(2025) Guigal's Côtes du Rhône has an unusually high proportion of Syrah for the appellation, around 50% along with Grenache and a touch of Mourvèdre. It spends 18 months in barrels, but those are very large, older 'foudres', many time the size of the standard 'barrique', and so there's no toasty influence as you  might expect from newer, smaller barrels. Already five years after vintage, it is dark purple and saturated in colour, the nose of bramble fruit, spices, pepper and cedar is inviting. In the mouth the tannins give a rustic grip, but there is plenty of supple and ripe fruit too. A hint of chocolate in the background, the spices and fresh acidity balancing, it is very drinkable now but it will also cellar for several years more and become smoother and softer. Watch the video for more information. As well as the stockists listed below, this is widely available.

(2025) This is a Californian cab in a pretty much 'fruit bomb' style, overflowing with cassis, plum and chocolate aromas and flavours. The fruit comes from Lodi, inland from the much more expensive Napa Valley area, and the wine is aged in American oak. I note that it does have a moderate 13.5% alcohol, though the richness might suggest higher, and while it might not suit the Claret-loving classicist, it offers great bangs per buck and put a smile on my face. Note that Allaboutwine has a very keen price just under £10, but only by the six-bottle case. Many independent merchants sell it by the bottle for around £11. Watch the video for more information.

(2024) Cerasuolo di Vittoria is Sicily's only DOCG, and specialises in red wines blended from Nero d'Avola and Frappato. Frappato often makes an appealingly soft, light, Beaujolais Nouvea-style wine, whereas the addition of Nero d'Avola adds a bit of structure and grip to the recipe. In this organic example around 15% of the Nero d'Avola is also is dried to add further intensity. It has brightness of cherry and red fruit, then a little inkiness and slightly more rustic grip comes through on the palate to leave it fruity but dry and quite savoury on the finish.

(2024) From chalky-clay soils and low-yielding old vines, 'Les Six' in question are Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, with smaller components of Cinsault, Counoise and Carignan. It was fermented in large 6,000 litre, conical oak vats with natural yeasts and matured in vat for 10 months. It's an alluring and powerful wine, combining deep spice, blueberry and plum aromas with floral highlights and a glimpse of smoky bacon rind. Sweet and mouth-filling with 14.5% alcohol, there's a chewy robustness, firm and liquoricy tannins and good balancing acidity. Lovely, large-scaled stuff.

(2024) This Villages appellation Nouveau marches to a different beat from some of the cheaper examples, fermented with wild yeasts and with no added sulphites. It comes from a vintage when the vineyards were ravaged by torrential hail at just the worst time: this estate lost 70% of its crop on one day, the 31st July. Quantities are therefore small, but thankfully the surviving fruit was a of very good quality. Lightly leafy and floral with a cool, crisp aspect to the fruit, a touch of Indian ink suggests a dry and savoury style. In the mouth it maybe lacks a little of the fleshiness that this Nouveau often boasts, but makes up for that with a pure quality of black cherry and cranberry, dry and gravelly, vivid acidity etching the finish. It is another fine Beaujolais from this estate, especially given the problems of the vintage.

(2024) This is blend of Syrah, Grenache and old vine Carignan (more than 90 years old) grown on the schist soils of the historic Faugères appellation in the South of France. It's a darkly-hued but spicy and floral wine, but there's a liquorice and ash sense of terroir coming through the black fruit of its core. In the mouth that spiciness continues, and there's rustic grip to this that feels authentic and tastes delicious. It doesn't lack for supple fruit, or acid and tannin framework around it. Watch the video for more information and food matching ideas.

(2024) This single estate wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Mapio. Only around 25% of the blend spent time in oak; six months in used French oak barriques. Vibrant crimson/purple, the nose has a certain aromatic lift and violet edge of ripeness, fruit is blackcurranty and ripe, with just a fine dusting of oak as the lightest veneer. In the mouth the fruit is sweet and concentrated, a certain plushness and richness offset by spicy tannins, oak tannins, and pert plum and cherry-skin bittersweetness. Stylishly done, and a good bet at Majestic's 'mixed six' price of £9.99. Watch my full video review for more information.

(2024) All Malbec, this comes from the third and highest terrace of Cahors' three terraces, furthest from the River Lot and with the oldest soils. So fragrant, with rose and violet lifted notes and a bright, firm red plum, cranberry and cassis fruit bowl of aromas. The palate does have a little rustic grip of tannin, but the fruit is pert and juicy, spices flit around that, and the finish is long, again with real juiciness.

(2024) Pinot Noir from clay and limestone soils in Sancerre, 20% if the blend aged in oak barrels. Pale cherry coolour. Very fragrant, with lovely summer pudding and floral notes sitting on top of a stony, mineral character, some truffle and cedar in the background. In the mouth dry and savoury, but with a lovely quality of cranberry and redcurrant fruit that is lean without being at all mean, the oak providing a little rounding texture and creamy flavour, fine, sandy tannins and very good acidity completing a very satisfying picture. Note: price is for a half bottle, as bottles of this vintage are sold out at time of review.

(2024) From a single block of coastal Maipo vineyard, planted in 1998, this wine spent 18 months in French oak (1/3 new) then a further 8 months in bottle before release. I'd recommend decanting, as this wine blossomed overnight in a stoppered bottle, from a slightly dull beginning, emerging packed with juicy blueberry fruit. Aromas are touched by spice and sappy, olive-like notes, then the palate opens up with dense and sweet fruit and a fine oak quality. The initial score I had in my head of 88 or so was replaced by one of 91 on the second day. Watch the video for more information and food-matching ideas.