XV du President - £42.90Price on from Laithwaites.How about this! The legendary King of the Big Reds is back - in a luxuriously smooth, unmissably good NEW vintage! When Le XV first landed here 17 years ago, its unprecedented levels of black fruit flavour and silky texture made it an instant hit. Key to that intensity of flavour are ancient Grenache vines, grown high in the Pyrenees. The big (very BIG!) news this year is that the fruit was picked exclusively from the village of Maury - the home of ''thunderously powerful Grenache'' (Andrew Jefford, The New France). Plus, in 2007, thanks to even less rainfall than usual (this is officially France's driest region), yields were so low, and the wine so concentrated that Le XV's winemakers rate it better than the famously good 2000 vintage - we heartily agree! Inky-black colour, billowing succulent dark fruit, with spicy raspberry and sweet tobacco aromas. Richly textured, with layers of bramble fruit kept deliciously smooth by the ripe, 15% alcohol. Enjoy with roast lamb to 2011.