, during which they obtain endless nuances, definition, texture, and depth over time. This incredible terroir and the unique ageing process make our wines timeless when they aged.

Winemaker Vincent Chansault is particularly happy with this release of Gayda's top, single vineyard Syrah from a beautiful site high up in La Liviniere. Extrememly limited. One for Cote-Rotie lovers. The 'Dream House' in question was built by the owner in the vineyards for his ailing wife to spend her last days. She miraculously recovered and her story inspired Vincent to make his dream wine from Syrah in La Liviniere.

Low yielding, old vines are picked in small parcels and remain separate until final blending. Small batches of grapes are gently crushed and then transferred to five tonne headed down open fermenters. Foot treading is undertaken two thirds of the way through fermentation. The wine is then basket pressed and transferred to a mixture of new and used oak barriques to complete fermentation. The barrel ferments are on aged lees, there is no racking until final blending and no fining or filtration. Dead Arm is a vine disease caused by the fungus Eutypa Lata that randomly effects vineyards all over the world. One half, or an 'arm' of the vine slowly becomes reduced to dead wood. That side may be lifeless and brittle, but the grapes on the other side display amazing intensity.

Light, very fresh, clean nose. Green apples and light spritz. Lots of very clean acidity. Seems lighter than 10%. Stony finish with medium persistence. Strongly stony character. Already a joy to taste. 17/20 Jancis Robinson MW

Jancis Robinson MW 18.5/20 "Electrically reverberant... Very complex and uncompromising...Dense and savoury. Intellectual wine!" Wine Advocate 97/100 "Showing superbly, wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet that mingles confit citrus, peach and dried papaya with nuances of iodine, brioche and honeycomb. On the palate, it's full-bodied, broad and vinous, with a rich and layered core that's underpinned by serious structure and tension, concluding with a long and precise finish. This is one of the finest wines Billecart has released in the last decade, and it is well worth seeking out".

Cool climate freshness and fragrant sweet, ripe cherry and blackberry flavours, with firm, ripe tannins. Blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Mouvedre, Viognier. Drinking well now and suitable for cellaring for at least 10 years.

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.

Moorooduc Estate is a family-run wine business, established in 1982 by Richard and Jill McIntyre. The McIntyre vineyard sits on a gentle north to north-westerly facing slope, around 80 metres above sea level, where the vines are planted on clay soils with sandy topsoils. The oldest vines in the vineyard were planted in 1983. Deep ruby colour and a rich nose of blackcurrant leaf and blackberry pastilles, fragrant violets, licorice, black pepper, cloves and nutmeg. More red fruited on the palate, with plum, red berries and a touch of the spice notes from the nose. The tannins are firm but fine and are in happy balance with some tangy red berry acidity. The finish is long and juicy, and the wine is a delightful match to boeuf en daube, or any slow cooked beef dish with tomatoes, onions, red wine and plenty of black pepper in the gravy.