In the most northwesterly corner of Rioja, the flatter land starts rising up into soaring mountains. It's here you'll find the start of the Rioja Alta vineyards – a fine enclave of Spain’s greatest region. There extra altitude freshens as well as ripens grapes slowly to full flavoured perfection. Since most Riojas blend grapes from across the region you almost never see Rioja Alta on labels. In fact, there are only two villages permitted to add it. In one you'll find Juan Antonio Leza’s family winery, the cellar behind Castillo de Epifania. Every grape comes from their sleepy Rioja Alta village. Full of silky dark fruit and strawberry, with a kiss of oak, this red has a delicious 'drink me' style, lovely on its own or with tasty tapas.

Located in the High Eden sub-region of the Barossa, Mountadam was originally established in 1972 by the late David Wynn for his winemaking son Adam. Since 2005, it has returned to being a family owned and run winery, with David and Jenni Brown overseeing its success. With Phil Lehmann, the son of Peter Lehmann, as chief winemaker, they are going from strength-to-strength. High Eden’s chilly heights lead to harvests up to a month later than those in neighbouring Eden Valley. The result is gorgeous Shiraz like this, full of blue fruit and peppery acidity.

The Bill & Arthur is named after two pioneering and well-regarded Coonawarra local legends and, we are delighted to tell you, that in the glass, this special exclusive is deep, dark and downright delicious. Drawn from the 1890s heritage row and other Redman vineyards with an average vine age of about 50 years, the Bill & Arthur stands as a classic Coonawarra Shiraz: medium-bodied, with a richness of fruit that ripens at a lower alcohol level than typical Barossa and McLaren Vale Shiraz. Hand-plunged and basket-pressed, the 2021 exhibits generous blackcurrent, violet and bramble aromas, leading to a savoury flavor profile with a touch of pepper and Chinese five-spice playing in the background. Just add barbequed ribeye with black pepper sauce. Dan Redman describes the 2021 vintage as one of Coonawarra’s best. Matured in aged American and French oak for about 12 months. Will cellar for 5 to 10 years but ready for immediate drinking pleasure.

For nearly five centuries, the winemaking ancestors of those living and working in the Campo de Borja region sought refuge for their wines in ‘La Cueva’. It was a sanctuary carved into the very mountain itself, a place for them to protect their wines from the searing heat of the Spanish midday sun. Today, the cave provides the perfect cellar for the oak barrels in which the La Cueva Garnacha is aged. Bright cranberry, raspberry, and red plum unite in a juicy combination of flavours and aromas that entice the senses. Subtle black pepper and herbaceous earthy notes give it a savoury groundedness and makes for a fantastic food wine. Salud!

A luscious Gold-medal Merlot from the great John Quarisa. It's smooth and complex, with velvety black forest fruits and a juicy plummy note. The palate is silky and lovely. It’s a brilliant partner to pan-fried lamb cutlets. John Quarisa’s lovely Caravan Petite Sirah has become a cult-classic with our customers. But will his velvety Merlot knock the Petite Sirah off its perch?

Sourced from a number of old vineyards in the Riverland and McLaren Vale, some of which are dry grown bush vines. Aromatic and lifted on the nose with a beautifully layered, textural palate with wild strawberry and spice. Vinified in small batches, separately. Wild ferments, whole bunch inclusion, larger oak and no filtration or fining define the natural character of the wine.

Our customers know that it's hard to beat Portugal for flavour and value. So we were particularly excited about this new discovery. Vilarissa Valley is made by the Van Zellers – the family who founded the great Quinta do Noval in 1715. They're renowned for the quality of their winemaking, not only for world class vintage port, but also a red rated as one of the greatest of the last century. For their new Vilarissa Valley, the team sourced grapes from the high, warm Alto Douro, to source local grapes with peerless levels of richness and concentration. The result is a Black Red with velvet smoothness and richness. Gorgeously flavoursome and finished in port barrels for extra spice. An absolute classic that pairs perfectly with steak.

It was David Duband's father, Pierre, who started the estate in 1965. He bought 15 hectares of land in the then unfashionable Côtes de Nuits, just west of Nuits-St-George, and grew grapes. These he sold to the cooperative in Beaune. In 1991, David joined and the first wine was made at the domaine. He took over four years later. There have been many changes since, with the acquisition of 5 Grands and 7 Premiers Crus and a new winery built in 2007. They have farmed organically since 2006 and introduced whole bunch fermentation since 2008. With wines from 23 Burgundy appellations and listings in over half of France's three-Michelin-star restaurants, David is obviously doing something right! From an exceptional vintage, this is a very fine red.