Domaine du Mortier, Les Pins, Bourgueil, Loire, France, 2016

Domaine du Mortier is situated centrally between Angers and Tours, and importantly only uses organic grapes from its organic and biodynamic certified vineyards. Grapes for Les Pins are from a single parcel of vines averaging 60 years of age, on soils of clay and chalk. Whole bunches go into an open-top, 50hl wooden vat, with the fermentation initiated using lees from previous vintages. The wine is aged for 10 months in oak before being bottled. Jim Budd: Black fruit aromas, some cherries, lovely soft texture, mouthfilling black fruits, powerful wine with some structure and a long finish. Some oak showing at present, so ideally kept for another couple of years. Chris Kissack: Blackcurrant with a touch of old school desk. Dark and restrained, suggesting a savoury style. Rather perfumed too though, a palate with substance, breadth and energy, dark and vibrant fruit, zippy acidity too. Lovely purity of fruit, with little grilled pip notes, praline edges too. Energetic and grippy. This is very good. Ben Llewelyn: Strongly put-together wine with identity and structure. A great wine.