Producer · Bordeaux, France

Château Mahon-Laville

Château Mahon-Laville is a Sauternes red, made by Jean-Christophe Barbe. He teaches oenology at Bordeaux University and is an expert in noble rot and the owner of Château Laville, a well-known Sauternes estate.

Laville is mostly planted with white grapes, but he keeps a 1.3-hectare plot of red vines for Mahon-Laville. His pickers are trained to go through the vineyard again and again for perfectly botrytised grapes. He uses the same team to pick his Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon only when fully ripe, which many local producers cannot do. Expect ripe plum and blackcurrant with a hint of cigar box.

Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon · £18.49 a bottle