The Wine.

The La Folie 2018 comes from the best plot on Gonzague's estate, where 30 - 40 year old, low-yielding Merlot vines surround a small 18th century architectural 'folly'.

The wine was aged in French barrel for 12 months before release. It is fresh and finely balanced with plump cassis and plum fruit, silky tannins and notes of sandalwood and tobacco.

It is perfect for drinking now while the vibrant fruit stands up nicely to the oak, but can certainly age too if you favour a more savoury, mature style of Claret.

The Estate.

Following years of training at respected châteaux around Bordeaux and in the Loire Valley, Gonzague bought his winery and a first plot of 3.2 hectares of vines back in 2005. Extensive repairs to the chai and vineyard were undertaken and slowly, slowly he has established the domaine as a greatly respected producer in the area. He has been farming the land organically since 2010 but does not seek certification and the bureaucratic hoop jumping that that entails.

Offered: February 2025.

Alcohol: 14.5%.

Drinking window: 2025 - 2030.

Food matching: Roast red meats. Mushroom risotto. Hard sheep's cheeses.

The Wine.

A blend of 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in a mixture of new and once used oak barrels. Expect pure crunchy fruit (cassis, raspberry), smooth tannins, freshness, notes of cedar, tobacco and eucalyptus.

The Estate.

Château Brehat is a lovely little estate that straddles the border of St-Emilion and Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux. This particular cuvée comes from their 5 hectares of Castillon vineyard and brings all the delicious, silky charm of St-Emilion at a very manageable Castillon price.

The Château has been in the Monteil family since the 17th Century and is today run by Béatrice and Jérome de Monteil. The 5 hectares of vines that they own in Castillon cover south facing slopes a stone's throw from the estate's St-Emilion vineyards. The terroir as you can imagine is very similar. The estate has been undergoing conversion to organic since 2019.

Offered: November 2024.

Alcohol: 14.5%.

Drinking window: 2024 – 2028.

Food matching: Roast beef, roast lamb, hard sheep’s cheeses such as an aged Manchego or Pecorino.

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: October 2024.

Alcohol: 15%.

Drinking window: 2024 – 2032.

Food matching: Roasts, stews and 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: October 2024.

Alcohol: 13.5%.

Drinking window: 2024 – 2027.

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

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 2025.

Alcohol: 14.5%.

Drinking window: 2025 – 2030.

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 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.

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.