Domaine Saint Sylvestre Rouge 2016 Languedoc

A bright, deep-ish blood red colour, with a narrow rim. It is uber-complex on the nose, with masses of bramble, redcurrant and dark cherry aromas, with notes of damp earth, leather, roasted red meat, burning incense and a lick of fine, toasty oak. The palate is absolutely crammed full of rich, ripe, intensely concentrated black and red fruit flavours - so concentrated, in fact, it is almost chewy in texture. And yet it still manages to be balanced and - even at this early stage - shows genuine elegance and complexity, with rich, ripe tannins countered by ample acidity. The finish is spicy, gently warming, juicy..... and very, very long. Although this will undoubtedly age and evolve for a good many years (I'd say to 2026 and beyond) it is already a joy to drink.