Echappée Belle

96 / 100 Still a very youthful purpley-red, this homage to the cépage Carignan and the terroir of Boutenac is a real individual. Anyone who wants to find out what the term ‘garrigue’ means, could do with tasting this wine, as Carignan in the hands of the Caraguilhes team seems to express it as well as any wine. Brambles, mulberries, liquorice and nutmeg are among the many hints found on the nose, while the palate is laden with rich, dark fruit, warm spices, and those classic garrigue notes of wild fennel, thyme, liquorice……The finish has as much power, but also as much elegance, as an Islay malt whisky. To hell with food matching, wrap yourself around a bottle of this in front of a roaring fire on a cold, dank day….bliss.