Concentrated, with a brooding profile, offering cured meat, plum pudding and dried blackberry notes interwoven with peppercorn, olive and dried herb elements. Full, polished tannins mark the mineral-infused finish. Syrah, Carignan and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2024.

A blend of Carignan, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache grown at Gerard Bertrand's father's estate, the 2016 Corbieres Boutenac Chateau de Villemajou Grand Vin is a muscular, grippy wine that may have excellent aging potential or may be too tannic for it's own good. Hints of crushed stone and pencil shavings mark the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate adds notes of cherries and green peppercorns, leading into a dry, tannic finish.