Clos Bagatelle, La Terre de Mon Père, St-Chinian, 2014

Luc Simon and Christine Deleuze’s second top ten achiever here is a classic St-Chinian blend of 60% Syrah with the balance coming from equal portions of Mourvèdre and Grenache. Once again it’s a parcel selection from different soil types, given 18 months in new barriques. The scents, like those of the Je Me Souviens cuvée, have a green cast to them: Darjeeling tea-leaf freshness over dark plum fruits in this case. The palate is smooth, deep and pure St Chinian, with the same blend of vivacious dark plum and first-flush tea-leaf flavours.