Burgundy-trained Stéphane Ogier is a northern Rhône wunderkind, says Master of Wine Jancis Robinson. He makes this full bodied, fresh southern Rhône blend of about 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah from vines substantially grown in Violès on Le Plan de Dieu supplemented by some from Visan. Soils are a mixture of limestone and blue clay. Average vine density is 7,000 vines per hectare with the average age a very heartening 30 to 50 years. Vines are hand-harvested – yields averaging 40 hl/ha – before being sorted in both vineyard and cellar.

 Ogier joined his father Michel in 1997 to work the family vineyards and built a glamorous new winery just south of Ampuis overlooked by the steep Côte Rôtie terraces. And he has now built a second winery in the southern Rhône to make wines like Le Temps est Venu without having to ship the grapes too far.

Sang des Cailloux Vacqueryas is a labour of love and tastes like it. It's a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and Cinsault and named after the daughters of Serge Férigoule: Floureto, Doucinello, and Azalaïs. 

All grapes are hand harvested and fermented with natural yeasts in cement cuves with daily pumpovers then moved into 450 litre barrels for 12 months' maturation before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. 

This is a delicious, full bodied dry red from one of the great appellations of the Southern Rhone Valley in France. 

This is wine made from a unique clone of Gamay Noir known as "Saint Romain" from the Côte Roannaise which lies to the north west of Lyon at a latitude comparable to Beaujolais. The wine is very Burgundian with more savouriness than one would encounter in most Beaujolais. La Chapelle is their flagship wine, with masses of concentration and depth.

Deeply coloured, smooth and structured Gamay from Morgon in northern Beaujolais. Aromas and flavors of stone fruit and especially cherry are present, becoming kirsch as the wine ages. 

French rose from the south of France is on a roll and this lovely dry version comes from the Perrin family, one of the most respected wine producers in the Rhone Valley. It is all about fresh summer berry flavours and a notes of dry strawberry and a touch of stone fruit. Fabulous value for money.

This wine is a classic example of Sauternes. A decent amount of botrytis on the nose complements the ripe fruit and honeyed aromatics. Quince and citrus on the palate are met with a touch of oaky spice and balanced acidity. Great as an aperitif or a desert wine.

This lovely dry Sauvignon Blanc has delicious bright fruit flavours and a French-Kiwi connection as it is made in the Loire Valley, France, by a family that also owns a winery in Marlborough. 

Flavours here are remarkably aromatic on the nose with floral and fruit aromas of citrus, apple and gooseberry aromas with hints of passionfruit on the palate.

This great Champagne is made by the Epernay based producer, Champagne Lombard, and it is staggeringly good quality with amazing balance and complexity for this price. 

Smooth, zingy, citrusy and beautifully toasty. A rare good deal. 

Chablis is one of the great white wine regions of the world in its northernmost location in Burgundy. This wine is a beautiful balanced expression of Chardonnay with fresh aromas of white flowers, brioche and leafy notes. The palate reveals power, richness and finness with mineral, mellowness and vivacious flavours of white peach, citrus and creamy mouthfeel in a complex dry white. 

Winemaker Notes

Blend: 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot

Critical Acclaim

WE93

Wine Enthusiast

Produced by the team of Calon Ségur, this wine is stylish and elegant while also full of the Saint-Estèphe tannic structure. Fresh and fruity, it is also firm and tannic. Drink this spicy, juicy wine from 2025.

JS92

James Suckling

This is structured and very linear with superfine and polished tannins. It’s full-bodied yet reserved and held back with such tension and focus. Full-bodied, fine and chewy on the finish. Better in 2020.

D90

Decanter

Great freshness of bountiful, ripe fruit and fine ripeness from 68% Cabernet. A lovely wine from perfectly managed vineyards.

JD90

Jeb Dunnuck

A rocking wine from the northern Médoc is the 2015 Château Capbern and it’s 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot brought up in 60% new barrels. This medium to full-bodied, ripe, impressively concentrated beauty boasts outstanding notes of ripe black cherry and currant fruits intermixed with lots of crushed flower and damp earth/clay-like nuances. It has terrific purity and ripe, yet present, tannin and will benefit from a couple years in the cellar. It’s a little gem that will be loved by old-school Bordeaux lovers. Tasted twice.

This fresh, aromatic southern Rhone red blend offers excellent value. Fruity and soft, with a medium body and a smooth texture. The nose shows a red fruit character with a herbal nuance. Ripe fruits dominate the palate with a peppery edge and balanced acidity. Domaine Charvin uses organic farming methods.

The Domaine des Espiers is located in the heart of Vaucluse, between the banks of the Ouvèze and Dentelles de Montmirail. This is an excellent value Cote du Rhone with smooth tannins, warm berry fruit flavours and a medium body. 

Organic Grenache and Cinsault from the IGP Pays d'Hérault. Light and fresh with gentle red fruits combining with mineral hints.

Bouscasse represents the most open and polished wine from Alain Brumont's extensive holdings in the region. The vines are planted on hillsides with yellow and white clay layered over fissured limestone. Bouscasse is meant to reflect the history of the region, made in the style of the 18th century heyday of Madiran.

The wine is big and bold, packed with both fruit and tannins. It has great structure and a dense dusty tannic character that promises great aging but which will be drinking now with a dcent decant.

Tannat 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon 35% and Cabernet Franc 25%