Clos Constantin : Arjiès 2023

I've consistently been struck by the sheer purity of fruit on this wine, and that seems to have been amplified even further in this vintage through no filtration. And what a result. It makes me think of looking out at a moonlit lake at night: inky dark in the centre, plush with shiny black fruit, and then clearer, lighter fruit lapping at the shoreline edges. It's certainly ripe, oozing with bramble and blackberry Syrah fruit, but it has a flutter of rosehip and light florality from the Cinsault. Fine-grained tannins and ripe acidity create structure and poise around a stony, herbal-fresh core.

A classic southern wine, made mainly from Syrah, the 2023 Terrasses Du Larzac Arjiès was first aged for 12 months in concrete eggs and oak casks before spending a further six months resting after final blending. Not only can you tell that the winemakers have allowed time to do its work, but also that the vines are planted on high-altitude clay-limestone soil, which gives the grapes great potential for freshness and finesse. Offering very dark fruit (blackberry, blueberry), licorice, a hint of fine tobacco, garrigue, and aromatic herbs, this is a fresh, smooth, and complex red with fine, dense tannins and a tight structure. Still very young, it opens up on the finish, promising a bright future. It will be best decanted. Drink 2025-2032.