Domaine La Barroche Fiancée Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2019

Domaine La Barroche is a fourteenth-century family estate now run by Julien Barrot, who works the southern Rhône with an eye for finesse as much as power. Fiancée is a Grenache-led cuvée with Syrah, organically farmed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The appellation is known for its galets roulés, the large rounded stones that cover many vineyards, storing the day's heat and releasing it at night to push the grapes to full ripeness. That heat and the estate's old Grenache vines give a wine of real concentration and the 15 percent alcohol typical of the zone. The wine is raised in 600 litre demi-muid barrels, a larger format than a standard barrique, so the oak influence is gentle and the slow oxygen exchange softens tannins and integrates the fruit without overt wood character. The result is deep and dense, with ripe plum and black cherry, the wild herbs of the garrigue, black olive, smoke and a savoury, peppery edge. The palate is full bodied and unctuous, the tannins ripe, the finish long and warm. Decant an hour ahead and serve at 17 to 18 degrees with roast lamb, game or beef.