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.

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.

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: September 2023.

Alcohol: 12.5%.

Drinking window: 2023 - 2024.

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

The Wine.

A fresh, unoaked blend of four local grapes - Albariño, Godello, Treixadura and Loureira. This is a scintillating, crisp and zesty white with juicy lime and peach fruit, excellent balance and a highly moreish finish.

The Bodega.

O Cotarelo is a tiny little estate on the banks of the River Minho in Galicia, North West Spain. It covers 2.5 hectares of the Ribeiro D.O. The vines are long established (some up to 60 years old) and were taken on by Beni Razamonde in 2018. Working with Galician winemaking superstar Pablo Estévez, Beni produces a very small amount of ultra high quality red and white from the site.

The Appellation.

Ribeiro is Spain's oldest D.O. and is centred around the confluence of three rivers - the Mihno, Avia and Arnoia. Production is 90% white and the region's proximity to the Atlantic can be seen in the freshness and elegance of the wines. Most of the region's whites are a blend of grapes, with Treixadura being the most common, and Albariño, Godello and Torrontes also featuring heavily.

Offered: September 2023.

Alcohol: 13%.

Vintage report: A hot summer relieved by September rains resulted in excellent fruit quality and good quantity too.

Drinking window: 2023 - 2025.

Food matching: Ideal as an aperitif, with shell fish or alongside Galician specialities such as grilled pulpo.

The Wine.

100% Albariño aged in French barrique for a few months before bottling. Severely good white - fresh and zesty with bags of ripe citrus fruit (limes, lemons), as well as notes of peach and apricot. The time in oak barrel brings a wonderful richness and toasty complexity to the wine, but in a restrained and balanced way. It is absolutely delicious now but will peak in about 3 years or so.

The Bodega.

O Cotarelo is a tiny little estate on the banks of the River Minho in Galicia, North West Spain. It covers 2.5 hectares of the Ribeiro D.O. The vines are long established (some up to 60 years old) and were taken on by Beni Razamonde in 2018. Working with Galician winemaking superstar Pablo Estévez, Beni produces a very small amount of ultra high quality red and white from the site.

The Appellation.

Ribeiro is Spain's oldest D.O. and is centred around the confluence of three rivers - the Mihno, Avia and Arnoia. Production is 90% white and the region's proximity to the Atlantic can be seen in the freshness and elegance of the wines. Most of the region's whites are a blend of grapes, with Treixadura being the most common, and Albariño, Godello and Torrontes also featuring heavily.

Offered: September 2023.

Alcohol: 13%.

Vintage report: A hot summer relieved by September rains resulted in excellent fruit quality and good quantity too.

Drinking window: 2023 - 2030.

Food matching: A richer style of Albariño which would be a great match for fish stew or Galician speciality Arroz con Pulpo.

The Wine.

An unoaked blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah made from the family vines around the village of Suzette. Clean and cool with strawberry and cherry aromatics, a silky smooth texture and a long finish.

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. They have 1 hectare of Ventoux A.O.C. vines at an altitude of 500m. These are hand harvested and the juice is fermented using wild yeasts.

The Appellation.

Ventoux 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 much more manageable prices. Its key attribute is altitude. The high vineyards mean plentiful sun during the day but also cool nights. This range in temperature results in ripe fruit with good acidity - the latter bringing a crucial vibrancy to the wines.

Offered: August 2023.

Alcohol: 14.5%.

Vintage report: A light and fruity vintage that, as a rule, has produced fresh reds for earlier drinking. April frost damage meant yields were relatively low but there is excellent quality to be found.

Drinking window: 2023 - 2025.

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

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.