Faugères "Jadis" (Red) 2017

Carignan (50%), Syrah (30%) and the remainder Grenache. An inky, almost-opaque wine, with a full body. Lots of juicy dark fruits like ripe plum and black cherry, but also earth, leather and mushroom. The tartness of the fruit plays with hints of dark chocolate and herbs. Smooth tannins and a long finish.

Story: Didier Barral has elevated biodynamic farming in the Languedoc, creating an entire self-sustaining, biodiverse ecosystem. His 25 hectares of vines are intermingled with a menagerie of insects, animals and other crops all raised with full respect for the terroir. The grapes come from 30 to 60 year-old vines growing in schist-rich soils between the Pyrenees Mountains and a garrique forest. Jadis is known for its smoothness, which is partially attributed to the Syrah used here, which comes from a south-facing parcel that yields extra-juicy, fruity grapes.

Vinification: Grapes are hand-harvested and gently pressed and undergo fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Each variety is vinified separately. Grapes are macerated for 3-4 weeks in cement tanks with regular manual punch-downs. After maceration, the must is lightly pressed with an old wood vertical basket press and then aged for 24 months in cement and stainless steel tanks. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Match it with: Grilled lamb, a hearty mushroom dish, dark chocolate desserts.