Rotem & Mounir Saouma, Inopia, Côtes du Rhône Villages, 2014

This blend of Grenache with smaller amounts of Mourvèdre, Counoise, Cinsault and Syrah, given 18 months’ ageing on lees in 500-litre casks as well as foudre and concrete eggs, has ample sweet spice, herb and aniseed scents. After this copious aromatic charm, the wine’s sheer authority comes as a shock. Stony finesse underpins the volume and weight of fruit. 'We want to be out on the boundary between serious and enjoyable,' says Saouma. The serious, of course, has to be enjoyable too. This is.