2020 Clos des Fées Vieilles Vignes, Côtes du Roussillon Villages
Sommelier-turned-winemaker Hervé Bizeul has earned kudos for his career change, from both somms and vignerons alike. He makes this superb cuvée from a parcel of very old vines (50-100 years) he bought in a forgotten corner of the Roussillon in the late 1990s. The vineyard had been abandoned, but over the past two decades has been brought back to life. The wine is a field blend of Grenache and local curiosity Lladoner Pelut, along with Carignan and Syrah grown on a limestone slope. It shows dark spice and black fruits, with dried herbs and a hint of salt. The structural tannins on the palate give it both richness and energy. It has impressive body, but there’s nothing heavy in its stature, lifted by just a hint of pepper running through the fruit.