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46% Mourvèdre, 29% Syrah, 21% Grenache, 4% Mencía. This blend was a showstopper last year, and 2020 offers more of the same. Grenache has taken the early plaudits, yet the Swinney team are equally enthusiastic about their Mourvèdre. Indeed, Mann notes that Mourvèdre’s ascendancy will likely continue in future years—this year’s slice already accounts for almost half the blend. The Mourvèdre, like the Grenache is from bush vines and the Syrah from vertically trellised vines—all from iron-rich gravelly loam soils. This year there’s also a splash of Mencía, which we hear is showing great promise in the vineyard.

In the vines, careful canopy management, fruit thinning and selective hand-harvesting over multiple passes are all par for the course. The fruit was fermented with 54% whole bunches and the wines spent up to two weeks on skins prior to being pressed directly to fine grained, large format, French oak (8% new) where they were aged on lees for 11 months before bottling.

Another beautifully weighted release, Rob Mann has coalesced the dark fruits and earthy notes of the Mourvèdre with more delicate strawberry top-notes of the Grenache. There’s a disarming perfume, which belies a chiselled yet dense palate of blackberry and blueberry, bay leaf, mocha and a hint of strawberry. Subtle charcuterie notes lead to a long and spicy finish, and the whole is driven by an energy and freshness you don’t often see in domestic Rhône blends (or many French ones for that matter!) A winner on its own or with some barbecued wagyu—and so very well priced.

“Around half is whole bunch, all of it is wild fermented, there’s a splash of Mencía in the mix (would love to see a 2020 single variety Mencía off this site!). It’s been a cracker in the past, here’s the new release. Blackcurrant jelly, graphite, old leather, woody spice abound in perfume. Flavours roll a similar way, more blueberry than blackcurrant though, juiciness chiselled into by ribs of mineral-charged tannin, some sooty spice and tobacco characters lending savouriness. Medium weight, tannin-shaped, long, firm, dusty, savoury. Such a great drink here with charisma, texture, tension, and energy in spades. Serious stuff!” 94 Points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front