Has to be one of the best-value most impressive French red wines on the UK market. Special edition made for us by famed Chateauneuf grower Roger Sabon, the wine-maker is esteemed Didier Negron. Charmingly honest, hearty (15%!), herbal, dense and punchy, juicy red from the classic southern varieties of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault & friends. What a beauty, what a bargain. Although full-bodied the wine has soft tannins and a silky texture - this is the beauty of Southern Rhone reds, ready to enjoy as soon as they're made, unlike Bordeaux or Burgundy. Grenache in this hot sunny heaven gives ripe raspberry and black cherry notes and depth, Syrah gives a classic black pepper spice and dark-chocolate grip. A cool fennel / mint edge and lift. 'Declassified' as Vin de France, but this is not a 'negoce' wine made from bought-in grapes: all the grapes come from Sabon estates, and winemaking is by Didier Negron, as per their top wines. About Roger Sabon: Domaine Roger Sabon came into being in 1952 when the family vineyards were split into three distinct entities (the other two being Domaine Chante-Cigale and Clos Mont Olivet). Robert Parker, who awarded their 1988 vintage a perfect 100 rating, the first Chateauneuf-du-Pape so honoured, has this to say about Domaine Roger Sabon: “This estate has been at the top of its game for many years and any partisan of Rhone Valley wines… who has not yet tried a wine from Domaine Roger Sabon should make every effort to do so... This estate has been making exceptionally high-quality wines for years, but recent vintages seem to have risen to a new level of quality.”

Franco Lourens spent some years working with the great Chris Alheit before settling to focus entirely on his own range of wines. This is a breathtakingly self-assured range and almost in the blink of an eye places Franco into the very top bracket of top-end New Wave SA producers. Franco is a leading light of South Africa’s New Wave and champion of old-vine Chenin, among others. He is inevitably set to join the likes of Chris Alheit, Eben Sadie, Adi Badenhorst, Duncan Savage et alia in the shimmering constellation of New Wave South African stars. BUT - and here's the rub - since Franco is still relatively unknown, the prices do not yet reflect how sensational the wines really are. Since mid-2020 Franco has shared cellar space with another great new vigneron Lukas van Loggerenberg in Paarl. "50% Grenache Noir (25% whole-bunch fermented), 30% Cinsault and 20% Syrah (100% whole-bunch fermented), all grapes sourced from the Swartland. Enticing aromatics of red berries, floral perfume, herbs and spice while the palate is wonderfully energetic – pure fruit, really bright acidity and powdery tannins, the finish having a saline quality. This is nicely weighted with an alcohol of 13% – not too slight but still elegant". 95/100 winemag.co.za

A selection of 3 reds we know you will love, all discounted by 15% 2 x Otello Premium Malbec 2021 Mendoza, Bodega Sottano 2 x Chateau Franc Baudron 2016 Montagne Saint-Emilion 2 x Lopez de Haro Rioja Reserva 2017 Bodega Contents may vary from image

No Place Like Home is the second single-origin Syrah to join the Minimalist Wine family. It is a clear and complex expression of the cool-climate Elgin Valley and sits alongside Stars In The Dark, our tribute to the rugged terroir of Cape Agulhas. The grapes all come from Niemandsrivier, a beautiful 3 hectare vineyard in Elgin that we lease from Johan and Milanie Vosloo and farm ourselves. Planted in 2006, it features three clones on a geographically complex mix of Sandstone and Shale soils and is the perfect canvas to produce fine wines. Vines located in the same block can react to their environment in unique ways and No Place Like Home is an exploration of the variation that exists within a single vineyard. Using a mix of drone technology (with a Near Infrared Camera flying 80m above the vineyard) and good, old-fashioned soil analysis, we identified four distinct pockets across the 3 hectare parcel, then harvested and fermented them separately before marrying them together. It has been fascinating to observe all the micro-differences in a small site like ours and the extent to which they can each impact flavour profile. No Place Like Home is a meticulous blend of four distinctly different wines produced from one 3ha block and the result is the finest expression of the vineyard’s complexity and intensity. The Wine Home might be Elgin but the upfront kick of white pepper and cardamom takes us straight to an Indian Spice Bazaar. Its complex combinations ebbing and flowing, with pretty florals morphing into cherry, leather and bacon fat. On entry, it is all about coated red fruit, followed by a savoury mid-palate that finishes strong with distinct white pepper. Structurally, with its vibrant cool-climate acidity and fine-grained tannin, it has the potential to be one of our longest-lived wines, so patient drinkers can expect to be rewarded generously!

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.

A rich and juicy wine with chocolate and berry character. Full body, soft and velvety tannins and a flavourful finish. 96 pts James Suckling 93 pts Robert Parker 95 pts Decanter World Wine Awards 96 pts Argentina Wine Awards Gold

A wine from an amazing single site with vines older than 90 years. Carignan on black schistous marl. Aged for 20 months in barrels. Possibly Roussillon's most elegant expression of the grape? Outstanding wine.

Made from a majority of Grenache, this most impressive wine is powerful and truly mouth watering. Red fruit notes with a long palate and lingering mature tannins. An absolute must for Rhone wine experts, from a true flagship wine grower.

"I love making this wine every year because blending the wines gives me so many options. The majority of the blend is Syrah but still has large amounts of Grenache, Mourvedre and a little white wine in to lift the nose. Savory and fruity is hard to accomplish but this wine delivers both. Next time you are having a family outing open this out by the BBQ or fire and watch it evolve over time. Unmistakable California fruit but nuances enough to make you think about the little things this wine offers." Joey Tensley

Carignan, Grenache, Syrah. Lifted, natural, fresh and charming tasting Southern French red wine of great character. We loved this.

100% Carignan from 80 year old vines. Complex floral aromas. On the palate the fruits, such as raspberry and morello cherry, are crunchy and fresh. There is also a very strong stony/mineral feeling. The finish is long and pure. A vibrant wine.

Named after Freddie Hubbard, the soil has a high iron content giving the wine a crisp, light almost Chablisesqe mineral quality. Elegant and suave with flavours of wild strawberry & bright cherry. Worth decanting to open the nose. 100% Cinsault

Jancisrobonson.com 16.5/20 “All fruit. Lovely chewy texture… great balance… A wholehearted, satisfying wine, great to have a wine without make-up.”

The wines created by Marcelo Pelleriti are performed with the utmost care and dedication. Vine, where they originate, enjoys climatic and geographical conditions especially conducive to achieve great results. The wine is made respecting the great wine tradition: manual harvests, lack of fertilizers and, above all, transport of the grape by gravity. The wines are made entirely by hand and the grapes are facing a double selection: in the bunch and grain by grain.

2nd wine of Chateau Fonplegade. A lovely aromatic wine with mint lift and oak weight. Plenty to love here, rounded and rich but needs to to harmonise.

Francesco Giuntini created this single vineyard wine with Franco Bernabei in 1979. They wanted to produce a wine to best represent the character and quality of Rufina and Selvapiana Sangiovese. Only produced in the best vintages. This wine shows tremendous depth of colour with great intensity on the nose. The palate is powerful and fruit packed with ripe raspberry and spicy cherry fruit, supported by a touch of herbs and violets, robust tannins and a long, fine finish which is the hallmark of the Selvapiana wines.

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.

From two of the great names of the world of wine; A tiny vintage following early frosts but the reulsts are concentrated and show great depth of flavour Rioja freshness.

The idea of this ??wine came out during a curious meeting between “wine experts”: Valentino Sciotti, today CEO of the “Farnese Group”, Filippo Baccalaro, chief winemaker of the same group and third generation of Piedmontese winemakers, Hugh Johnson, the most famous wine journalist in the world, and Jean Marc Sauboua of the third generation of Bordeaux winemakers. During that particular meeting, 18 years ago, Hugh Johnson launched a challenge to the two young winemakers: that of creating a “great wine” with the character of “Southern Italy”, forged with the best varietals of that territory; a wine with the modest name of “table wine”, but with the soul of “a great wine”, that stands out for its ability to be unique and extraordinarily superior to what the market offers. Montepulciano, Primitivo, Negroamaro, Sangiovese & Malvasia Nera. Astonishing 3-time winner of 99/100 Luca Maroni "Best Italian Red 2018". Previous IWC Abruzzo Trophy. Grower voted best in Italy 3 times. Massive, Epic wine. 100% new oak (60% American 40% French)

Red and dark purple wine colour with bright reflections. Pleasant nose, with orange peel and rosemary aromas. The palate is elegant, smooth and well structured, with blueberry paired with soft spices, cloves and Timut pepper

Mid ruby, garnet rim, ripe and juicy, sweet fruit, lovely and a bargain for real Pauillac.

Meerlust, one of the Cape's most historic wine estates, originally planted in 1693. In 1756, it was purchased by the first Myburgh and has been the pride of the family ever since. Today, after seven generations, Hannes Myburgh, the present owner, continue the great family tradition of wine making. This is a juicy, opulent and rich wine that is a perfect example of the variety.

Only produced in outstanding vintages. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and a touch of Petit Verdot. This is a serious wine, a really serious wine. Slightly sour black and fruits with dried violets, the nose is exceptional and has such smooth and sweet taninns. This is Aurelio Montes showing off and I’m very glad he does.

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

Vega Sicilia - Spain's most prestigious wine producer. Unico is their flagship wine, making this the crème de la crème of Spanish wines. Unico is aged for 10 years before release, and is predominantly made with Termpranillo, with some Cabernet Sauvignon. 96/100 from RobertParker.com