Fine French Red Wine

This is a textbook example of the grape, with warm, intense plum and blackberry fruit, gentle tannins and a burst of morello-cherry lusciousness.

A lively, cherry and red berry-scented pinot, with a soft, rounded palate full of black cherry and blackcurrant flavours.

A delicious red Rhône and a long a favourite of the Guide Hachette des Vins, Hugh Johnson, Robert Parker and ours. Grenache, syrah and just a touch of mourvedre.

From France's deep south where the daily heat gives red wines a bigger, richer character than further north. This a wine with structure, suppleness and plenty of warm, ripe fruit.

Made in only the best vintages and blended for us by Jonathan Maltus, the first Englishman to be awarded 100 points by Robert Parker. Rich, ripe merlot, beautifully integrated oak.

From this up-and-coming producer a sensational Côtes du Rhône village and for us, one of the best value wines to be found in all the Rhône valley. Very Châteauneuf.

A silky merlot blend from the Côtes de Castillon to deliciously demonstrate just how good - and ageworthy - the wines of Bordeaux's more affordable regions have become.

From pinot noir vines averaging 50 years of age comes this deeply fruited, peppery Bourgogne Rouge from the clay/limestone plateau in the Macon region of southern Burgundy.

From 3rd-growth Château Giscours (Margaux) and sumptuous, abundant, well-balanced proof that you need not always pay £20+ for a bottle of Left Bank pedigree and finesse.

Domaine les Grands Bois was recommended to us as the best local grower by the owner of the best bistro in Cairanne, itself the best of the 21 Cotes-du-Rhone villages.

A brilliant red for outdoor drinking. There is invigorating, zippy freshness to complement gorgeous concentration and grip. Perfect on its own but will equally stand up to hearty grilled meats. ...

An "utterly delicious Médoc" from one of the great Bordeaux vintages of recent times, and one in which a complexity of fruit-laden flavours now approaching full maturity.

Ripe, red-berried fruit on a dense silky palate. Savoury notes reminiscent of cigar box add a touch of refinement. Drinking well now and will continue to evolve.

Rasteau, with cairanne is the best of the 21 Cotes-du-Rhône Villages. Small fourth generation family growers Marc and Mireille Besnardeau's grenache, syrah and mourvedre Rasteau is a favourite of ours.

Vibrant, deeply flavoured cabernet sauvignon that is elegant, aromatic, and, though irresistible now, also happy to spend the next ten years developing further layers of enchanting nuance and flavour.

A captivating equilibrium between sumptuous, spicy dark fruit and a surprisingly gentle, fresh conclusion. A remarkable performance from a wine so youthful.

"The 2021 Juliénas 'Le Clos des Poulettes' is unique in that it's made in what I imagine to be the only working winery in France located in a church. 

Wonderful structure and balance, where merlot delivers rich, vibrant, plummy fruit, and cabernet franc adds structure, a touch of perfume and bouquet garni both aromatically and on the palate.

"...a resolutely Right Bank blend of 90 per cent Merlot/10 per cent Cabernet Franc despite coming from the Haut-Médoc..."

"...Saint-Estèphe is my one naughty treat really, of serious excellence. It was hugely enjoyable when we offered the same vintage last year and that enticing juiciness remains."

"...from a stellar château whose grand vin sells for just shy of £400 a bottle."

Expressive, vibrant nose with perfumed, floral notes enhancing blackberry, mulberry and plum aromas. Mint, mocha and exotic spice layers unfurl, leading to a rich, spicy, robustly structured palate.

"...one that FVD's Esme Johnstone, à la sungazer, believes is richer and more profound than the 2020 incarnation and already very approachable."