Pierre Emmanuel Taittinger runs this famous champagne house with his son Clovis and daughter, Vitalie, who both work beside him in the day to day running of Champagne Taittinger. It is one of the grand marques champagnes. This means it is one of the top tier, best known and most highly respected producers in the Champagne region and it has built its reputation on Chardonnay dominant bubblies, with the Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blanc being the pinnacle of its production.

This non vintage (NV) champagne is also Chardonnay dominant, which is where its bright, clean, fresh and refreshing acidity and creamy notes come from. 

It is a beautiful and classic champagne. One of our favourites.

Domaine Tempier is one of the great wine producers in the southern French appellation of Bandol where the late ripening Mourvedre grape rules the roost. This wine is a blend of 75% Mourvedre blended with Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan and Syrah. Grapes are grown on a range of different soil types in the arid sunny climate of Bandol. The average vine age of grapes that went into this wine was 35 to 40 years old. All grapes were hand harvested then de-stemmed, crushed and fermented in concrete vats for three to four weeks with indigenous yeasts followed by maturation in large oak for 18 months before bottling. Drinks well now, if decanted, and can age for well over 10 years. 

A Burgundian styled Chardonnay from the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the south of France. This wine offers the depth and elegance of the classic Burgundian Chardonnays, but at a fraction of the price. This is a medium-bodied wine, with great fruit purity and a soft-textured palate. Stone-fruit and citrus notes are balanced with nutty elements and a chalky minerality.

Complex creamy champagne with Chardonnay in the lead, giving its citrusy purity and freshness in this lovely Champagne, which is relatively new to our shelves. Champagne Bergere is an exciting modern Champagne based in Ferebrianges, and with a building on the famous Avenue de Champagne in Epernay. The Bergere family has grown grapes since 1848 and the winery was founded in 1949 to release champagnes under the family name. 

Today the family owns 65 hectares of vineyards split between the prestigious Cote des Blancs, Vallée du Petit Morin and the Côte de Sezanne, which themselves are the southern sector of the greater Cotes des Blancs region.  

Current generation Adrien Bergere heads up the estate with a primary focus on Chardonnay, low dosage across the range, extended lees ageing and judicious use of oak barrels to tease out the full potential of the wines.

This cheeky little quaffer has a fresh and fragrant nose of red fruits and toasty elments. The palate is supple and balanced with silky tannins and further notes of red fruit.

Laurent-Perrier Brut NV is enjoyed for its creamy softness which comes from Chardonnay, the dominant grape in this elegant sparkling wine.

The Laurent-Perrier Champagne house was founded in 1812 and is the main company of the Laurent-Perrier Group, whose other flagship brands include the houses of Salon, De Castellane and Delamotte. Laurent-Perrier Group also acquired Chateau Malakoff in 2004.

Les Jamelles Clair de Rose is a blend of two red grape varieties, Grenache and Cinsault. The combination creates a clean, dry and refreshing southern French rose with floral and fruity flavours in a rounded, medium bodied style. Cool temperature fermentation in stainless steel tanks retails fruity flavours and is finished in a dry style. 

The grapes in this wine come from two distinctly different areas; the Herault Valley's sloping vineyards where the warm Mediterranean climate provides consistently sunny conditions and outstanding ripeness, along with the Narbonne, where sandier soils provide rich flavours and balance. 

Drink with a classic food match of melon and prosciutto on a sunny day or serve alongside salami and antipasto any time of year as a refreshing aperitif wine. 

* Les Jamelles is owned by winemakers Catherine and Laurent Delaunay, who founded their wine brand in the early 1990s.

Very deep purple Cabernet Franc made from 35 to 50 year old vines, which express a beautiful clarity of ripe red fruit and lifted aromatics. Great structure and fine tannins that ride over the palate to a long finish. Impressive now and can age.

This fresh and fruity wine, made from 100% Chenin Blanc is a perfect match for white fish or an excellent aperitif. The nose is lemony and fresh, with green apple, honey notes, and a touch of floral complexity. This is a dry and mineral Vouvray, with moderate acidity and a medium-full body. Champalou embraces sustainable farming methods and biodynamic principles in their vineyards, producing elegant wines with great finesse.

This is a great example of Chardonnay without the influence of oak. It remains smooth and full bodied with balance from crisp, fresh, food friendly acidity adding great depth and appeal to the refreshing flavours of green apple note on the nose and palate.

* Chablis is the northernmost wine region in Burgundy, which produces only Chardonnay. The cooler climate gives these wines crispness, acidity and a flintyje ne sais quo. 

Drinks beautifully with great seafood dishes and roast tender chicken. 

In the heart of the Bordeaux vineyard, Chateau Carbonneau is situated 20 kilometres from St Emilion and 35 kilometres from Bergerac. In a unique and idyllic setting, the chateau offers luxury accommodation and fine wines on the slopes of Pessac sur Dordogne.

Shortly after 1992, Wilfrid and Jacquie Franc de Ferriere inherited the property and began by replanting the vineyard with grape varieties typical of the Bordeaux region, especially Merlot which grows well on the slopes of Gensac. Thus began the revival of wine at Carbonneau. The Vineyard covers 15 hectares planted on the clay/limestone soils of the slopes of Gensac.

If Cotes du Rhone reds haven't made their way onto your wine drinking radar yet, then now's the perfect time because many of the 2016 wines are still available on the market and it's a vintage that rocks. This wine is made by the Sabon family, who have carved a name for themselves as high quality producers of great Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This red is made from the hills of the surrounding southern Rhone Valley from a blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah.
This crowd pleaser drinks beautifully now but undoubtedly has eight to nine years of aging and evolution up its vinous sleeve.

Pale pink rose from Provence. Aromas of citrus, red fruits and white flowers. Juicy and vibrant with refreshing acidity. This is a delicious, juicy summer wine.

Excellent value red from Domaine De La Charbonniere, with Grenache leading the way in this full bodied beauty, which is 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah.

The Domaine de la Charbonniere is owned by Eugene Maret, who owns 19 hectares in the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation, nearly six hectares in Vacqueryas and two hectares in the Cotes du Rhone appellation.

This is an outstanding Cotes du Rhone red with body to burn and flavours of approachable, soft and smooth spicy red fruit notes supported by a tannin structure of impressive velvet smooth framework and complex savoury, clean notes on the finish.

Chateau Thivin is the oldest estate on Mont Brouilly, which has remained in family hands for several generations. Grown on steep slopes, harvested manually and vinified using low intervention techniques so as to maximise terroir expression. 

The Brouilly appellation is capable of producing excellent and complex wines, quite unlike the maligned Beaujolais Nouveau. Brouilly produces fruit forward, medium bodied wines, typically from the Gamay grape. 

Le Sept Vignes is a blend of the seven plots of Chateau Thivin, in an effort to represent the region's terroir. This is a delicious, medium bodied red, with slight tannins and a persistent, juicy red-fruit character. Complex yet easy-drinking in it's youth. This wine will grow in elegance given a few years age.