Rated third among the top 10 wineries of Chile and Argentina by The Wine Report, Zuccardi are hugely impressive. Several years ago, their vineyard manager stumbled upon a very old vineyard in Mendoza. The owner, smoking a pipe under a tree, described his small, nuggety grapes as Cachibaché, meaning they were of little value to him (barely bringing in a profit) but potentially of great interest to someone else.

This was because old, low-yielding vines can produce very intense, complex, deeply coloured wines, albeit in tiny quantities. So Zuccardi winemaker Rubén Ruffo got to work. His Cachibaché 2021 is a blend of Shiraz and Malbec, all from this ancient vineyard. Dark fruit and spice, it's superb with lamb shanks and hearty pasta dishes.

It’s from Primicia, a bodega adored by customers and also by fine wine guru Robert Parker. He is full of praise for their fruity, modern Riojas.

Casa Primicia is one of the oldest buildings in Rioja Alavesa – in the 15th century it was where the Church collected tithes. In 1985 the Madrid brothers bought it and converted it into a winery. A host of prestigious awards soon followed, including the ‘Grand Prix d’Honneur’ at Vinexpo in Bordeaux. Grapes for this wine come from a beautiful 40-year-old vineyard and a good vintage.

Winemaker was Fernando Domingo (he trained under great oenologist Don Manuel Ruiz Hernández), who aged the wine in American and French oak barrels for 18 months, the rest in bottle, to obtain the perfect balance of subtle spice and deep fruit. A superb Rioja Reserva with red berry notes, cocoa, vanilla and toasty oak. Excellent with tapas, lamb or rice dishes.

Classic Rioja fans will love this red, with all its moreish, silky, ripe berry fruit tempered by toasty spice. No wonder the late Spanish expert John Radford listed Primicia among his top 20 Rioja bodegas. It’s a family estate, founded by three brothers, and has over the years won many awards. This 2021 is made from 100% strawberry-scented Tempranillo, from mature, low-yielding vineyards.

Winemaker Fernando Domingo matured the wine in American oak barrels for four months – just enough to flatter the fruit with gentle toasty spice and hints of vanilla, while letting plenty of exuberant, youthful fruit character shine through. A delight on its own, this wine is spot on with garlic chicken, lamb chops with rosemary or a selection of tapas.

It’s a rarely known fact that the Languedoc was the first French region to be introduced to viticultural practices by the Romans. This balmy red wine country took a hit in the 1980s when it became known for high volume wine, which lacked quality. But today, that quality is back thanks to passionate and dedicated Languedoc enthusiasts, such as Laurent Guillot. Born into a fourth generation Burgundian wine family, Laurent decided to head south and create an estate of his own. A north meets south style is evident in this spicy, supple red. With this wine he won Gold, crafting an authentic expression of the wild, sun-blessed terroir. Syrah based, it’s laden with blackberry and peppery spice, with a pep of fresh red fruit from Négrette.

Castillon's limestone plateau is the "seamless" extension of the fabled Saint-Émilion (Oz Clarke), and these days any vineyard in the area that comes up for sale is snapped up by big Bordeaux names. They've finally latched on to the fact that little Castillon produces wines just as good as its grand neighbour! We were very lucky to get Colombe when we did, and we are excited to share its majestic wines with you. Like La Clarière, it's a silky Merlot-rich blend, and aged only briefly in oak, so it's fruitrich and supple and drinking beautifully now. It's a regular Gold-medal winner (11 Golds in the last five vintages) and is a must for any fine Bordeaux fan.