Bastide du Claux "Le Claux" Luberon Rouge, 2017

The historical heart of the domaine, Le Claux is a 2.25-hectare site situated between 300 and 350 meters of altitude, just south of the winery. Its soils of clayey marl, rare in the Luberon, along with its less-solar northeastern exposure, contribute to a long maturation cycle and engender a wine of great complexity for the area. This wine comprises 60% Syrah from a 1973 planting, 30% Grenache from 1962, and 10% 1949-planted Mourvèdre, and Sylvain’s yields rarely top a meager 30 hectoliters per hectare. Naturally fermented with a portion of its added-back stems (following a full destemming), and aged two years primarily in used 600-liter demi-muids with a smaller proportion in cement, “Le Claux” leads with its Syrah aromatically—a coolly spicy and black-fruited nose of notable lift. Densely concentrated and layered on the palate, its tannins have teeth, but their bite never breaks the skin. The wine finishes with a bright, vibrating energy, speaking to Sylvain’s skillful farming and light touch in the cellar.