Handford Wines

While his family has ben growing grapes for 14 generations, Louis Barruol is the first of the clan to bottle his own wines, rather than sell grapes to local négociants. Indeed, Louis has become a négociant himself, sourcing grapes and wines throughout the Rhône valley and making an outstanding range of wines. The basic Côtes du Rhône puts most producers to shame, while the Gigondas made from his own estate fruit is always one of the top wines of the appellation. Louis makes his wine without fining and his wines are bottled unfiltered to produce exuberant fruit and flavour as well as lots of character. His wines remain one of our star finds and judging by all the great reviews he has received we are lucky to have found them when we did.

The Wine

30% Roussanne (red clay with gravels), 30% Viognier (limestone), 20% Marsanne (limestony sands), 10% Clairette (yellow clay in Gigondas at 400 metres altitude), 10% Picpoul de Pinet (limestone sands). Fermented in barrels and aged on the lees for five months. There are so many facets to this and it's a great combination of tradition and innovation. Who would keep Picpoul nowadays? Well, that would be Louis Barruol who is looking to temper the alcohol and fatness of the key varieties, Marsanne and Rousanne. And Clairette? You must be bonkers! Not at all; OK it has the fruit of a bag of stones but I tasted before blending and it's a quite magical mix of depth and freshness. Smokey, peach, apricot and chalky green fruits. One of my truly favourites whites.

Single Bottle: £11.99

In a case of 12: £11.39