VIT, Latour de France. Cotes Du Roussillon Villages 2014

Still in tank, the 2014 Cotes de Roussillon Latour de France Visitare Interiore Terrae ( V I T ) is a 60/40 split of Grenache and Syrah the spent 18 months in 60% demi-muids and 40% in concrete tanks. It offers a full-bodied, supple, sexy style (which is not the norm in the vintage) to go with lots of ripe currant fruit, licorice, black raspberries and dried herbs. It will drink nicely right out of the gate, yet also evolve nicely. I continue to be blown away by the quality coming from Domaine de la Bila Haut, which is run with the Chapoutier team. They’ve continued to grow these Roussillon releases, and even at the entry-level price point, the quality is stunning. The straight Les Vignes de Bila Haut, at $14, is a no-brainer purchase, and it’s made in enough quantity that readers should have no problem finding a bottle or more. The quality of the l’Esquerda continues to improve and I think the 2015 will be the best vintage of this cuvee to date. The top single parcel bottles of RI and VIT are made in tiny quantities, but these are up with the finest wines coming from the south of France. In short, these are fabulous wines that show classic characters (most are aged all in concrete) and represent incredible values. Don’t miss them.

Score: 94 - 96

Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 01 April 2016