The Wine.

The 2021 Fleurie is made from 100% Gamay, it is unoaked, lightly filtered and aged for 7 months at low temperatures before release.

The resulting wine is an absolute beauty – finely balanced with wonderfully pure red fruit (strawberry, cherry), silky smooth tannins and a lovely, more-ish freshness. Drink 2023 – 2025 and Sylvain advises giving it about 15 minutes in the fridge before opening.

The Domaine.

Sylvain owns 10.5 hectares of old vines in the Fleurie appellation of northern Beaujolais. His vines are spread over several plots, each of which brings its own character to the wines. The north facing vines for example bring freshness and elegance, the south facing vineyards power and roundness.
He farms his land according to the sustainable practices laid out by Terra Vitis – an organisation founded in Beaujolais that espouses responsible viticulture.

The Appellation.

The best wines in Beaujolais come from the 10 ‘Crus’ in the rolling hills of the north of the region. Fleurie is one such Cru and, as the name suggests, it produces wines with a floral delicacy and finesse.

Offered: June 2023.

Alcohol: 13%.

Vintage report: A relatively low yielding vintage due to hail and frost damage, the wines are fresh, vital and delicately fruity.

Drinking window: 2023 - 2025.

Food matching: Drink with charcuterie, terrines and white-rinded cheeses such as Brie and Camembert.

The Desvignes family have been making wine on this 11 hectare estate for five generations. Gautier joined his father Eric there in 2016 and has pushed the estate to new heights, insisting on hand harvesting in small bins, a more organic approach to viticulture and building a new cellar for a gentler élévage.

The resulting wines have been receiving superb reviews, with robertparker.com declaring the estate "very much a Côte Chalonnaise address to watch" and a "potential future star".

The 2021 'Clos du Vernoy' is drinking beautifully already but will improve through to 2033 if you can tuck it away. As it stands, it is silky smooth with beautiful aromatics, fresh red fruit and slightly balsamic notes.

Offered: May 2023.

Alcohol: 13%.

Vintage report: A challenging vintage due to frost, hail and a relatively wet July. The resulting wines are fresh and lively though, with a lovely aromatics.

Drinking window: 2023 - 2033.

Food matching: Roast chicken or game, mushroom risotto.

The Desvignes family have been making wine on this 11 hectare estate for five generations. Gautier joined his father Eric there in 2016 and has pushed the estate to new heights, insisting on hand harvesting in small bins, a more organic approach to viticulture and building a new cellar for a gentler élévage.

The resulting wines have been receiving superb reviews, with robertparker.com declaring the estate "very much a Côte Chalonnaise address to watch" and a "potential future star".

The 2021 'Clos Charlé' is drinking beautifully already but will improve through to 2035 if you can tuck it away. As it stands, it is full, fresh and beautifully balanced with bright cherry fruit, a slight smokiness and a rich juiciness that keeps you coming back for more.

Offered: May 2023.

Alcohol: 13.

Vintage report: A challenging vintage due to frost, hail and a relatively wet July. The resulting wines are fresh and lively though, with a lovely aromatics.

Drinking window: 2023 - 2035.

Food matching: Roast chicken or game, mushroom risotto

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 2023.

Alcohol: 12.5% abv.

Vintage report: A bit of frost trouble in April affected yields but all in all this was an excellent vintage. Plentiful sun resulted in ripe wines but not at the cost of freshness - the rosés have maintained that all important brightness and acidity.

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

Drinking window: At its best 2023 - 2025.

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.

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: April 2023.

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.

The VOX 2017 drinks like a hedonistic Châteauneuf-du-Pape - intense dark berry fruit, notes of spice box and garrigue, silky tannins and a fresh acidity that brings a crucial tension to the wine. It is utterly delicious and highly moreish as it is, but you could lay it down for another 8 or so years. Personally though, honestly I'd recommend diving in straightaway with a hearty beef stew or some hard cheeses.

The Estate.

Château de Nages has been in the same family for four generations and under current owner and winemaker, Michel Gassier ("a relentless and talented farmer" - Jeb Dunnuck), it has become the leading estate 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: March 2023.

Alcohol: 15%.

Drinking window: 2023 – 2031.

Food matching: Roasts, stews and hard cheeses.

The Wine.

Superb old vine Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre blend, impressively aromatic and brimming with ripe red fruit. Bright, fresh, full-ish bodied, it is drinking beautifully now but will age well for a good 6 - 8 years if you want to lay it down.

The Estate.

Château de Nages has been in the same family for four generations and under current owner and winemaker, Michel Gassier ("a relentless and talented farmer" - Jeb Dunnuck), it has become the leading estate 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: March 2023.

Alcohol: 14.5%.

Drinking window: 2023 – 2031.

Food matching: Roasts, stews and hard cheeses.

The Wine.

A blend of 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Malbec, the Haut Rocher is fresh and fruity with a wonderful depth of flavour. Expect plump red and black fruit, silky tannins, floral notes and subtle aromas of cedar, liquorice and cigar box.

The Estate.

Château Haut Rocher has been in the Monteil family since the 17th Century and is today run by Béatrice and Jérome de Monteil (the same family that own Château Bréhat - the Claret I offered before Christmas).

The estate is in the process of converting to organic and is advised by Thomas Duclos - one of Bordeaux's top oenological consultants. Thomas' main aim is that the wine should accurately reflect the estate's terroir, so there is minimal intervention in the winery. He also insists on hand harvesting and phased picking so that the grapes vary slightly in maturity. This gives him a wider palette of expression when blending the wines. On top of this, sorting is severe to ensure only the best grapes are included in the Grand Cru.

Offered: March 2023.

Alcohol: 14.5%.

Vintage report: A wet spring caused trouble with rot which cut yields a bit, the long hot summer that followed though more than compensated for this, sweeping away any rot still in the vines, and producing ripe, fresh grapes all of which were harvested under clear skies. All in all, an excellent vintage for drinking now but which will age well too.

Drinking window: 2023 - 2033.

Food matching: Drink with roast beef, other grilled meats or hard cheeses.