An exceptional Châteauneuf-du-Pape

2012 Chteauneuf-du-Pape, Tlgramme, H. Brunier et Fils, Southern Rhne, France (£25.95, reduced to £21.95 each if you buy three bottles, until 18 January, Tanners Wine Merchants, 01743-234455, email sales@tanners-wines.co.uk).

I simply adore this exceptional creation. Tlgramme is the second wine of the monumental label Chteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Tlgraphe. I am sure that you will have heard of this great red, but have you ever come across its little brother? If you have then you will surely be a fan and you will recognise the value offered by Tanners here and dial their number at light speed to secure stock. If you haven't yet been mesmerised by the wines from this heroic producer then it is prudent to inform you that this estate made it into my 100 Most Iconic Wines Estates book.

In terms of purity and poise, this is one of the benchmark grenache-dominant red wines of the world. Rich, hedonistic, slippery and also drinking phenomenally well already, this wine should form one of the cornerstones of your entertaining schedule throughout this late autumn/winter period. A nudge under 15% alcohol, this is a big red wine, but it doesn't feel like it as rose petal and raspberry coulis notes confound the senses. Under this veneer there is a wine with a huge, throbbing engine, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

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