Rhône's hidden gems

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.

Honey-scented, and brimming with blossom and orchard aromas. The palate is dry but rich and nicely weighted. It is a blend of mainly Marsanne and Clairette. The Marsanne is grown on limestone and brings a pretty fruit character. The Clairette meanwhile comes from some extremely old vines, aged 140-150 years old. It brings an amazing freshness to the wine, not built around acidity but around salinity. This is such a characterful white, vibrant and charming.

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.

2019 is the second, and sadly last, vintage of this wine, which comes from a plot of very old (100 years+) vines found just 200m from the appellation boundary of St Joseph. It is a blend of local varieties like Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier, with the striking addition of a Savoyard grape variety: Jacquère. Usually, this variety is found on the Alpine slopes, and makes salty, mineral, vibrantly high-acid wines. The 2019 is lower in alcohol and lighter in body than the 2018, with a distinctly salty twist thanks to the Jacquère. Don’t miss it.