£25-45

Christina and her father, Rainer Wess decided to plant some Pinot Noir vines behind the Ried “Steiner Hund” plot in 2012 with a mix of 30+ clones from Clos de Vougeot, Spätburgunder and Austrian Pinot Noir. The plot is only 0.5 hectares and the total production was a mere 600 bottles. A Pinot that expresses wild flowers and violet aromas as well as crushed raspberries and notes of graphite. The palate is silky and shows great finesse and vibrant acidity with fine grained, chalky tannins.

Quite deep and intense on the nose, with wonderful purity, too. This is very spicy, and there’s a floral element, too, with lovely texture. Powdery tannins, and intense, dark fruit. Sight negroni bitterness on the finish, but there’s a lot of saline length here. Has maintained freshness despite the vintage. The vines had enough water. Vines from the 1970s.

The straight Rabaja is fermented in barrel, Rabaja Bas in stainless steel. Very pure and fine, this opens up in the glass. Very saline on the palate, and lots of texture and intensity. More powerful than Rabaja Bas, with lovely weight and energy here. Very good length, really mineral on the finish.

This is from the lowest slopes at Vieille Julienne, a great site for Grenache, which loves its sandy, pebbly soils. The vines have an average age of 75+ years, and the wine is concentrated but poised. The Grenache gives generosity and breafth, and 10% Counoise brings some softer notes, freshness and balances the natural power of the wine. Lots of plush dark fruit flavours and firm structure, with a crunchy, red fruit accent and a minerally, stony finish.

Slightly reduction on the nose. Exactly what they were looking for in 18 - Oscar’s favourite wine. Floral and some spearmint on the nose, and the palate has a tension and texture. Very finely judged, with plenty of salinity here, but lovely tannins and a very fine thread of acidity.

'Ciabot' refers to the tools shed in the vineyard and 'Mentin' to the previous owner of this famous site in the Ginestra site, which is the highest plot in Monforte. This wine seems to be very expressive on the nose and palate and continues for such a long time on the finish. The wine demonstrates lots of layers of fruit, spice and herbs and brought into focus with chalky and firm tannins.

Smallest single vineyard in Barbaresco - almost a monopole. Very old vines: planted in 1942 one parcel. Very small production. This is aromatic on the nose, with orange peel and plenty of juiciness, and there’s nice elegant tannins, and plenty of salinity on the finish.

This flies under the radar compared to Monvigliero, and it feels a little closer in style to La Morra, but there’s fine-boned tannins and a lovely sense of savouriness on the finish. Very well balanced.

The Kollmitz hill – not to be confused with the larger, nearby hill of Kollmütz – is located in the village of Joching, just north of Mathias’ home in Wösendorf. And the wine itself is even more complex and nuanced than the naming conventions of neighbouring Austrian hills. There’s inviting tangerine zest, grapefruit, and yellow tropical fruits notes that jump out of the glass, while the steely acidity and sleek finish make this an absolute joy to drink. If there’s any proof you need that Mathias Hirtzberger is among the country’s top echelon of Riesling growers, this 2022 Riesling Ried Kollmitz is it.

Planted in the early 1980s, Alexander Stodden has cared for this vineyard since 2001. From Greywacke soils, with some clay, this is a spectacular wine from the first Ahr vintage since their devastating 2021 flood. It’s bright and cherry fruited with plenty of cedar spice, and herbal nuances. Stodden is one of the leading lights of German winemaking, and this is a great-valueGrand Cru wine that firmly cements the estate’s place as the country’s premier producer of red wine.

Eaton Wines was established in 2014. Along with his wife Jo, Mike established some of New Zealand’s most renowned Pinot Noir vineyards (Clayvin, Clay Hills, Outpost, Calrossie) and the TerraVin wine brand. 2019 was a ripe peachy vintage for Sauvignon Blanc and this tiny production cuvee showcases this with soft fruit on the nose with a zingy citrus lift on the palate. Juicy and mouth-watering, it's one of the finest New Zealand wines we've tried.

Massara is Verduno's forgotten vineyard, and this has wonderful wild strawberry perfume and nervy acidity. Lovely energy here, and a long and fragrant finish.

This is one of the handful of Côte de Beaune parcels the domaine inherited from their Rossignol roots in Volnay. Their vines sit at the very top of the cru, in the vineyard’s sweet spot between Aux Cras and Les Grèves. The red stony soil and sunny exposition here make a silky, sweet-scented style of wine. It’s a wine that is vibrant and inviting in its youth, with plenty of depth to the fruit, slightly crunchy tannins, freshness, and a detailed, smooth length.

A smaller vintage due to rainfall led to very small production this year, however the rigorous selection carried out by this exceptional producer has created a wine that has amazing concentration and complexity. Expect pomegranite and cranberries combined with wild florals and spice. The tannins are fine grained and chalky and there is a finesse on the palate that seems to be the producer's signature style.

Hans-Joachim (“Hanno”) and his wife Ruth Zilliken mark the tenth generation to make wine predominantly around their famed Saarburger Rausch vineyard, and they’ve now been joined by their daughter, Dorothee. They barrel ferment all of their wines using natural yeasts and traditional “moselfuder casks”, some of which are more than a half-century old. With long, cool fermentations allowing complex flavours to emerge slowly, these are Rieslings to age with the very best. For many, the sweet Auslese category is where German Riesling reaches its pinnacle, with incredible complexity and longevity, and remarkable acidity balancing that ripeness. This is the perfect example: a wine that wows with its explosive fruit yet stunning freshness.

This comes from a selection of 100-year-old vines in some of Stéphane’s best parcels, Champelrose, Eygats, and Combe. It shows amazing presence of tannins and drive, and will benefit from a little time in bottle. Hugely elegant, mouth-coating, and intense.

Sangiovese from the single Boggina vineyard, aged in Amphora. The result is as pure an expression of Sangiovese as you’ll find. Lovely grippy tannins, soaring aromatics, and a savoury, long finish. This was one of our discoveries of the year.

This is one of two signature reds at the domaine (the other is the Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes). It is a fruit-driven style with density and finesse. A long, gentle maceration draws out subtle liquorice and dark cherry notes with a lovely volume.

It is well worth following Olivier’s reds, particularly in recent vintages. This vineyard had previously been owned by M. Duvault-Blochet, former owner of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Today, high density planting and organic farming mean low yields, which does a great service to the fruit - red berries with a smoky graphite scent lingering over them. Mineral and defined.

Tuvilains is a lovely vineyard on the Pommard side of the town. In 2023 the wine is tightly wound, with grippy, compact tannins, and a fresh cherry bite. It will need some time to come around in bottle but will reward the patient.