60% Grenache and 40% Syrah, all in barrel, 50% new. This hedonistic wine is marked by extravagant aromas
and flavours. Luxuriant black fruit, blackcurrants and blueberries, is lent depth by glossy vanilla and a fleeting note of tar. Full bodied and powerful, this is not for the faint-hearted. Now-2017

Product Code: DGA410

Bruno Schenk’s vines are on classic argilo-calcaire soils, with some sandstone, in the wild hills between Cucugnan and Padern, surrounded by amazing hill-top Cathar castles. It’s surprisingly cool here in these vineyards - Bruno was told when he arrived from Alsace that the land was only good for white and rosé - and this gives great finesse and freshness to all the wines. Like Yves Falmet he prefers minimal chemical treatments to extensive organic spraying, but he stops all spraying in mid-July, and makes wine with natural yeasts and without using any sulphur at all until bottling - so he qualifies as a “natural” winemaker. He attributes the amazingly deep colours of his rosé and reds to this practice.

While vintages inevitably move on, we are delighted to have more of the spectacular 2009 Cuvée des Quarante to offer.