With Gold medals galore, Thierry Ferlay has made wine all over the world but remains fondest of the warm, ripe reds of the southern Rhône. He also adores their chief grape, Grenache – the most important variety in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In fact he’s in charge of winemaking at this renowned appellation’s only co-operative winery, where all the growers are part-owners of the enterprise. Naturally, maximising quality is at the forefront of their minds, which explains this wine’s exceptional flavour and value.

Made purely from Grenache, it has irresistible raspberry fruit, hints of spice and a peppery edge. Enjoy with ratatouille, lamb chops and homemade burgers. And because it’s so smooth and not too heavy, it’s ideal sipping on its own, too.

When I came over the high pass south into the Agly Valley in the 70s, I was captivated by the ancient vines on steep, terraced hills, topped by high, ruined castles. It was wild 'unknown' territory. That's where bestselling Cabalié, made by the legendary Hervé Sabardeil, is from. Hervé buys grapes for Cabalié from many vineyards, but the best grapes came from two vineyards of 100-year-old vines on schist/granite soils. They are two of France's oldest vineyards, lying on steep, terraced hillsides. When Hervé learned the farmer was retiring, he bought those two vineyards – and thus we have the 'Grand Cru' Origine … the purest essence of Cabalié … made solely from those two vineyards. It's a nearly all dark, spiced Carignan, with a few rows of silky Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, which add to the incredibly rich fruit and luscious texture.

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.

Corbières is one of the best-known regions of southern France, adored for its characterful, robust reds, laced with dark fruit, wild herb and tobacco notes. This is a terrific find from the Terre d'Expression cellar in Fabrezan. It's a cooperative cellar, that works with its growers to gain exceptional quality grapes. All the fruit for Villa Pech Fourcat comes from a single estate in Boutenac, the only village in Corbières which may be named on the label.

Its wines are supreme thanks to very stony soils, hot dry summers and cooling winds. Vines for this red are, on average, 65 years old and very low yielding, which only adds to the power and intensity of this fabulous wine. For drinking now, open a couple of hours beforehand and decant.

Renowned French winemaker Gérard Bertrand makes his £40+ a bottle Corbières in craggy Boutenac. Just across a small country road is the village of Fabrezan and its equally amazing vineyards. It's where, in fact, Tony Laithwaite bought his first Corbières shipment back in 1971. Today young couple Amelie and Jean-Baptiste work tirelessly, in evenings and weekends (after their day jobs as consultant winemakers), tending their ancient vines and making their cru quality Corbières.

The vines were planted by J-B's great grandfather, a cellar built by his son, but more recently the grapes were all sold to the local coop. J-B and Amelie took over in 2007 and decided they could make something much better. This fabulous Grand Cru style is the result.

Jeff Carrel describes himself as an eclectic winemaker. He’s part of a new generation of winemakers, operating without a vineyard or a winery. Instead, he sources small parcels of grapes from growers, rents a corner of a cellar and focuses on making brilliant wines. Currently, Jeff makes around 40 wines this way, including Morillon (the southern French term for Chardonnay).

Following malolactic fermentation in barrel and the addition of grapes with a hint of noble rot, the 2022 vintage has, once again, produced a rich, Burgundy-style white. It delivers on creamy intensity, ripe peach fruit and layers of buttery complexity. Ideally serve this big-statement white with cured ham, guinea fowl and wild mushrooms or creamy fish pie. Serve cool.