Aged a year in one-third new oak (barriques and 400-liter barrels), the 2016 Pic Saint Loup Grande Cuvée is a blend of 60% Syrah, 35% Mourvèdre and 5% Grenache. It's a full-bodied, lush wine, ripe and creamy, with blueberry and raspberry fruit dressed up by hints of cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg on the silky, elegant finish.

In contrast to the white wine, the blend of the Grande Cuvée red has been settled for a long time. It is 60% Syrah (never a whiff of over-ripeness), 35% Mourvèdre (in a very different, lighter and more athletic style to Bandol), and 5% Grenache to act as liaison - it gets a full five weeks on its skins although extraction, using a gentle daily rack-and-return followed by soft pumpovers to keep the cap moist, is very gentle. It's a selection of wines from the best parcels: well-drained but with a water reserve for the long, dry summers, giving a homogenous ripening cycle. The blends are made prior to ageing, which takes place in tank as well as barriques and 400-litre barrels, though with little new wood. Made in a difficult hail year for Pic St Loup, this is a clear, deep red in colour, with teasing aerial aromas in which red and black fruits are perfectly aligned. On the palate there is cascading fresh acidity, very fine-grained tannins and deep fruit flavours in which the cherry, raspberry and plum notes mingle with tea leaf, herbs and pine. A pretty wine which combines almost Burgundian weight and finesse with distinctive Languedoc flavours.