Château Cos d’Estournel Les Pagodes de Cos 2018 is the elegant second wine from the historic Château Cos d’Estournel, a Deuxième Cru of Saint-Estèphe founded in 1811 by Louis-Gaspard d’Estournel, famed for his global reach and distinctive pagoda-topped chateau. The vineyards sit on classic left-bank gravel and clay-limestone soils that provide excellent drainage and structure, nurtured for refined ripeness and balanced acidity. Vinification is traditional, with careful sorting, temperature-controlled fermentation and around 12 months in French oak to lend subtle spice and texture. The 2018 blend is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, showing concentrated black- and red-berry fruit, spice and silky tannins with a long, fresh finish — a poised, compelling Saint-Estèphe second wine.

"One of the smart purchases this year is the 2022 La Dame de Montrose, a second wine that would embarrass numerous classified growths. Based on 71% Merlot, the Dame sees a more reductive élevage than the grand vin, which is perfectly adapted to this variety. Opening to reveal aromas of sweet cassis, cherries and berries mingled with hints of violets, spices and orange zest, it's full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with a powerful but controlled profile."
William Kelley, March 2025, RobertParker.com

"The 2022 La Dame de Montrose has a very delineated bouquet that's more mineral-driven than previous vintages, featuring bright blackberry and boysenberry fruit tones. The palate is well balanced, fleshy and quite approachable, with smooth tannins and a lingering graphite-infused finish. It is one of the best second wines from Montrose in recent years."
Neal Martin, February 2025, Vinous.com

Domaine Rolet is considered one of the flagship wines of the Jura département, a wine region located between Burgundy and Switzerland. This region's cool climate wine region expresses itself in a range of white and red grapes that typically enjoy cooler climates. The most planted grapes in the region are Chardonnay  and Savagnin; a specialty to this area, which has traditionally been vinified under a veil of yeast, not unlike the aging of sherry but with quite different results in terms of aromas and flavour, which can be complex, savoury and nutty. The main red grapes in Jura are Poulsard, Trousseau and Pinot Noir.

Smooth, creamy and subtly nuanced with a savoury edge. This French Chardonnay comes from Saint Veran, which is the newest appellation in the Maconnaise, situated in the south of Burgundy, just north of Beaujolais. The warmer climate here and the chalky soils are considered ideal for producing high quality Chardonnay and the proof is in the bottle, as each creamy sip shows. 

The appellation of Saint Veran was established as an AC in 1971.

Delightfuly rich pinot gris from one of the most consistent Alsace producers, Cuvee Anne Laure has an intense and expressive nose with hints of ripe fruits.

Move aside, cheeky little anything red  fora bottle of this gorgeous French rouge from the Southern Rhone Valley. Its pretty purple colour gives way to a red fruited, lightly spicy tasting wine with smooth tannins, a medium body and a fresh finish. This wine is made by the Perrin Family, owners of Château de Beaucastel, which makes some of the greatest reds in the Rhone Valley. 

* This wine is made from a blend of grapes grown in the Southern Rhone Valley and it was formerly a Cotes du Ventoux but is now a blended rouge from a wider area. 

The star of the Médoc, Cabernet Sauvignon is given pride of place in this French expression of a classic left bank Bordeaux red blend. Its structured body provides a beautiful wintery night's red to enjoy by the fire with cheddar and great company. 

This is a wine made for drinking now or over the next two to three years. 

Domaine de Beaurenard is family owned and operated (over seven generations) and is one of the leading estates of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The Coulon brothers, Daniel and Frederic, have taken over from Paul and Regine, and craft some of the most fruity, charming and supple wines of the whole Appellation. With the modernization of the cellars in the late 80s, the quality of the wines has gone from excellent to often exceptional - and the vineyards are now organic and biodynamic.

All 13 of the permitted grape varieties are used here including some vines so old they’re not sure of the variety. Terrific stuff.

This is one of our favourite Côtes du Rhône villages wines, thanks to being a great producer and a complex blend of grapes, including 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre. This lovely blend provides this wine with its dark colour, deep rich concentrated fruit flavours and impressive structure. All of which makes Cassagnes de la Nerthe a wine to age as well as to enjoy right now.

It is made from grapes grown in Sérignan du Comtat, 20 kilometres north of Châteauneuf du Pape. 

This is a top wine from an excellent producer - worth keeping or enjoying. Better still, buy a case of it and do both.