Red wines from France

This is an excellent basic Bordeaux whose easy charm and fruity, herb-scented attack suits all kinds of meals.

It's a true everyday wine, with relatively low alcohol and pleasant vanilla character enhancing the decent finish. Made from vineyards in the Entre-deux-Mers appellation, its blend of grapes is mostly Merlot for smoothness, while Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc add spice and structure to the blend.

The wine is named for an eleventh century monk, one of the first to join the abbot Saint-Gérard at the abbey of La Sauve Majeure and a passionate viticulturalist in addition to his monastic calling.

An extravagant bouquet of sweet spices and pepper, followed by a full-throttle, firm-tannined wash of ripe blackberry, menthol and minerals. A very serious wine! So treat like a Bordeaux, and aerate well, before enjoying alongside roast beef, mature cheeses or chargrilled vegetables.

Cabardès is a relatively small red-and-rosé appellation in the hills north of Carcassonne. Its catchment area is on the climatic border between balmy Languedoc-Roussillon and the more inclement South-West, in the foothills of the Montagne Noir. This double identity is manifested in the grape varieties which make up the appellation's wines: Grenache and Syrah from the SE; Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon, and Merlot, from the SW/Bordeaux. The result is some genuinely unique wines, the majority of which are red.

‘At this price it's a steal!’
Mary Dowey, The Irish Times

An all-time favourite at Bubble Brothers and fantastic value.

Ripe and juicy with good weight, moderate tannins and attractive notes of sweet blackberry, farmyard and thyme in a fresh, attractive red. Impressive length and complexity for a wine at this price.

The judges at the Paris Concours Général Agricole regularly award the estate's wines in recognition of their overall excellence and exemplary Cabardès character.

‘This is another wine that won me over on the first sniff: its delicious sweet farmyard scent giving way to a well-weighted medium mouthful’.
Blake Creedon, Irish Examiner, January 2012

The Cabardès appellation was established only in 1999 and covers red and rosé wines made in the hills north of Carcassonne. The appellation's slogan “Vent d'Est, Vent d'Ouest” reflects its catchment area: on the climatic border between balmy Languedoc-Roussillon and the more inclement South-West, in the foothills of the Montagne Noir. This double identity is manifested in the grape varieties which make up the appellation's wines: Grenache and Syrah from the Mediterranean; Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon, and Merlot, from the Atlantic side. The result is some unique wines, the majority of which are red.

The Jouclary history goes back as far as 1530, when Guilhaume de Jouclary was the Consul of Carcassonne. Pascal Gianesini, succeeding his father Robert who took over the estate in 1969, is currently in charge of coaxing out its wonderful, expressive wines.

The imposing Château Vieux Manoir was a former hunting house of the Duke of Epernon, and features on the label of this delicious classic, one of our best-sellers because of its elegant, medium-bodied appeal and traditional Merlot/Cabernet blend at an attractively affordable price.

With praise in recent vintages from leading critics as well as a steady haul of competition medals, this is a crowd-pleasing wine that will add a touch of luxury to any meal or gathering.

Those looking for a great wedding wine should snap it up!

GOLD MEDAL, MACON 2019

Our range of wines from the Languedoc continues to grow with the return of a smooth, rich red from the Fitou appellation.

Given an hour or so to breathe, it brings together aromas of herbs, roads sizzling in the sun, and rich, spicy fruit. In the mouth it's supple and balanced, with more of those rich, satisfying fruits and underlying suggestions of vanilla, liquorice and black pepper.

Not quite a holiday in a bottle, but definitely a mini-break!

A Saint-Emilion generous enough to offer some hints of a Pomerol experience, with dark, dry cherry fruit and earthy, spicy flavours giving depth and character. There's a lean, refreshing streak that balances the fullness of the fruit and makes this a very attractive food wine. Fine, elegant tannins linger into the finish of an ideal accompaniment to roasts and stews.

Gold medal, Concours des vins Orange 2014

From the west of the Rhône and just opposite Châteauneuf du Pape, Lirac yields some really delicious red wines. In fact, we're finding it difficult to persuade some devoted fans to try anything else.

The Manissy vineyard is south facing, producing a flamboyant and full-bodied wine, smooth and silky with tremendous black fruit, oak and spice. It's a natural match for grilled or roasted meat, and it's organically produced to boot.

The Manissy estate was built in the middle of the 18th century and belongs to the Congregation of Missionary Fathers of the Holy Family, who planted the first vines in 1916, working the land and making wine using biodynamic methods.

In 2004 young winemaker Florian André was appointed to take charge. He carries on the traditional way of winemaking for the 'Tête de Cuvée' but modernized the cellar and developed new products to expand the range. Since 2012, all the estate's wines have been certified organic and the range includes two kinds of Tavel, a red Châteauneuf-du-Pape, two types of red Lirac, and Côtes-du-Rhône red, white and rosé as well as an IGP Gard made entirely from Syrah.

Supple and ripe with juicy flavours of plum jam, liquorice, Mediterranean herbs and cocoa. Medium-to-full body, with moderate acidity and light tannins.

Mas des Bressades was one of our first acquisitions, and Cyril Marès's wines have not failed to delight us in each successive vintage.

The Costières de Nîmes, the Rhone’s southernmost appellation, was previously called Costières du Gard before a name change in 1989. Until 2004 it was considered part of the Languedoc but today it is included in the Rhone.

Mas des Bressades makes appellation-level wines from Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and Cabernet (reds and rosés); top-tier whites are produced from Grenache blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier.

Robert Parker has said of the estate’s winemaker, ‘Young Cyril Marès crafts some well-concentrated bargains both red and white and an ambitious, flamboyant, but modestly-priced Cabernet-Syrah blend.’

The Costières de Nîmes was settled by veterans of Julius Caesar's campaigns in Egypt, and today's bottles from the appellation bear the unlikely symbol of the Roman settlement: a crocodile chained to a palm tree.

Richly flavoured, sun-baked premium Fitou, with aromas of herbs and hot roads. 

Packed with lively red and dark fruit flavours, this is a wine with polish and length that is nonetheless completely true to its southern origins on the Languedoc schists.

Selected in the 2014 Top 100 competition for wines from the Languedoc Roussillon Sud de France

Chateau Jouclary’s top wine, aged in new oak barrels, is decadently rich and sumptuous, with a dense palate of baked black fruit, earthy minerals, soft, ripe tannins and a dry finish, redolent of prunes and chocolate.

If this wine came from Bordeaux or the Rhône it would be at least €10 more expensive.

Enjoy with game pie, rib-eye steak and other fine meats.

A serious charmer, cherry red in colour with a rich, enticing nose of spices and ripe fruit. The concentrated red berry flavours are balanced by notes of cherry, blackberry and spices with just enough structure and pleasing length.

Serve this attractive red from the prestigious Perrin stable at a comfortable room temperature for effortless pleasure, with or without a special meal in mind.

This 2017 vintage will be remembered as the year of all records: the driest year in thirty years and non-interventionist vineyard work before optimal harvest conditions and a very small yield.

Though this is a wine for immediate enjoyment, it can certainly age for a while if necessary.

Full-bodied and expressive, with silky-sweet blackcurrant, pepper, liquorice and thyme flavours.

1. What the critics say ...
Jancis Robinson MW: "Lively crimson. Extremely sweet, candified nose. The Pomerol of the southern Rhône? Clean palate scrub on the end. Real energy."

Wine Advocate: "Cairanne tends to produce cool climate, earthy wines with a lot of pepper and spice notes, and, in this case, notions of raspberries and sweet, dusty cherries. There is a nice interaction between sweet and sour cherries in this medium to full-bodied, cool climate styled wine."

2. CAIRANNE was one of the first Côtes-du-Rhône villages to be singled out and allowed to use its name on labels. Its 848 hectares make it the largest of the named villages. Most reds from this southern part of the Rhône Valley are made from the same raw materials: grenache, syrah and mourvèdre with maybe a little cinsault, carignan or counoise.

Fleurie is probably the most feminine of the Beaujolais cru wines. This new addition to the Perrachon domaine is a very special example. Within the Fleurie area, some parcels are of greater quality, like the Perrachons', which lies at the feet of La Madone, a very rugged landscape with steep slopes, probably the best climat (in Burgundy, a delimited area with specific characteristics) in the Fleurie appellation.

The piece of land from which this wine comes, in the lieu-dit "La Cadole", is almost completely surrounded by the prestigious La Madone vineyard that gave a Gold Medal winner at the International Wine Challenge in London in 2008, among more than 40,000 samples from all over the world.

A vibrant red in colour, with a rich, velvety texture and an elegant mix of fruit and floral aromas such as iris, violet, summer roses, peach, blackcurrants and red fruits. Serve this beauty cool at 13° C, with lamb, poultry and white meats.

Located just 8km from Chateauneuf du Pape, the appellation of Gigondas is geographically very diverse and benefits from cool air from the Dentelles de Montmirail.

Grenache reigns supreme here, especially on the sandy soils that give its unique elegance and aromas of cherries, chocolate and blackberries. The wine is complemented by Syrah that brings spice, violet and smoky flavours to the blend.

‘…the 2015 Gigondas La Gille (80/20 Grenache and Syrah) offers classic Gigondas character in its framboise, ripe cherries, spice and floral aromas and flavors. It’s medium to full-bodied, has a light, elegant texture and is beautifully balanced, and it’s going to keep for 7-8 years.’91/100
Jeb Dunnuck - 19/10/2017

The power and body of the Rhône but with a higher register too, of spice and floral notes. The palate is fresh, with herbal and cocoa-tinged flavours alongside its vigorous black fruits. This is a relatively racy incarnation of Vinsobres, but it's a serious contender nonetheless when it comes to rich, savoury meals that demand something substantial in the wine department.

Vinsobres is the most northern appellation of the southern Rhône, so it is well suited to Syrah. In ‘Les Cornuds’, the Perrins use the maximum allowable percentage of Syrah, given that appellation laws stipulate Vinsobres must be at least 50% Grenache.

‘One of two releases from Vinsobres, which is located in the northern, cooler part of the Southern Rhône Valley. From higher elevation and cooler sites, the 2015 Vinsobres Les Cornuds is a 50/50 split of Grenache and Syrah. It should end up being an outstanding wine and offers lots of black fruits, pepper and garrigue in a full-bodied, seriously textured and layered style.’
89-91/100The Wine Advocate

‘From a vineyard at the northern edge of the southern Rhône, this evokes cooler climates in its lean, peppery red fruit. And yet the wine feels substantial, a firm minerality lending it breadth and length. Pair it with juicy, rare steak.’
90/100Wine & Spirits 01/02/2017

Medium-bodied French Malbec, really juicy and fresh with mild tannins and attractive, gently spicy dark fruit flavours. You may find notes of leather and black olive too.
Though you can drink this on its own very easily, it works best—deliciously well—with casseroles, roasts and barbeques.

The wines of Cahors can be burly enough in general (not for nothing is one of the estate's specialities given the time-honoured title of 'the black wine') but this Esprit de Flore, Jean-Luc Baldes' fine, early-drinking example, is made entirely from young-vine fruit and so offers a soft, smooth and very approachable take on the style.

This deep coloured wine has a fruity and elegant bouquet of cherry and plum. Serve at 17-18°C with leg of lamb, grilled fillet of duck breast or pan-fried mushrooms. Ideal with a good selection of cheeses. Ageing potential 5 to 10 years.

An opulent, generous nose of kirsch and blackberries leads on to a weighty palate, intensely flavoured and inky dark with juicy cassis, nutmeg and vanilla.
A relatively high proportion of Petit Verdot is used in this cuvée, and it shows in the deeply-coloured, rich, concentrated juice.
Drink now, with a steak, beef fillet en croûte or strong cheeses.

Haut-Médoc, the large southern section of Bordeaux’s Médoc district, makes more fine wine per hectare than anywhere else in the world. It is home to the bluest of blue chip appellations - Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Estephe and Saint-Julien - which account for the majority of the wines produced. The remainder trades under the generic Haut-Médoc name.

A less familiar red wine from the Loire, very much worth discovering.

Gorgeous cherry-red colour, and cherries on the nose too. A delicious aromatic mouthful, with all the elegance of Pinot Noir and the mineral cleanness of Sancerre, with fine tannins giving a lingering finish.

Fruity, spicy black fruit aromas introduce a generously flavoured dry red that combines the complementary characters of the the four grape varieties in the blend to give a powerful, rounded wine with attractive length and a delicate, fruity softness in the finish. Elegant, complex, and satisfying.

This delicious dinner wine meets all the requirements of the Sablet division of the Côtes du Rhône, and so is eligible for bottling in the village's special crested bottle.