Classic blackcurrant aromas of Cabernet in an easy-drinking style. Ripe fruit, and bags of flavour.
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Made by Chile's foremost organic and biodynamic winemaker from a couple of small vineyard blocks in the Maipo. No chemicals are used at any stage, making this fascinating blend of Cabernet, Carmenere and Syrah particularly pure and that much more enticing. Miniscule quantities made Black fruit, spice and some wild forest floor aromas.
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A fanfare of alluring black fruit, spice and warm autumnal aromas. A modern classic from the Languedoc. Rhône meets Bordeaux, falls in love, and cocks-a-snook at all New World pretenders. Divine.
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Elegant fruit and solid structure. Classic St. Julien of a distinctly superior character. Reserve this for special occasions and grand dinners.
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Big, full-bodied and loaded with ripe blackberry fruit. Benchmark Aussie Shiraz.
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Strong. Rich black fruit with liquorice undertones. The character of the Syrah shines through in exemplary fashion on the finish. Textbook stuff with added pleasure.
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You'd think naming an appellation after a Roman god would give it a head start in the prestige stakes. But Mercurey struggles because it's south of the Côte de Beaune and dismissed by those who drink labels instead of wine. Since the '60s Jean Maréchal (whose family has grown grapes here since 1570) has raised [...]

Complex, Merlot-rich claret, with hints of damsons and chocolate, an ideal partner for stews and casseroles. Pure, unadulterated, unoaked essence of St-Emilion from Isabelle Visage, who believes passion is central to winemaking: you must enjoy what you do and relish drinking the result. "Pleasure is everything." She and father Régisse work 4 parcels of vines [...]

Tannat is a grape variety native to the Gascony region of southwest France. It is by nature a producer of darkly-coloured chewy reds, but in this case thoughtful modern winemaking has brought out the softer fruit flavours. Made by the ultra-reliable Plaimont winery, who have an admirable focus on polishing the finer characters of the [...]

Inky richness of wild berries and cooked plums with a fine and lingering oak edged finish.
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Easygoing yet satisfyingly complex, this lovely wine, with its aromas of raspberries and cherry-stone elegance, is at its best with roast duck or soft cheeses. Based in Lantignie near the 'cru' village of Regnié, the Joubert family operate from a charming chalet-like wooden winery. It sits in a mini-crevasse formed by the village's towering church [...]

The 2005 vintage is concentrated and ripe - drink from 2012 but will be best (we think!) in 2020. Can you wait that long?
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Given Southwold's proud seafaring tradition, it was hard to resist bottles from Tuscany's Barbanera ('Black Beard') family, based near Montepulciano. Fitting, then, that the wine we liked best was this hearty Chianti Riserva made from 100% Sangiovese: 'sanguis Jovis', the blood of Jupiter. Sourced from old, low-yielding vines and oak-aged for two years, it's ripe, [...]

Revitalised management at this 60-year-old co-op winery in the Western Cape's idyllic Franschhoek Valley has rallied the number of crush-contributors to 50, including historic Huguenot estate La Motte. Dynamic, Cape- and California-trained Jolene Calitz has proven that Franschhoek can be red wine country. French oak-aged for 5 months, this supple, juicy red blend suits light [...]

The town of Andosilla, at Rioja's northern edge, has prospered by its proximity to vineyards set among the fertile plains of the rivers Ebro and Ega in the beautiful valley of Baztan. Bodegas Bagordi was born of the enthusiasm of several local grapegrowers who united in 1995 to produce organic wines. Their success is evident [...]

Classic claret. Mellow, complex, mature aromas and flavours. The perfect match for traditional roast beef.
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There's nothing lean, mean or green about the Loire Cabernet Francs of Frédéric Mabileau. As wife Nathalie (mother of two dimpled boys) says "He knows how to make chubby babies. " Frédéric lovingly tends his Bourgeuil vineyards, ploughing between rows to aerate the soil, and pruning and training to expose bunches to maximum sunlight. His [...]

Firm-structured, with aromas of blackcurrants, cedar and spice, and classy oak at the finish. Roast lamb wine. We've found Château du Glana to be a reliable supplier of outstanding value clarets to challenge its illustrious neighbours in St.-Julien, châteaux Ducru Beaucaillou and Léoville-Barton. All are situated on a ridge of pebbles left by a glacier [...]

Crozes-Hermitage, on a fertile plain encircling the stony hill of Hermitage, offers less heroic styles for sooner drinking. There is much to admire in these elegant northern Rhône Syrahs: spicy smokiness evoking bacon, black olives and thyme. At his estate in Mercurol, Philippe Desmure and daughter Emilie preserve essence of Crozes with minimum intervention methods. [...]

A dashing blend of traditional Douro grape varieties. Rich, ripe and spicy.
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A classic vintage from Beaucastel.
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