"A blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah.  Deeply ripe, fresh back raspberry and blackberry display bright, invigoratingly tart edges such as one found - less predictably, given its vintage - in the corresponding 2009. There is more sense of tannic grip here and concomitantly less immediate sensual appeal than in that 2009, a characteristic Fabre suggests arises in part from the fact that some of the Grenache for this vintage of Lo Mainatge came off of schistic soil. Notes of juniper berry, wormwood, and iodine lend a medicinal note found also in the corresponding 2009 and there is a striking sense of crushed stone in this cuvee's long finish, also schist-influenced, many would no doubt claim. This tightly-stitched, finely-seamed, glycerin-rich blend ought to repay several years in bottle and hold up well for at least 6-8."

"An interesting style; there's 70% Syrah, 20% Grenache Noir, 10% Mourvèdre, harvested when over-ripe and matured along with the skins in oak casks. Delicate, fine fragrances of spice, mint, flowers and blackberries on the nose. On the palate, there's well-integrated oak, blackcurrant, blackberry with huge mouthfeel and a long, lingering finish. Enjoy with venison, duck, or couscous."

"90% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. On the nose it's subtle, with black fruits; blackcurrant, prunes revealing themselves slowly, spices; liquorice, paprika and pepper, finishing on a faint note of chocolate. On the palate there's a fresh, generous mouthfeel, silky tannins. Pair with lamb, stew, or even truffles."

John Clerides and myself, Jon Ellison, discovered this producer last year on our trip to Southern France.  As we tasted with winemaker Michel Fabre and his business partner Patrick Besson-Léaud, we were both amazed by the quality and precision of these wines.  All of them displayed tremendous fruit, acidity and balance and we knew that they would be a great fit in the Marquis portfolio.  This small 18 hectare, family run domaine has its vines scattered around the municipality of the Bize Minervois.  Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre are king here with the vines ranging in age from 10 to 70 years old.  Each vineyards brings its own specific attribute to each wine, through their soil type, exposure and the altitude.  Crop management of the grapes is traditional with the over-riding ethos of the estate to be stewards of the land.  The cellar is equipped with small capacity tanks and each plot and variety is vinified separately before blending.  The vinification of each wine is adapted for each wine and fermentation times list between 25 to 40 days with part of the production vinified in 400L barrels and up to 20% of the production receiving time in 225L barrels of new French oak.  The two principal wines are named with a nod towards the Occitan language that has been spoken in the region for centuries.  Lo Mainatge means "The Children" and this refers to the relative youthfulness of this wine with its fresh, fruity nature and soft tannins.  Lo Paire means "The Father" and is a more serious wine that needs some time to soften out.  The Signature is only made in the best years and is a selection of the top plots that usually go into the Lo Paire.