There is a fine, spiced quality that leads on the nose giving aromas of incense, Five Spice and sandalwood which speaks of the 100% new wood used for ageing. There is a sinewy and slightly backward quality to the wine. It will be a classic, rather sleek style with a brightness and tension. Flavours of wild herbs, liqourice and dark cherry fruit flood the palate with carefully sculpted tannins and a note of iodine and kelp on the finish.

A little charcoal on the nose with bright red berry fruit and and cocoa dusted cherry. Silky, sappy and saline it is a bright and vibrant style. It is a charming and mid-weight wine with a brightness and energy on the finish.

This is an impressive white this year, and one of the best of the vintage. It offers notes of lemon balm, ginger, verbena, and ocean spray. Bitter lemon and white grapefruit pith add complexity on the palate and there is some sweet barley lemon notes too. Tense and really driven, this has a lot of salinity and cool feel to it. Very crystalline for the moment, this will age effortlessly.

The 2024 Château Margaux is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. It opens with a very fine, almost aristocratic, spiced nose of incense and Five Spice - it is assertive and expressive. The texture on the palate is caressing yet there is tension and focus – a classical and sinewy frame, with a strong mineral core. The Grand Vin represents 46% of total production. There is a sanguine and ferrous note that comes through with accents of liquorice and kelp. It is a wine without excess that seems to really transport terroir.

La Pitaude lies on Kimmeridgian terres blanches soils in the commune of Verdigny (very similar to that of the Monts Damnés vineyard). The site produces bunches with such small berries that the concentration of acidity and flavour in this wine absolutely soars. Yields are so low that Luc has considered pulling the vines out many times, but each year it makes such a spellbinding wine, he decides to keep them. It would do well for a few years in the cellar, and its saline, savoury structure will make it an excellent food wine in the years to come.

"Les Quarts Saint Vincent" is a cuvée made from Chenin planted on limestone soils. With no oak contact, this cuvée shines with its precision and mineral freshness. Natural fermentation, with zero dosage. With more than 5 years of aging on the lees and 2 years of aging in bottle, “Les Quarts Saint Vincent" 2018 is a true gem worthy of a great Champagne. The intense color displays a delicate bead of bubbles. A high-class brut cut in balance and subtlety: fresh quince and pear, subtle dried fruits, abundant mineral, grilled almond and a hint of pastry. Refined and persistent palate. Disgorged in January 2024.

Although the Loire is a region that has not embraced the cru system, it makes an exception when it comes to the magnificent sweet wines around the tributary of the Layon, near Angers. Quarts de Chaume is made from Chenin Blanc, and offers up a complex symphony of Seville orange bitterness with sweet candied citrus peel depth. The wine is intensely perfumed with honey, flowers, quince and apricot. It shows outstanding acidity which cuts through the concentrated sweetness.

This has got to be one of the best value sweet wines on the market. It is bottled in 50cl exclusively for Lay & Wheeler - the perfect size, we feel. It's made from 100% Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley, and its balance of sweetness and freshness absolutely hits the spot. It is a beautiful pale golden colour, with aromas of Seville orange marmalade and acacia honey. The palate is fresh and vibrant giving it a refreshing, long finish. There is so much going on here, just delicious.

As the name suggests, this cuvée has no dosage, and so has not a drop of residual sugar. As a result, the wine expresses abundant freshness and minerality, supported by bright citrus and green fruit. The 2021 has an energetic refreshing acidity and subtle richness, thanks to its oak ageing.

The Pinard brothers, Clément and Florent, are top dogs in the southern village of Bué in the celebrated Sancerre appellation. They make various single vineyard wines in the village, all of which are highly detailed, gastronomic wines. Le Château sits just to the north of Le Grand Chemarin and Chêne Marchand, on Kimmeridgian marl. The wine is tense and powerful with a racy richness and voluminous, ample concentration. The texture is gorgeously silky. Ageing in oak barrels (none new) gives this Sauvignon Blanc a roundness that works so well with the natural power of the site and this vintage. Just beautiful.