Department 66 Others Red 2018

"Carignan has had a rather tumultuous history in the south of France. Once seen as a necessary grape to spur the recovery of the region after the plague of phylloxera in the late 19th century, primarily for its ability to produce high yields, it has been largely replaced with 'nobler' varieties such as Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. This is unfortunate – for as challenging as the variety is to love when the vines are young, they are superb with half a century under their belt. Jean-Marc Lafage luckily resisted the call to uproot and replace this variety, and he possesses Carignan vines well over 70 years old on schist with which he makes the Tessellae Carignan." —importer

"The color is intense, deep and steady. The nose shows maturity with aromas of black fruits and warm spices. We find the soils of origin are revealed with floral notes (violet) which are lightly smoky. We can find the same aromatic notes on the Northern Côtes du-Rhône soils, which are the birthplace of the Syrah. The attack is both supple and powerful. Tannins are at the same time powerful and tight. The finale is fresh without any heaviness." —winemaker

Wine Anthology Team Review-Made up of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan this wine comes from one of the top estates in the Rhone valley. Perfectly balanced, elegant and full of flavor from start to finish this bottle would be an ideal companion with most Lamb dishes. Take this with you to dinner and thank me later. Cheers!

"A joint venture between Eric Solomon and Jean-Marc Lafage, Tessellae old vines is assembled from vineyards on schist that Jean-Marc Lafage farms near Maury in the Agly valley. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, it is harvested by hand, fermented for a month after a short pre-fermentation maceration, and aged entirely in concrete tanks." —winemaker