2013 ***** dark, lustrous robe. Reduction hovers on the nose, with airs of tea leaves, piled high blackberries; there’s s light noble Volatile Acidity, savoury and fleshy styling. There’s a lot here, a lot going on. This is suave, fleshy; old vines gras prevails over the freshness and grip of the year. It bursts with rich content and soaked black fruits, with a bonny hover of iris flowers. It’s violet and rocky, savoury, very Cornas on the finale. Stylish, well balanced. 13.5°. 2035-38 Oct 2016 Previously June 2015 ***** 1) (Chaillot, 1930s-1940s Syrah, granite with 15% clay, so a more feminine effect) ****(*) dark robe. The nose presents a winsome, knowing smile – it gives a beckoning aroma of blackberry fruit, rose and peony, has a stylish depth. The palate picks up on the floral theme, casts an elegant run of dark fruit, with sweet-noted moments. It combines freshness with sun. The balance is good, more so than the Chaillot’s in 2013. The fruit washes widely here, and the finish is complete and orderly. 21 years. 2) Reynard, ex Noël Verset, 1908-09, 1930s Syrah) ***** dark, full, shiny robe, has a purple rim above the black. Has a blackberry, floating aroma that is well poised, running airs of red berries, mulberry, and notable scenting of violets. This strokes the palate – it is a well cast combination of dark, fruit, spice of the south, and a stream of tannins, tasty and fine ones. Handsome wine: it has a proper frame, and well-toned content. The juice is dense that density comes from within. 23 years. OVERALL ***** the portents are good here: there is elegance, but also a well centred depth, the low yield no doubt contributing to that sense of concentration. It will manage southern fullness with a relatively airborne feature thanks to the old vines and their noble sites. 2036-38 Jun 2015