Direct from the Vineyards

"First, the Michel Guilleminot Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne NV, a fabulous fizz from the Vallée de l'Aube. Fresh, vibrant and fruity, with a delicate mousse and a touch of biscuit and brioche, this mouth-filling, 100 per cent Pinot Noir gives many a Grande Marque a run for its money. It certainly beats any supermarket own-label champagne hands down."

"The 2019 Ch. de Clotte 'Tradition' from Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux is another old favourite of ours which we offered very successfully last summer. The intervening six months have been more than kind, and it?s bang on song, with soft, mellow cassis fruit and a touch of inky intensity. I love wines like this and still marvel that one can buy mature claret of this quality so cheaply. I know I bang on about it, but Bordeaux really can be wonderful value if you know where to look, such as here."

"The 2018 Ramafort is a bold, luscious Médoc Cru Bourgeois. Sweet tobacco, cedar, mint, licorice, dried herbs and bright red fruit all flesh out in this delicious, everyday wine. The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot."

"The 2019 Domaine Devillard 'Le Renard' is produced by the Devillard family (owners of Ch. de Chamirey in Mercurey and Domaine de Perdrix in Nuits-St-Georges) in the relatively new - well, decade-old - appellation of Coteaux Bourguignons. A low-yield, old vine blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, it's full of luscious, juicy fruit and the softest of tannins and could hardly be more easygoing."

"A deliciously fresh, fruity yet dry, entry-level Provencal pink blended from Cinsault, Syrah and Grenache."

"Produced by Mallory Talmard (whose family has made wine in Burgundy since the 17th century) and husband Benjamin Gonçalves and son Marco, from vineyards in and around the village of Uchizy, its fermented with indigenous yeasts and unoaked. Fresh, clean, supple and precise with lightly honeyed peaches on nose and palate, it brought an instant smile to Mrs R. and we both agreed that its a cracking price for such quality."

"According to FVD's Esme Johnstone, Mas Carlot 'Générations' from Costières de Nîmes, south-west of the Rhône Valley, is the best-value red on their list. A Grenache/Syrah blend with just a stiffening dash of Mourvèdre, it's fermented in stainless steel and aged in concrete, allowing the juiciness, freshness and spiciness of the dark berry fruit to shine. FVD have imported Mas Carlot's wines for well over a decade, and when we offered a parcel of this very wine in August it promptly sold out. The price is even lower this time, so get your skates on."