2019 Côte-Rôtie, Cuvée Maestria, Vignobles Levet, Rhône

A noble black grape variety grown particularly in the Northern Rhône where it produces the great red wines of Hermitage, Cote Rôtie and Cornas, and in Australia where it produces wines of startling depth and intensity. Reasonably low yields are a crucial factor for quality as is picking at optimum ripeness. Its heartland, Hermitage and Côte Rôtie, consists of 270 hectares of steeply terraced vineyards producing wines that brim with pepper, spices, tar and black treacle when young. After 5-10 years they become smooth and velvety with pronounced fruit characteristics of damsons, raspberries, blackcurrants and loganberries. It is now grown extensively in the Southern Rhône where it is blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre to produce the great red wines of Châteauneuf du Pape and Gigondas amongst others. Its spiritual home in Australia is the Barossa Valley, where there are plantings dating as far back as 1860. Australian Shiraz tends to be sweeter than its Northern Rhône counterpart and the best examples are redolent of new leather, dark chocolate, liquorice, and prunes and display a blackcurrant lusciousness. South African producers such as Eben Sadie are now producing world- class Shiraz wines that represent astonishing value for money.

Based in the Northern Rhône Valley of France, specifically in the region of Côte-Rôtie, Vignobles Levet is regarded for its traditional winemaking methods and its focus on producing high-quality Syrah-based wines. The Levet family has been involved in winemaking for several generations, and the current generation, led by Nicole Levet, continues the family tradition. The estate owns several vineyards in the Côte-Rôtie appellation, known for its steep slopes and granite soils.