The normal blend of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah, the translucent ruby colored 2015 Corbieres Rozeta offers a thrilling bouquet of sweet cherries, strawberries, mint and rose garden. Unique, singular and nuanced, this beauty hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, a silky, elegant texture and a great finish. It's already hard to resist, but I'm sure it will continue drinking nicely for 4-5 years

Another winner is the 2014 Corbieres Rozeta, which checks in as a blend of 40% Carignan, and 30% each of Grenache and Cinsault. Vibrant, juicy and seamless, with lots of sweet cherry and juicy berry fruits, flowers and some walnut oil-like characteristics, this medium-bodied, beautifully balanced and unique Corbières can be enjoyed anytime over the coming 5-7 years.

In the same mould, the transparent ruby-colored 2012 Corbieres Rozeta (roughly one-third each of Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault) offers more strawberry, watermelon and exotic, even tropical notions to go with a medium-bodied, silky and refined feel on the palate. It is an interesting, gorgeously drinkable effort to enjoy over the coming couple of years. These releases from Maxime Magnon always make me scratch my head a little. Almost rose-like in some cases, they rarely have much color, and have almost Beaujolais-like aromatics, yet they always deliver a seamless, silky feel on the palate, especially if given sufficient air. They won’t be for everyone, yet they’re well-made, at times outstanding, and interesting wines that pair beautifully with summer fare. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524

Magnon had to open a magnum of his 2009 Corbieres Rozeta for me as not a single 750 ml. bottle could be found. This year's cuvee - weighing-in at a mere 13% alcohol - consists of 60% Carignan, with the rest split about equally between Grenache and Cinsault. Black raspberry in fresh and distilled form is beautifully complimented by heliotrope and peony perfume that persist inner-mouth with luscious refreshment and uncanny levity. Smoky black tea notes on the nose have their counterpart in invigoratingly nippy, tea-like tanninity, while toasted hickory, chalk, and saliva-inducing salinity add to the irresistible intrigue of a lingering finish. The almost explosively intense, dizzyingly-dynamic aromatic interplay of flowers, fruits, and sea breeze left in the empty glass is in itself worth the modest price of admission to this garden of delight and outstanding value. Maxime Magnon - for more on whose background, ideals and at times unorthodox methods, consult my report in issue 183 - continues to reclaim vineyards of impressive age and altitude (up to 250 meters), going so far as to interplant selection massale vines of Grenache Gris acquired from a specialist, biodynamic pepinieriste. A mule and several cattle serve for weed control and fertilization. Magnon's small parcel of young Syrah vines - trained en goblet - last year yielded a mere six hectoliters per hectare. Meanwhile, all around Magnon's parcels one sees young Syrah vines of dubious clonal origin planted in south-facing locations and virtually guaranteed to do little but accumulate sugar (if they do not succumb to drought), all of which represent ancient vines of Carignan, Grenache, and their indigenous ilk that were ripped out because (for now at least) the local cooperative will pay a marginally higher price for Syrah - a sad scenario mirrored all across the Languedoc. Around 70% of Magnon's schist and chalk-clay acreage, incidentally, is theoretically Fitou, but he continues to express no interest in bottling wine under that appellation. Magnon began harvesting his 2009s already in late August, spurred by high heat and relentless North Wind. The raw materials from 2010 for his two top cuvees are impressive, rich yet vibrant and ranging from 13-14% alcohol - not that anyone ought to miss out on the corresponding 2009s. There will be a slight price increase with 2010, but - provided Magnon's style speaks to you and you have cool storage for low-sulfur wines - these represent excellent values. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524