Idee Folle translates to ‘crazy idea’. This is an unusual blend of white wine grapes (Gros Manseng, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay) which has had an eau-de-vie added to halt fermentation, retaining the wine’s residual sugars.

Château de Fesles Bonnezeaux is a yellow, almost ochre-coloured wine. It has an expressive, vinous nose with notes of lemon, citrus fruit and white flowers. This wine is nicely alcoholic, warm and spicy on the palate. This Bonnezaux has a semi-dry style and a slight taste of peach kernel. Bonnezeaux is 100% Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley.

"Composed of 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Chambrun is deep garnet-purple in color with warm blackberries, black cherry pie and blueberry compote with touches of fried herbs and cedar. The palate is medium to full-bodied with bags of vibrant fruit and a firm frame of rounded tannins, finishing long and refreshing."

Rating (90 - 92)+

Reviewed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown

This is a bright, bone dry Pinot Gris with an underlying salinity. The nose is zesty and layered with lemon and grapefruit notes. These flavours continue on the palate, and are met with a mineral touch and bright acidity. 

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. 

"Tasted at the Mouton-Rothschild vertical in London, the 2010 Mouton-Rothschild is a modern-day benchmark for the First Growth and here, side-by-side with the 2009, it certainly has its nose in front. It is in possession of quite breathtaking delineation and precision, a crystalline bouquet with black fruit laced with minerals, potent pencil shaving notes, a touch of cold slate. It is totally entrancing. The palate has beguiling symmetry, but for me what really distinguishes this Mouton is its effortlessness. Like watching Usain Bolt in his prime sprinting to another world record, this wine is almost self-effacing in terms of its brilliance. Will Philippe Dhalluin ever better this Mouton-Rothschild? Keep it in the cellar for 15 years, if you know what's good for you." Tasted May 2016.

Rating 99

Les Fondraux is semi-sweet: it always has some residual sugar, wich gives concentration and fullness to the palate. White flowers dominate the nose and help bring into focus all of the wine's freshness, fullness, minerality and vivacity. Whilst young, the wine matches perfectly with river fish, charcuterie, goat's cheese, and sweet-and-sour dishes. With age, the flavours can manage more spicy foods and white meat. - Champalou note.

Volnay 2020 from Chantal Lescure is a wine that embodies the grace and subtlety of Volnay. With its balance of fresh fruit, floral notes, and light spice, it’s perfect for those seeking a wine that combines elegance with approachability. A delightful choice now, but with the potential to evolve beautifully over time.

Grape 100% Pinot Noir

Food match lighter meats such as roast chicken, duck, or pork, particularly with sauces that feature fruits or herbs.

Only old vine Grenache (between 75-90 years) is used to make this wine. This is a deep, rich and vibrant red. The nose is very complex with notes of raspberry, licourice and spices. This is an opulent, generously fruity wine. Drink from now through to 2027.

Domaine Clusel-Roch is located in Vérenay, the northernmost village in Côte Rôtie, with a winegrowing history that predates the region’s fame. Although the estate comprises a mere 3.5 ha, their plots are small-but-mighty, consistently producing intensely coveted cuvées. Now run by Gilbert Clusel, his wife Brigitte, and their son Guillaume, the Clusel-Roch family was among the first to adopt organic farming practices in the area, when Gilbert’s grandfather planted the core vineyard of the winery in 1935.

Syrah is the star here, and Clusel-Roch’s vineyards are not planted with just any syrah, but with the unique, low-yielding clone known as serine. Their single vineyard bottlings are in great demand (and limited quantity), but this cuvée provides a rare opportunity to get an affordable taste of Clusel-Roch’s inimitable style

This bottle is classic Northern Rhône syrah, with a woody smoke over spice, plush blackberry, black raspberry, currant, and hints of crushed herbs.

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. 

A light ruby colour in the glass with gentle red berry and subtle earthy aromas on the nose. On the palate the wine is light with an elegant and refined mouthfeel and gentle red fruits flavours. Precise winemaking resulting in quality Pinot Noir.

One of the great pink champagnes, combining toasted red fruit flavours and the freshness of a great, complex wine with long lees ageing. Delicious. 

Champagne Laurent-Perrier was founded in 1812 by Andre Michel Pierlot and took the name Laurent-Perrier when Mathilde Emilie Perrier, the widow of Eugene Laurent, combined the two family names after she decided to expand the business.

Eugenie Hortense Laurent, her daughter, inherited the House in 1925 and sold it to Marie-Louise Lanson de Nonancourt in 1939.

A beautiful peachy expression of the viognier grape grown on the sand and granite steep terraced slopes of the northern Rhone.

Fermentation is at low temperatures, a third in new barrels and the rest in stainless steel tanks. The wine undergoes 100% Malolactic fermentation and is aged in 100% new oak.

Brilliant clear golden yellow in the glass with a nose that is Intensely floral and fruity; violets, apricots, peaches and citrus.

The palate is fresh, round and unctuous with lighter acidity and round fleshy fruits.