Montirius Le Clos Vacqueyras 2015

Included in my blind tasting of Vacqueyras and retasted (with an identical score) at the domaine, the 2015 Vacqueyras le Clos is a stunner. A 50-50 blend of Grenache and Syrah grown next to the winery on blue clay soils, it seems almost impervious to the effects of drought and heat. It’s full-bodied and richly textured, but with no loss of detail and no sense of heat. Flowering garrigue makes a mark on the nose, followed by notions of apricots, raspberries and blackberries. The tannins are incredibly supple, the mouthfeel lush, the finish long and elegant. As I wrote in my notebook on one occasion, ‘This is the real deal’ and ‘This is spectacular’ (with ‘is’ underlined) on the other, you might surmise I liked it, even without looking at the rating. Drink date: 2017-2025. Score – 94. (Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com, Oct. 31, 2017)