Cassis Rouge, “Cuvée Marquis de Fesques”

80% Mourvèdre and 20% Grenache, the Cassis Rouge recalls Bandol—just 19 miles to the east—but its personality is friendlier, its fruits redder and crunchier, its tannins a charged caress rather than harsh. Still, it is an amply concentrated wine, full of dusty spice and with a vivacious sappiness that speaks of its low-yielding 50-year-old vines. There is something very pure and pretty at its core, a joyousness that underlines its kinship with their Blanc and the Rosé. In producing this beauty, Sébastien Genovesi destems the grapes and employs a lengthy maceration with daily pigeage and remontage; afterwards, the wine is raised in used demi-muid. With bottle age it will develop a savory swagger as its Mourvèdre-driven fruits develop umami.