Xavier Vignon Cairanne 2016

Xavier Vignon’s latest release is a Parker 91 point Châteauneuf-styled blend that comes from 80-100 year old vines found at some of the highest elevations in the village of Cairanne. These ancient vines are rooted in mineral white clay and produce wine with incredible aromatic complexity and depth of fruit It’s a killer bottle of wine, loaded with black fruit, touched with baking spices, rosemary and thyme. It’s a massive wine but mineral and fresh. Think great Châteauneuf, at a third of the price. For the restaurant, it’s the perfect wine by the glass, open bottles last for days, just getting more complex and finer as we go on.

It’s a Saturday night wine at a Tuesday night price, in the words of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, a “no-brainer..”