2016 Ventoux Divergente

Saturated purple colour. Unfortunate drainage nose, bitter fruit. There is some sweet oak spice which tries to bring complexity, but the overall impression is of bitterness. (RH)

Less immediately showy and approachable than the 2016 Persia, the 2016 Ventoux Divergente is tight and focused, deserving of a couple of years in the cellar. Smoke, black olive and plum notes dominate this full-bodied wine, picking up hints of espresso on the long, tannic finish.

Reminding me of one of the Sélections Parcellaires Hermitage from Michel Chapoutier, the 2016 Ventoux Divergente is 90% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre that was mostly destemmed and brought up in foudre. Crème de cassis, black raspberries, peppered meats, graphite, and liquid rock notes all flow to a fat, unctuous, sexy Syrah that has beautiful acidity, fine tannin, and a huge finish. It's a true “Wow” wine that needs to be tasted to be believed. Put this in a blind lineup of top Hermitage and shock all your friends. Enough can’t be said of the quality coming from Sebastien Vincenti’s and Nanou Barthelemy’s estate in the Ventoux, which is located on a limestone plateau on the eastern side of the region. These are deep, rich, concentrated wines that offer loads of personality.