Lirac: Domaine Croze Granier Red

The Rhône Valley is home to some of the oldest vineyards in the world, with wine production dating back to Greek occupation in the 4th century BC and thriving under the Romans; it was later revived when the papacy moved to Avignon in the fourteenth century, giving Châteauneuf-du-Pape ('the Pope's new castle') its name. The Northern Rhône is home to prestigious names such as Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, and Hermitage - small-production wines of exceptional quality - where Syrah is the sole red grape and whites come from Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne. The larger, warmer Southern Rhône is best known for the bold Châteauneuf-du-Pape and its rival Gigondas, alongside excellent-value names such as Vacqueyras, Rasteau, and Cairanne. Its wines are predominantly red, built chiefly on Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre.

One of the celebrated crus of the southern Rhône, set in the Gard on the western bank of the river, directly across from its prestigious neighbour Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with which it shares much of its soil and climate. Granted its own AOC in 1947, it grows on red clay and large heat-retaining pebbles that ripen the grapes and give the wines real concentration. Predominantly red, built on a minimum of 40% Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre, Lirac is often described as among the softest and most approachable of the region's reds, showing red fruit, herbs, earth, and a hint of leather. Small amounts of rich white and rosé complete the range.