Guillaume Gonnet Châteauneuf-du-Pape 'Bel Ami' 2021

Smouldering, savoury and sexy red. Aromas of cherries, plums and blackberries, a hint of garrigue, liquorice and spice. The palate is big, chewy and spicy, as great Châteauneuf should be. Tannins are firm but approachable, and melt after an hour in the decanter. Ideally in the centre of a table also furnished with game, duck or steak. A fine wine indeed...

The energetic and charismatic Guillaume Gonnet is not your average Rhône winemaker. Extremely open in his attitude, his curious, boundary challenging approach extends beyond wine.

He travelled to the far ends of the earth, revelling in the opportunity to surf some of the best waves in the world while learning his craft in various Australian and New Zealand regions. Returning to the Rhône, now with his Australian wife Kelly, Guillaume has shown similar energy for his family estate and for his own nascent project. This land locked surfer may be miles from the ocean but is happily riding the wave of new found enthusiasm for Grenache based wines. Pursuing biodynamics wherever possible, allowing his fruit to express itself freely through hands-off winemaking and displaying his fascination for the varying soils of the Rhône through his diverse range of wines, he's just the sort of restless creative that we love to work with.