The Next Level - August 2025 - Red

Welcome to your tasting experience.

Mendel Cabernet Franc '23

Le Charme Merlot '24

Pitchfork Shiraz '23

Montagne St Emilion '21

Discover wine’s possibilities

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."

– Oscar Wilde

We’re told time and again what to taste, how to taste, bad taste, good taste, rich taste, poor taste. Empires have been built telling people the rules of good taste.The secret? It’s a sham.

Good taste is what tastes good.

The greatest waste in life is not discovering what fills it – what makes you sing.This month’s selection challenges you to define your own rules for taste: what your palate craves, and what it can leave behind.

Mendel Wines

Mendel Cabernet Franc '23

The Sielecki family work with Roberto de la Mota, a highly respected Argentine winemaker, to produce single-vineyard wines that express the unique characteristics of the high altitude sandy terroir.

Serve with a good steak or burger, beef lasagne or a black truffle risotto.

Expect red ripe cherries and raspberries with pepper and firm tannins.

Mendel Cabernet Franc '23 details

Year 2023
Bottle Size 750mL
Type Red
Winery Mendel Wines
Grapes Cabernet Franc
Country Argentina
Region Mendoza
Allergens Contains Sulfites

Philippe Lebrun

Le Charme Merlot '24

A modern winemaker in a region of traditionalists, Philippe Lebrun gleefully meets the challenge of bombastic and adventurous competition from New World producers.

Serve with seasonal roasted vegetable dishes like these honey brown sugar carrots, or herb stuffed roast chicken.

Expect a cacophony of juicy fruit with hints of cassis and black pepper.

Le Charme Merlot '24 details

Year 2024
Bottle Size 750mL
Type Red
Winery Philippe Lebrun
Grapes Merlot
Country France
Region Languedoc-Roussillon
Allergens Contains Sulfites

Berton Vineyards

Pitchfork Shiraz '23

Relatively new to the scene, Bob and Cherie Berton established their affectionately nicknamed ‘bonsai vineyards’ in 1996.

Serve with roasted meats like this lamb with rosemary and garlic, beets with fresh lime and dill, or sticky chicken drumsticks in Chinese plum sauce.

Expect plum and red currant with undertones of mocha and spice.

Pitchfork Shiraz '23 details

Year 2023
Bottle Size 750mL
Type Red
Winery Berton Vineyards
Grapes Shiraz
Country Australia
Region South Eastern Australia
Allergens Contains Sulfites

Château Corbin

Montagne St Emilion '21

Once part of a large 480 ha estate, Château Corbin split off during the turbulence of the French Revolution and exists today on a small but mighty 23 ha estate.

Serve with this versatile Merlot blend with meat dishes like this roast veal de Larrivaux, roast beef, or a cheeky burger.

Expect prunes and black fruit with a complex smoky underlay.

Montagne St Emilion '21 details

Year 2021
Bottle Size 750mL
Type Red
Winery Château Corbin
Grapes Merlot Blend
Country France
Region Bordeaux
Allergens Contains Sulfites