Ferraton La Tournée Rouge 2024

Ferraton Pere & Fils is a Rhone house with more than seventy years behind it, and La Tournee Rouge is its Languedoc-Roussillon negociant red, made with input from Michel Chapoutier. The blend of Grenacha Tinta and Syrah draws on the hot, dry Mediterranean climate of the South of France, where long summers and stony, drought-resistant soils push the grapes to full ripeness and build the wine's generous fruit and 13.5% alcohol. Grenache supplies the sweet red-fruit core and rounded body, while Syrah adds darker plum, black pepper and structure. Fermentation on the skins extracts colour and soft phenolics, giving a supple tannin frame rather than a firm one. In the glass it is deep red, with a nose of raspberry, plum and dried Mediterranean herbs lifted by cracked pepper and a touch of liquorice. The palate is ripe and rounded, with juicy red and black fruit, gentle spice and a warm, savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, in a standard red glass. It suits grilled and roasted meats, from lamb chops to peppered steak, and stands up to hard sheep's cheese.