Ireland AM - France vs New Zealand: Battle of the Wine Titans

One of the best value Rhone reds we have tried in a long time. Guy Farge is a hugely accomplished winemaker in Northern Rhone and his 'Bouquet de Syrah' has all the q...

One of the best value Rhone reds we have tried in a long time. Guy Farge is a hugely accomplished winemaker in Northern Rhone and his 'Bouquet de Syrah' has all the quality of a Crozes Hermitage but without the price tag. A silky mouthfeel with plums, blueberries and spice, and gentle notes of strawberries. Medium to full bodied and a wine that is made for food. Perfect for people who love a Coted du Rhone and want to take it up a notch. Guy Farge took over the management of his family estate in 1980. Originally he sold his fruit to the Cave de Tain (where he worked) and then to Delas. In 2007, he began producing wines under his own label. Now working with his son Thomas, these are 25+ year old vines just outside the Saint-Joseph appellation on beautiful granitic soils. It is all hand-harvested and fermented with native yeasts and aged for 6 months in stainless steel to preserve the freshness of the Syrah.

A subtle nose opens up to lush flavours of white orchard fruits with a soft creamy texture and refreshing acidity. Fermented in thermoregulated stainless steel vats a...

A subtle nose opens up to lush flavours of white orchard fruits with a soft creamy texture and refreshing acidity. Fermented in thermoregulated stainless steel vats and finished on its lees results in a Sancerre rich and refined Sancerre. Sancerre is located on the left bank of the Loire valley renowned for its fresh crisp whites. In order to call your white wine Sancerre, the regulation stipulate that the grapes must be exclusively Sauvignon Blanc.

Deeply expressive yet refined, this Syrah from the famed Gimblett Gravels shows layers of dark berry fruit, cracked black pepper and savoury spice. Notes of raspberry,...

Deeply expressive yet refined, this Syrah from the famed Gimblett Gravels shows layers of dark berry fruit, cracked black pepper and savoury spice. Notes of raspberry, plum and a touch of coffee weave through a structured palate, balanced by bright acidity and fine tannins. Elegant and powerful in equal measure, it finishes long with a subtle herbaceous edge. Trinity Hill was one of the first to plant vines on the Gimblett Gravels in 1993, a stony former riverbed now recognised as one of New Zealand’s most prized winegrowing areas. Winemaker Warren Gibson works with estate-grown fruit from the Tin Shed and Gimblett Stones vineyards, producing wines that highlight the purity and intensity of Syrah from this terroir. Their flagship wine ‘Homage’, inspired by Côte Rôtie, is considered one of New Zealand’s greatest reds, while this Syrah has itself earned international acclaim. Awarded a Gold Medal and 96 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards, it is proof of both the pedigree of the Gimblett Gravels and Trinity Hill’s commitment to excellence.

This is Sauvignon Blanc at its finest - a wine that captures the power, precision, and elegance of Marlborough’s coastal terroir. Aromas of guava, passionfruit, and ci...

This is Sauvignon Blanc at its finest - a wine that captures the power, precision, and elegance of Marlborough’s coastal terroir. Aromas of guava, passionfruit, and citrus leap from the glass, layered with a distinctive oyster shell minerality. Aged on its lees, this wine has a silky, creamy texture that adds depth and complexity, balancing its bright acidity and saline edge. The result? A class act—focused, structured, and deeply expressive, with a long, lingering finish that sets a benchmark for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Blank Canvas, founded by Master of Wine Sophie Parker-Thomson and winemaking consultant Matt Thomson, is all about single-vineyard precision and minimal intervention winemaking. The Holdaway Vineyard, farmed by the same family for generations, sits on the coastal fringe of the Wairau Valley, where deep alluvial silts and regenerative viticulture create a Sauvignon Blanc of exceptional balance and purity. Harvested at night to preserve freshness, cool-fermented and aged on lees, this wine is a true expression of its site—refined, textural, and seriously sophisticated.