2018 De Lille Cellars Métier Red
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Tasting notes
Blackberry and tar with some spice on the nose. Bark, too. Full-to medium-bodied with round, juicy tannins and a flavorful finish. Rather creamy and delicious. 50% mourvedre, 28% grenache, 20% syrah and 2% cinsault. Drink now or hold.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Good dark red. Expressive aromas of raspberry, strawberry, fennel, licorice and peppery herbs, along with a faint suggestion of cured meats. Smooth and suave but firm on entry, offering lovely density and energy to its red berry, spice and lavender flavors. Finishes with very fine-grained tannins and rising floral/herbal persistence. Still very youthful and built to expand with bottle aging, but smooth and flavorful right now. This struck me as a bit more brisk than the 2017.
With a classic ruby center, the 2018 Metier is a blend of 39% Grenache, 39% Mourvedre, 19% Syrah and 3% Cinsault. The wine is expressive and opens to a nose full of dusty red fruit and subtle black spices with hints of dusty cherry skin, licorice and baked earth. Medium to full-bodied, it has a youthful and energetic appeal across the mid-palate before showing soft flavors of dried herbs and potpourri on the lingering finish. I see this being a crowd-pleaser to anyone who likes CDP. The wine fermented in stainless steel and aged for 16 months in neutral French oak. 12,550 bottles produced.