2018 Parvata

Saturated bright ruby to the rim! Deep, brooding aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, bitter chocolate, tree bark, black pepper, licorice and dried herbs. Very pure, concentrated and tightly wound; like a blueprint for a future wine. Sexy dried herb, pepper and citrus zest notes accent concentrated flavors of almost medicinal black and purple berries, menthol and bitter chocolate. Extremely primary and in need of cellaring but even now the tannins are suave and refined. The slowly mounting, very long chocolatey aftertaste maintains its firmness in spite of the wine's sexy early sweetness. My sample softened nicely with 24 hours in the recorked bottle without losing its shape or energy. The amount of Grenache in this blend will increase in coming years as Force Majeure's new plantings of this variety produce more fruit.

Composed of 57% Mourvèdre, 25% Syrah and 18% Grenache, the 2018 Parvata offers up dusty fruit aromas of black cherry, blackberries and red plum skin along with a fine, powdery minerality and hints of baking spices and purple flowers that waft from the glass. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is expressive on the palate with a delicious frame of ripe fruit, overlaid with mineral tension and a firm tannic grip that is food-friendly. The wine ends with a long, drawn-out to finish that highlights the terroir. This fermented in concrete and stainless steel vessels before resting in larger French oak barrels, 25% new. Only 350 cases were produced.