Stars of the Rhône Tasting Kit

A delicious red from a star producer from a challenging vintage that saw a wet spring and uneven flowering followed by a warm summer and then storms that meant attention to detail was critical. This wine has structure and perfume and many layers of complexity that will excite the senses. Balance and freshness with plenty of spice.

2018 brought another small crop for the Brunier estate, meaning that not all the cuvées were maintained. However, Vieux Télégraphe was made and is starting to really shine. It is a real beauty: very rich and spicy but with well-rounded tannins.

Rich and fruit forward with layers of spice, smoke and garrigue, this is a structured and full-bodied Gigondas that has many layers with a vibrant and tangy core. Jean-Baptiste Meunier is a hugely talented winemaker with some of the best vineyards in the appellation.

Always beautifully presented and well rounded, this is made from old vines on Stéphane Robert`s plots, including some 100-year-old syrah on Champelrose.

Jean-Louis Chave takes great pride in his Saint-Joseph and believes that his steeply sloped Rhône Valley vineyards, where the granite is very similar to what can be found on Hermitage, is capable of true greatness. There is old-vine depth and concentration here with depth, precision and finesse.

The Gérin family own nearly 2ha of this famous slope where syrah always produces a Rhône red with a lot of colour, depth of flavour and weight of tannin, and this was aged in 60% new wood. This is, quite simply, long and exquisite.