Clos de Caveau, Vacqueyras "Carmin Brillant"

We've always loved this wine and the quality, value and sheer class that each glass delivers. Made with certified organic grapes since the 1980s, this is gutsy and powerful while remaining elegant and refined, supple and complex. Black fruit flavours yield to prunes and fig, with notes of baking, wild herbs and leather spice on a long and mouth-filling finish. Spectacularly developing to boot, it is rare to find a wine of this quality in such great condition at this price.

This is a wine made in the high altitude appellation of Vacqueyras which is one side of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountains to the east and north of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The other side of the hill, quite physically, is the other great appellation of Gigondas. The two appellations have in recent years really become key players in the search for higher quality, more consistent and better value wines than the other more famous zones in the southern Rhone. Part of the issue in achieving such status has been that French law only gave these two zones official 'Cru' status relatively recently, Gigondas in 1971 and Vacqueyras in 1990. Before that, this wine was simply "Cotes du Rhone Villages Vacqueyras"...

In the past, these wines were thought of as little-Chateauneufs, but now, quality like this is being sought out in its own right.

The best wines of Vacqueyras are marked out by its altitude and soils (as well as the grape varieties used, of course), and those vines planted on poor soils at about 350m above sea level have the opportunity to produce balanced grapes with high potential alcohol and high levels of acidity. In the case of Clos de Caveau, the vines are organically grown, which prepares the way for this potential to be readily realised. Full bodied and powerful thanks to the climate and grape varieties, while retaining elegance and freshness because the organic viticulture keeps the pH levels in the soils far higher than conventional farming, meaning that the grapes ripen fully without the risk of losing acidity. Perfect! Made from 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah, the vines age between 25 and 70 years old.

Jancis is also a fan: "Racy and very sweet fruit but with good, well-integrated acidity. Fine tannins. Proper wine." And we agree.