($155) Bright red. Intensely spicy nose offers ripe cherry and blackberry scents and a strong cracked pepper component. This includes 30% mourvedre and 10% syrah, and it shows today. Quite sweet on the palate, with deep dark berry flavors, a chewy texture and powerful tannins carrying through the bright, focused finish. Has the fruit and structure to repay cellaring.

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I’m tempted to call this the American cuvee, so pronounced is the oak, so concentrated is it. The 30% Mourvèdre dominates the nose at the moment with strong animal scents. Very smooth and sweet but perhaps just a bit too 'worked’ for purists? 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah.

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The top cuvee, the 2004 Le Clos du Caillou Reserve is a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, and 10% Syrah, the latter component aged in a new demi-muid and the Mourvedre aged in older barrels, with the Grenache kept in neutral foudres. The wine is a strong effort very much in the style of the 1999, with crisp acidity, beautiful black currant and blackberry notes with hints of spice, dried herbs, and pepper. As the wine sits in the mouth, more raspberry notes emerge, and the wine exhibits beautiful elegance, full-bodied power, and layers of flavor. This is certainly one of the top wines of the vintage in 2004.

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