Chapoutier La Croix des Grives 2004 £9.99
Rich, smooth and deliciously full, La Croix des Grives displays the dedication to quality that has seen the reputation of the Chapoutier family estate rise to the very top among Rhone producers. Family head Michael Chapoutier keeps fruit yields seriously low and handpicks the ripest, old vine Syrah and Grenache - the famous, full-flavoured grapes of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. And the 2004 vintage boosted flavour concentration to amazing levels. Wild herb aromas with velvet-smooth brambly plumb flavours, this is world class quality at a realistic price. ''If you love the Rhone - and you'd be crazy not to - now is the time to buy!'' (The Independent).