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.

The wild and remote Toro region in northwest Spain, has gone from zero to hero in the last 10 to 15 years. Practically unheard of in the 90s, it is fast becoming one of Spain’s most exciting fine wine regions.

While the region establishes itself, there is still some serious value to be found though, and Xavier Iturria's wines are prime examples.

Xavier bought his plot of ungrafted old vines back in 2009 and has been making quite a name for himself since then. He makes just two wines, both rich reds as is the Toro way but with an elegance that is becoming his signature style.

The Valdosan is his top wine, it is 100% Tinto de Toro and comes from 60 year old vines. It is aged in French oak for almost two years before release and the resulting wine is an incredible combination of power, elegance, freshness and complexity. This is the sort of wine that seems to reveal something else each time you take a sip.

Offered: February 2023

Alcohol: 14.5%

Vintage report: A high yielding, high quality vintage thanks to plenty of rain in winter and a long, hot summer.

Drinking window: 2023 – 2035.

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

The wild and remote Toro region in northwest Spain, has gone from zero to hero in the last 10 to 15 years. Practically unheard of in the 90s, it is fast becoming one of Spain’s most exciting fine wine regions.

While the region establishes itself, there is still some serious value to be found though, and Xavier Iturria's wines are prime examples.

Xavier bought his plot of ungrafted old vines back in 2009 and has been making quite a name for himself since then. He makes just two wines, both rich reds as is the Toro way but with an elegance that is becoming his signature style.

The Iturria 2019 is a wonderfully smooth, polished red made from 90% Tinta de Toro and 10% Garnacha. It is medium bodied with ripe, dark cherry fruit, a bit of spice, freshness thanks to the altitude and a slight toastiness from 22 months ageing in French oak. The overall balance is excellent and the complexity mightily impressive for the price.

Offered: February 2023.

Alcohol: 14.5%

Vintage report: Low rainfall during the winter followed by a warm, dry spring and a hot summer resulted in excellent quality grapes - intensely flavoured and deep in colour. Yields across the region were down about 25% but quality was outstanding.

Drinking window: 2023 - 2028.

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

The Wine.

A lightly oaked blend of classic southern Rhone white grapes (Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Clairette and Viognier), this is a beautifully balanced, old-vine white with freshness and fruit (peach, pear), a subtle richness from the oak barrels and long, slightly saline finish.

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: April 2022.

Alcohol: 13.5%.

Drinking window: 2022 – 2024.

Food matching: A good match for grilled chicken, creamy seafood dishes or fresh goat's cheeses.

Finding whites of this calibre at this price hardly ever happens. Jan and Caryl have managed to pull off that rarest of tricks – produce an age-worthy, fresh and characterful white which is light on it’s feet and remarkably good value.

Fresh, orangey and minerally with a discrete richness from the oak barrel ageing (15% new), it is delicious now but will age beautifully over the next 2 - 3 years. I love it for its mix of Loire freshness (from the Chenin Blanc and the local Mauzac), and Burgundian roundness (from the Chardonnay and the oak). If possible, give it a bit of time in a decanter to open up. The bottle I tried was even better on night two.

Offered: February 2022.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Vintage report: A very wet spring followed by a boiling hot, dry summer added up to challenging conditions. As a result yields were low but, thanks largely to a steady westerly wind, quality was excellent. 

Drinking window: 2022 – 2025.

Food matching: Very versatile, works as an aperitif but would also go well with chicken and leek pie, smoked salmon pasta or pork chops to name a few.

The tiny Domaine de l'Amauve is run along organic lines with minimal spraying and a real focus on biodiversity in order to create the healthiest, richest possible environment for the vines.

The vines are old and low yielding, and thanks to the altitude of the vineyards and their western facing aspect, the wines are ripe but with real freshness too.

These natural advantages, combined with Christian's exacting work in the vineyard and experienced hand in the cellar, are fast making the domaine one of the most exciting prospects in the appellation.

Offered: February 2022.

Alcohol: 14.5% abv.

Vintage Report: Yields were slightly down due to a tricky spring. A hot, dry summer though, with a single storm in August bringing some welcome rain, resulted in excellent, fruity reds with fine tannins and a nice deep colour.

Tasting Notes: A fresh, fruity and aromatic DELIGHT, with excellent balance, medium to full body and silky, fine-grained tannins.

Drinking window: At its best 2022 - 2025.

Food matching: Grilled red meats and hard cheeses.