Wine Selection

From 3rd-growth Château Giscours (Margaux) and sumptuous, abundant, well-balanced proof that you need not always pay £20+ for a bottle of Left Bank pedigree and finesse.

Château Ramafort is in cracking form. The Cru Bourgeois estate, once belonged to Château Lafite. A 50/50 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot.

For when you fancy the fruit, finesse and delicacy of Sancerre but not the budget, Bellevue offers spectacular value for money.

Made from 100-year-old vines, hand picked and aged on lees for more body and character than found in most Muscadets.

A silky merlot blend from the Côtes de Castillon to deliciously demonstrate just how good - and ageworthy - the wines of Bordeaux's more affordable regions have become.

A delicious red Rhône and a long a favourite of the Guide Hachette des Vins, Hugh Johnson, Robert Parker and ours. Grenache, syrah and just a touch of mourvedre.

70% of the French champagne market is for small single grower champagnes such as this, rather than big brand, 'les grandes marques'. Delicious champagne.

Michel Guilleminot Blanc de Noirs comes from the very south of Champagne in the beautiful Vallee de l'Aube. A lovely single grower champagne made by the 4th generation Guilleminot family.

"It's amazing value, and as good a French non-champagne as you'll find, with honeyed yet dry fruit, the softest of mousses and finest of finishes. Outstanding."

Made from low-yielding Grenache vines averaging over 70 years of age for a delicious example of how good modern Spanish winemaking gets.

"...look no further than the Champagne Arlaux 1er Cru Grande Cuvée Brut NV. It really is astoundingly fine, all baked apple, honey and toast with the finest of mousses..."

Rosé champagne has a cachet and excitement about it, perhaps because it is rarer. The Guilleminot Rosé champagne made with their own Champenois pinot noir is a real treat.

A Pinot Noir/Gamay blend made by the Devillard family of Chateau de Chamirey in which 2022's added ripeness and exuberance combined with Le Renard's characteristic perfume, freshness and crunchy red-berry ...

A sumptuous blend of Sangiovese and Merlot from one of Chianti's most ancient estates, representing over 5 centuries of Siennese winemaking. Loves grilled red meats, game, mature cheeses.

Combining the rich and savoury, peppery character of the syrah with cabernet sauvignon's blackberries, cherries and floral spices and with touches of merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot.

The utmost expression of Loire Sauvignon Blanc sophistication and sourced across 30 different limestone, marl and flint parcels for a Pouilly-Fume of remarkable aromatic complexity.

A perfectly mature 'mini-super-Tuscan' blend of sangiovese, cab franc and merlot and without the super-Tuscan price. Almost two decades on, it's full of delicious nuance, complexity - and life.

A beautifully developed, traditional Rioja which after 18 years' cellaring is rendered round, silky, complex and classy - full of fruit, full of life.

Good Vouvray from the north of the Loire by Tours is one of France's hidden jewels, and one of our favourite white wines. Bernard Fouquet's fabulous Vouvray, grown on vines ...

Made from 40 year old vines and aged in French oak barrels. Priorat with just Rioja has the highest designation for a wine appellation in Spain.

"... a class act. From the estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa, owned by the fabled May-Éliane de Lencquesaing (formerly of Château Pichon Lalande), it's remarkably good value."

To find a good sparkling wine under £10 is a considerable challenge. After dozens of samples we struck gold with this dry Colombard, Chenin Blanc by Jules Larose.

A gorgeous wine with layers of honey, tropical fruit and white flowers, rich, full-bodied, seamlessly integrated oak.