Well we certainly can't be accused of not listening to our customers. 'I'd like a soft, juicy Merlot?' is a common question we get asked, so we went on the hunt for one and found this little gem. It's from the Languedoc in France where the sun-baked vineyards produce wonderfully ripe grapes brimming with flavour. This great example is soft textured, with jammy blackberry and juicy plum flavours and well-integrated, creamy tannins. It's smooth, supple and balanced. The 'La Girouette' label range are classic French varietals from the sunny Pays d'Oc region. Produced by multi-award winning cooperative Foncalieu; pioneers of agronomic research and terroir expression

This really is a red for all seasons. It is by no means a lightweight, so those looking for a comforting cold weather wine won't be disappointed, but at the same time it's kept fresh and lively by the vivid blackberry and blueberry fruit on the palate. It's certainly on our list of vibrant summer reds to accompany a barbecue or grilled meats. 

Vignobles Fontan has been on our radar for quite some time. Their white blend continues to be one of our best-sellers, and we've sold some of their delicious Armagnac in the past, but quite why it has taken us so long to discover this absolute gem is a mystery. 

Rarely have we commited to stocking a wine so soon after tasting it for the first time, but we were on the phone to the supplier within minutes of first tasting this to see how quickly we could get hold of some. 

The Tannat grape is very much at home in south west France. The Madiran AOC, where the reds must contain a minimum of 60% Tannat, is very much the spiritual home of the variety, but it has never really taken off internationally, except perhaps in Uruguay where some great Tannats are made. Its reputation was as a bit of a bruiser, high in tannin and a bit rough round the edges. Modern winemaking, particularly the use of micro-oxgenation during fermentation, has helped tame the grape, and these days there are some far more approachable examples available. Here they've also blended it with the much softer textured and fruitier Merlot grape, and together they absolutely sing.

This is a remarkably serious claret at a very attractive price. It's a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc which has undergone part barrel ageing to add a hint of coffee and cocoa to the ripe autumnal fruit. It's concentrated, has a strong tannic backbone and is best served with quite a hearty plate of food.

There is potential for a little development here with time, but it's great now as a young wine when opened in advance or decanted.

This ever reliable chateau has, once again, come up with the goods. This is just what good value St Emilion should be like; it's full of vibrant fruit and has a juicy soft texture on the palate.

There were some exceptional wines made in Bordeaux in 2016 and this is certainly no exception, in fact this is an absolute triumph. It is such a beautifully balanced claret, in both flavour and texture. The fruit on the palate is clean and pure with very subtle coffee and graphite notes in the background. It has beautifully integrated tannins, making this a very enjoyable drink in its youth, but giving it the structure for a few years in the cellar if you like somethigna little more mature.

There's a lot going for this very reasonably priced southern French Merlot. It's a very good example of the variety, with a good meaty texture and plenty of ripe fruit on the nose and palate. There's some lovely cherry and blackcurrant flavours and on the finish the wine has a lovely silky texture.

This second wine of the highly regarded Chateau Peyrabon is always one of the best value clarets available, and in exceptional vintages, such as 2010, it offers a lot of serious wine for the money.

8-10 years is about the perfect age for this wine. The emphasis is on ripe fruit and this has now been joined by some subtle spicy, earthy flavours that add great complexity. The tannins were never overpowering, but they have now beautifully integrated, giving the wine a soft texture and roundness.

This really is a super for claret and at this price should be in all Bordeaux lovers' wine racks.

The vineyards that produce the grapes for the Brolio label are located from 280 to 480 meters above sea level. Vineyard soils vary greatly, but all are strewn with stony fragments adding mineral richness. This exalts the structure of the Chianti Classico vintage.

Intense ruby red colour. Complex aromas of iris and violets, red fruit and balsamic scents. Soft, elegant and well-smoothed tannins in the mouth. A true expression of the territory with well-balanced acidity and mineral tannins, before finishing long.

This a great example of top quality Chilean Merlot, with aromas of black cherry and raspberry standing out. There are also soft notes of vanilla, spices and dark chocolate coming from the wood ageing.

On the palate it has a good volume, a balanced acidity and round tannins. Soft finish and elegant notes of dark fruits and vanilla.

This second wine of the highly regarded Chateau Peyrabon is always one of the best value clarets available, and in exceptional vintages, such as 2010, it offers a lot of serious wine for the money.

10-12 years is about the perfect age for this wine. The emphasis is on ripe fruit and this has now been joined by some subtle spicy, earthy flavours that add great complexity. The tannins were never overpowering, but they have now beautifully integrated, giving the wine a soft texture and roundness.

This really is a super for claret and at this price should be in all Bordeaux lovers' wine racks.

The Azienda Agricola Il Borghetto do things differently in this most well known and established region of Italy.

Led by English winemaker Tim Manning who cut his vinous teeth in vintages in Oregon, there is a determination to show the potential of the region. As a result he is at odds with the Consorzio of Chianti Classico over his methods and approach.

The percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese making up the blend in Collina change slightly from year-to-year to enable them to make a soft, perfumed and easy-drinking wine. Red cherries, earthy aromas and notes of tea and tobacco.

A delicate bouquet of red fruits and subtle spice whilst red pepper and soft tannins add to the fruit and fills the palate with hints of liquorice.

Château Ka is an extraordinary story of determination and resolve.

Akram Kassatly built his winery in the Bekaa Valley in 1973. Shortly after the first wines were made, Lebanon was engulfed by war. The winery was forced to close and Akram moved into other businesses. Finally in 2005 he announced that he was going to try again. Today, Château Ka is the only winery in Lebanon to produce wine entirely from their own vineyards. Akram creates both rich, concentrated reds and beautifully fresh, fruity, crisp white wines that are some of the finest in the country.

"An excellent effort from Domaine de Chevalier, this dark ruby/purple-colored 1998 exhibits smoky, tobacco-tinged, earthy scents intermixed with black currant and cherry fruit. There is impressive concentration, medium body, sweet tannin, and a supple, ripe finish." 87-89 points. Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

The wine estate is situated in Saint-Vincent de Pertignas in the Region of Entre-deux-Mers, near Saint-Emilion. The vineyards are located on an excellent clay- limestone - gravel soil which gives a fine, delicate, elegant wine, with a lovely aromatic complexity.

The complexity is further enhanced by an period of ageing in oak barrels after the fermentation which is in temperature controlled stainless steel vats.

This is very elegant, bright with sweet red and dark fruits and a touch of caramel and vanilla, and a silky smooth mouthfeel.

Like a lot of Bordeaux wines from the excellent 2016 vintage, this delicious wine is rich and juicy, with black plum and red current fruit, gentle spice and a long finish.

It definitely benefits from an hour or two open before serving, or better still, decanted.

“The 2016 Lamarque has a very refined bouquet with gorgeous aromas of blackberry, cedar and pressed flowers that unfurls beautifully in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with quite robust and firm tannin, but the fruit is so pure that you barely notice its arching structure. It delivers a wonderful, persistent pencil box tinged finish and a long, graphite aftertaste. This is a superb contribution to the vintage, just classic, damn delicious Left Bank Bordeaux.” 91-93pts Wine Advocate

"A spectacular wine from this nearly 50-acre vineyard situated atop St.-Emilion’s famed limestone plateau, the final blend for the 2012 Beau-Sejour Becot was 70% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. It achieved 14% natural alcohol and yields were 31 hectoliters per hectare. One of the stars of the vintage, it is elegant yet powerful, rich and authoritative with abundant black raspberry, blueberry, graphite and toasty vanillin notes. Full-bodied and super rich for a 2012, it is packed with potential. The tannins are ripe as well as abundant suggesting several years of bottle age will be required. It should turn out to be a 20 year proposition." 92-95pts, Wine Advocate

'Lead pencil shavings, soy and barbecue smoke as well as red and black currants characterize this brilliant effort, which has an expansive, full-bodied mouthfeel yet a sublime elegance and lightness of being. Dense ruby/purple, gorgeous purity and a long, long finish of close to 50 seconds characterize another brilliant effort from this classified growth in Pessac-Leognan. It should drink nicely for 25-30 years yet is surprisingly accessible even today. Drink 2013-2043.' - 94pts Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (205), March 2013

'Perhaps the finest Lafon Rochet ever made, the purity, freshness, and sweet, rich, blueberry and boysenberry fruit and hint of pen ink that are found in this opaque purple-colored wine are impressive. Massive in the mouth, with freshness, delineation, and sweet tannin, it is a major sleeper of the vintage that should last for 25+ years. (Tasted two times.) Drink 2010-2035.' Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188), April 2010

Robert Parker added an asterisk to this wine score to signify that it is a wine he considers has the finest potential of all the offerings he has ever tasted from this estate in nearly 32 years of barrel tasting samples in Bordeaux.

'The 2009 is the finest Chasse Spleen since the 1989. Its deep purple color is accompanied by notes of graphite, black currants, sweet spice, and a hint of Chinese black tea. Full-bodied and opulent with well-integrated acidity, tannin, wood, and alcohol, it is a lush beauty to enjoy over the next 20+ years. (Tasted two times.)' - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188), April 2010

From the exceptional 2000 vintage, and now fully mature, the Labegorce Zede is a great example of classic mature claret. It was a big-structured wine in its youth, but it has mellowed considerably. 

"The greatest Cantenac Brown I have ever tasted, the 2010 is one for the ages. Dense purple, with an extraordinary nose of sweet forest floor, blackberry jam, pen ink and graphite, this wine soars from the glass, giving it an aromatic dimension and intensity I have never seen from this estate. The tannins are present, as they are in most Cantenac Browns, but the wine's sweetness, broad, skyscraper-like mouthfeel, dense, purple color and spectacular length (close to a minute) make this a giant classic and a fabulous sleeper of the vintage that still remains under-priced, considering how great its potential may be. This is a wine for those with cold cellars and youthful DNA. It is going to need at least a decade of cellaring and should last for 20-40 years. A classic!" 94+pts, Robert Parker 2013

"This is a quintessentially elegant Margaux, with a dense ruby/purple color and notes of charcoal, cassis, a hint of smoking embers, and a subtle touch of spring flower garden. Dense on the palate with medium to full-bodied flavors, superb concentration, and moderate tannin, this wine requires patience, but is impeccably well-made as usual." 91pts, Robert Parker