THERE’S one wine style that stands above all, the 13 grape symphony that is Châteauneuf du Pape in the Southern Rhone region of France.

So, what is it? Chateauneuf comes in both red and white styles, both of which I’ve grown to love. The whites are perhaps better suited to the more mature palate, paired with the right food such as Dover sole or langoustines they are a real treat.

It’s the reds that have my heart, though, with their heady aromas, rich, fruity palates and herby overtones. They are definitely at their best with a couple of years ageing, but pair one of these with a fillet steak and you can rewrite your own idea of heaven.

Although the winemakers have a huge selection of permitted varieties that they can choose to include in the blend, the main grapes are grenache, mourvedre, syrah and cinsault. I tend to favour the Grenache dominated wines with their intoxicating mix of whopping levels of alcohol, jammy raspberry fruits and spice but I’ll leave it to you to decide which of these is the more important.

Châteauneuf Du Pape, M&S

Liquorice and white pepper on the nose and warm raspberries and cocoa on the palate backed up by a touch of spice on the finish. A really lovely wine for the price and absolutely gorgeous with beef or game dishes.

Marks and Spencer £23

Domaine de la Charbonniere Mourre des Perdrix, Chateauneuf du Pape

Wow, the wine is as meaty as the name with rich warm cherries, autumn fruits, spice and hints of leather. This is a good wine.

Master of Malt £39.50