Rich aromas of berries, spices, licorice and toasty new oak preface the 2021 Balestard la Tonnelle, a medium to full-bodied, rich and chunky wine that's unabashedly muscular and extracted, but which displays promising depth and concentration to absorb its payload of tannin.

Opaque purple-black colored, the 2020 Balestard la Tonnelle opens with notes of cedar chest, stewed black plums and boysenberry preserves, giving way to notions of damp soil, tar and unsmoked cigars with a waft of dried Provence herbs. The medium to full-bodied palate is a little woody at this nascent stage, offering a lot of juicy black fruit beneath the oak with a chewy texture and bags of freshness, finishing long and spicy.

Exhibiting aromas of ripe black fruits and spicy new oak, the 2019 Balestard la Tonnelle is medium to full-bodied, chunky and extracted, with a ripe core of fruit and firm tannins that assert themselves on the chewy finish.