2007 Cotes du Rhone Villages Rasteau

Lastly, and the greatest Rasteau I’ve ever tasted, Bressy’s 2007 Rasteau is monumental stuff that flirts with perfection. Coming from miniscule yields of 14 hectoliters per hectare and a blend of 70% Grenache and the balance Carignan, Mourvedre, Syrah and other permitted varieties, it was aged 12 months in both demi-muid and foudre, followed by 18 months in concrete tank, before being bottled. Tasting like the essence of this incredible terroir, with off the hook notes of plum, black raspberry, licorice, roasted herbs and chocolate, it has full-bodied richness, awesome purity and a voluptuous, unctuous and opulent texture that’s has to be tasted to be believed. It's an incredible wine to drink anytime over the coming decade or more.

70% Grenache, 15% Carignan, 15% other, biodynamically farmed. Dark greyish crimson. Lovely sweet fresh cherry fruit, pure and lively. Sweet fruit balanced by dry tannins. Very firm grip but it has the flesh to fill. Wonderfully classic Rhône Grenache blend. Full and long and savoury. A big wine but not at all brash. Not cheap but worth the premium. (JH)

Black at heart. Spicy and dark with aromas of roasted vegetables/potato skin. Rich and dense but very smooth and the tannins finish deliciously dry. (JH)