Hasn't Malbec come a long way! It used to produce the tough, tannic reds of SW France, then Argentina got a hold of it and made it a worldwide star. Not to be out done, France is revisiting this grape and, with refined techniques and careful handling, showing just how appealing its wines can be. Hervé discovered a plot of 30-year-old vines in the Languedoc's Vallée de l'Orb, on soils covered with big boulder-like stones that promote grapes with lovely intensity and ripeness. Impressed, he bagged the lot. Hand harvesting, gentle handling, and just a short time on its skins, have resulted in a silky, ripe, supple wine, with ample fruit tinged with herbs and liquorice. A fine choice with marinaded pork chops, roast chicken or veggie kebabs.

Le XV is known to thousands as our ‘King of the Big Reds’. It owes its intensity to Grenache from vines, some over 100 years old, that grow on the rocky slopes of the Pyrenean foothills in the Montagne Noire and yield only tiny quantities of grapes. Le XV also benefits from the painstaking care of self-confessed southern French wine aficionado Mark Hoddy, whose draconian selection process sees him earmark in advance every vineyard he intends to harvest and micro-manage every stage of the winemaking. This takes time, but you can taste the result in every delicious glass!

Richly textured, with layers of ripe bramble fruit kept smooth by warming alcohol and soft, ripe tannins, this is a red to enjoy with roast lamb, steak or a hearty stew.

Aquarius is one of the great wines made by the McPherson clan. You may know the name – they are the incredible team behind our bestselling The Full Fifteen. There’s no end to the talents of Chief Winemaker Jo Nash who has a long list of accolades to her name and crafts this excellent rosé too. It’s dominated by Shiraz, with supporting roles from Sangiovese and Petit Verdot – all carefully selected from Central Victoria.

The juice is quickly run off the grape skins to obtain a good kick of pink, then cool fermented for the perfect balance of freshness and fruit-filled flavour. Bright, zestful and dry with aromas of raspberries, strawberries and a touch of white pepper spice. Chill down well, sip solo, or pair with a quiche or Thai curry.