A remarkably good 2016 that we knew we had to buy the moment we first tasted it. The wine is a delicious blend of Merlot and Malbec, with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon, that gives it layers of rich,... lush red berry fruit flavours, soft tannins and a hint of exciting minerality, that totally dwarfs its relatively humble status. It's no surprise this wine won a gold medal from Bordeaux, who are the harshest judges of their own. Château de Grissac dates back to the 14th century and has had a rich history, particularly during the French revolution. It is now owned and run by wine maker Madame Cottavoz who has devoted her life to her vineyards and wine. All of the above for only £10.95 a bottle – high quality, affordable Claret from a great vintage – welcome aboard Château de Grissac.

From the magnificent Château de la Dauphine (arguably the best Château in Fronsac), ‘Delphis de la Dauphine' 2019, Fronsac. Certified organic, exceedingly well structured and delicate, this... wonderfully affordable Claret offers a beautiful and faithful representation of the Fronsac appellation, one of Bordeaux’s greatest undiscovered appellations, with the added bonus of coming from the 2019 vintage, one of the truly great vintages. A deep red colour, with an expressive nose with notes of blackberry, blackcurrant, aromas of sweet spices, vanilla. A gorgeous mouthfeel - soft, suave, well balanced, followed by a silky long finish. It is hard to believe that this excellent wine is not a much more expensive bottle. Already drinking beautifully and at just £16.45 per bottle, this is an incredible and affordable everyday drinking wine.

This exceptional Rioja Crianza has been crafted by Gorka Etxebarria in Rioja Oriental from 30 year old vines. The wine is aged for 12 months in American oak barrels and the result is mesmerising. We... tasted the wine against the Reserva at nearly twice the price and this 2017 Crianza triumphed - it is a thing of beauty. Harmonious, with bottle age, oak influences and a classic fruit-forward Rioja style. Fill your boots, decant for 45 minutes to an hour and enjoy! Awards are listed below. • Gold - Gilbert & Gaillard 2020 • Gold – Asia Wine Trophy 2019 • Gold – Berliner Wein Trophy 2019 • Gold – The Drinks Business Rioja Masters 2018 • Silver (90 points) – IWC 2020

Beautiful bright cherry red, with a charming, perfumed nose of vibrant summer berries, fruity with a floral notes; inimitable Pinot Noir. Silky and luscious on the palate with ripe, rounded tannins that fuse with the pure, juicy strawberry, raspberry, and a cranberry core. Wonderful! Already drinking beautifully now and for the next 3 + years.

This is a UK exclusive, Sangiovese blend with maturity at an unfathomable price which is utter perfection for drinking this summer. Wines like this are what working in the wine trade is all about - a... small volume of exceptional, mature red wine parcel from an artisanal producer at an incredible price tag. La Palerna sits high at 550-600m right on the Tuscan/Umbrian border. Thankfully for all of us, they are on the Umbrian side of the border and the price reflects this. At this altitude, the wines have a wonderful freshness and elegance. Yields are low, grapes are hand harvested and sorted, and such care and precision are taken in the winemaking which is evident in the quality of the wine. We have visited Bordeaux classified growths and Grand Cru Burgundies who take the same level of care in production. The overriding reason for all of this is perhaps down to winemaker extraordinaire, Mauro Monicchi who has worked across Bordeaux and the South of France, he now oversees winemaking for first class estates across Tuscany, namely Montalcino and Montepulciano. The quality of wines can also be put down to owner Luigi Merendelli's philosophy to produce "only great wines". I can confirm they do just that across the board, but this red is a home run at this price. The wonderful thing about central Italian reds are they are incredibly versatile when pairing with food and can be drunk all year around, indeed these are the wines to open at dinner parties or have at weddings.