Chusclan 2004 Cotes du Rhone Villages

Another prize winner, at the 2005 Rhone wine awards and another big red - this time packing 14% alcohol.  This means that if you polish off a bottle of it you'll be using up about 12 of your 21 weekly alcohol units.

I can't tell you how much it costs because it was a gift from some friends coming round for dinner, but I drank it over the weekend and was very satisfied with it.

Open it up a few hours before you want to drink it, because it is tannic and chunky and will require some oxidisation.  But it is still smooth and fruity and perfect with roast lamb in my opinion.  I actually tried it with shepherd's pie and it went down a treat.

7/10