Yannick Cadiou was until recently the head vigneron for Domaine Laroche, one of Chablis' grandest domaines. He now has his own, meticulously managed little estate and is turning out small amounts of first-rate Chablis at very good prices.

His parcel of vineyards are organically farmed and hand harvested. Yields are low but as a result, the wines are wonderfully fragrant and intense. This crisp, mineral, fruit forward 2019 is a mouth-wateringly good example.

Offered: December 2021.

Alcohol: 12.5% abv.

Vintage Report: 2019 was a small vintage, yielding complex and intense wines.

Tasting Notes: Fresh and minerally with ripe citrus fruit (lemon and grapefruit) and floral notes.

Drinking window: At its best 2021 - 2028.

Food matching: Drink with smoked salmon, vegetable risotto or hard cheeses such as Comté or Gruyère, to name a few.

'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 2021.

Alcohol: 12%.

Drinking window: 2021 – 2025.

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

The Wine.

100% Chenin Blanc, aged on the lees for 6 months and lightly oaked. This is just starting to come into its own. Soft and rounded but with a minerally acidity alongside apricots, limes and grapefruit. A delicious, tense, complex white that is superb now but would age well for a good 4 years or so.

The Estate.

Domaine Dutertre has been in the same family for 5 generation and is currently run by Gilles Dutertre. The estate is based in the village of Limeray on the northern banks of the Loire Valley, not far from the town of Amboise. They are currently undergoing conversion to organic viticulture.

Offered: October 2021.

Alcohol: 14%.

Vintage report: A very good and large vintage in the Loire Valley. Plenty of heat meant concentrated whites with lower acidity than usual. A particularly good vintage for Chenin Blanc.

Drinking window: 2021 – 2026.

Food matching: Fish pie, milder cheeses such as Caerphilly or Lancashire.

The Domaine.

Brother and sister Béatrice and Raphaël Dubois are fourth generation winemakers based in Premeaux-Prissey, close to Nuits Saint Georges. This cuvée comes from their 0.8 hectare parcel of vines over on the Hautes-Côtes.

The Wine.

Brisk and lively Chardonnay, sparingly oaked. Citrus fruit with honeysuckle and hawthorn. Lovely balance with a lingering minerally finish. Exactly the sort of fresh but characterful white Burgundy that I love, this is drinking beautifully now but can age for a further 2 years.

Hautes-Côtes de Nuits.

The Hautes-Côtes de Nuits AOC is in the famous Côte d'Or department of northern Burgundy. To the north east is Chablis, and to the south, the Côte de Beaune, then the Côte Chalonnaise and further down, the Mâconnais.

Offered: August 2021

Alcohol: 13.5%

Vintage report: Plenty of rain during the winter served the vines well during a long, hot summer. The result was a high quality, bumper crop.

Drinking window: 2021 - 2023

Food matching: Roast chicken, simple fish dishes, soft, creamy cheeses. 

The Estate.

Château Coudert was bought by the Carles family back in 1961. It sits atop the highest hill in the St-Christophe-des-Bardes area of St-Emilion. There are 10 hectares under vine, all farmed with a keen eye on sustainability. Harvest is by hand, and vinification, blending and ageing is all done under the watchful eye of famous oenologist, Jean-Philippe Fort.

The Wine.

Made from 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and aged in French oak for one year, the Coudert 2012 is a superb example of fine mature Right Bank Claret. Rich and full with velvety tannins, juicy red fruit and complex mature notes of cigar box and leather.

St-Emilion.

Along with Pomerol, St-Emilion is one of the two most important wine appellations on Bordeaux's Right Bank. (The Right Bank being the one to your right as you follow the river to the sea, in this case, the River Dordogne).
Merlot is the key grape variety here, with Cabernet Franc making up most of the rest of the plantings. As a result, the region's wines tend to be softer and faster ageing than their counterparts on the Left Bank, where the more tannic and therefore long-lived Cabernet Sauvignon dominates.

Offered: July 2021.

Alcohol: 13.5%.

Vintage report: A good vintage for the early ripening Merlot grape which was harvested before the Autumn rains arrived. As such, some lovely wines were made on the Right Bank. The later ripening Cabernet Sauvignon struggled in the wet conditions before harvest meaning the Left Bank fared less well.

Drinking window: It will be at its best over the next year or so.

Food matching: Drink with roast beef, hearty stews or hard cheeses.

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: April 2021.

Alcohol: 12.5%.

Drinking window: 2022 - 2024.

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

The Wine.

The Nages Liberty red is a sort of declassified Costières de Nîmes in that the blend contains a small amount of Merlot, a grape not allowed in Costières de Nîmes AOC wines. As a result, it is labelled as a simple non-vintage Vin de France. Lively, fruity and delicately balanced it is an easy drinking beauty at just 12.5% abv.

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: April 2022.

Alcohol: 12.5%.

Drinking window: 2022 - 2024.

Food matching: Roast chicken, pizza, medium strength hard cheeses such as Ossau Iraty or Comté.

The Estate.

Château de Lavernette is nestled in the hills of southern Burgundy where the Maconnais meets Beaujolais. Its vineyards have been worked for hundreds of years; by monks during the Middle Ages and then the Lavernette family from 1596 onwards. Today it is run by their direct descendants - Bertrand and Anke de Boissieu, their son Xavier and his wife Kerrie.

The domaine specialises in Pouilly-Fuissé and Beaujolais, and the vineyards have been organically and biodynamically certified for over a decade. All harvesting is done by hand.

The Wine.

Made from 60 year old vines, the Bourgogne Blanc 2018 is bright and fresh with ripe citrus fruit, delicate floral notes and a subtle richness from the fermentation in 3 – 4 year old oak barrels. Beautifully balanced, medium bodied and perfect for drinking this spring through to 2025. Highly recommended for white Burgundy lovers.

Alcohol: 13%.

Vintage report: Plenty of rain during the winter served the vines well during a long, hot summer. The result was a high quality, bumper crop.

Drinking window: 2021 – 2025.

Food matching: Roast chicken, potted shrimp, soft, creamy cheeses.