Cabalié Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 2019

Parker-rated winemaker Hervé Sabardeil has been making this big, ripe Catalan red, the original Cabalié, for 15 years now. He added the old vine edition in 2011, originally as a one off, but it was so popular we insisted he did it again. And again! Hervé sources the grapes from the slate soils of the Roussillon, an area where the winemaking heritage dates back to the 2nd century BC. The vines are 60 to 100 years old, so yields are minute – around half of that for the fancy wines of Bordeaux. This really adds to the power and intensity of the wine. Made from Grenache with a large portion of spicy black fruit Carignan, this is a powerful red, weightier than the original. It’s ideal with garlic-roasted lamb, rich stews or hard cheeses.