Old vine Cariñena at its best. From a north-facing vineyard planted in 1910, this opens with earthy, mineral notes and with air bright hedgerow fruits lifts from the glass. An intricate, detailed wine with fine spiced and pepper notes, wild herbs, and a great balance between elegance and power, this is so impressive yet also resolutely authentic and speaks of its place.

This is a Cariñena of incredible subtlety and purity. So complex this shifts and changes in the glass unfurling with flavours of dried herbs, fresh summer berries, earth, wild flowers, and black tea. The tannins are supple and fine boned and frame the fruit with a fine saline edge. There is finely balanced acidity here that refreshes the palate and makes the greatness of this wine feel so effortless.

Garnacha planted on limestone soils at around 800 metres, there is a Pinot-like purity here. An ethereal quality flows from the glass with this wine. So pixelated and focused yet so complex, it is a wine of grace and beauty. Notes of red flowers, wild cherry and fresh herbs mingle with subtle notes of liquorice root and wet stone. There is a real feeling of direction on the palate yet remaining so elegant and long on the finish.

A blend of Garnacha Blanca, Pedro Ximénez and Macabeo this is a tense, and coiled white with a real saline drive on the palate. There is texture and flesh though with notes of yellow fruit and grapefuit pith, with a breath of sea air and dried herbs. It ends with a smoky, honey note that is so delicious.

72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc and 2.5% Petit Verdot. A bright and aromatic Branaire that is more finesse and charm than density. There are notes of violets and cocoa dusted cherries. There is a fine freshness and sense of elegance on the palate with fine boned tannins on the finish.

The 2024 La Fleur Petrus is quite a serious and brooding wine. Restrained at first there is plenty of spice with aromas of white pepper and sandalwood. Quite strict on the palate with sinewy tannin, red cherry fruit and a little liquorice note there is plenty of tension and energy. With time this might gain some weight and become more rounded on the palate.

72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc and 2.5% Petit Verdot. A bright and aromatic Branaire that is more finesse and charm than density. There are notes of violets and cocoa dusted cherries. There is a fine freshness and sense of elegance on the palate with fine boned tannins on the finish.

Henri Giraud is an exciting and leading name in the grand cru village of Aÿ making wines of great elegance that have earned them a loyal following among collectors and critics alike. The heart of this multi-vintage blend is the excellent 2020 vintage, which is combined with one third perpetual reserve, dating back to 1990. The wine is a beautiful golden colour, with a chalky, vinous precision on the nose, leading to a racy, detailed palate with great depth of flavour. This is a very serious Champagne: classy and precise, combining the appealing intensity of the vintage with the finesse of the Giraud style.

Yeasty, bready notes combine with sea spray, bruised apple and a hint of burnt orange on the finish. Spice and herbs add complexity alongside the palate’s finesse and vibrancy. Pale gold in colour, this bone dry sherry evokes memories of being by the sea with its salty and saline palate. Quite simply delicious.

Fresh and complex, with an alluring ripeness and depth to the fruit on the nose. Notes of pretty red forest fruits, wild strawberry and fresh cranberry, accompanied by notes of white flowers. Fresh, elegant and precise on the palate from the off, gliding to a long, mineral finish. Delicious now, this will age with style.