The hills of the Coteaux Varois produce some superb rosés. The extra height is the key. The cooler nights in the vineyard help the grapes to maintain their acidity, whilst also slowing their maturation. This means more ‘hang time’ on the vine (about two weeks compared to the lowland vineyards) and results in more characterful grapes.

Château Margillière is one of the most exciting estates in the appellation. They have been working organically since 1999 and their vineyards cover 25 hectares. The results are superb thanks to a combination of traditional vineyard techniques, top-spec winery equipment and painstaking attention to detail throughout the production process. 

Offered: May 2024.

Alcohol: 12.5% abv.

Vintage report: A hot, dry year resulted in concentrated, flavoursome grapes. Harvest was early in most cases in order retain the grapes' acidity and to stop alcohol levels getting too high. Quality was good to very good.

Tasting Notes: Beautifully balanced, crisp and elegant with soft, ripe red fruits, floral notes and a silky smooth finish.

Drinking window: At its best 2024 - 2026.

Food matching: Excellent as an aperitif but would also be a good match for grilled asparagus, Salade Nicoise, seafood risotto and cured meats (among others).

The Wine.

An unoaked blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, made from the family vines around the village of Suzette. Clean and cool with blackberry aromatics, a silky smooth texture and a long finish. The wine is completely delicious now but will benefit from a couple of years in the cellar.

The Estate.

Château Redortier was established in 1956 by Etienne and Chantal de Menthon, grandparents of Isabelle and Sabine who run the estate today. It sits in the shadow of the Dentelles de Montmirail with Mont Ventoux not far to the east. The vines are up to 60 years old and benefit from the altitude of the estate vineyards. The grapes are hand harvested and the juice is fermented using wild yeasts.

The Appellation.

Beaumes de Venise is an up-and-coming appellation in the southeast Rhône. It offers much of the quality of the more established appellations of the area (Gigondas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape et al), but at more manageable prices. Château Redortier is one of the region's leading small producers.

Offered: April 2024.

Alcohol: 14.5%.

Drinking window: 2024 – 2029.

Food matching: An excellent match for hard sheep's cheeses, roast chicken and barbecued steaks.

The Wine.

An outstanding, mature example of the much coveted Priorat style. Rich and fruity with plenty of freshness alongside notes of spice, eucalyptus, cedar and tobacco. 18 months in French oak and 6 or so years in bottle have turned this into a serious, complex and beautifully balanced red.

The Estate.

Sola Classic is one of just 60 or so bodegas operating in this tiny region and has been owned by the Barcelo family since 1777. The vineyards have been organic since 2009 and all harvesting is done by hand. The vines are 45 - 75 years old which means small production but great quality of fruit.

The Appellation.

Priorat is a tiny appellation in Catalonia, north east Spain. Here old vines cling to steeply terraced vineyards under the hot mediterranean sun, and gnarled vines produce small quantities of intense red wines from the Garnacha and Cariñena grape varieties.

The region has produced wines since Roman times, but experienced an extraordinary renaissance in the 1990s. A number of wine makers, recognising the area's potential, bought up small plots of land and began applying modern winemaking techniques to production. It is now turns out some of the most sought after wines in Spain.

Offered: February 2024.

Alcohol: 14.5%.

Drinking window: 2023 – 2027.

Food matching: A rich, full bodied wine that would match well with mature hard, ewe’s milk cheeses, slow roast meats – venison, lamb, pork belly – or sausage cassoulet.

The Wine.

A beautifully balanced, unoaked white Beaujolais that drinks like a high class Burgundy. Fresh and floral with tangerine fruit, gentle acidity and a clean, lingering finish. Very impressive stuff. Drinking perfectly now but can cellar for a couple more years.

The Estate.

Domaine Longère covers five hectares of prime terroir in the villages of Le Perréon and Vaux en Beaujolais. Jean-Luc Longère, sixth generation winemaker, has been in charge of the estate since 1988. Under his stewardship they became one of the first producers in the region to receive the Terra Vitis certification for sustainable practices.

The Appellation.

The Beaujolais appellation is just to the south of Burgundy in eastern-central France. Roughly 98% of production is red, but the 2% of white is well worth seeking out. Made from 100% Chardonnay they tend to have a distinctive floral, gentleness to them that sets them apart from the Chardonnays made to the north.

Offered: March 2024.

Alcohol: 14.5%.

Drinking window: 2023 - 2025.

Food matching: A great match for goat's cheese, scallops or a chestnut tart.

The Wine.

A bright and refreshing, Grenache-driven blend from two spots within the Cairanne appellation - Les Restanques and Les Garrigues. Unoaked, the focus here is on purity of fruit (strawberry, cherry), balance and freshness.

The Négocient.

Francois-Xavier is one of a new generation of 'garage' négocients - winemakers who seek out the best terroirs and producers in order to create their own small batches of very high quality wine. A master blender and outstanding winemaker, with extensive knowledge of the northern and southern Rhône, his small line up of wines is terrifically good and exceptionally good value.

The Appellation.

Cairanne is a small appellation just to the north of Avignon. It was awarded its own 'Cru' status in 2016, making it one of 17 such villages in the Rhône Valley (two other examples are Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas). Its rocky, sun-drenched, garrigue-covered hillsides produce almost entirely red wines. They are known for their generous, ripe fruit, freshness and elegance.

Offered: February 2024.

Alcohol: 14.5%

Drinking window: The wine is absolutely delicious now - silky smooth and highly more-ish - so I would advise drinking within the next year or so. If you prefer your Côtes du Rhône more savoury and mature though, this does have the legs to last up to ten years.

Food matching: A winning match for roasts, stews and hard cheeses.

The Wine.

A vibrant, fruit forward and complex Bordeaux from the great 2018 vintage. Expect cassis, blueberries, cedar and leather; fine grained tannins and a fresh, more-ish finish. Seriously delicious now but can age through to 2030.

The Estate.

The estate was founded by the Bernaleau family in 1983 and covers 8 hectares in the heart of the Haut-Médoc. It was awarded Cru Bourgeois status in 2003 and more recently the family's dedication to sustainability was recognised with the HEV certification (High Environmental Value).

The Appellation.

The Haut-Médoc lies on the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary and is home to the famous Bordeaux communes of St-Estèphe, St-Julien, Margaux and Pauillac. Within these smaller appellations you will find some of the world's finest wines, but if you are looking for serious Left Bank Claret at a more manageable price, the Haut-Médoc appellation itself is the place to look - here you will find some of the best value wines in Bordeaux.

Offered: October 2023.

Alcohol: 13.5%.

Drinking window: 2023 – 2030.

Food matching: Sunday roasts and hard sheep’s cheeses such as Brébis Napoleon or aged Pecorino.

'Grower' Champagnes offer some of the highest quality and best value drinking in the region, but are still something of a well kept secret in the UK.

Made from grapes grown by the producers themselves (not bulk bought like the big brand equivalents), these are hand-crafted, single estate wines that would sell for a lot more if they could match the marketing power of the big Champagne houses.

The Fresne Ducret 'Les Nouveaux Explorateurs' Premier Cru NV is an outstandingly good example, with that perfect balance of ripe fruit, rich, brioche-like yeastiness and crisp (but not too crisp!) acidity.

The Fresne family have been growing grapes in Champagne for 7 generations. Their vines are in the 1er Cru village of Villedommange, near Reims, and today it is Pierre Fresne who oversees the whole operation - from vineyard management through to the dosage, riddling and final corking.

The resulting Champagnes are a testament to the family's meticulous production methods and the quality of the domaine's Premier Cru terroir.

Offered: November 2023.

Alcohol: 12%.

Drinking window: 2023 – 2030.

Food matching: Excellent as an aperitif but even better with smoked salmon or potted shrimp.

The Wine.

The Nages Liberty white is a sort of declassified Costières de Nîmes in that the blend contains a small amount of Colombard, a grape not allowed in Costières de Nîmes AOC wines. As a result, it is labelled as a simple non-vintage Vin de France. Unoaked, minerally and zesty with delicate aromas of grapefruit, passion fruit and tangerine

The Estate.

Château de Nages has been in the same family for four generations and under current owner and winemaker, Michel Gassier, it has become one of the leading estates in the Costières de Nîmes. They farm organically and as sustainably as possible, keeping the use of copper fungicides to a minimum (although they are allowed in organic farming) and grazing sheep on the land between October and March to fertilise the soil, keep weeds under control and avoid compaction of the soil caused by tractors.

The Appellation.

Costières de Nîmes is a small region in southern France where the Rhône meets the Mediterranean. It boasts enviable growing conditions, with plenty of sun, a plateau of well drained pebbly ground and the Mistral breeze acting as a natural fungicide by keeping the air moving among the vines.

Offered: September 2023.

Alcohol: 12.5%.

Drinking window: 2023 - 2024.

Food matching: Summer salads, grilled fish or young hard cheeses.