Wine of the week: class in a glass from the Rhône valley

2007 Gigondas, Font de Aeux, Domaine de la Tourade, Southern Rhne, France (£15.95, www.fromvineyardsdirect.com , 020-7490 9910).

I was asked my wine predictions for 2011 the other day, by a fellow wine writer. This Gigondas spurred me on to declare that the southern Rhne (not including Chteauneuf-du-Ppes, because they are usually too dear) will enjoy a much warranted new lease of life next year.

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These wines reek of breeding, complexity and history. They often flatter in their youth, but age gracefully for a decade. In short, they have it all.

With the recent superb 2007 and 2009 vintages (see Justerini & Brooks's incredible 2009 Rhne offer www.justerinis.com) I am certain that we will all be drinking more affordable red Rhnes, instead of overpriced clarets, in the next few years.

To whet your appetite, here is a stellar 2007 Gigondas. It is a snip at £16, when you bear in mind that it is sheer class in a glass.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year ( www.matthewjukes.com ).

Matthew Jukes has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006.

He has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website.

Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy. His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.