Mas Cal Demoura : Les Combariolles 2018

A nuanced and detailed nose with fruit and spice – orange rind, cinnamon, cherries and black pepper jumping out of the glass. Great tannin texture with bite and a cooling liquorice undertone. There’s also a mineral vein that supports the crunchy fruit flavours. A complex and well-made wine. One to drink now that will also benefit from further ageing. A blend of Syrah 35%, Mourvèdre 35%, Carignan 15%, Grenache 10% and Cinsault 5%.

Certified organic. Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Grenache. Strong on the nose – the tang of cured beef and pepper and something raw and gamey. Thick, robust tannins. Determined. If this was a warrior, it would be wearing a kilt and a red beard and carrying an axe. It has a red-pepper tang and sweetness, a black-pepper dustiness, the lift and physical tug of dried sage. Of its place … (TC)

Les Combariolles delivers intense, complex notes of garrigue blending rosemary, damson and cinnamon. A wine that is both indulgent and spicy, with a very linear palate that highlights the vitality of this terroir.

The nose is fruity, offering very fine concentration, racy minerality, and gourmandise. It reveals notes of vibrant bigarreau cherry, ripe purple plum and, more subtly, violet, Boysen blackberry, and ripe black berries, with very discreet hints of licorice (in the background), sense of place, tea, and a subtle touch of pepper. The palate is fruity and racy, with concentration, a delicate tangy backbone, a hint of power, and depth. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy wild blackcurrant, bright blackberry and, more lightly, redcurrant, combined with touches of bright purple plum, along with small hints of spices, tonka bean/mocha, toast, cardamom, discreet notes of black olive and olive tree, roasting and caramelization (in the background). Good length. The tannins are precise and structuring.