Fine Wine Cellars

One of our most popular reds: elegant and appetising, a mix of Gascon grapes plus a pleasing dash of Merlot. Our 'Jean des Vignes' range is designed to showcase the best in good-quality everyday-drinking from southern France. Made in this case by the ultra-reliable Plaimont winery, who have an admirable focus on polishing the finer characters of the region's local grapes, bringing intriguing styles to a wide audience.

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There's no stopping Telmo Rodriguez, tireless champion of obscure Spanish grape varieties and reviver of ancient vineyards. He roams relentlessly from his Rioja HQ (the Rodriguez family's respected Remelluri estate) seeking out long-forgotten parcels of vines and unlocking their potential. From north-western Spain's hot, rocky, rugged Toro region, this pure Tempranillo is dark, enticing and earthy, with robust bramble fruit flavours and hints of black chocolate richness.

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Fresh, fragrant white Rhône style with soft peach and apricot flavours and a crisp finish. Ideal with firm-fleshed fish. This enticing wine was made at the Saurel family's Mistral-swept Provençal domaine, named after Eole, ancient god of wine, at the foot of the Mont Ventoux. In 1997, Stephane Saurel persuaded his father to break away from the local co-op winery, and their new cellar is now home to wines that richly express the family's diverse vineyards.

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Additional info: Terrasses d'Eole

Founded in 1972 by Fabio Ceschin (whose family have made wine since the 1920s) Il Colle lies amid the rolling hillsides of San Pietro di Feletto, to the north of Italy's Treviso region, which Italian wine aficionados will recognise as Prosecco country. This is a fine example of the style, fresh and dry, with crisp green apple flavour and ephemeral bubbles.

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Wonderful purity of blackfruit flavours, reminiscent of Pauillac were it not for the added warmth.

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Leaving behind careers in medicine and molecular biology, Doctors John and Brigid Forrest established Forrest Estate in Marlborough's stony Wairau River Valley in 1989. This cheery pair won a coup at their first vintage, scooping a trophy at NZ's national wine awards. Their late-harvested Riesling is intensely perfumed with scents of spice, honey and raisins. Sweet yet beautifully balanced and silky-textured, it's delicious with baked apples.

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Impeccably organic, an impressive alliance of lush, cassis-rich Cabernet and gamey, generous Syrah. Domaine Richeaume lies at the foot of Provence's Sainte-Victoire mountain. The winery itself was built on the vestiges of a Roman Villa by organic vigneron Henning Hoesch. All viticulture at the estate is biodynamic, to the extent that a flock of sheep has been installed to provide fertiliser. Henning produces powerful wines, deserving, as he says, "5 to 6 years of patience".

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Undaunted by Martinborough's reputation as NZ's leading purveyor of Burgundian varietals, Claire Mulholland stormed the Sydney Show with her second vintage, scooping a 'Best in Show' Trophy. We love her Chardonnays, taken from Martinborough's first 1980's plantings, now producing low yields of small, rich berries. Fermentation in French barrels for 12 months results in real complexity: smoky, toasty oak, sweet grapefruit, hazelnuts and butterscotch.

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We thought we'd 'Peaked' at our first vintage of these Clare Valley classics, but they keep on knocking our socks off. This Riesling is immensely appealing, with flavours of lime peel and citrus lending appetising dryness. Not to mention perfect with firm-fleshed fish. It's a neat touch that flame-tressed Jane Mitchell should have chosen vineyards in the Auburn Hills as its source. Set on a seam of slate (bedrock of many German vineyards) the Clare is famed for scintillating Rieslings.

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Additional info: Mitchell Estate