Tenuta Castellaro’s vineyards cover the highest points of the island of Lipari and are just metres from the sea - albeit atop towering cliff – facing north towards the Aeolian islands of Salina, Alicudi and Filicudi.

The estate is planted with a selection of indigenous vines and managed along strict organic lines. Mechanized processes are excluded the overall aim is to let the fruit and terroir shine with as little intervention as possible during the wine making process.

The Nero Ossidiana is the estate's electrifyingly good red. A blend of Corinto and Nero d'Avola, the Sicilian signature red grape variety. It is dripping with vibrant red fruit, has fresh acidity a soft spiciness and a remarkable mineral, volcanic edge courtesy of the extraordinary terroir. It is robust but also very easy drinking at 13% abv.

Offered: June 2018

Alcohol: 13%

Vintage report: An excellent vintage with ideal growing conditions producing fresh, ripe, rich reds.

Drinking window: Drink 2018 – 2028.

Food matching: Best with grilled red meats, would make for a very senior BBQ red.

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Tenuta Castellaro’s vineyards cover the highest points of the island of Lipari and are just metres from the sea - albeit atop towering cliff – facing north towards the Aeolian islands of Salina, Alicudi and Filicudi.

The estate is planted with a selection of indigenous vines and managed along strict organic lines. Mechanized processes are excluded and the overall aim is to let the fruit and terroir shine with as little intervention as possible during the wine making process.

The Bianco Porticello is an unoaked blend of Carricante and Moscato Bianco. It is a superbly crisp and invigorating summer white - dry, minerally and zesty, with citrus and peachy fruit and somehow a sort of sea spray freshness.

Offered: June 2018                       

Alcohol: 12%

Vintage report: Yields down on 2016. A long, hot, dry summer produced concentrated whites, nonetheless with good freshness and acidity.

Drinking window: 2018 - 2020

Food matching: Delicious as an aperitif but would go very well with shellfish or antipasti.

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I was tipped off about Eric Chevalier's operation in a little wine bar in Nantes when I was cycling through in 2016. He took over his family estate back in 2005 and since then has gradually established himself as one of the region's rising stars.

Muscadet is the main wine produced in the area, but it is Eric's Fié Gris that has really thrust him into the spotlight. Sometimes known as Sauvignon Gris, this is an ancient Loire variety which combines the fruitiness and zip of Sauvignon Blanc with the lushness and aromatics of Alsace Pinot Gris.

There are only about 100 hectares of it left in the Loire (Eric has 2.5 of them), but it is sensational stuff and Eric has been winning awards left right and centre for his.

Further Details

Region: The estate covers 27 hectares in the Pays de Retz. A small area at the western, Atlantic end of the Loire Valley, just to the south west of Nantes. The wine is categorised as a Vin de Pays du Val de Loire. This being one of the 140 or so Vin de Pays regions found in France.

Offered: June 2018.

Price was: £14.95.

Alcohol: 13.5% abv.

Vintage report: 2016 was a tricky vintage in the western Loire with frost and lack of water causing difficulties. September's excellent harvest conditions saved the day though and the end result was a decent sized harvest of ripe, concentrated grapes with good acidity.

Drinking window: 2018 – 2020.

Food matching: Delicious as an aperitif but would pair well with seafood or summer salads.

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The Legado del Moncayo is an unoaked Garnacha from Campo de Borja, a little known region just to the south east of Rioja which specialises in the Garnacha grape.

It is made by Isaac Fernandez, a brilliant young producer from prestigious wine making stock (his uncle was winemaker at Vega Sicilia), who has set about rediscovering forgotten but exceptional terroirs around Spain.

His Legado del Moncayo 2017 comes from old Garnacha vines on the slopes of Mount Moncayo (an extinct volcano); it is beautifully balanced, vibrant, fresh and fruity; very smooth and an absolute bargain for under £10 a bottle.

Offered: May 2018.

Alcohol: 14%.

Vintage report: Quantities down on 2016 but overall quality very good thanks to a long, hot, dry spring and summer. As a result very few issues with disease and bunches were ripe and healthy.

Drinking window: 2018 – 2021.

Food matching: An excellent match for tapas, hard cheeses, charcuterie or lighter grilled meat dishes.

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The Ventoux appellation lies just to the east of the southern Rhône proper and produces rich, Rhône-style reds from Syrah and Grenache, often with an extra level of freshness thanks to the influence of Mont Ventoux – bane of the Tour de France cyclists.

The region has started to produce some first-class wines in the last decade or so, but prices are in most cases still very reasonable.

Château Juvenal is one of the small estates leading the charge, producing a handful of highly-rated organic wines under the guidance of winemaking legend Philippe Cambie.

The Les Garrigues 2015 is unoaked, rich and fruity but with a lovely mellowness and smoothness thanks to a couple of years in bottle. It has a more savoury edge than the Ribes du Vallat, is lighter in body and would be best drunk over the next year or so. 

Offered: April 2018.

Alcohol: 14.5% abv.

Vintage report: Yields of Grenache a little low, quality excellent though. A punchy vintage with rich, ripe and relatively high alcohol wines.

Drinking window: Delicious 2018 – 2019.

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The Ventoux appellation lies just to the east of the southern Rhône proper and produces rich, Rhône-style reds from Syrah and Grenache, often with an extra level of freshness thanks to the influence of Mont Ventoux – bane of the Tour de France cyclists.

The region has started to produce some first-class wines in the last decade or so, but prices are in most cases still very reasonable.

Château Juvenal is one of the small estates leading the charge, producing a handful of highly-rated organic wines under the guidance of winemaking legend Philippe Cambie.

The Ribes du Vallat is stop-you-in-your-tracks delicious. The emphasis is very much on the fruit (raspberries, cherries) and no oak is used. It is full-bodied, ripe and fresh and a serious bargain at for under £15 a bottle.

Offered: April 2018.

Alcohol: 15% abv.

Vintage report: Even better than the great 2015 vintage! Hot days, cool nights and a lengthy, warm September. Nigh on perfect conditions according to many vignerons.

Drinking window: Delicious now but will age well over the next 3 to 4 years.

Food matching: This is very much a food wine, and would be a great match for beef stews, chargrilled steak, and hard sheep’s cheeses such as Pecorino or Ossau-Iraty.

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The tiny Terrasses du Larzac appellation lies just to the north of Montpellier on the southern slopes of the Larzac plateau. It was carved out of the larger Languedoc appellation in 2004 in recognition of its unique terroir, and is now seen by many as one of the best spots in the region.

Sébastien Fillon is one of Larzac’s rising stars and together with his wife Béatrice and brother-in-law Nicolas Mollard, they produce the Mollard et Fillon, Terrasses du Larzac red. It is 100% organic and made from a combination of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan. The grapes are bought from a selection of the best vineyards in the area (all hand harvested) and vinified at Domaine Clos du Serre - the Fillon's much lauded Terrasses du Larzac estate. It is then aged for one year (partially in French oak barrels) before release.

The 2015 is a rich, juicy and impressively complex wine that punches well above its £14.95 price point. It is ripe and delicious now but has the structure to age well over the next 4 - 5 years. It will benefit from a couple of hours breathing before drinking.

Offered: April 2018.

Alcohol: 14%.

Vintage report: A great vintage in the Languedoc, generally thought to be on a par with the superb 2010. The wines are rich, deep and well structured.

Drinking window: 2018 – 2023.

Food matching: Nicolas recommends roast lamb or beef ribs with French fries.

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Vincent Ricard is the 5th generation of his family to run this excellent small estate in the Loire Valley, and since taking over has gained quite a reputation in the area and increasingly internationally.

Production is small but quality is excellent thanks to the age of the vines (30 – 40 years old); the excellent terroir (the same clay and limestone soil that creates the richest Sancerres); and Vincent’s meticulous attention to detail throughout the production process – including keeping herbicide and pesticide use to an absolute minimum.

The Tasciaca 2016 comes from the highest Sauvignon Blanc plots on the estate and is fermented and aged in old oak barrels rather than stainless steel tanks - a technique used by the top Loire winemakers which adds texture and complexity to the finished product. Not oakiness as would be the case if the barrels were new.

Offered: March 2018

Alcohol: 12.5%

Vintage report: Tricky weather conditions throughout but the vintage ended well with fine weather at the end of summer and the resulting Sauvignon Blanc grapes tended to be concentrated with excellent aromatics.

Drinking window: 2018 – 2021.

Food matching: This white has the weight to stand up to food well. It would be perfect with goats cheese or creamy fish and chicken dishes.

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