The largest estate in St Emillion, Laroque has been in the Beaumartin family since 1935, but has been completely revitalised and garnered a cult following in the last decade. The vineyards were originally put down in the 18th Century, with the current vines planted in the 1960s. David Suire has taken in the mantle of winemaker with aplomb - his most recent releases being consistently excellent. The property also produces fruit for wines sold as Chateau Peymouton and the estates second wine Les Tours de Laroque.

Petaluma Merlot is medium body with a brick red colour, the superbly perfumed bouquet is a tangle of marzipan, spice, plum and confectionery and is the best nose of the early Petalumas. On the palate, flavours of cherry, plum and spice emerge, with very good depth and complexity.

Naturally fermented and raised in a mix of the family's ancient concrete vats and steel, the fruit purity gives you insight into this great vintage with a lifted fragrance of market-fresh berries, lilac and cherrystone fruit. In the mouth it has a fleshy, juicy texture and bright, mouth-watering freshness.

This is one of the gems produced by cult winemaker Elian Da Ros, who learned the art of winemaking at the prestigious Domaine Zind Humbrecht in Alsace before taking over the family vineyard. This luscious red is a blend of half Cabernet Franc, with the rest a split between Merlot and Syrah and matured for 18 months in old oak. Drink young for the sheer enjoyment.

The 2017 is a smoky and juicy dark cherry-and-raspberry-noted wine with sappy freshness and a nice, crunchy finish. "The late Marcel Lapierre once said of Beaujolais, Ça se bois sous la douche. (Its a wine you can drink under the shower). While this captures the simple deliciousness of much Beaujolais, it doesnt do justice to the wines being produced by the finest artisans like Pierre-Marie Chermette. Of the wines of Domaine du Vissoux we would be more likely to say, Il est trop bon pour être bu sous la douche! Its too damn good to be drunk in the shower! Beaujolais can be the most joyful, compelling and life-affirming of wines. Yet in the hands of a master it can also be a wonderfully refined, long-lived Burgundy. Domaine du Vissoux is a producer capable of fashioning such wines. This is why their wines can be found in many of Frances finest restaurants and why Vissoux remains the highest-rated Beaujolais producer in the leading French wine guide, Les Meilleurs Vins de France. Owners Pierre-Marie and Martine Chermette were among the first in Beaujolais to use sustainable agricultural practices, shunning the use of any chemicals in the vineyard and encouraging as much life in the soil as possible. They prune hard to keep yields low, harvest by hand when the grapes are fully ripe and regularly carry out green harvests to further reduce the yields and ensure full ripeness for the harvest. The wines are made with minimal intervention: wild yeasts, minimal sulphur additions and no filtering if possible. Ageing is in traditional up-to-the-ceiling, neutral oak casks."

This Merlot is medium to full bodied, displaying bold notes of black dark cherry and plum. The palate is lengthy and generous, followed by layers of vanilla bean and hints of mocha to finish.

A cheerful rosé, which plays everything on the card of ripe red fruits, plus good acidity and a little residual sugar, which perfectly balances the whole ensemble. The color is salmon pink, and the nose, intense, brings peaches, strawberries, and discreet mineral sensations. The body is ample, unctuous, with well-integrated alcohol. The taste comes with strawberries, pink grapefruit and rose jelly. The aftertaste, long and fresh, is due to the bittersweet citrus. An extremely suitable wine to be

2019 Coffee Rock Merlot Black currant fruits, mocha and some cigar box aromas. Nice firm yet supple tannins which will soften with some cellar time. Estate grown on our coffee rock soils.