I know what you're thinking: the guts of £16 is steep for a Bottle of the Week. Rhone prices have steadily climbed since the American wine writer Robert Parker pronounced the area his favourite region in the early 1980s. But compared to Bordeaux and Burgundy, bottlings of top Rhone wines like Clos des Papes 1995 (stockists above, usually about £15.95) still offer good value, with their rich, concentrated, complex flavours - especially in 1995, the best vintage for red wines in the southern Rhone since 1990.
Vincent Avril's classic Chateauneuf-du-Pape is vibrant and delicious now in its youth, or you can be strong-minded and stash it away for decades. Maybe do both? Happy holiday weekend!