Le Mazel Ardèche Cuvée 'Larmande' 2021

Available from Petite when we last checked. Sold from the shop’s own store; the price there is the one that counts.

Ardeche. 100% Syrah, whole cluster fermentation in concrete for 10 months. Zero/zero. From the cellar. This is 100% Syrah given a ten-day, whole-bunch carbonic maceration before being pressed back into tank. This had completed fermentation 6 months later, rather than in the usual 2 years, so was bottled early with no additions, in spring 2022. As such, it's a more lifted and vibrant expression than previous vintages. There is an underlying, almost peat-y smokiness to the nose, but balanced with