Guillaume Gonnet, "Le Rêveur" Côte du Rhône Rouge 2023

A truly gorgeous red that is full of charm, loads of fruit flavours and a subtle power, with all the traditional qualities that you'd want to get from this appellation. It is charming and leaves nothing wanting in a velvet smooth, mouth-filling and satisfying palate. Made in a more modern-style with no-oak, this Côte du Rhône retains the heart of the region's charm with its 80-20 Grenache and Syrah, and a very much "hands-off" approach in the winery.

This is full of blackberry, spice and liquorice flavours with subtle notes of Asian spices and Morello Cherries. It's a big wine but carries its alcohol well, balancing it with intensity of flavour and a round tannic structure.

Excellent with a wide range of foods, as is so often the case with great Côte du Rhône, our recommendation is with either one of two fairly wide flavour points - Peking-style duck or pâté and a hunk of French baguette with lots and lots of butter.

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.