The wine of Cheval-Blanc has both the richness and opulence of wines produced on clay soil and the close-knit tannic structure of wines grown from gravelly soils. Powerful yet without aggressiveness, and always with elegance and breed, Cheval Blanc wines approach the style of a Pomerol without quite resembling a Saint Emilion with its Cabernet Franc core enveloped with Merlot. The freshness and cashmere-soft tannins result in wines that age marvellously, expressing the effect of the terroir which makes it more and more complex and subtle.

Château d'Yquem displays a history of over 400 years of passionate winemaking pursuit. It is the only winery ranked with the Premier Cru Supérieur title and its superiority is evident in the wines' complexity, concentration and sweetness. The wines are unchallenged in terms of purity, complexity, longevity and subtlety. Aesthetically wondrous, there is a coruscating, golden glow that illuminates even the gloomiest dinner table.

The origins of the château can be traced back to Medieval times when Bertrand de Goth was ordained Pope Clement V. Château de Fargues is touted as the "dark horse" of Sauternes, synonymous with producing gorgeous, sexy, honeyed wines. Château de Fargues covers 15 hectares in the Sauternes Appellation with 14 in full-production. The soil profile is a gravel topsoil with a clay-gravel subsoil and the cultivated grape varietals comprise Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc vines, with an average maturity of 35 years and a vine-density of 7,000 per hectare.

This vineyard, like its sagacious owner Francois Mitjavile, wears its heart on its sleeve. Regarded as one of the forefathers of the garagiste movement, Château Le Tertre Roteboeuf spent several years honing techniques that have become common practice today. The Château has consistently fashioned exemplary wines and developed a reputation founded on a triumphant series of outstanding vintages. Maximising the ripeness of grapes and extending skin-maceration to extract colour and tannins, their wines are fermented in manually controlled concrete vats, after which they are matured carefully in oak barrels before being fined and filtered according to their vintage. The end results are rich, svelte and voluptuous wines that are famous for their unerring ability to age.

Château Lynch-Bages is one of the great Médoc domaines. Located just outside Pauillac overlooking the Gironde estuary, the 90 hectare estate on gravel outcrops is planted with 75% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 10% Cabernet-Franc. Lynch-Bages was once the property of the illustrious Lynch family, and since 1934 it has belonged to the Cazes family with Jean Michel Cazes in charge today (he is also Grand Master of the Commanderie du Bontemps des Graves et du Médoc).

Located in the best domains of Burgundy, Maison Faiveley is best known for its superb reds from the northern Cote de Nuits, its bevy of Nuits-St-Georges 1er Crus, and its Corton-Clos des Cortons. Seven generations of Faiveley have run the domaine, which was founded in 1825. With over 120 hectares, Maison Faiveley is one of the biggest vineyard owners in Burgundy, but while their domaine is extensive, the Faiveleys have insisted on maintaining low yields, taking care to respectfully treat each stage of the winemaking process - from grape to bottle - with reverence, producing the finest wines that are supremely clean and graceful yet at the same time, full, rich and concentrated.

Founded in 1835 and bought by the Deutz Champagne house in 1977, Delas Frères owns traditional vineyards in the north of the Rhône valley which are marked by all the finesse of the champagne identity. True to winemaking processes specific to each appellation, Maison Delas has managed to conserve the strength and characteristics of each terroir, creating wines that have strong identities, charisma and great aging potential.

Father and son team Léonard and Olivier Humbrecht run Zind Humbrecht, one of the greatest domaines in Alsace. The domaine was created in 1959. Their numerous vineyards, totalling 30 hectares in all, are all top quality and together with a commitment to low yields and biodynamic principles, are some of the most important reasons that makes Zind Humbrecht wines unique and of utmost quality.

No Barolo has the recherché or the enigma of Giacomo Conterno's Barolo "Montfortino" Riserva. Now the most feted wine in Piedmont, the estate produces wines with infallible cellaring power and longevity. Roberto Conterno is devoted to the traditionalist philosophy of his grandfather, using the highest quality grapes in Serralunga d'Alba and subjecting them to maturation dichotomous in lengthy barrique ageing.

Established in 1829, Bollinger is one of Champagne's mythical maisons as well as one of the last surviving independent houses. This independency and uncompromising choices on behalf of quality have forged the Bollinger style. With its 150 hectares of vines which make up 70% of its supply, the Bollinger house is quite unique as are its wines.