Grosset Gaia Cabernet is one distinguished CabernetBring it on! By Gaia standards, its plump and plush with sweet fruit, rich dark chocolate and tannin presence. Gaia is always a wonderful long-term cellaring option, as is the case with the '08, but this vintage the added bonus of up front fruit enables immediate enjoyment.

Opus One is the coming together of two of the world's supreme wine figures, Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi. Opus One began its life in 1979 when Château Mouton Rothschild winemaker Lucien Sionneau and Robert Mondavi's son, Timothy made the partnership's first vintage. Their goal was to create a wine of unparalleled quality that reflected the traditions of both houses. The wine is French in style, but Californian in substance, Opus One is produced with the utmost attention to detail. The 2006 Opus One is a traditional Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The wine shows saturated black fruit concentration with flecks of purple in the glass. The nose is one of dark chocolate, blackberry, smallgoods and rose petal. In the mouth, flavours of cassis and coffee with robust plum and cherry are only a small taste of how great this wine will become with careful cellaring.</p>

A fascinating look at a fresh and lively Austrian red wine. Zweigelt grapes grown on various sites in the village of Heideboden in Austria's Burgenland. Wild yeast fermented and matured for 12 months in used barriques to produce this Heideboden Zweigelt by Pittnauer.

Château Trotanoy is one of the oldest and prestigous of any Châteaux on the Bordeaux's right-bank. Trotanoy consists of a tiny 7.5 hectare plot in Pomerol where Merlot is the dominant variety planted. In 2008, Pomerol was the best perfoming of all of the Bordeaux regions and was rated a brilliant 96 by Robert Parker Jr. Wonderfully complex and rich in fruit, this Trotanoy also has a brilliant structure and elegance that will medium-term cellar quite nicely.

Light bodied with the aroma and flavour of red berries, this easy drinking, sweet red is perfectly suited to quaffing on those alfresco occasions - with or without food.

Les Forts de Latour is the wonderful second label of the famous Château Latour of Pauillac. Les Forts lacks none of the legendary power and concentration of its elder brother although it is approachable at a much earlier age. Rich Cabernet influence dominates this wine that comes from Latour fruit that doesn't make the grand vin as well as the younger vine material. The 2009 is considered one of the truly great vintages in living memory and it is in these years that secondary wines like this Forst de Latour really shine. Value and pedigree all wrapped in one package!

An attractive fruit driven style made in a 'medium dry' style that is nice and soft on the palate with a long smooth finish.

Perfectly suited to the caterer, Brown Brothers 10L Dry Red is great value.

Chateau Lafite Rothschild is widely considered one of the great Bordeaux estates, and certainly the upper echelon of the famed Medoc appellation. Owned by Baron Eric de Rothschild, the vineyards are located in the north of Pauillac near the boundary of St Estephe - while the site has allegedly been planted since the 14th century, the wines have been a staple only since the 17th century, and with increasing interest in the provenance more recently, following the Second World War. At 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot in 2010, this is a benchmark release that will be celebrated for generation. Increasing attention in cellar and vineyard has only enhanced the wines and their demand, due to continuing fine-tuning of quality.