If you enjoy the freshness of Loire Sauvignon, you must try this great-value rival from the sunny south. It's from Hervé Sabardeil, a very gifted winemaker we've known for many years. His plan was to make the freshest, most aromatic, good-value white he could from whichever vineyards it took. Hence its ‘Vin de France’ classification. For Hervé, wine is an expression of nature's finest – the soil, the sunshine, the grape. La Belle Saison does that very well.

Pure and full of citrus zip, this wine has the freshness you'd expect from a Sauvignon, plus a light tropical fruit note thanks to the warmth of southern France. Delightfully refreshing, this Sauvignon is crisp, fruity and easy, on its own or with light dishes of grilled fish or salads.

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.

If you come to visit us at Château La Clarière in the heat of summer, we’re sure to offer you a well-chilled glass of rosé. It’s a must, even if you’re a red wine drinker. And when the pink is this good, it would be foolish to resist. We don’t usually have enough grapes to make any sizeable quantity (the rest is reserved for our claret), but the wine has such a following that we always ensure we make some.

It’s a 50/50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, fermented very slowly and cold in stainless steel tanks. That way we capture the delicate summer berry fruit and zippy citrus freshness. You can breathe in all its lovely aromas, too. It really is as pretty and crisp as its label suggests, and is delicious solo and versatile with food.