Hearthside Reds

The 2019 Prairie comes from a distinct vineyard on the Marsau estate, and has been made with no oak ageing and as little sulphur as possible. The resulting wine is as pure and focussed a merlot as we’ve come across. Notes of fresh victoria plum, blood orange, and wild flowers, with silky tannins, and a long, mineral, savoury finish. It’s a stunning wine: one you simply want to try over and over again. Bravo Anne-Laurence.

A Lay & Wheeler favourite for years, what's not to love about this St-Emilion, part of the Durantou family of wines. Silky and fine, with loads of savoury tannins, and long and pure finish. Buy this in bottles, and magnums, and make sure you've always got both to hand over the years to come.

The 2019 Prairie comes from a distinct vineyard on the Marsau estate, and has been made with no oak ageing and as little sulphur as possible. The resulting wine is as pure and focussed a merlot as we’ve come across. Notes of fresh victoria plum, blood orange, and wild flowers, with silky tannins, and a long, mineral, savoury finish. It’s a stunning wine: one you simply want to try over and over again. Bravo Anne-Laurence.

Often regarded as a "Baby Brunello" because it is sourced entirely from two outstanding, Brunello-classified parcels, the 2024 Gianni Brunelli Rosso di Montalcino is a wine of exceptional clarity and varietal authority. Sourced from Podernovone and Le Chiuse di Sotto, it pours a bright, transparent ruby red and opens with highly floral aromas of violets, rose petals, and fresh cherries with a hint of savory leather. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully supple and vibrant, balancing crunchy redcurrant and wild strawberry flavours with ripe and polished tannins.

This is juicy, lightly peppery, bright and elegantly smooth Cabernet Franc which is wonderful in its youth. The fruit comes from the bottom part of the slope, hence 'Pied' - foot. This is in contrast to the mid-slope fruit goes into the age-worthy, denser 'Mi-Pente' cuvée. Some vines at the bottom are as old as 80 years, so although the wine is juicy, upfront, and invitingly drinkable, the finish is sustained and persistent with old vine intensity taking this above a simple easy-drinking wine. It’s got a wonderful sour cherry note, with lightly smoky notes.

The 2020 Labégorce is a beautiful Margaux, that's undoubtedly Cru Classé quality, but that's available at a much lower price. Notes of lavender and woodsmoke on the nose, and a structured yet elegant palate, that shows the best of this commune. A must-buy in 2020.

Tasted April 2022. Full of fresh, crunchy blackberry, cranberry and blueberry fruit with medium body and fresh raspberry acidity. This vintage from Château Robin is balanced and approachable, with savoury tannins and a lovely salinity on the finish making it even more appetising.

Coming from three different communes in which the estate owns vineyards, this is 100% destemmed and vinified in stainless steel. This has such clarity of bright cherry fruit, violets and a little black pepper which flow seamlessly across the palate. Delicious, bright and crunchy, this is a great value Crozes from Rousset.

Made from 60 year old vines grown in the sandy soils of Lirac across the river from the domaine, this Lirac is full of vibrant, bright fruit with nice savoury chewy tannins. The ripe cherry fruit keeps it fresh and approachable with a lovely minerally finish adding to the gourmand feel of this wine. Excellent value.

A superbly elegant and intense Chianti Classico Riserva from this much-lauded vintage, the wine opens with beautiful aromatics of violets, wild herbs and hedgerow fruit. There is a sleekness and elegance through the palate with a core of wild cherry, a little white pepper and a sense of salinity behind the fruit. The tannins finely frame the fruit with a lovely tension and the finish builds through the palate with accents of raspberry and liquorice.

The Red blend is a blend of 68% Syrah, 27% Carignan, and 5% Mourvedre. The Syrah and Mourvèdre were fermented as whole bunches, carrying elevated aromatics and firm structure. Carignan was destemmed to preserve purity of fruit and balance. A fifth of the blend was matured in new oak, another fifth in concrete and the remainder in seasoned oak barrels. The Syrah leads on the nose here, with notes of wild herbs, juniper, and violets. The palate has a silky mouthfeel, with ripe plum and hedgerow fruit flavours with a subtle accent of tapenade and sandalwood on the finish.

An elegant and beautifully balanced expression, rich in voluptuous dark fruit aromas, with a firm and rounded texture and an alluring cherry and blackberry finish.

Attractive blueberry fruits, redcurrants and red plums with hints of spice and graphite. The palate has a silky texture and there is a wonderful juiciness that lingers for some time.

This is Syrah wearing its Pinot cloak. The Kamaka is the wine that needs the most explanation in the Bott cellar. Seyssuel, on the other side of the river to Côte-Rôtie, is an appellation on the march. There are hopes that it will be elevated to full cru status within a matter of years. Here, the schist and gneiss soils glisten in the sunlight; there’s no granite on this side of the river. The Syrah that grows here is floral and pinot-esque, with an elegant texture and a spicy, salty undertow. Kamaka is the Maori word for rock or stone, and a nod to Graeme’s Kiwi origins. Much more than a curiosity.

South African winemaker Manfred Ing has been elevating this estate since his arrival, and the Querciabella wines are considered some of the most exciting coming out of the Chianti region. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Sangiovese, the 2021 vintage is a masterpiece of cool-vintage precision and linear elegance. Expressive aromas of dried violets, blackcurrant, and fresh mint yield to complex notes of graphite and leather. On the palate, a vibrant core of sour cherry and dark woodland berries is framed by fine, velvety tannins and a superb mineral freshness. Classy, tightly wound, and beautifully poised, this stellar vintage boasts the perfect structural backbone for a long, graceful life in the cellar.

The son of renowned winemaker Jorge Riccitelli, Matías has created a stunning, modern classic from 80-year-old ungrafted vines in Vistalba, Perdriel, and La Consulta. The 2022 vintage showcases the incredible gravitas and seamless depth typical of these centenarian plants, balanced by the winemaker's trademark freshness and precision. Deeply concentrated, it opens with a quintessentially fragrant bouquet of wild blackberries, black cherries, liquorice, and perfumed violet. The palate is full-bodied and beautifully structured, wrapping rich, dark cocoa and hazelnut-chocolate notes in superfine, silky tannins that flow into a remarkably long, polished finish.

This elegant Syrah completely redefines Paarl’s warm-climate reputation with northern Rhône-style lift and poise. Showing a deep ruby color with violet flashes, the nose reveals an expressive, fresh bouquet of redcurrants, mulberries, and lavender, backed by notes of olive tapenade and cracked black pepper. The palate is silky, supple, and beautifully balanced, layering bright red berry fruits with delicate clove, sweet fynbos, and dark chocolate elements. Supported by remarkably fine, featherweight tannins and a refreshing blood orange acidity, it finishes incredibly clean and focused.

Crafted by Louis Barruol from biodynamically grown grapes on the cold limestone soils of Saint Martin, the 2024 Les Deux Albion Blanc is a wonderfully unique and refreshing Southern Rhône blend showing crystalline purity and elegance. The expressive nose bursts with aromas of yellow peach, dried apricot, and white flowers, accented by lime zest, wild thyme, and a distinct touch of exotic papaya. On the palate, it beautifully balances the natural, rounded texture and honeyed richness of Viognier and Marsanne with the vibrant, limestone-driven acidity of Picpoul Blanc. Ending with excellent mineral tension, it finishes clean, crisp, and remarkably persistent.

A stunning showcase of pure, cool-climate Southern Rhône Syrah. From the stony, limestone-clay terraces of the Gard, this 100% Syrah pours an inky, vibrant purple in the glass. The perfumed nose bursts with intense aromas of white pepper, ripe black cherry, and wild lavender, framed by subtle undertones of sweet garrigue and liquorice. On the medium-bodied palate, it unwinds with a deep, energetic core of fresh wild blackberry and plum. Silky, velvety tannins and a bright, focused acidity carry the wine into a beautifully smooth finish marked by a distinct, chalky salinity.

An emblematic Rioja showing exquisite balance, silkiness and opulence. Aromatic notes of spice, liquorice and pepper envelope ripe red fruits with a touch of balsamic on the long, smooth finish.