Ernest Rapeneau founded his Champagne house in 1901 in the village of Hautvillers. Over the next 50 years, he built an excellent reputation for his business, broadened his range and extended his distribution network. But first and foremost Ernest was a lover of Champagne, never losing his passion. For four generations, the aim has been to both preserve and improve the House’s traditional heritage.

These days Christophe is head of the business – a leading master in his discipline with more than 30 grape harvests under his belt. This Brut is a classic Champagne blend of complex, structured Pinot Noir, fruity Meunier and citrusy, elegant Chardonnay. It’s lively with fresh citrus and mineral aromas and hints of brioche. Great for celebration.

For quality and value, Abbesse Sauvignon Blanc is hard to beat and an all-time customer favourite. It's from our friends, the Bougrier family, with whom we've worked for the last 20 years. Every year, they search out the best parcels of grapes from Touraine, the Pays Nantais (home to Muscadet) and other regions where the grape shines to get the perfect balance of bright fruit and elegant, citrus zip. They've named the wine in honour of the original Abbesse of the famous Abbaye de Fontevraud nearby, Louise de Bourbon, a major figure in Loire history. This delicious expression of the region's reigning grape is a fitting tribute to her. Delicious chilled as a glass on its own, it's also a classic with goat's cheese and all sorts of seafood.

The Pic Saint-Loup was elevated to AOC status in 2016 in recognition of the region’s consistently outstanding wines. Named after the peak which bears the same name, the waters here are pristine, and the south-facing vineyards embrace the cool breezes of the Mediterranean.

La Closiere is an 80/20 split of the region’s iconic Syrah and Grenache. Small barrels are used for the Syrah (half of them new), while the Grenache is left to its own devices in larger 2,000L foudres. At 15% alcohol level, this is a hefty beast of a red but retains a beautiful elegance thanks to exquisite craftsmanship.

Château Lavabre La Closerie 2018 has been racking up some excellent scores from the world’s top wine critics…

“… a blockbuster bouquet of black fruits, camphor, graphite, ground pepper, and cured meats. With a touch more finesse and focus compared to the appellation release, it's full-bodied and has a beautifully balanced, concentrated, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish…”

“Blueberries, blackberries and licorice notes mark the nose, supported by hints of crushed stone and spicy oak. It's full-bodied and ripe but still balanced, with a more streamlined feel than the other Lavabre reds, along with silky tannins and a long, licorice-laden finish.”

“Opulent! Incredibly concentrated… Lots of sweetness but at the same time it isn't sweet. Fig molasses. Coal dust. Graphite. Caraway. Lots of texture on those tannins… Huge power and broad, glossy, muscled shoulders. Nothing understated about this wine."