The Guigal family owns vineyards in prime locations throughout the Appellations of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage and Saint-Joseph from where their iconic wines are produced. The Guigal cellars are located in the centre of the town of Ampuis, on the right bank of the Rhône River, about 40 km south of Lyon. The Côtes du Rhône region stretches 200 km from Vienne in the north to Avignon in the south. Côtes-du-Rhône is the workhorse red of the southern Rhône Valley and is blended from up to 13 grape varieties, but usually leans heavily on grenache and syrah (Shiraz). Deep, bright, garnet-red in colour, it is a fresh, crisp wine with small soft fruit and spices. A full-bodied, elegant wine, with mellow tannins, warmth and aromatic intensity.

From a 37-acre vineyard, Château Pavie Macquin is stunningly situated on the clay-limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion on the right bank of Bordeaux. 2010 has produced a formidable wine: a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a top release of the harvest year and a highlight from St-Émillion in 2010. Tannins, restraint and inward concentration are motifs, this is a wine for the patient, sophisticated collector who wishes to embellish a cellar with pedigree wines that need time and maturity to come to the fore.

A stones throw from the famed Chateau Beychevelle, the estate is set in the south of the St Julien appellation and notable for vitality, finesse and elegance. The wine here is produced by Patrick Maroteaux whose increasingly influence is in turn elevating the quality and reputation of these wines.

The Château Les Ormes De Pez is an evocative Saint-Estèphe blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Age will be kind to this Bordeaux, allowing the palate to round and develop. A touch of sweetness on the nose meets with rich cassis, herbs, and liquorice. On the palate, you will taste candied violets and juicy blackberry, with grippy tannings and a refreshing line of acid. A full-bodied Bordeaux from one of the top value château of Saint-Estèphe, it finishes long and lingering.