Coteaux du Languedoc Tete de Belier Rouge, Château Puech-Haut 2009

Also superb, and the first vintage for this cuvee, the 2009 Coteaux du Languedoc Saint Drezery Tete de Belier shows lots of similarities to the 2011 with its ripe, voluptuous and sexy style. Blackberry, dried spices, licorice, chocolate and ample ground herbs are just some of the nuances here, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness and depth, no hard edges and sweet tannin. Enjoy this beauty over the coming 7-8 years.

Puech-Haut's red 2009 Coteaux du Languedoc Saint-Drezery Tete de Belier - Syrah, with smaller amounts of Grenache and Mourvedre and a dollop of Carignan, raised 30% in barrel - was their only wine of this vintage to have been bottled (shortly) after I visited and tasted there in April. A striking amalgam of arbor vitae and rosemary with nutmeg and cocoa powder overs above a rich reservoir of sweetly ripe black raspberry, dark cherry, and purple plum. The counterpoint of spice and sweet fruit with herbal pungency persists across this wine's polished, finely-tannic palate and into a long finish that - as did the corresponding Prestige bottling - manages to sooth yet stimulate and to preserve a rivulet of fresh fruit juiciness. I would anticipate at least half a dozen years of satisfaction here and probably closer to a decade.

A fabulous intensity with gorgeous ripe, black fruit but a smooth and velvety mouth-feel from the wine-making. Intense yet polished, this is certainly one of the best wines from the Languedoc that I have ever tasted.