Mas d’Alcyon Plan de Dieu Cotes du Rhone Villages 2020  £13.51

Mas d’Alcyon Plan de Dieu Côtes du Rhône Villages

Like all good stories, that of Boutinot France is both long and a little bit complicated! Boutinot began as a tiny importer in 1980, specialising in French wines. After 10 years, the business had grown and Samantha Bailey packed her bags to set up an office in Burgundy. Today, Boutinot's French office has over 20 employees who take care of production across the whole of France, covering fresh whites and rosés from Gascony, mineral wines from Burgundy, and joyful varietal wines from Languedoc among others. They don't use any single model to source their wines; instead, a combination of sources are used, from large-scale, high-quality co-ops to small, family growers and single domaines, as well as their own vineyards in Cairanne and Saint-Véran. Drawing on the expertise of their four winemakers and a network of partner growers, they seek to deliver the highest quality-to-price ratio possible for every wine.

Grapes are sourced from vines in the heart of the Plan de Dieu appellation. The blend of Grenache and Syrah undergoes a long maceration and traditional ageing in concrete tanks. Some of the Syrah spends 14 months in demi-muids to add complexity and finesse.

Full-bodied and textural with smooth, ripe tannins. The nose has liquorice and red and black fruit, which carry through to the palate with a salty, mineral edge. Structured yet approachable, the finish is long with hints of coffee and spice. Try with chicken and mushroom pie, or a lentil moussaka.