La Reine de l'Arenite Fleurie

Like all good stories, that of Boutinot France is both long and a little bit complicated! Boutinot began as a tiny importer in 1980, specialising in French wines. After 10 years, business had grown and Samantha Bailey packed her bags to set up an office in Burgundy. Today, Boutinot's French office has over 20 employees who take care of production across the whole of France, covering fresh whites and roses from Gascony, mineral wines from Burgundy, and joyful varietal wines from Languedoc among others. We don't use any single model to source our wines; instead, a combination of sources are used, from large-scale, high-quality co-ops to small, family growers and single domaines, as well as our own vineyards in Cairanne and Saint-Veran. Drawing on the expertise of our four winemakers and a network of partner growers, we seek to deliver the highest quality-to-price ratio possible for every wine.

Gamay,

At up to 450m altitude and with soils still untouched by phylloxera, goblet trained vines on the east and south east facing vineyards lie below the Chapel of the Madonna at the top of the hill. Gamay Noir vines range from 40 to 90 years of age.

Grapes are hand-picked and whole-berry fermented for 8-10 days (traditional maceration carbonique) followed by a further 2 or 3 days on the skins to assist with aromas. No use of cultured yeasts. Pressed after an 8-10 day cuvaison. First press wine was returned to vat and left for 8 months before bottling.

Pretty, floral, elegant and aromatic. Spot on Fleurie!

A heady perfume of freshly picked irises and peonies drifts above the crushed berry fruit nose. Ripe tannins and fresh acidity support a palate of Morello cherries and bitter dark chocolate - reminiscent of a Black Forest Gateau.

In winter, match with a roast leg of lamb. During the summer, chill lightly and serve with roasted or barbecued chicken or pork.