Another perennial overachiever, Chateau Cap de Faugeres delivers a brilliant, pleasure-bent wine year-in, year out. Their 2019 offers a juicy, up-front, savory, already complex style as well as notes of red and black fruits, new leather, herbes de Provence, and dried flowers. Mouth-filling, nicely structured, and medium-bodied, give it a year or two to shed some tannins and enjoy through 2029.

Very pretty, smoky aromas with blackberries and cherries follow through to a medium body with integrated tannins and a fresh, clean finish. Hints of tar and lemon rind.

The 2019 Cap de Faugeres has tightened up a lot on the nose, showing dense black fruit, tar and graphite scents, quite Left Bank in style. The palate is much more expressive, featuring fleshy red berry fruit mixed with allspice, clove and white pepper. Persistent and quite convincing on the finish. Give it time for those aromatics to get their mojo back – which they will.