Guillaume Gonnet, "Bel Ami", Châteauneuf du Pape 2022

A serious wine that is profound, ageworthy and iconic, this comes from the heart of a family project based in one of the most famed sites in Châteauneuf, Le Crau, and delivers, almost paradoxically, layers and layers of delicious, concentrated, generous and uplifting fruit flavours, all laced with seductive and smile-inducing spices.

This is indeed serious, but it is never sombre!

Made with 70% Grenache, and 10% each of Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault, this is a traditional blend and shows power with balance and finesse. The tannins are soft and round with supple ripeness creating delightful elegance. The palate shows broad flavours of ripe red and black fruits with notes of cherry and blackberry, underpinned by local garrigue notes from lavender to thyme, sage to rosemary and pink peppercorns, while also leading to sweeter spice notes of Christmas Cake and nutmeg. It's a hugely satisfying wine and is immensely enjoyable. Do decant it if you can - you'll be thankful of it to be able to get at all those flavours...

The vineyards are located around the south and east of Châteauneuf and comprise vines from 50-90 years in age. The quality is simply brilliant. It is made using anywhere up to 40% whole bunches but sometimes none, depending on the vintage characteristics, and fermentation is carried out on a plot by plot basis using a combination of concrete tanks, concrete pyramids (like eggs, to have a gentle and continuous fermentation), stainless steel and large wooden vats. The wines age for up to 18 months in the same vessels but with the addition of 10% 600-litre demi-muids for some intensity and oak nuance.

This wine can age for decades - I was lucky to try some with Guillaume from the early 1990s and they shone wonderfully, with fresh acidity and maturing flavours of dried fruit, leather and spices. This is a famed appellation of course, but in the hands of young winemakers the traditions can be born anew and this is a perfect example.

Guillaume Gonnet is a third-generation winemaker and still runs the Domaine Gonnet properties with his parents. In 2006 he set about creating "Guillaume Gonnet, Vigneron" with his Australian wife, Kelly. She was fascinated by the differing practices that existed in Australia and France regarding the sourcing and purchasing of grapes. In France, it was not such a thing to celebrate and could be met with suspicion, whereas it was a mark of honour to be able to name prestigious sites as the source of your wine in Australia! In short, she and Guillaume established a winery that was based on the Australian model so as to be able to broaden their offering and work with growers on a long-term basis, involving themselves with the planting and harvesting of the grapes that they were then contracting to buy. It has been a brilliant model and has been outworked with much success as many generously made wines are appearing from a wide range of appellations that many other Domaines cannot offer. It's not at all to say that Domaine wines aren't wonderful, but more to say that there is another way available if you are willing to put the work in: the rewards are that a spirit of adventure is heartily filled in this sun-drenched (albeit windy!) part of the Rhône Valley.

The couple met in Australia where Guillaume was working as a travelling winemaker, having worked previously in Napa, Bordeaux, Burgundy and New Zealand. Such travels are bound to bring up the study of terroir and it is this point that excited him on his return to the Rhône - these historically established grapes respond with remarkable difference according to the soils in which they are planted and the micro-climatic influences to which they are subject. It's a fascinating study and, because he's not bound to his on estate in these projects, he can source according to terroir wherever he goes! All farmed organically and using biodynamic principals, these are plots that deliver incredibly high quality grapes from across the region, including Tavel, Vacqueyras, Cairanne and Gigondas.

The Robin: he's not often on bottles of wine, because he's only really ever seen in organic vineyards; plus he's the symbol of a dreamer - these two characteristics are clearly evident in Guillaume and he's delighted to have the Robin on the label of each of his wines.