Grange Nueve Monbazillac (France)

A classic sweet and sticky French dessert wine that offers bags of taste and great bang for your buck.

Utterly luscious, this wine tastes of orange marmalade and ripe apricots. The nose is fresh with melon flavours, with a rich palate of honey and toffee, finishing with a twist of bitter orange zest.

Vineyards are based in the heart of Perigord, near Bergerac, just east of Bordeaux. Here, on the river slopes there is a particular micro-climate which favours the development of the botrytis necessary to make this style of sweet wine. Vines average 25 years of age. As in Sauternes, grapes are hand harvested at a very late stage of maturity, in three successive 'triage', to ensure that only the most mature grapes are picked. Grapes are harvested in October and November. The wine is aged for 24 months after fermentation.

Serve chilled as an aperitif, with some decent pate, or after a meal with blue cheeses like Roquefort, as the French would. Salut!