Domaine Ravanès Petit Verdot 2018 Pays d'Hérault Coteaux de Murviel

Aged for 30 months in vat, so no oak influence here. A mélange of black fruits, leather, spice, herb and undergrowth greet the nose, all of which comes through in spades on the palate. One might expect such a young Petit Verdot to be quite tough and angular for the moment - and there is indeed a healthy dose of tannic grip - but it is balanced by wonderful cherry skin and soft citrus acidity and such an abundance of lush, intense bramble and blackcurrant fruit that it is really rather lovely to drink already (preferably with food, of course). A hint of desiccated orange, a lick of peppery spice and a touch of earthy minerality add lots of interest, whilst the finish is long and beautifully sweet-sour. I usually make no secret of my relative antipathy towards Bordeaux-type wines, but when its blends or (in this case) constituent grape varieties are grown in the Languedoc, by a top grower such as Marc Bénin, they can fill me with joy. And this is just such a wine - utterly delicious and more-ish!