2016 Cuvée Constance Rouge, Côtes du Roussillon

£15.50 inc. VAT

So what happens when the ‘bad boy’ of Bordeaux Jean-Luc Thunevin meets Roussillon ‘local boy’ Jean-Roger Calvet? They produce wines that are not only spectacular but are exceptional value.

There’s no hiding the class of this little gem from Maury, a commune that sits at the foot of the Pyrenees It’s a blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Carignan and from vines of up to 45 years old. All three grape varieties are doing their job here – the ripe, red fruit structure of the Grenache, the peppery dark fruit of Syrah with soft elegance from the old vine Carignan – and they are already harmonising like Crosby, Stills & Nash. The wine is aged for 14 months in concrete tanks and this keeps a purity of fruit and makes the wine incredibly drinkable. Lovely on first sip but it grows in stature after time in the glass. Gets 91-91 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate too.

Give me an open fire, a William Boyd novel, some strong French cheese and a glass of this and you won’t hear a peep from me…until I need a top up.

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