Having lost part of their usual supplies of Mourvedre and Syrah to hail, Hecht and Bannier sourced some Grenache from the western edge of the appellation for their 2008 Faugeres. A vivid evocation of crushed stone as well as of high-toned intimations of herbal and dark berry and plum distillates runs all the way through this. But there is also ample, sappy concentration of sheer fresh ripe berries, with dark chocolate, and salted pan-drippings making for bittersweet and mouthwatering persistence. You'd never guess that this was such a troubled vintage in which trusted Hecht & Bannier suppliers had every reason to hoard for their own domaine bottlings whatever fruit survived the hail. The result here is as much a tribute to the relationship that this team enjoys with some of the Languedoc's best growers as it is to their skill and ingenuity. Like any Faugeres of its vintage, I would monitor this for signs of weakness as it evolves, but I honestly think you're safe for at least half a dozen years. Gregory Hecht and Francois Bannier's - for more about whose remarkable partnership, consult my account in issue 183 - are living up to the challenge they set themselves, namely to render, as negociants of a unique hands-on labor-intensity, wines that can stand comparison with those of each respective appellations top estates. They continue to focus on the same four appellations (for an account of their Cotes du Roussillon cuvees as well as an inaugural Maury, see the report on Roussillon that appears in this issue), although several other projects have emerged, including an Appellation Languedoc bottling that serves not only as an intro-level wine but as an outlet for fruit that does not make the cut for their four other dry red wines. Remarkably, U.S. retail prices for these extraordinary values have remained virtually unchanged since they first appeared in our markets - except for the couple of instances where they have been lowered! (I won't repeatedly note and literally underline references to value in the notes that follow; if you compare them with my scores and the prevailing prices, you ought hardly to need help drawing the appropriate consequences, however jaw-dropping!) "Selection was an interesting but especially tough job in 2008," notes Gregory Hecht, "because there was a lot of mildew pressure for growers to deal with in a relatively cool year with only two real heat spikes." The results illustrate precisely the distinctive virtues of this vintage. "Two thousand nine is obvious in its generosity and power," opines Hecht, "whereas 2010 is more nicely-dressed and elegant, with a crisp edge." The down-side of the enormously promising and already irresistible youngest offspring at this address is that low yields - when combined with Hecht and Bannier's stringent principles of selection and grower-loyalty - meant that the total volume of wine available under their label had to suffer a significant dip.Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700

A lifting menthol streak infuses the ripe red plum and berry aromas and flavors of this wine, with a nice minerality lingering underneath it all. Balanced with medium acidity and moderate but fine tannins, the wine’s finish shows a cinnamon and nutmeg spice accent appears after swallow. Very drinkable now. ——L.B.(2/1/2012)—— 88