Bright red with a purple hue, a glass of Estate Vineyards Syrah is like opening a spice box. It overflows with cherry, blackberry, boysenberry, thyme, pepper and the irresistible scents of Black Doris plum and vanilla. There are floral lift and charm here, but also a supple palate with luxurious savoury fruit and enticing notes of red and black liquorice. The perfume and depth of this syrah are matched by its fine, textural expression, balance and soft, even tannins. Food match with a wonderful accompaniment to all red meats, savoury and lightly spiced dishes of Mediterranean cuisine, as well as soft cheeses.

"Replacing the Petit Chapelle cuvee and first made in 2015, the 2016 Hermitage La Maison Bleue is smoking good. Black fruits, charcoal, powdered rock, currants and chocolate notes all give way to a big, concentrated, impressively structures barrel sample that has tons of potential. I expect the tannin will have integrated by the time this is released, but a few years of bottle age still recommended." - Jeb Dunnuck

First made commercially available for the 2016 vintage, the Neve is a young wine with character and bite. Named for the lieu-dit on which its reasonably young vines are grown, it is stylishly racy with savoury elements that mingle seductively with bay leaf and lavender. A dry style, it is taut and pretty on the palate, with that long finish so characteristic of Chapoutier.

DOMAINE BELLE Roche Pierre , Crozes-Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage

VINEYARDS = Garnacha Tintorera is the most representativegrape of Almansa. Our grapes are carefully selected from the low yield bush vines of over 60 years old and grown at a high altitude of 1090m above sea level on red soil rich in iron oxides upon a layer of calcareous rock. The combination of these elements creates a wine that can enrich the tasting experience beyond the most ambitious expectations.VINIFICATION = Soft stalk stripping. Maceration fermentation for 25 days. Malolactic fermentation in American and French oak for 12 months.COLOUR = Deep garnet red.BOUQUET = Intense and persistent, with notes of cherry andblackcurrant, herbs, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa, licorice and hints of mineral.PALATE = Great structure, good balance between alcohol andfreshness, velvety tannins, very persistent with a long finish.Ready to drink now or well suitable for ageing.RECOMMENDED WITH = Excellent with rich first courses, redmeat, seasoned cheeses.SERVING TEMPERATURE = 18 20 Degrees C.