Malbec here from it's old world home in Cahors, southwest France. Whilst Malbec might be much better known in Argentina, it is important to remember that this variety is also at home here too. This is a plummy number, with lots of black cherry with a lick of graphite. It's firm but fair, with a healthy set of tannins offering lots of grip, making this a great food wine.

Like so many great French wineries, Combel-la-Serre is a winery with a humble beginning. The Ilbert family who have elevated the winery to greatness in the 21st century began their journey into viticulture back in 1901, when they were simple grape growers working for the local cooperatives. By 1998, however, their family expertise had grown to such an extent that starting their own operation was something of an inevitability, and Julien Ilbert stopped growing for others, and began realising a long-held dream of opening a winery of his own. Today, Julien and his wife Sophie are proud owners of 26 hectares of Cahors vineyards, stretched across hillscapes 350 metres above sea level. They produce hugely characterful Malbec wines which they believe are purely representative of the region; they refuse to blend their wines with Bordeaux grapes, as so many of their neighbours do, and shun the use of oak to allow the pure fruit flavours of their grapes to shine. Expressive, delicious, and with astonishing purity, it’s no wonder they’ve won an army of fans seeking the true flavour of this beautiful corner of France.