£81.50
Syrah with a splash of whole-bunch Carignan from AOC Languedoc-Pézenas, twelve months in new oak - the wine to open when someone wants to be impressed.
Velvety cherry and mocha, concentrated to the point of being almost thick, over a colour so dark it barely lets light through. The Carignan goes in whole-bunch and carbonic, and you can taste exactly what it is for - a burst of lush, bright fruit cutting across all that Syrah depth. Underneath there is garrigue, spice and smoke, and the finish turns balsamic and liquorice-edged with a curl of tobacco. It spends a year in new barrels and is powerfully concentrated. Give it an hour in a decanter to really open it up before serving.
Top food pairings:
"A truly stunning wine. 12 months in oak, pure lush fruit at the core and velvety cherries and mocha. It finishes with garrigue herbs and spices, earthy smokiness… so good. This would make a great red wine gift... or simply a treat for yourself!"
Domaine Monplézy work clay-limestone with quartz gravel on a hill swept by the tramontane and the mistral, about 30km inland from the Mediterranean. The estate has been organic since 2000, when Anne and Christian took it independent. Their son Benoît makes the wine and came to see us in May with the whole range.
Being free of chemical pesticides for over a decade has genuinely transformed the ecosystem. The estate is a member of the LPO, France’s bird protection league, and its emblem is the hoopoe - the crested bird that nests in the old tree trunks they deliberately leave standing. The insect population came back, and the birds came with it.
The top of the Monplézy range and one of the most complete Languedoc red wines we stock. Dark, spiced and properly built, with a dozen years ahead of it and a Pézenas address that is only starting to be recognised.
Please confirm that you are over 18 to enter
By entering this site you are agreeing to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
