From just over the border of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Coudoulet is one of the hidden gems from the Beaucastel stable. This blend of Viognier, Marsanne, Bourboulenc and Clairette is charming and elegant, with delicate floral character on the nose, and lovely fresh acidity.

This is a legendary white in the Southern Rhône. It comes from a tiny parcel of gnarled old (85-100 years) Roussanne vines at Beaucastel, and is produced in tiny quantities. The 2023 has Roussanne’s typical nutty bitterness with silky apricot fruit. The palate is so smooth it feels almost creamy. Magnificent. Enjoy it's aromatic freshness now or leave for 15+ years to develop complex, honeyed flavours.

This is a perennial favourite at Lay & Wheeler, and invariably sells out quickly, such is the quality on offer for the price. It has a precise peppery nose, with mouth-coating fresh berry fruit on the palate, with notes of garrigue, violet, and black cherry. The Coudoulet vineyard lies right next to Château de Beaucastel’s main block, and is in fact a continuation of the same soil features. That it lies just beyond the limit of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape boundary, and made by one of the southern Rhône’s greatest winemaking families, means it might just be the best Côtes du Rhône money can buy.

Beaucastel’s classic white is always built around Roussanne which makes up the majority of the blend, and gives it that wonderful interplay between sweet, ripe stone fruit and bitter nutty character. The Roussanne is accented nicely by some Grenache blanc, with just a dash of Picardan/Clairette/Bourboulenc in the mix to give it dynamic energy. It is undoubtedly one of the finest white blends in the Southern Rhône.

This is one of the most celebrated blends of the southern Rhône, notable for its high proportion of Mourvèdre. This variety gives it cool cassis fruit, structure and length. Grenache adds sweet berry tones and a supple texture, and Syrah a dark, powerful concentration, with liquorice intensity.

This comes from a blend of three parcels, which are picked and vinified separately. Samuel says these three parts contribute complexity, richness, and minerality to the blend. That’s a pretty good combination for a Chablis. It has an impressive depth of fruit with a satisfying, fleshy weight, and its persistent length is clean-cut and refreshing. It’s one of our fastests sellers each year, and invariably sells out en primeur, so you need to buy early if you want any in your cellar (well worth having).

Samuel jokes that this is ‘Petit Chablis deluxe’. It comes from a parcel just above Grand Cru Les Clos, and is a rare example of Petit Chablis grown on a high proportion of Kimmeridgian, rather than purely Portlandian, limestone. Although Samuel does not distinguish within his range, all the fruit here comes from his own vines, ie ‘domaine’. Indeed, it’s one of the parcels he was most determined to hang onto after splitting from his family estate in 2009. It is focused and precise, with lemon zest and salty minerality running through it, and a peachy, smooth as silk length.