CARIGNAN

Domaine Borie de Maurel Esprit d'Automne Minervois 2006
$16; 13% alcohol, screw cap; 90+ points
Carignan, grenache, lladoner pelut, mourvedre and shiraz are the grapes of Minervois, usually blended in that order. (lladoner pelut is a form of grenache with particularly furry leaves and very thick skins.) This maker, Michel Escande, is a long-time biodynamicist. With attitude. This is a really good wine at such a silly price: and even at that low alcohol, seems slightly, but not too, jammy. There's a sprinkle of hot white pepper, too, which conversely indicates grapes short of full ripeness. A clever balance! It's all prunes and plums, otherwise, vibrantly alive and syrupy to sniff. The palate's chocolatey, in the Mississippi mud cake manner, with all sorts of live berries buried there; the finish tight and dry and yelling for hot chorizos and black olives. Australia should beware the Longuedoc-Rousillon! They have taken the Roseworthy dogma and cooked it with their long past and now produce hearty, bright wines like this at prices few Ockers can match. Vintage Cellars and 1st Choice stores only. 08 MAR 09