Deep purple- gamy on the nose with licorice, garigue, raspberry and black fruit.  Charred wood notes and stewed blackberry finish it off.  On the palate this Grenache/Syrah blend is dry with somewhat coarse tannins, medium (-) acidity and a medium body.  I get definitive game and earthy notes with dark red fruit and oak influence from the charred wood.  Licorice is quite present.  The tannins smooth out towards the back end where the finish is medium in length and includes a Lapsang Souchong tea component.  A very serviceable wine that gets 88 points from me to drink till 2026.  At $13 it’s a relative bargain that gets 4 stars.  Salut….

I’m having Cassoulet for dinner.  For grins I went online to see what others would pair with this rustic French dish of white beans, Duck Confit and sausage.  Well, well- they all recommended a French wine, with deference to the southern regions.  This bottle is a 50/50 blend of old vine Grenache and old vine Syrah from the North and Southern Rhone.  It is slightly cloudy and a deep shade of ruby.  The nose has pronounced aromas of black plum, black raspberry, smoke, meat, licorice, espresso, açaí and black pepper.  That’s quite complex for a $20 bottle!  The palate is tannic right off the bat.  Black fruit and red fruit combine with spice and oak nuance that are all enveloped in a mouth coating dryness from the tannins along with juicy acidity.  Full bodied, this 14.5% ABV wine is a not for the feint of heart- it is full throttle with the fruit, the tannins, the acidity and the mouthfeel.  It has a mid length finish that remains quite mouth-puckering from the relentless tannic grip.  I hope my dish mellows this 92 point wine out somewhat!  Being an NV, I am not sure when it was made but this bottle will last till 2030 at the least.  5 stars.  Salut….