“Shame on you for being such a yummy and irresistible fruit bomb, shame on you!” is what we found Agent Noir shouting one day, at an empty bottle. He’s been at this wine thing for decades now and 99.9% of the time he’s quite measured, even in the presence of some of the greatest wines in the world.

“What was it?” We asked. It was, we learned, that rare balance between sappy tannins yet a subliminally sweet mouthfeel, with MASSIVE amounts of red berries. Gorgeous is an R rated smoothie, dangerously tasty when chilled a bit, and seriously well made, thanks to the Masters of Wine behind this tiny project, sourced from the oldest vines around, grown responsibly, vinified honestly.

While 92 points for under $20 is quite the accomplishment, ratings just don’t do this wine justice.

What it’s not is a pretentious, upscale take on Grenache that you’d find in say Châteauneuf, while it’s a strikingly pure and unadulterated rendition of what can easily be one of the world’s fruitiest reds. Pure strawberry licorice, red raspberry, and red cherry bring loads of irresistible fruit to the party, while a bit of baking spice and pepper hang out on the sidelines. Simply put, it’s terrifyingly, dangerously, crazily easy to drink with utter abandon.

We then dive in to uncover WHY this is so good. A good chunk of the answer is with winemaker Peter Leske who cut his teeth with purity and expression in Burgundy at Domaines like Dujac and l’Arlot and in the Northern Rhône at Alain Graillot. If you know a thing or two about French cult classics, that just sums it all up. All that experience and expertise, just to bring out the gorgeousness Grenache can be?!

Wow, just wow. Wish we had enough to last…

92 Points – James Suckling

“Unmistakable fresh flowers and red berries here that are delivered amid gently earthy notes. The palate has a plush, vibrant and attractive feel with juicy, upbeat tannins to close. Drink now.”