2016 Ventoux Il etait une fois

Coming in at the top end of the range I projected for it last year, the stunning 2016 Ventoux Il Etait Une Fois is a blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah. It's a voluptuous, full-bodied mix of black cherries and subtle spice notes, all carried by a seamless, plush, creamy-textured palate through a long, concentrated finish. Wow.

The flagship is the 2016 Ventoux Il Etais Une Fois, which is mostly Grenache with tiny amounts of Syrah and Mourvèdre brought up all in foudre. Violets, red and black fruits, spice, and dried earth/limestone minerality all give way to an elegant, medium to full-bodied Grenache that gains depth, freshness, and purity with time in the glass. It has fine, building tannin, a seamless texture, and a great, beautiful finish. Over the previous few years, the quality of this cuvée has soared, and this is one of the finest to date. 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.

80% Grenache (planted in 1936), 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. Aged in oak for 12 months. Very little nose, and the palate is similarly compact and brooding. There's purity and quality in the dark, compressed black fruit, though. You can feel how the Mourvèdre gives substance and structure to the blend. This is mouth-filling and dense, but has inner beauty too. (RH)