Another one from Joseph Barnes Wines! My wife was looking for a Carignan based bottle to give me for our anniversary and this was recommended by Charles Hardcastle at JBW. It’s a Vin de Pays des Cotes de Brian by Clos du Gravillas which is owned by American winemaker John Bojanowski in St Jean de Minervois. It’s a fairly small vineyard of 6 hectares which is Organically farmed and extensively pruned to ensure low yields with high concentration which are then crushed in the traditional way by foot!

First off, I love the bottle design! A really simple but effective bit of design. The wine itself is made from Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah with a small amount of Mourvedre and Grenache thrown into the mix. Its got a tantalisingly deep colour with pronounced black fruit, spice and a hint of vanilla oak on the nose. In the mouth it’s soft and silky with a slightly sweet fruit character – fig was what came to mind – as well as savoury notes that would make it a good match for hearty meaty dishes. Clos du Gravillas describe their wines as ‘strongly elegant’ which I think sums it up perfectly.