Xavier Arcane XIX Le Soleil Côtes du Rhône-Villages 2015

The 2015 Cotes du Rhone Villages Arcane XIX Le Soleil is youthfully dark in color and fruit-forward, but it also shows softening, silky tannins. It’s full bodied but not overblown, with a sensationally seductive mouthfeel. Black cherries define the fruit, joined by hints of dark chocolate and enough garrigue to give it a seriously savory character despite the fruit. This is an old-vine blend of 80% Grenache with 10% each Syrah and Mourvèdre, aged 15 months in one-third new oak, the rest in concrete or foudre. Maybe the best Côte du Rhône Villages I’ve ever tasted, it looks to have the stuffing to go another 10 years. Drink date: 2017-2027. Score – 94. (Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com, Oct. 31, 2017)