2018 Côtes du Roussillon Villages

Owner Hervé Bizeul has turned out an inky purple version of his flagship cuvée. The 2018 Côtes du Roussillon Villages le Clos des Fées is a blend of 50% Syrah, 20% each Grenache and Carignan and 10% Mourvèdre, aged in all new pièces. For this tasting, it was a bit reticent on the nose, showing just glimpses of black cherries and spice amid cedar and vanilla. In the mouth, it's more expressive, delivering mouthfilling, supple fruit that's gently framed by the oak, pushing it from expansive on the mid-palate into a focused, compelling finish. Give this sleeping beauty at least another couple of years in the cellar, then drink it over the next decade or so after that.