Mas de Libian Côtes du Rhône Bout d'Zan Rouge 2020

This gem has become one of the smartest buys in our portfolio. It’s drawn from 35-year-old biodynamically managed vines rooted in a range of highland soils: some galets roulés (rolled alluvial ‘pudding stones’); some sandy clay; and some lower-lying parcels on limestone soils.

Give or take a few bunches, the blend is 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah, co-fermented (Hélène’s father once told her, “The earlier you consummate the marriage the better the relationship!”) and raised in a mix of Stockinger foudre and cement vats. Possessing a purity and charm so frequently lost in warmer expressions from the region, the palate is an explosion of crunchy vibrancy and fleshy mid-palate plumpness with red fruits, brown spices and a savoury, iodine under-current. The delightful, perfumed finish flickers with nuances of earth and spice on a long, sappy, fragrant, and very refreshing close.