Clos Saint-Jean Chateauneuf du Pape Deus Ex Machina 2021

Drink it now or cellar for up to 25 years. It is recommended to decant it for an hour. Located in Chateauneuf du Pape in the Rhone Valley, Clos Saint-Jean is a renowned winery founded by Edmund Tacussel in the early 1900s and run today by his great-grandsons Vincent and Pascal Maurel. The estate owns approximately 41 hectares of vineyards that are tended by hand and according to the dictates of sustainable agriculture. Since 2003, following the collaboration with Philippe Cambie, the winery has revolutionized its approach, abandoning the more traditional style of Chateauneuf for a more modern and personal interpretation. The wine is a blend of Grenache (from over a hundred-year-old vines) and Mourvedre grapes, hand-picked and vinified separately in concrete vats. The finished wines rest for 9 months in concrete vats (for the Grenache) and barrels for the Mourvedre, before blending and bottling. The concept behind the name Deus Ex-Machina (a definition from the ancient Greek theater) is the sense of change as resolution and refers to the renewal in the winemaking approach of the company with the arrival of Philippe Cambie. The wine reveals an intense aromatic profile with notes of wild berries and cassis, spices, Mediterranean herbs, and licorice, followed by light toasted hints. On the palate, it is fleshy and concentrated, savory and full-bodied with velvety tannins and a long and balanced finish. Try it with tagliatelle with wild boar sauce, or with a venison stew.

Price: £84.73 from 8wines UK