After more than 20 years in Cognac, Francis Abécassis returned to his winegrowing roots with a move into Bordeaux. This 100% Merlot is his fresh, modern take on the region’s signature red, made to be enjoyed young rather than cellared. It has real savoury character and stays bright and easy to drink. Tasting notes: Ruby with violet highlights. Honey-roasted cherry, blueberry and redcurrant, with roasted nuts, a hint of soy and a smoky thread of grilled cedar. Dry and supple with fine, dusty tannins and a crisp finish. Grapes: 100% Merlot Critic: 87 points, Beverage Testing Institute: “A smoky and savory French Merlot for the table and grilled fare.” Award: Silver Medal and Best Buy, Beverage Testing Institute Food pairing: Grilled hanger steak, lamb chops or beef stew. Serve slightly chilled.

The Vin de France label gives ABK6 the freedom to make wine for flavour and everyday drinking rather than tradition. This is a relaxed, food-friendly red for a weeknight, with more savoury depth than its price suggests. It’s a smart bottle to keep on hand for casual dinners. Tasting notes: Garnet. Roasted cherry, dark cherry pie crust and black tea, with hints of roasted nuts, cedar and earth. Supple and dry yet fruity, with soft tannins and a smooth finish. Grapes: French red blend Critic: 88 points, Beverage Testing Institute, which called it “tailor made for a meaty meal or appetizers.” Award: Silver Medal and Best Buy, Beverage Testing Institute Food pairing: Philly steak sandwiches, steak fajitas or pierogi.

Francis Abécassis bought 126 hectares of Bordeaux vineyards in December 2023, drawn in part by the area’s potential for fresh, fruit-forward whites. This Sauvignon Blanc-led blend is one of the results, made with winemaker Adeline Magère and the oenologists of Rolland & Associés. Small amounts of Sémillon and other local grapes give it a rounder, more complete feel. Tasting notes: Pale yellow. Citrus, red grapefruit and guava with honeysuckle and a savoury, mossy stone note. Bright and unoaked, with a hint of pastry and a rounded, full finish. Grapes: 76% Sauvignon Blanc, 12% Sémillon, 7% Colombard, 3% Sauvignon Gris, 2% Muscadelle Critic: 85 points, Beverage Testing Institute: “An earthy, savory Sauvignon Blanc for the table.” Award: Silver Medal, Beverage Testing Institute 2025 Food pairing: Seafood gumbo, chicken shawarma, chicken fajitas or grilled fish.

What looks like a classic French white starts with a red grape. Merlot makes up 80% of this blend and is vinified as a white wine, giving it more texture than its pale colour suggests. Four white varieties then add lift and aroma. It’s a clever bottle to open with friends who think they know their Merlot. Tasting notes: Pale straw. Honeysuckle, delicate herbs and exotic fruit lead to baked fig, grilled Meyer lemon and apple. Dry yet fruity and completely unoaked, with bright acidity and a long, flinty finish. Grapes: 80% Merlot, 10% Sémillon, 6% Colombard, 2% Muscadelle, 2% Sauvignon Gris Critic: 90 points, Beverage Testing Institute, praising its “palate stimulating acidity, and a deft touch of smoke and salinity.” Award: Gold Medal and Best Buy, Beverage Testing Institute 2025 Food pairing: Oysters with mignonette, sole almondine, grilled fish or chicken fajitas.

Cuvelier & Fils Haut-Médoc is a classic, Bordeaux-blend red wine from a historic, family-owned merchant established in 1804. Typically featuring a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this wine is known for its structured, savory, and full-bodied character with notes of cassis, plum, and earthy undertones. It is a well-balanced, accessible wine suited for pairing with beef or roasted meats.

Blend: 80% Merlot and 20% Cab Franc Winemaker's Notes“The blend of the 2015 is 80% Merlot and 20% Cab Franc, the vines (average age of 31 years) are located in the south of the Saint Emilion village where the soils are clay based with sand and gravel. Fermentation and ageing in concrete vats and then another 12 months in barrels. The winery converted to full organic farming in 2020."

Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon (86%) with 12% Merlot and only 2% Petit VerdotDrinking Window: 2030 - 2066 96 Points - Jane Anson“Continuing a run of exceptional vintages where everything seems to be going right at this property. High Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, and it comes across in the sleek black fruits and peony character, very much floral and finessed. Good stuff, this is impressive, enjoyable, very St Julien and very good. 50% new oak for ageing, Eric Boissenot consultant, Mathieu Bordes director since 2013."

Blend: Chardonnay 100% The Bourgogne Chardonnay from Domaine Rémi Jobard captures the purity and elegance of Burgundy in its most classic form. Fresh aromas of white flowers, citrus zest, and green apple lead to a lively palate filled with crisp orchard fruit, subtle minerality, and a touch of creamy texture. Beautifully balanced and effortlessly drinkable, this Chardonnay pairs wonderfully with seafood, poultry, or light pasta dishes.

Balancing complexity and finesse, Reserve De La Comtesse 2020 offers silky tannins interwoven with flavors of blackberry, tobacco, and graphite —an exceptional wine that captures the soul of its vineyard with every sip.

Balancing complexity and finesse, Pastourelle De Clerc Milon 2020 offers a structured palate with notes of cassis, spice, and cedar —an exceptional wine that captures the soul of its vineyard with every sip.

Crafted with elegance and power, Chateau Latour Martillac Blanc 2020 offers a structured palate with notes of cassis, spice, and cedar —an exceptional wine that captures the soul of its vineyard with every sip.

Reflecting centuries of winemaking mastery, Dame De Montrose 2020 offers a full-bodied profile with vibrant acidity and layers of dark fruit —an exceptional wine that captures the soul of its vineyard with every sip.

The color is concentrated, intense. Aromas of fresh black currant, sweet and ripe, bring great intensity to the wine's fruity youthfulness. Careful barrel aging shows well. This 2010 vintage is fresh and powerful on the palate, with an evolution focusing on tight and firm tannins. The mid-palate is very fleshy, finishing on a slightly dry note produced by the wine's youth and the harvest's maturity. This wine has great power with very good aromatic length. Grapes harvested at full ripeness give fruity retro-olfactive aromas which fully express the potential of Pavie's terroir. Wait at least another five to 10 years, and this wine will make a memorable meal all the more special.

A high percentage (75%) of new wood has given this wine a very fine polished character. Along with the structure, it has brought out impressive aromas of black fruits, cinnamon spice and power. The wine is has a fresh black-fruit aftertaste.

Polished and refined with a firm, fine and linear tannin structure. Harmonious. Perfumed violets, roses and subtle licorice. All in balance here, with precise layers of black fruit, minerals and pencil lead. Rather seamless. Firm, yet fine and sleek to the end. Very classy. Fine-velvet texture. 96% cabernet sauvignon, 3% merlot and 1% petit verdot.

Notes of mulled purple plum, blueberry, rhubarb and rose mingle with wild thyme on the nose. The palate boasts a deep core of blackberries, black cherries, a touch of blood orange, rhubarb and a deep crush of violets. Persistent youthful tannins are balanced by brisk acidity and beautifully frame its concentrated fruit profile.

A fresh style, with just a whiff of brioche leading the way for honeysuckle, white peach and verbena notes. Ends with a nice mouthwatering edge on the finish. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now.

Winegrowers since 1860, Domaine Barge continues its family owned business with 5.7 ha in Cote-Rotie, 1 ha in Condrieu and 1.5ha in Saint-Joseph. A typical Cote-Rotie with 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier delivers a refined, classic nose of raspberries, pepper, and a touch of cedar and spice. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, with fine-grained tannins, balanced acidity and grip.This has the elegant profile one finds often in bottlings made exclusively from the Côte Blonde vineyard of Cote-Rotie.

Chablis 1er Montmains is a 1er Cru from the left bank. The name of this climate evokes "the middle mountain", that which is at an intermediate altitude between two higher coasts. The orientation is south-east, the slopes can reach 20%. The soils are fairly shallow and the Kimmeridgian limestone does not take long to appear. The soils are stony and well draining. In this open and airy valley, our 80-year-old Old Vines give all their expressions.

The Groffier family is a longstanding name in the Cotes du Nuit. Their family can be dated back to the 1800's, but it was grandfather Robert who started bottling wines at the Domaine. Two generations later, Nicholas Groffier has taken over elevating the wines to an unprecented level yet still maintaining the traditions learned from both his father and grandfather. Although their cellars are located in Morey-St.-Denis, they own no vineyards there, rather 0.8ha in other appellations, most notably Bonnes Mares, and one full hectare in the Chambolle Musigny Les Amoureuses, making them the largest land owner of the area. This 100% pinot noir is a muscular wine with black cherry and blackberry aromas. The palate is full-bodied with a serious tannic grip around the iron, tobacco and earthy notes. This has great ageability on it, put this one away to let it mellow.

The nose of this wine is characterized by its fruity profile, offering a rich intensity of fruit with notes of fleshy red berries, crushed red berries, and hints of violet and blackcurrant. There are also nuances of fleshy plum, black tea, lily, saffron, and a subtle hint of vanilla. On the palate, it exhibits a mineral freshness and balance, with a defined fruitiness and roundness. The tannic structure is finely tightened, accompanied by a pleasant juiciness and a coating texture. Flavors of fleshy red berry, crushed raspberry, and pulpy red plum dominate, complemented by floral hints, iodine salinity, and subtle notes of liquorice, tobacco, graphite, and mocha. The tannins are smooth, with background nuances of toasted hazelnut and blueberry adding complexity.

Sauvignon Blanc 50% Semillon 50% Beautiful balance between the fruity (fruits of passion, white peach and fresh almond) and the woodiness (vanilla and grilled notes). The sweet part of the wine gives it its fatness and volume. The end of the mouth has the length and the amplitude of the high-classes wines.