2018 Rhône

This is a wine that’s overlooked at your peril. From a number of plots, such as Combe, Les Saveaux, Cayret, Les Mazards, Chaillot and Chapuzes, this is the essence of Cornas. Baked earth and rusty notes, with a wonderful deep core of fruit, this is long,

Saint-Péray was once famed for the quality of its sparkling wines, and this shows why. This is lively, but with wonderful palate weight, too. A simply delicious fizz.

This is made from Marsanne, and is a fresh, energetic white with plenty of spice. Its mouth-watering finish makes it so charming, and simply delicious.

From a plot that’s just over a hectare in size, this is a lovely introduction to the wines of the estate. Juicy, finessed fruit, and plenty of spice and floral notes swirl from the glass. It’s very long for a wine of this price.

Only made in the best vintages, this is intense, powerful and unbelievably long. The vines here are over 80 years old, and produce a monumental wine. A real privilege to try this.

The average age of these vines is over 60 years old. Detailed and intense, with silky yet grippy tannins and incredible concentration, this needs time. But with time, it will be spectacular.

A rare Côtes du Rhône made only from Syrah from the north of the valley, this is spicy and fresh, with wild strawberries and plenty of cherry fruit. There’s lovely grip on the finish: hard to spit.

From an average of 40 year old vines, this comes from numerous plots, with half on the hill and half on the plateau. Loads of focus here, it’s beautifully detailed and wonderfully balanced. The last remaining single Côte-Rôtie estate, and it’s a stunner.

From a single plot, there’s lots of focus and freshness here, with mouthwatering acidity and a beautiful floral character. This is lovely, charming Syrah.

There’s plenty of intensity and focus to this Crozes-Hermitage, with crunchy fruit and lovely depth and energy. There’s part of the blend that’s aged in barrels, the other part in stainless steel: the latter brings freshness, the former, texture.

Intense and perfumed, this has such a stunning Condrieu nose. Peaches and cream, as well as saffron and other spices. The finish is so long, and so mouthwatering, with a lovely texture. Outstanding.

From granite soils, this is very pretty and delicate. Rose petal and wild flowers on the nose, there’s plenty of spice and texture. This is very saline on the finish.

There’s 10% Viognier in the blend here, and this gives a floral, delicate character to this Côte-Rôtie. There’s plenty of vibrancy to this wine, from the south of the appellation.

From vines planted in 1911, this is intense and concentrated. There’s such a wonderful balance between nervy acidity and dark cassis notes. Intense and powerful. One for the long haul.

There’s a delicacy of fruit to this Crozes-Hermitage. Lots of red berries and liquorice, with a lovely balance of purity and power. Excellent for the price.

From the north of the appellation, with 3% Viognier in the blend, this is a real Syrah lover’s wine. Very mineral, with tension and purity, it’s so stony on the finish.

From old ‘serine’ clones of the Syrah grape including a plot of 60 year old vines in Chavanay, where the cellar is located. This is deep and intense, with lovely grip on the finish.

Notes of garrigue and ripe plums, with plenty of chalky tannins and beautiful tapenade edge. There’s wild flowers on the palate, and a focussed and fresh finish. This is delicious, but with all the constituent parts to age brilliantly.

The 2018 Beaucastel is produced in tiny quantities, but is a gorgeous wine in the vintage. Notes of blue fruit and spice, with an earthiness coming from extra Mourvèdre in the blend. One for the cellar, it’s a shame so little was produced.

The most legendary white in the Southern Rhône, this comes from a tiny parcel of gnarled Roussanne vines. Produced in tiny quantities, particularly in 2018, this is textured, weighty, yet light on its feet. Unique.

There’s beautiful energy and concentration on the Châteauneuf Blanc from Beaucastel this year. A grippy palate, with plenty of focus, and a long and savoury finish.

140-150 year old vines, planted before the sale of the vineyard in 1870. This is remarkable, with minerality and vibrancy in spades. The greatest Clairette you’ll try.

Very juicy and elegant in 2018, with excellent energy and a very pure, focussed character. This is very long and very impressive for this price.

One of the best value wines in our range, the 2014 Ventoux rouge is a delicious, juicy, textured red. There’s tons of freshness here, with notes of wild herbs and lots of juicy fruits. Very long and intense: simply charming.

The nose on this Clos des Papes is haunting, with notes of wild strawberry, plums, wild herbs, violets and crushed rocks. The palate is silky, with perfect tannins, and a sense of volume yet elegance, while the mineral, focussed finish lasts for minutes.

A wine that can be overlooked at your peril, the 2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc was produced in truly miniscule quantities. Such salinity and purity here, with notes of melon and pears. Drink it young, or keep it for decades. Wonderful.

From a single plot near the estate, this is dark and savoury, with wonderfully fine tannins. It shows that André is just as skilled with his reds as his whites.

A blend of Jacquère, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier, from a 100-year old parcel, that’s due to be pulled out. Saline and grippy, and a slightly leesy character: this is really very impressive.

Notes of pineapple and rose, with stunning complexity and a wonderful savoury tang. This really is a benchmark Condrieu from Perret.

60 year old vines here give a level of intensity and power that’s rarely seen, while maintaining the tension that we love in André’s wines. Aromatic, with plenty of amplitude, and very, very long indeed.

From a blend of Greffieux, Méal, and Bessards, this is wonderfully balanced and finessed. There’s plenty of spice here, with notes of liquorice and a herbal lift. One of Bernard’s final vintages, and it’s a winner.

The 2018 Châteauneuf from Jean-Paul Versino includes all the fruit that would normally go into his Félix, so the very best fruit from the estate. And that makes it a particularly special wine. It’s silky, intense and stunningly complex: a wine that could be approached young, but with the stuffing to last for years. Not to be missed in 2018.

Coming from a range of vineyards, including Le Plomb, Montmains, and Bas de Coteau, Les Schistes is the benchmark wine from Clusel-Roch. Spicy and textured, with lots of floral character and a blood orange note, it’s an elegant, refined, impressive Côte-R

La Vialliere is one of the best sites in Côte-Rôtie, and this is a wonderful example. This is savoury and incredibly long. A remarkable wine.

From 80 year old vines, this is dense, serious and very complex. This is a remarkable wine.

The most powerful, intense wine in the Courbis cellar. This is planted straight onto the granite, and has deep, brooding fruit, with notes of iron oxide and lots of spice on the finish. Brilliantly balanced.

A great vineyard, the vines here were planted in 1990. This is textured and vibrant, with lots of density to the fruit, too. This is Cornas with elegance, a lovely balance.

All from granite slopes, the 2018 Champelrose is a beautifully pure, lively expression of Syrah. Aged in around a quarter new oak, this has a touch of spice supporting the intense fruit, and a textured finish that lasts an age. Punches well above its price point.

There’s a perfumed, joyful nose on this St-Joseph, with notes of wild lavender and plenty of pepper, alongside the core of fruit. The finish is juicy and long: a wine you want to drink all day long.

26 year old vines, directly planted in the sweet spot of the slope. This is complex and intense, with a vibrancy and a silkiness to the tannins. Beautiful.

From seven different parcels in Chavanay, this is delicate and finessed, with plenty of texture and fragrance. Lovely.

There’s a coolness and savoury fragrance to this from Villard. Plenty of energy and tension, and a beautifully poised finish.

From a plot really near the cellar. This is opulent and rich, but with a beautiful thread of acidity and a wonderfully mouthwatering finish. Treads the line between finesse and richness.

From the granite vineyards that surround the house, on the Côte Blonde, this is focussed and elegant, with an unfurling finish. An excellent purchase.

The Garons’ only bottling from the Côte Brune (hence the dark label), this parcel borders the legendary lieu-dit La Landonne. Plenty of opulence and sweetness here, and also a blood orange and spice note on the finish.

Les Triotes comes from three parcels on the Côte Blonde: Lancement, Le Combard and Les Triottes. This is open and intense, with a very savoury, long, silky finish.

Lancement is the highpoint of the Côte Blonde, bordering the plateau. It’s also one of the region’s greatest sites. They have just half a hectare here, and this is a powerful, intense, wonderfully balanced Côte-Rôtie.

The 2013 Soula Rouge is in a beautiful place right now. Crushed herbs and blackcurrants, and bramble and plum. Delicate tannins and a long, textured finish. Wonderfully delicious.

Another top cuvee, made from vines planted in 1901 in Pignam and La Crau, on sand, it’s named after their father Pierre, not a reference to stone. Volume and power, yet still elegance and finesse. Bravo.

In 2018 the Gallimardes went into the Tradition, so it benefits from these 110 year old vines. There’s such juicy energy here: Marie really does make some of the most delicious (and drinkable!) Châteauneufs out there.

Notes of lavender and plums on the nose, with wet stone minerality and lots of tapenade and fennel. The palate is rich but impeccably balanced, with a fine thread of acidity that lasts to the very finish. Very long, and very complex.

Mainly Grenache with some Mourvèdre, Carignan and Syrah, from Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne, an area to the south with a similar profile to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This is peppery and fine, with wonderful fragrance. A smart buy.

The 2018 Châteauneuf from Julien is charming. Silky and saline, there’s such freshness and energy here, which balances the intensity of fruit. Notes of iodine on the finish make you reach for another glass.

This is a beautiful Grenache from La Barroche. Silky fruit and floral notes, and a really fresh, saline finish. Just charming.

There’s plenty of salinity here, making the mouth immediately water. Plenty of small white flowers and apricot on the nose, and lovely energy on the finish.

From 70 year old vines, there are notes of strawberries and liquorice, with just a hint of blood orange, too. Very juicy and charming, these wines are so delicious in 2018.

From 70 year old vines, there are notes of strawberries and liquorice, with just a hint of blood orange, too. Very juicy and charming, these wines are so delicious in 2018.

Grippy and deep, with plenty of tapenade and a lovely garrigue, herbal character. Very long indeed, and just so deliciously drinkable. Don’t overlook its ability to age, however.

From two vineyards, this is the hidden gem of Sorrel’s range. From 60 year old vines, this has a delicate floral character, with plenty of rich fruit and a beautifully long finish. One not to be missed.

90% comes from le Méal, with the rest coming from Les Gréffieux, there’s also just 10% coplanted Marsanne in the blend. The vines date back to 1928. This is astonishing. Notes of tapenade and dark berries on the nose, and also a wonderful fragrance. There’s a mineral tang here, that coats the palate, as well as wonderfully refined tannins. So long and so impressive, this is one of the Rhône’s greatest wines.

There’s a beautiful floral character to this Hermitage Blanc from Marc Sorrel: a wonderful example of the style. This is very impressively long.

From old vines in the historic vineyard of Les Rocoules, this is so powerful, textured and long. An astonishing wine from Marc Sorrel: the pinnacle of the style.

This is grippy, with red fruit and lots of pretty floral character, and a dusting of spice. From vineyards just above Côte-Rôtie, this is the essence of Syrah.

From parcels just above the Northern Rhône’s famed hillsides, this is an impressive Viognier. Explosive, powerful, with amazing spice, it punches above its weight.

This is a beautiful Condrieu from Stéphane. Notes of ginger and white pepper, with rose petal too. Complex and impressively long.

60% Grenache, with fruit from Visan and Plan de Dieu. This is juicy and grippy, with impressive length for a wine of this price.

Finessed and pure, this is a wonderful introduction to the wines of Côte-Rôtie. Essence of raspberry and lots of floral character, with plenty of mineral notes on the finish.

From a parcel in Limony, this is creamy and dark, with lovely density and plenty of focus. There’s a vibrancy here.

A blend of 15 lieux-dits across Côte Blonde and Côte Brune (in total 25 plots go into it). Floral lift and wonderful dark intensity. Perfectly balanced tannins make this a brilliant Côte-Rôtie: one to stock up on.

The Rostaings only make Côte Brune in the very best vintages, and 2017 fits the bill. Wonderful nose and palate, so fine and juicy, with silky acidity and excellent purity. There’s an energy here, with guts and depth, so much structure, and also so much classicism, but opulent, too, in its own way. Incredible.

Dark and intense on the nose, it’s mineral with wonderful density. There’s a balance here, with so much berry character and silkiness and wonderful grip on the finish, with a salty tang. Outstanding.

Only aged in steel, this has purity of fruit in spades. Orange blossom and grapefruit, and loads of focus and drive, a beautifully ripe Condrieu, and one that will age nicely.

Very floral and expressive. Red and blue fruit, and lifts from the glass with energy and purity. The palate is silky and fresh, so saline on finish, and there’s a different level of texture here. It lasts for minutes.

75% Grenache with the rest Syrah, this is a powerful and intense Gigondas, but one with lovely detailing to the fruit, and fragrance on the finish.

There’s quite a lot of Mourvèdre in the blend here, and it’s spicy, grippy and very intense, with plenty of complexity and length. It just needs some time to come together fully.

The Triennes 2019 is a delicate, fragrant, and refreshing glass of pale, dry rosé. Aromas of red berries and dried herbs are followed by a fine and balanced palate, where the zip of acidity drives the red fruit flavours to a vibrant, saline finish. Quenching, and delicious. Perfect for summer drinking.

The Triennes 2019 is a delicate, fragrant, and refreshing glass of pale, dry rosé. Aromas of red berries and dried herbs are followed by a fine and balanced palate, where the zip of acidity drives the red fruit flavours to a vibrant, saline finish. Quenching, and delicious. Perfect for summer drinking.

The Triennes 2019 is a delicate, fragrant, and refreshing glass of pale, dry rosé. Aromas of red berries and dried herbs are followed by a fine and balanced palate, where the zip of acidity drives the red fruit flavours to a vibrant, saline finish. Quenching, and delicious. Perfect for summer drinking.

Notes of baked earth, wild berries and lots of spice on this impressive Châteauneuf. More savoury than the Trois Sources. This is stunningly long, and very well balanced.

There’s plenty of Grenache spice and wild flowers on the Trois Sources this year, which comes from the vines across the road from the cellar. This is intense and fresh, with loads of focus. Wonderful, but needs time.

Beautiful fragrance and elegance on this stunning southern white. There’s texture and restraint here, and a finish that just makes you want to have another glass.

Wow. Intense and powerful. So complex. Words just don’t do this brilliant Châteauneuf justice: one of France’s greatest wines.

From just across the border from Châteauneuf. This is remarkably textured and fresh, with energy, purity, and plenty of density, too. There’s salinity on the finish, making this just so drinkable.

From just across the border from Châteauneuf. This is remarkably textured and fresh, with energy, purity, and plenty of density, too. There’s salinity on the finish, making this just so drinkable.

There’s plenty of Grenache spice and wild flowers on the Trois Sources this year, which comes from the vines across the road from the cellar. This is intense and fresh, with loads of focus. Wonderful, but needs time.

From a single lieu-dit with old vines, this is the pinnacle of Sylvain’s production.Very powerful and intense, with lots of spice and loads of ripe fruit. If you like richer wines, this is for you. Made in tiny quantities.

Sylvain fashions this from 12 different parcels across Saint-Joseph. Quite glossy and plush, this is openknit, with very exotic, intense fruit. A fruity, approachable Saint-Joseph.

There are five different foudres here, each with a slightly different blend. The final blend will be 77% Grenache. This is pure, elegant, with stunning drive. Incredibly long, there are delicate fruits and just enough grip. Not to be missed.

There are five different foudres here, each with a slightly different blend. The final blend will be 77% Grenache. This is pure, elegant, with stunning drive. Incredibly long, there are delicate fruits and just enough grip. Not to be missed.

A selection of the favourite tonneaux from the Crozes production. This is quite spicy and intense. There’s plenty of spearmint and apples, and then opulent spice on the finish. Powerful and ageworthy.

Very inky, this comes from three different parcels, and production is tiny. Deep and powerful, with bloody notes and dark fruit and tapenade, there’s real intensity and structure here. Very long, very Hermitage.

This has a little Roussanne in the blend, for the first time. There’s plenty of apple fruit and lots of floral and fine notes, too. Really impressive and mouthwatering.

A selection made by the family, this has spice, beautifully refined tannins, and a focus and salinity that’s simply brilliant. One of the best Crozes you’ll find.

A selection made by the family, this has spice, beautifully refined tannins, and a focus and salinity that’s simply brilliant. One of the best Crozes you’ll find.