Walls’ dozen great buys
Domaine Font de Michelle, Blanc 2016 91 £ 26.60 Cru World Wine, Davy’s Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne and Bourboulenc, co-fermented, no malolactic. Lime blossom in spring water, green pear and a back note of almond. Rounded and generous but with juicy fruit, just enough acidity and a long, mineral finish. Drink 2017-2019 Alcohol 13.5%
Château de Beaucastel, Hommage à Jacques Perrin 2001 99 £ 258 Farr Vintners, Yarnell Vintners Their best Mourvèdres comprise 60% of the blend. Iron, blood, stewed plums, roasting pan juices and spicy cedar. Muscular tannic frame, wonderfully fresh. Long and complex, with a finish of barbecued herbs and balsamic. A tour de force. Drink 2017-2045 Alc 13.5%
Clos des Papes 2015 96 £62.60 A& B Vintners, Berry Bros & Rudd A superlatively elegant, middleweight, Mourvèdrerich Châteauneuf that glides across the palate like silk, featuring juicy plum and strawberry fruits, lifted juniper and fennel seed freshness. Very fine clay tannins. Intense but not through extraction; generous, but with energy and precision. Effortless.
Drink 2017-2038 Alc 15%
Clos du MontOlivet, La Cuvée du Papet 2015 95 £76 Fine & Rare 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre, some more than 100 years old. Vibrant and expressive raspberry and violet, a beautiful expression of Grenache. Full-bodied with fine tannins, pinpoint acidity. Subtle and expertly crafted. Drink 2018-2035 Alc 15%
Domaine Charvin 2000 95 £54 Seckford Wines 85% Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Syrah, 5% Vaccarèse. Autumn leaves, last of the season’s strawberries, raspberry liqueur, chestnut and truffle. Harmonious. Mineral grain and cleansing acidity on the long finish. From a reliable estate making classically styled wines. Drink 2017-2022 Alc 14.5%
Domaine du Banneret 2016 94 £45.99 (2013) The Winery Tank sample: 60% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 20% all others co-planted. Fragrant and floral black cherry and raspberries with
fresh herbal hints. Traditional, medium-bodied, textural style with vibrant acidity and fine tannins. Very promising.
Drink 2018-2036 Alc 14.5%
Domaine la Barroche, Pure 2015 94 £73.49-£79.99 (2014) AG Wines, Les Caves de Pyrene Pretty violet, wild strawberry nose. Rounded, juicy and generous, with ripe fruits shot through with ample acidity. Very fine wet-clay tannins and mouth-coating fruit. An excellent expression of pure Grenache with the tannic structure some others lack. Drink 2017–2030 Alc 15%
Le Clos du Caillou, La
Réserve 2015 94 £ 100.40 Fine & Rare 55% Grenache, 45% Mourvèdre. Seductive rose, clove and cedar spice. Full but not heavy. Very fine tannins and bright raspberry acidity. Like a still lake – smoke on the water. A polished, pure and potent modern expression. Drink 2017-2025 Alc 15%
Le Vieux Donjon 2010 94 £42 Yapp Bros 75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault; yields of just 26hl/ha. The fruit is developing a deliciously balsamic undergrowth aroma. Medium-bodied but aromatically and structurally assertive: bright acidity, highly textural, with an enjoyably unpolished style. Drink 2017-2022 Alc 14.5%
Château la Nerthe, Rouge 2016 93 £ 30.80 (2015) Berry Bros & Rudd Tank sample. Deep, ripe core of fruit and tannin punctured by a tremulous acid line. Vibrant, juicy blackberry and black cherry fruits, with a fragrant violet end. Light on its feet and very drinkable. Drink 2019-2035 Alc 15%
Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, Les Trois Sources
2014 92 £ 38.33 Millésima 60% Grenache with others co-planted on sand. For a Châteauneuf, light- to medium-bodied with a fresh cherry/berry nose and subtle earthiness. Bright and snappy, very dry with firm acidity and a saline finish. Refreshing; highly drinkable. Drink 2017-2025 Alc 14.5%
Domaine Chante- Cigale
2012 91 £ 20.95 Vin Neuf A large estate with a young owner, embodying a contemporary style – and excellent value. Age is just starting to give some woodsy, autumn leaf characters to the loganberry fruit. Pure, precise and medium-bodied. Drink 2017–2022 Alc 14.5%