32% Syrah, 27% Grenache, 23% Mourvedre, 18% Carignan. $17.99 from Wine.com.  Corbières is a wine region in the Languedoc area of southern France. Tasted, June 2018

Tasting Notes

Medium+ garnet colour, with hints of ruby at the edge.

Quick-forming legs in the glass. I estimated high 14’s ABV, but the bottle says 14%

Medium+ intensity nose. Meaty, not unlike bacon grease. Some smoke and graphite in there too. Opens to reveal dark fruits like blackberry and cassis, with a touch of thyme.

On the palate, it’s medium-bodied. Dark fruit hits first, brought to life by medium+ acidity. The tannin is fine in texture and lasts well.

This wine has a long, dry finish with a slightly smokey backdrop. I can’t say I detected much in the way of spice in the flavour, but upon finishing a glass there was a definite aroma of cinnamon and clove from the barrels used.

Conclusion

This blend seems to suit my taste rather well. It’s a good value, complex wine, that’s not too heavily bodied. I’m looking forward to making use of Carignan fruit from my own little vineyard, although it remains to be seen if I can reach this kind of standard…