Grange des Peres 2007

A saline, alkaline, kelp-, and oyster shell-aura such as one would more usually encounter in a white wine is evident already on the nose of Vaille’s red 2007 Grange des Peres, along with a garrigue-typical evocation of wild fennel and juniper. That said, ripe plum and cassis abound as well, with the tart edge of fruit skin; piquancy of plum pit; and aforementioned mineral and herbal elements collaborating on an impressively rich yet brightly juicy and vibrantly interactive performance that practically bursts forth in a sustained and palate-staining finish of invigoration as well as saliva-inducing savor. (I would have sworn, blind, that this must be the 2008!) The mineral dimension is so distinctive and assertive that this wine is bound not to be everybody’s cup of Languedoc red.