TN: 2000 Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux – Cuvee Lopy – (Vacqueyras, S.Rhone, France)

The top bottling from this estate, weighing in at 13.8% alcohol. I last drank a bottle about six months ago and it was so intense that it came close to taking my breath away. A half year in the bottle has certainly changed this wine. Double decanted 30 minutes in advance, with plenty of sediment removed. Opaque morello cherry, the nose revealed ripe plums and cherries, with a touch of marzipan and a hint of vanilla. The palate shows a velvet, mouthfilling wine that gets bigger and bigger, then settles to a warming and balanced finish. Copious layers of fruit seem to hide the tannins at present. One of the best young wines I have ever tasted from this appellation. 91/100.