Faugères Rouge, “Vintage”

Mas des Capitelles’ “Vintage” bottling showcases some of their extremely old Carignan plantings, with 40% of the blend coming from 80-year-old Carignan, and 30% each from Mourvèdre and Grenache. After a month-long maceration with a small proportion of semi-carbonically-fermented whole clusters, “Vintage” spends 24 months aging 80% in used French oak, with the remainder—Grenache exclusively, which takes less kindly to barrel—in fiberglass and enamel vats. Here, a ripe, softly brooding nose presents a tug-of-war between herby earth tones and velvety dark-red and black fruit, and the palate, while substantially structured, buffers its tannins politely but not ingratiatingly. This is consciously released after a few years of bottle age and will benefit from even more.