La Clape Porte de Ciel, Château de la Négly 2016

Flirting with perfection, the 2016 Coteaux Du Languedoc La Clape Porte Du Ciel had just been bottled 10 days ago, which makes this showing even more impressive. Magical notes of crème de cassis, blackberries, cured meats, olive tapenade, and graphite all emerge from this deep, powerful Syrah that has ultra-fine tannins, not a hard edge to be found, perfect balance, and a huge finish. It’s a singular, heavenly Syrah that could come from nowhere else. It’s going to thrill over the coming two decades.

Bottled just a month before my visit, the 2016 La Clape la Porte du Ciel looks even more impressive than it did from barrel. The warmth I noted last year has seemingly been absorbed into this huge, inky-purple wine. Pencil shavings accent classic Syrah notes of licorice, blackberries and grilled meat on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is supple and velvety, and blueberries and plums emerge on the long finish. Give it a couple of years if you have patience, and drink it over the next 15+ years.